The Widow's Mite

                            32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

                           B cycle

 

 

        

Today’s first reading from the Book of Kings tells the well-known story of Elijah, the greatest of the Hebrew prophets, and a poor widow and her son who are about to die of starvation.  A drought has caused famine in the widow’s city and she and her son have lost all hope. 

 

Nevertheless, Elijah asks her for food and drink and promises that the Lord will not let her and her son starve.  She bakes her last bread and gives it to Elijah, and sure enough her jar of flour does not go empty. 

 

In today’s gospel Jesus notices another poor widow near the Temple treasury. Although wealthy citizens are obviously putting large sums into the treasury, Jesus points out that though the impoverished widow has deposited only two small coins, she has contributed more than all the others. She had made the ultimate sacrifice. She had given all she had, “her whole livelihood” while the rich had only given from their surplus.

 

This story reminds me of the days I used to help count the Sunday collection proceeds in my own parish. We would separate the cash from the envelopes and then open each envelope and record the contributions. Every Sunday one woman would just put a couple of small coins in her envelope. It could be that she was just thumbing her nose at the pastor, but I like to think that what she gave meant a lot to the woman. It always reminded me of the widow in today’s gospel. 

 

Today, in reflecting on the gospel, it seems to me that the Temple treasurer should have returned the widow’s contribution, and given the poor woman much more in return for her great gift.  Unfortunately, in those times and in ours, officials seem to be much better at taking in money than giving it out. In the first part of the reading Jesus tells his listeners to beware of the scribes, the temple officials who lord it over others. 

 

Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes

and accept greetings in the marketplace,

seats of honor in synagogues,

and places of honor at banquets.

They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext

recite lengthy prayers.

 

In another place Jesus told his new hierarchy of disciples not to become like the leaders of the Gentiles who lord it over their subjects. Their mission was to serve. Unfortunately, today many leaders in all denominations are little different from secular officials who live high on the hog, and seek to be served rather than to serve the people they have pledged to serve. They are public servants in name only.

 

A few years ago I visited the Cathedral in San Francisco, a huge architectural masterpiece that must have cost a fortune to build. Unlike the cathedrals of old, there were no crowds of pilgrims streaming in and out of this gleaming modernistic structure. It was virtually empty. The early cathedrals were signs of humility since they were built by the sweat and labor and contributions of ordinary people. The new cathedral in San Francisco seemed built by arrogance and pride.

 

In today’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, we are told that “Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands.” All of our churches today contain sanctuaries made by human hands but we must realize that the real sanctuaries in the church are the ordinary people in the church who have given themselves in the same way as the poor widow in today’s gospel. 

 

###

Reading 1.  1 Kings 17:10-16

Reading II. Hebrews 9: 24-28

Gospel. Mark 12: 38-44 (The Widow’s Mite)