32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Fr. Vinner)

WIDOWS’ PLIGHT & WIDOWS’ MIGHT

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“This poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury” (Mk)

In the Jewish world, too, the widow’s life was pathetic. She would often have to beg for food for herself and her children. Remember the widow Naomi and her widowed daughter-in-law, Ruth, in the ‘Book of Ruth’? Returning to Bethlehem with Ruth, Naomi cries out, “No longer call me Naomi, (which means ‘pleasant’), instead, call me Mara, a name that means ‘bitter’” (l: 20). Ruth and Naomi survive on salvaging leftovers in the barley fields after the harvesters finish their work. Indeed, widows were grossly exploited by society. Thus, they became archetype of those who depended totally on God.

The widow in the first reading struggles to fight famine. She is about to cook the last of her food for herself and her little boy before impending death. No one bothers about her except God who sends Prophet Elijah to her aid. The point stressed here-as in the gospel – is the widow’s generosity. Trusting in God, she gives away everything she has. She is richly rewarded, as, “The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied.”

The responsorial psalm reiterates the theme, “God upholds the widow and orphan but thwarts the path of the wicked” (146:9).

Today’s gospel contrasts the attitude of the scribes with that of the widow. The scribes are evil and unjust, they “swallow the property of widows” and proudly parade their piety in public. In sharp contrast, the poor widow quietly puts two small coins into the temple treasury. Jesus praises her because, “From the little she had, she has put in everything.”

Someone said, “Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once.” Why don’t you put all you have into God’s Treasury? There, today’s widows’ might demonstrates how God looks at our mite.

1. Man of God should be looked after.

Prophet Elijah was sent to a widow to be looked after. It is the duty to someone to look after a prophet. Because of that reason Elijah himself was asking for water and food. When someone is taking care a prophet, God will bless them abundantly.

Matthew 10:41 “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.”

2. The conditions of the family

Poor

If we imagine the family where Prophet Elijah was sent, we could see the conditions of that family.  It was a very poor family where nothing was certain. She had nothing for her future. If she was struggling for daily meal one could easily understand the situations of the family.

Widow

Widow means it brings so many things in one’s life. No one was there to share her mutual love, she was all alone with all the problems, sufferings and struggles on her shoulder. No security was for her life. No one was there to earn and support to her. But generally a widow lives under the productions and supports of God.

3. Attitude of the widow

Fear of the Lord

The family of the widow based her life in the fear of the Lord. Again, the character of the fear of the Lord was considered as the love of God.  She was not a great prophet like Elijah, but in a sense she was also a woman and widow for God. That was the first reason that she was able to see God in Elijah, the prophet

Honest

Honest is Godly basic attitude in a man. Do we find the character of honest in the widow? When the prophet Elijah asked her for water and food she said the truth. “I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug.” If she had the intention of protecting her family only, she could have lied him saying, I had nothing though she had something.  Even though she had something that was enough only for her family she said the truth and shared with Elijah the prophet what she had.

She gave her sharing

This was the beautiful moment of sharing in the life of the widow. This was not the first time that she was sharing her food with others. But this was a unique moment in her life in sharing for two reasons. First of all she had nothing as extra to give, rather she gave her share to the prophet Elijah. Secondly, she was not giving her sharing to an ordinary person, rather she was giving her share to a man of God. In that sense she was giving her share to God.

Trust

The total trust was expressed in the life of the widow when she gave even what she had for her life. When you gave everything you had no idea of tomorrow. What is the strategy here? You have to think of your future, but if there is any moment if someone is dying for something you have to share trusting in the Lord.

Present living

The widow’s life was so simple. She was not worrying about pass or present. She was living the life of present moment. If you are not attached with past or present, there won’t be worries and anxieties in your life. Your life will be happy in the present moment and you will make others also happy. That was what the widow did to the prophet Elijah. She was happy and she wanted to make the prophet happy at the same time. The present moment is the happiest moment of life in me and round me.

Let us also reflect on today’s Gospel passage.

4. She offered her life not money

During the time of Jesus also something similar happened. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Jesus praised her saying, “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.” Why was the widow’s offering accepted more than others? Because, she offered her life to God. Though she had nothing for tomorrow she trusted in God and offered everything what she had.

5. The blessings of God come when you surrender to God totally.

In both incidents we find similar story, the story of poor widows sharing. Even though they had nothing, they trusted in God and offered their life to God. God’s blessings come to someone when the person surrenders himself totally in the hands of God.

If we want to experience God’s abundant blessings in our life too, we need to trust in the Lord even when we have nothing for our future.

# We need to accept Christ’s criteria of judging people: We often judge people by what they possess.  We give weight to their position in society, to their educational qualifications, or to their celebrity status.  But Jesus measures us in a totally different way – on the basis of our inner motives and intentions hidden behind our actions.  He evaluates us on the basis of the sacrifices we make for others and on the degree of our surrender to God’s holy will. The offering God wants from us is not our material possessions, but our hearts and lives.  What is hardest to give is ourselves in love and concern, because that gift costs us more than reaching for our purses.

We need to pour out our “whole life.” Can we, like the poor widow, find the courage to share the wealth and talents we hold? Can we stop dribbling out our stores of love and selflessness and sacrifice and compassion and dare to pour out our whole heart, our whole being, our “whole life” into the love-starved coffers of this world?

JOKES OF THE WEEK You know the old joke about the chicken and the pig that saw the church sign saying “Help feed the hungry.”  The chicken said “That’s a good idea!  Let’s help by putting in our ‘widow’s mite.’  Let’s give ham and eggs.” The pig said, “That’s easy for you to say, but for me it’s a total commitment!”

A six-year-old boy, home from his first day at Church, was asked what he thought of the Holy Mass. “It was OK,” he replied, “but I think it was unfair that the pastor at the altar did all the work, and then a bunch of other people came around and took away all the money.” Amen to that small lad’s insight!

May God Bless us.

FR. S.Vinner HGN