FIRST READING 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.
SECOND READING 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.”
My sisters and brothers in Christ,
Today our readings speak to us about the poor and those who have nothing—and yet who are more generous with God and others than the people who have money and learning and other riches. We are invited to be like the poor in our way of living.
The first reading today is from the First Book of Kings. The readings speak of a poor widow who had nothing left to live on and no money to purchase food. She was completely without resources and so was preparing the last meal for herself and her son. Yet, when Elijah the Prophet asks her, she agrees to bake something for him first and then for herself and her son. For sure, Elijah prophesied that things would be better for her, but not many people would believe enough to give away part of the small amount of food that they have. Blessed is this widow who believed and shared her poverty with another.
The second reading today is from the Letter to the Hebrews. We are invited to see Jesus Christ as one who came to take away our sins and to bring us salvation. This invitation is only accepted by those who choose to have faith. We know that the lives of those who choose faith do not change materially but only in the capacity to view all of life from the point of view of faith. Not many can accept this. Daily more and more people fall away from faith, even though others are still coming to faith. For many people today, the only faith is in the material world.
The Gospel from Saint Mark today is the story of another poor widow. She gives all that she has to the temple. We don’t know any more about her, except the words of Jesus, praising her action. For sure her friends would have told her that she was foolish and if she had relatives they might even have scolded her. Jesus praises her generosity and her trust in God.
Faith is a gift but also a choice. As a gift, faith is offered to all, even though not all recognize the offer. Sometimes, even though the offer is explicit and clear, the person cannot understand it and recognize it and respond to it. So we must never just another person’s faith. Instead, we are responsible for our own faith.
Faith is our challenge today. Are we ready to trust the Lord, even if we have nothing? Are we willing to give all to the Lord, even our food and our money? Are we willing to live our lives always seeking the will of God and not our own?
Most of us are “on the way” and perhaps not quite willing to give everything. Yet we want to come to that point in our lives and give ourselves completely to God. That will look different in each of our lives. We don’t look at others. We keep our eyes and our hearts on the Lord. Help us, Lord our God!
Your brother in the Lord,
Abbot Philip