32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B (1 Kings 17:10-16 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44 or Mark 12:41-44)
Theme: A call to generosity
From our readings today, we are invited to live a life that is pleasing to God, who sent his Son Jesus Christ to pay the supreme sacrifice with his life, that we may have life. The first reading and the gospel, point out the fact that it is important that we practice generosity in our daily lives. This is because generosity has a way of attracting the blessings of God to all those who practice it in their daily lives. Thus, we are encouraged to make generosity part of our lives.
In the first reading, we see the encounter between the prophet Elijah and the widow of Zarapheth. The faith of the widow was greatly tested by the request of the prophet Elijah to share the little she had left for herself and her son. The widows generosity, attracted the blessings of God, as decreed by the prophet Elijah. God blessed them with enough food that kept them going, because of her generosity towards the prophet. We also see the same generosity in the gospel, from the widow that gave all she had from her poverty; a story that is referred to as the widow’s mite. The woman gave all she had and nothing was left; unlike others who gave out of their abundance.
In the story of the widow’s mite, Jesus is simply teaching us to have faith in God and be generous with the gifts that has given to us. The stories of the two widows in our readings for this Sunday, is an invitation for us to have faith in God and be generous with what God has blessed us with; whether spiritual or material. Whatever we give to the less privileged in our midst does not go without a reward from God, who sees everything that happens in our lives. However, if we have nothing to give to the widows and poor people around us, let us not leave them worse than they were when they encountered us. Just like Jesus pointed out to us in the opening part of today’s gospel, using the scribes as a reference point.
The second reading from the letter to the Hebrews points out the fact that Jesus has paid the supreme price for our sins with his blood; let us strive to do our part by living good and generous lives. Nobody becomes poor because he or she is generous; rather our situation becomes better because God appreciates our actions and begins to bless us more than we can comprehend. Your generosity will never go unrewarded by God. Let your life be a blessing to all those around you. Let your blessings from God be a blessing to all those who encounter you. May God grant us the grace of a generous heart. Peace be with you.