Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
I have been waiting for the right opportunity to share this story. In the collection basket we received a rather small but heavy envelop. Cindy, our parish secretary, gave this to me later and said that I must see it. So here it is – an envelop with 13 cents stuck inside with a tape. The note reads, “Won $1.27 playing cards 1st time for a long time.” This card was sent in jest because I am so associated with the Blessing of Ten program. But it is the attitude of this lovely lady that I am most touched by. What if she made only a dollar and fourty cents! She finds a reason to express her gratitude... and humor. As they say, “Small is beautiful.”
Yes! Small is beautiful. Take, for example, the stories of poor widows in today’s readings. Both these readings portray widows in very differently than they are normally portrayed in scripture. In the Biblical times, widows occupied the lower rungs of the social ladder. They were counted among the aliens/gypsies, the poor and the orphans. Generally, they were objects of other people’s charity. Precisely because they were perceived as weak and unable to take care of themselves, the Law provided for their sustenance, allowed them special privileges and cursed everyone who exploited them (Deut 24:17 – 27:26).
In contrast, in today’s readings, widows are portrayed as women of strength. They were small and insignificant in their respective societies but powerful as they live out in real, practical terms their faith in God. In the first reading, it was the widow of Zarephath who took care of the prophet Elijah. In the gospel reading, Jesus contrasts the attitude of the poor widow with that of the scribes and Pharisees, even though what she put into the treasury was the equivalent of two pennies. What is it that the readings are extolling? I think they are extolling the widows’ perspective on life. In spite of their poverty and helplessness they offered to others the things they could have used themselves. Small is beautiful applies to them. They believed that everything they had came from God. They believed that even the little they had they owed it first to God. They believed that they could depend on God. In fact, their strength comes from their faith in God’s providence. They believed that their destiny in this life and the next lay with God.
Three practical implications:
1. In our parish we have been focusing much on radical discipleship these days. Here is an exercise I am suggesting we do at home. Read the first reading and the gospel reading for today and then immediately read the beatitudes from Mt 5: 3-9. We will soon realize that these widows are the “blessed” that Jesus was referring to in the beatitudes. In fact, the widows are in the fullest sense of the word, “radical disciples.” What else can we call people who give selflessly from their poverty? What else can we call people who depended so totally and completely on God? And so, I am raising a question here for you and me. Is there an aspect of our lives where we can say we are radical in our following of Jesus and in our selfless giving? Is there an aspect of our lives where we are like the widows? The ideal thing would be that our entire life, every aspect of is radically Christ like. But, if there is one area in which we can be radical in our following of Christ then we can apply it to the rest of our lives as well. Remember, small is beautiful.
2. Today is good day to ask a very significant question. Does my generosity reflect my blessings? Take some time this week and take stock of your blessings. Write down the things you are grateful to God for – life, friends, children, food, shelter, education, job, church, faith... the list can go on. When you are finished write down the ways in which you express your gratitude to God for your blessing. This simple exercise will reveal very clearly whether our generosity and gratitude reflect our blessings. The widows in today’s readings teach us that we can never be grateful enough to God for the blessings of life. They teach us to express our gratitude by our generosity toward God and those in need.
The worst thing we can do is to give leftovers to God. Rather, today we are being asked to be generous because it is an expression of our gratitude to God for every blessing we have received from God.
3. In the gospel of Mark, the story of the poor widow comes immediately after Jesus teaching on the greatest commandment. A scribe had asked Jesus on which was the greatest commandment. And Jesus had replied, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Mk 12: 28-31). The two poor women show better than the scribes and Pharisees what these commandments can be lived out in real life. The implication of this is that denying God what belongs to God and refusing to share our lives with the poor is a violation of the first commandment. A selfish life is a form of idolatry.
Let me conclude by saying that in the gospels Jesus is portrayed as being poor. Yet, he was generous with his love, forgiveness, and compassion. I think the gospel of Mark particularly is suggesting that Jesus himself was like this poor widow. He did not have much. At the last supper all he did was took bread and wine and said, “This is my body and this is my blood.” With those words he lay all he had at the feet of his Father and for the salvation of the world. At the end of our lives may our own life reflect God’s love and life. Remember, small is powerful. Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph