Deacon Tom Anthony

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 155

Reading 1 1 Kgs 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.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Heb 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.

Alleluia Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 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 BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 There are many demands and expectations if we are to live a Christian Life the way Jesus expects us to. Each day will be filled with challenges and choices beyond those which may confront us during the normal course of living. What we learn through our faith has to be applied to the decisions that we make so that the result that is produced brings us closer to God instead of farther away. This takes time, contemplation, and hard work. Those who do not follow Jesus only have to weigh a decision based on what is best for them and those whom are involved in the overall outcome be it on a personal or professional level. A degree of selfishness is permitted and somewhat expected. We, on the other hand, need to keep in mind what God wants us to do.

From very early on we have been taught by society that acts of charity and good works are always good to a degree. There are many opportunities to give back to those who are less fortunate or are in need of help. It feels good to react to a plea for help. It is also encouraging to see many people reacting to a call for assistance. Acting in unison in cases such as these bring about many positive results and those involved should be commended. Those who call themselves Christians are very often involved in these situations. This is where the similarity usually ends. Jesus wants us to do more. We cannot be the directors of the good works that we do. We cannot dictate when, where, and how much of ourselves we give to someone. We must always do what we do because it is what Jesus wants us to do. Jesus would never deny anyone in need and He expects us to do the same.

The Christian Experience is a shared experience. When one person celebrates, we all celebrate. We one person suffers, we all suffer. A person who is facing any type of turmoil must be embraced, comforted, and healed from what plaques him or her. It is through the actions of the person and community that Jesus Christ is realized and the Kingdom of God is revealed. There is no weighing of involvement and dictation of terms when it comes to God. The well-being of those who are suffering is paramount. Jesus did not weigh His sacrifice for us. We cannot do what He did not do when we are taught that those whom we help are in fact Christ themselves at that moment of hardship.

Following Jesus demands sacrifice and a rearrangement of priorities. We can no longer just think about ourselves and our happiness. It is the joy of the community and us through participation in the Living Body of Christ that is encouraged through our faith. This can be very difficult at times but it is through difficulties that we become stronger and realize what is truly important. As long as we are open to what Jesus wants, these difficulties become only temporary and bring about an awareness and understanding which will actually lead us to a more fulfilling life. This fulfillment cannot be defined in societal terms but only in the terms of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit which enables us to feel His love.

In the Scripture Readings today there were two instances where those who had almost nothing gave everything not because they had to but because they wanted to. The widow responded to Elijah’s request for help with faith that his promise to her would be fulfilled: everything was going to be alright and she would not have to be worried about her and her child going hungry. Jesus spoke about trusting in God and how just as the birds of the sky have no worry about material necessities we should do the same. Jesus pointed to the poor widow at the treasury and how she gave everything she had in comparison to those who only gave from their surplus. Her faith and love was so much stronger than those who only chose to give from their surplus. What we all have to work for is a complete faith in God mirrored in our actions. We cannot say one thing then do another. Faith in God and loving God should not be done with caution but complete abandon.

To experience God’s love to the fullest requires a full commitment. Of course this is not going to happen overnight. It takes time to get close to God. The Scripture readings today offer us some necessary goals and a focus on what we should be doing. At the same time they offer consolation that as long as we are heading in the right direction and making the necessary adjustments, things will get better and our progress will bring about positive results. They will also insure us joy and happiness. Our hard work will always be rewarded. In a wonderful way these rewards, in the end, benefit us completely because that is the way God wants it. He wants to love us completely and shows us how we can benefit from this love. His love is given to us with the expectation that we will then give it away as freely to other people. In the end everyone benefits and no one is left without.

Deacon Tom