Sunday, Nov. 8, is the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B, Cycle II).

 

Mass Readings

1 Kings 17:10-16, Psalm 146:7-10, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is preaching near the treasury, warning listeners to beware of the scribes who dress up and sit in places of honor. “They devour the houses of widows,” he says. “They will receive a very severe condemnation.” He then sits near the place where people give money to the Temple; and along comes a widow, who puts a few small coins into the treasury. This could very well be one of the widows whose house is being devoured by the religious people who care so much about appearances.

But Jesus doesn’t stop her from giving. Instead, he praises her. He tells the crowd to be like a poor widow and not like the people who take advantage of her. For some, our inclination might be to speak to the woman and warn her about the terrible people who are using her, telling her to keep her money. We might even want to break open the treasury and insist that it be given to the widow, not the other way around.

But Jesus isn’t a critic, and he isn’t Robin Hood. He also isn’t merely a critic denouncing the powerful. He is a prophet of love, not a prophet of doom, so he asks us to imitate the widow, not tear down the Pharisees.

The Church pairs the reading with the story of Elijah and a widow in Zarephath. At first, Elijah seems to be like one of those religious officials who devours the homes of widows. Instead of offering help, he asks her to help him. It is only after she reluctantly agrees to comply that he tells her he will give her the miracle of all the flour and oil she needs to keep making bread indefinitely. Going back to the Gospel, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, praises the widow’s generosity. She no doubt found her life blessed thereafter. Perhaps it was not in so obvious a way as a self-replenishing flour jar, but Providence no doubt took care of her.

“The Lord keeps faith forever,” says today’s Psalm; “secures justice for the oppressed; gives food to the hungry. … The fatherless and the widow he sustains.” It also says, “The way of the wicked he thwarts.” The lesson for us is clear: We should make sure we are personally counted among the just and the generous.

Tom Hoopes is writer in residence at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas,

where he lives with April, his wife and in-house theologian and consultant, and their children.