November 8, 2015 – Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time – Lectionary: 155
Reading 1 – 1 Kings 17: 10-16
In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
“Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink.”
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
“Please bring along a bit of bread.”
She answered, “As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die.”
Elijah said to her, “Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, says,
‘The jar of flour shall not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'”
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm 146: 7, 8-9, 9-10
- Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free. -
Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
the LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers. -
Praise the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia. - Praise the Lord, my soul!
Reading 2 – Hebrews 9: 24-28
Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.
Gospel – Mark 12: 38-44
In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
“Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes
and accept greetings in the marketplaces,
seats of honor in synagogues,
and places of honor at banquets.
They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext
recite lengthy prayers.
They will receive a very severe condemnation.”
He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
“Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury.
For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had,
her whole livelihood.”
Listen to the Scriptures: click on the link below:
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/15_11_08.mp3
32nd Sunday of the Year – B
Theme: Not Counting the Cost. There is a type of charity which is heroic; it involves giving of self until it hurts, a generosity of spirit which puts the well being of others even before one’s own health or bodily need. Jesus was the perfect exemplar of sacrificial love. He gave everything, his very life, in a loving sacrifice which won for us the gift of eternal life.
Today’s gospel speaks to us about zeal for giving, a zeal that gives and does not count the cost. The example of the poor widow practicing denial of self in such a generous way is an inspiration for us. She gave freely and fully, not what she could spare but what she needed. We too have to learn that through God’s wonderful grace we can rise to heroic charity; we too can give of our time, our energy, and our money even till it hurts.
Introduction: The idea of doing without something essential has passed out of the worldly frame of reference. Sacrifice is a dirty word in some circles of the Church. We are constantly bombarded with ads and commercials which insist that we deserve the best. We live in a consumer society, and acquiring more seems to be the goal of life. In such an atmosphere, it is hard to go against the mainstream, to think in terms of consuming less, eating less, and rejecting the impulse to buy. Yet we must do precisely this if we are to be ready to respond to someone in need. Followers of Christ must be ready for self-denial.
Point 1: Self-denial does not mean improvidence. It is obvious that we cannot give away what rightly belongs to our family/community. Charity does begin at home, and others must be provided for, but we can strip ourselves of useless and unnecessary appetites as a predisposition for heroic charity. Jesus praised the widow not because of the amount of her offering, but because of the spirit which prompted her gift, and the sacrifice it entailed. He knew that she loved God very much, and because of that love, she gave out of her need.
Point 2: It is love which prompts sacrifice. We all know some examples of extraordinary charity. One such story comes to mind. In one of our parishes a visiting priest was raising money a couple of years ago for an overseas orphanage in South America which was in great need. After giving a talk about it in one prayer group, a woman came to him to make a contribution. She was in a wheelchair, a polio victim in constant pain due to a fall. She was unmarried, alone and living a tightly budgeted existence. Without hesitation she had written out a check for $300.00 and told him it was money she had been saving for a color TV set. The woman realized others needed more than she. The visiting priest tired vainly to talk her out of it, but she had made up her mind. He could not go against such sacrifice, nor could he ever forget that woman in his Masses and prayers.
Point 3: Love calls for self-sacrifice in our personal relationships. We know there cannot be true love in a family or community without some renunciation of self-interest. At times, the needs of our family and friends demand that we renounce, even momentarily, things we enjoy. In that context it is not difficult to understand how much the love of God requires of us. Sacrifice, however little, however much, is the basis of a living love. Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta said, “A living love always hurts,” and it is true. Even our personal relationship with Almighty God will require self-giving and sacrifice.
Conclusion: Love is a word on everyone’s lips, but seldom do we hear what it really entails: a self-giving that does not count the cost. Through today Gospel story Jesus tells us we are not judged on the basis of personal wealth, competence academically, power, prestige or social influence, we are judged on love, and on the last day it will be love and the measure of it in our life that will decide our eternal destiny. Jesus knows the workings of the human heart. We must pray for the gift of giving till it hurts.
QUESTIONS THAT MAY LEAD TO OTHER THOUGHTS, RELFECTION:
- Have you ever given away something you loved very very much? Why? Why not?
- Do you love timidly, hesitantly, counting the cost of what is asked, snapping back or holding back if you are inconvenienced?
- Do you ever consider the effect of your good example on those around you, or the effect of your bad example?
- Do you listen to others who need to talk, even if it keeps you from what you most want to do?
- Do you realize that when love begins to hurt, it is the sure sign of a living love?
Today we are given in the Gospel a lesson in giving: (Read Mark 12: 38-44)
- Real giving must be sacrificial. The amount of the gift never matters so much as its cost to the giver, not the size of the gift, but the sacrifice. Real generosity gives until it hurts. For many of us it is a real question if ever our giving to God’s work is any sacrifice at all. Few people will do without their pleasures to give a little more to the work of God. It may well be a sign of the decadence of the church and the failure of our Christianity that gifts have to be coaxed out of church people, and that often they will not give at all unless they get something back in the way of entertainment or of goods. There can, be few of us who read this story without shame.
