Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 7, 2021
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 155
Reading I
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
- (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
Reading II
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.
Alleluia
- Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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."
OR:
Jesus 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."
Reflection: GIVE YOURSELF! THAT IS THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL!
I am sure we are familiar with the words of Mother Theresa: "I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." And I believe that she knows what she is talking about. 1. Making a Show of giving: While it is said that our right hand should not know what our left hand does in giving help, the way of the world is rather different. Every little contribution comes with some string attached. Photographs with the beneficiaries and the meetings to highlight the donation of VIPs are the order of the day! We notice with a bit of discomfort such events. Even we, religious and priests, would like to bring to the public the donation given by the VIPs in view of getting more help from them. During natural and human-made calamities, we see the unfortunate scene of the affected being photographed with the donors. Some may like this. But, remember the dignity of the people who receive them. Would we be in their shoes and come and stand for photographs for receiving financial and other benefits? 2. Two widows – Women who exemplify the biblical truth of love and giving: Interestingly the two readings are speaking about widows: one in the Old Testament and one in the Gospels. Both of them are portrayed as living in poverty and misery from the narration of the texts. In the bible, widows are most often clubbed with orphans and strangers (Jer. 7:5-6) who are at the lower rung of the ladder in the society in the time of the Old Testament. Though studies reveal that there were also rich widows who owned property, widows both in the Old Testament and the New Testament appear to be vulnerable and easy prey to the powerful. Jesus even warns those who dispossess the widows as we read in the Gospels. Elijah, the greatest of the prophets of the Old Testament, requests the widow of Zarephath to feed him and rewards her abundantly for her courage to give all that she had for her and her son to live on for next moment. The contribution of the widow to the treasury is keenly watched by Jesus and given as an example of giving generously. The style of driving home the important point of generous giving through the instrumentality of widows is meaningful and inspiring in themselves. 3. Donations versus Sacrifices: The invitation to all of us who listen to the readings of this Sunday, is to see how we can give out of a sacrifice. There are things we can do which are much more demanding than giving away a few rupees. As long as there are love and sacrifice involved in giving it is great! Give until it hurts.