SUNDAY, THIRTY SECOND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
1 Kgs 17:10-16 Ps 146:7-10 Heb 9:24-28 Mk 12:38-44
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HOLDING NOTHING BACK
God appreciates your sacrificial self-offering. Before his death at the age of 15, due to blood cancer, Blessed Carlo Acutis said, I am not afraid to die because I have not wasted my time by spending it in in anything except in those things that are pleasing to God. Yes, the young Italian boy was confident of how he offered his life so far, for the kingdom of God especially developing a website which gives truthful and attractive details about all the Eucharistic miracles that occurred in the world through the centuries. The boy who died in 2006 is expected to be canonized soon. Yes, his life testifies that a life that is given totally for the sake of Jesus Christ, is pleasing to God. His offering was total, like the offering of the widow of today’s gospel.
In today’s first reading, it is interesting to note that God chose the house of a poor widow of Zarephath for sheltering his prophet Elijah during the great famine. In spite of her poverty and apparent helplessness she was ready even to sacrifice her last meal for the sake of the prophet. Like the widow in today’s gospel she offered totally without holding anything back for herself.
Jesus said: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it” (Mt 16:25). The widow is a finest example of faith in action. She believed that everything will happen according to the word of God. And it happened to her according to her faith. Even when the richest people including the King suffered greatly from the drought, there was abundance in the poor house of the widow.
God’s assignment to the house of the widow was also a faith test to the prophet. Elijah the prophet, in his natural reason could argue with God regarding the logic of being an extra burden to a poor family. When the prophet believed the plan of God, he became not a burden but a great blessing. Later in the passage we also read the incident of how Elijah miraculously raised the dead son of the same widow.
The passage of the “Widow’s offering” is a passage of total detachment. It reveals the heart of God: what pleases him. We cannot please him by just giving something from what we have. We can only satisfy him by giving everything we have. Yes, Jesus makes note of what you give and what you can give. Jesus said “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Lk 12:48).
Jesus expressed his happiness in the sacrificial offering of the widow: “she has offered everything she had.” Jesus would be happy only if his disciples also offer everything, of their time, talent, wealth, family, even the licit worldly joys and thus everything for the sake of the kingdom of God. Jesus is happy with one’s detachment to oneself, detachment to the world and detachment to people. Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continuously” (Mt 16:24).
In the second reading we see the final result of total self sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He did not keep anything back for himself. The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was completely different from the sacrifices of the high priests in the temple. The high priests were offering the blood of the animal for the remission of the sins of the people. But Jesus offered his own blood for the forgiveness of sins.
Like the widow, whom Jesus appreciated, ‘she offered even what he had to live on’. Paul wrote: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Rom 12:1-2)
Response: My soul, give praise to the Lord.
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