- Real giving has a certain recklessness in it. The woman might have kept one coin. It would not have been much but it would have been something, yet she gave everything she had. There is a great symbolic truth here. It is our tragedy that there is so often some part of our lives, some part of our activities, some part of ourselves which we do not give to Christ. Somehow there is nearly always something we hold back. We rarely make the final sacrifice and the final surrender.
- It is a strange and lovely thing that the person whom the New Testament and Jesus hand down to history as a pattern of generosity was a person who gave a gift of half a farthing (far less than one cedis). We may feel that we have not much in the way of material gifts or personal gifts to give to Christ, but, if we put all that we have and are at his disposal, he can do things with it and with us that are beyond our imaginings.
We must not forget the opening warnings that Jesus gives at the beginning of today’s Gospel even before he speaks about the widow and her offering.
The long prayers of the scribes and Pharisees were notorious. It has been said that the prayers were not so much offered to God as offered to men. They were offered in such a place and in such a way that no one could fail to see how pious they were who offered them. Jesus speaks sternly as ever and warns against three things.
- He warns against the desire for prominence. It is still true that many a man accepts office in the church because he thinks he has earned it, rather than because he desires to render selfless service to the house and the people of God. Men may still regard office in the church as a privilege rather than a responsibility.
- He warns against the desire for deference. Almost everyone likes to be treated with respect. And yet a basic fact of Christianity is that it ought to make a man wish to obliterate self rather than to exalt it. There is a story of a monk in the old days, a very holy man, who was sent to take up office as abbot in a monastery. He looked so humble a person that, when he arrived, he was sent to work in the kitchen as a scullion, because no one recognized him. Without a word of protest and with no attempt to take his position, he went and washed the dishes and did the most menial tasks. It was only when the bishop arrived a considerable time later that the mistake was discovered and the humble monk took up his true position. The man who enters upon office for the respect which will be given to him has begun in the wrong way, and cannot, unless he changes, ever be in any sense the servant of Christ and of his fellow-men.
- He warns against the attempt to make a traffic of religion. It is still possible to use religious connections for self-gain and self-advancement. But this is a warning to all who are in the church for what they can get out of it and not for what they can put into it.
Scripture Readings for the 32nd Sunday
Reading I: 1 Kings 17:10-16
Responsorial Psalm: 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
Reading II: Hebrews 9:24-28
Gospel: Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
For the Church: that we may grow in recognizing our dependence upon God’s providence and entrust all our needs to God who loves us, let us pray to the Lord.
For all who exercise authority: that they may use their power in the service of others and surrender the desire to profit from their positions, let us pray to the Lord.
For healing of our wounded egos: that God will free us from making ourselves the center of attention and help us to make hospitality and service our focus, let us pray to the Lord.
For the grace of integrity: that we may be freed from hypocrisy and deceit so that we can serve single-heartedly without concern for what may come to us, let us pray to the Lord.
For a deepening of generosity: that our hearts may be open to those most in need and respond to them as if Christ were asking us for help, let us pray to the Lord.
For widows and single mothers: that they may find encouragement in the Christian Community and receive the support they need to be faithful disciples, let us pray to the Lord.
For all in this community of faith: that we may be good stewards of all God’s gifts to us and use them wisely in the service of God and neighbor, let us pray to the Lord.
For all priests: that they may lead us in true worship and help us discover the length and breadth of God’s love for us, let us pray to the Lord.
For refugees, outcasts, and the forgotten of society: that hearts may be opened to their struggles and our communities motivated to work to ease their suffering
For all who are facing starvation: that God will open the hearts of many to assist them and break the bureaucratic structures that impede food delivery, let us pray to the Lord.
For all who have been manipulated: that God will heal their wounds and sustain them as they seek justice, let us pray to the Lord.
For church communities that have been attacked, particularly those who have experienced arson:that God will free them from fear, give them hope and help them to proclaim the Gospel by their words and deeds, let us pray to the Lord.
For all who have died, particularly those who gave their lives in service to the nation: that they may share in the abundance of the eternal banquet of God’s reign, let us pray to the Lord.
For all veterans: that God will bless them for their service with health and provide opportunities for them to use their talents, let us pray to the Lord.
For all who are searching for work: that God will guide them to new options to use their gifts and talents for the good of others, let us pray to the Lord.
For our leadership in Parliament and in Congress: that God will help them see the true needs of society and guide them in developing policies that will promote the greatest good, let us pray to the Lord.
For all who have been widowed: that they may know God’s comforting presence and experience the care and concern of friends and family, let us pray to the Lord.
For all who are sick, particularly those with chronic conditions: that God’s healing love will give them strength, relieve their suffering and renew their energy, let us pray to the Lord.
For Peace: that God will inspire and guide leaders of nations as they search ways to resolve conflicts in the Middle East, Asia and Africa so that all may live in peace and safety, let us pray to the Lord.