32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) November 10, 2024

1 Kgs 17:10-16.  Ps 146.  Heb 9:24-28.  Mk 12:38-44

Deacon Jim McFadden

            The scene in today’s Gospel takes place inside the Temple of Jerusalem, where Jesus is looking at what’s happening in this most sacred place in Judaism, where heaven and earth are supposed to come together.  He sees the scribes who walk around preening to be seen, greeted with deference if not reverence in order to have places of honor.  Jesus is taking all of this in and says  to those who had gathered around him that the scribes “devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation” (Mk 12:40).

            At the same time, another scene catches his eye:  a poor widow, precisely one of those exploited by the religious powers that be, puts “everything she had, her whole living” (v. 44) in the Temple treasury. The Gospel presents us with a stark contrast: the rich give from their surplus wealth to make themselves seen, and a poor woman, without any kind of pretense, offers every little bit she has. In other words, she is divesting herself of all her support.  She gave “two small coins worth a few cents,” which probably made a tinkling sound when it was cast into one of the metallic trumpet-shaped containers.  According to Jesus, this was “all that she had, her whole livelihood” (v. 44).  In her humility, she is performing an act of profound religious significance.  She is making an offering of pure sacrifice: she is giving all that she has; indeed, she is giving all of herself.

            Jesus watches these two scenes and “to watch” sums up his teaching: “we must watch out for” those who live their faith with duplicity: they do the right thing—pray and give alms—but for the wrong reason: “for a pretense (they) make long prayers” (v. 40).  And, what’s worse is that they use God to gain respect for themselves.  In other words, through religious trappings, they are really into themselves: self-love, self-absorption have  replaced love of God.  That why they liked long robes, admiring salutations in the Temple and marketplace, and the best seats in the house.

            In order to heal us from our own religious hypocrisy, Jesus invites us to watch the poor widow.  The Lord denounces the exploitation of this woman, who, in making her offering, must return home without even the little she had to live on.  She is poor, if she had a bank account, it would be down to nothing; but she has a genuine relationship with God which is free from any ties with money or, by extension, the goods of the world.  Jesus has already taught us that you cannot serve two masters (cf. Mt 6:24):  either we serve God or mammon.  We can’t have it both ways;  we have to make a choice.  Jesus is our Lord and Messiah: we must serve him because he is the Narrow Gate to our eternal destiny.  That’s  why Jesus praised the fact that this widow put all that she has into the treasury.  She has nothing left, but she finds her everything in God!  She is not afraid to lose the little that she has because she trusts in God’s abundance which is ultimately good, true, and beautiful.  And, God’s abundance will multiply the joy of those who give their lives away. 

            This is beautifully illustrated in our first reading where another widow, the one of the prophet Elijah, who was about to make a flatbread with her last flour and the last of her oil; Elijah says to her: “Feed me” and she gives.  And, guess what: the flour never runs out; it is a miracle! (cf. 1 Kings 17:9-16).  In the face of people’s generosity, the Lord always goes further, is more generous. 

            This is why Jesus proposes the poor widow as a teacher of faith: she doesn’t go to the Temple to clear her conscience, she doesn’t pray to make herself seen, she doesn’t show off her faith, but she gives from her heart generously and freely.  When she dropped her few coins into the treasury that gesture showed so much trust.  Let us learn from her: a faith without external frills, but interiorly sincere; a faith of humble love for God and for our brothers and sisters.

            Let us turn to the Virgin Mary, who with a humble and transparent heart made her entire life a gift of God and for his people.  Amen.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you see yourself in the scribes to some degree?  How so?
2. The poor widow gave everything she had, her whole living;”  have you made that unconditioned surrender to our Lord?
3. What does the poor widow teach you about faith?