32nd Sunday of Year B
✠ A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark 12:38-44
In his teaching, Jesus said, ‘Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe the sentence they receive.’
He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.’
1. It has become normal in some parishes in Nigeria to invite priests from outside the parish to come and preach fundraising with motivating homilies that may not be short of manipulation of the Word of God to push people to be generous in supporting church projects. This often yields the desired material result, but it also portends a lack of faith in all involved in the whole operation. Giving to God or to neighbours is an act of faith that does not warrant psychological coercion. Today’s first reading and the Gospel buttress the verity of the above affirmation.
2. We are presented in the two readings with two generous widows. Widows in the Scriptures are classified with orphans and strangers as embodiments of poverty. These widows, though poor, were animated with great faith and confidence in divine providence. The first reading (1 Kings 17:10-16) speaks about a widow who, during a great famine, was getting ready to prepare her last portion of food to eat with her son and then wait for death. In this situation, the prophet Elijah approached her and begged her for water and then food, assuring her that God would provide forher needs. Without doubting the prophet, she first of all offered food and water to the prophet before thinking of herself and her son. She believed and therefore she gave. Her faith motivated her action.
3. In the Gospel, we read of a similar situation. A poor widow, who apparently already knows that one has the duty of making offering when one comes to worship God, found herself having almost nothing to give. She had only two mites, the least denomination of money in circulation at the time. For us here in Nigeria today, it would be a five naira note. This can buy nothing in our market today. When offering time came, she gladly joined others and gave all that she had. It was so little, but the heavens took note of it. Jesus called his disciples to sing the praise of the widow. We do not know what happened after this great act of faith, but knowing God, we can attest that she certainly did not die of hunger. The hands that give will never lack. “The sack of mill will never finish, and the jar of oil will never run dry.”
4. We have a lot to learn from these two widows. First, every offering has a value before God: in the temple, many of the rich gave big sum of money in the offering, but none of these attracted a comment from Jesus. For him, they all gave from their surpluses. The widow gave very little, but her little was great because she gave all that she had. It becomes clear that the degree of our generosity before God is measured not by the quantity that we give but rather by what is left behind in our account after we have given. It follows that nothing is too small or too big to be offered to the Lord. Nobody should, therefore, sit back or think that the little he or she can offer would change nothing. Secondly, radical actions taken in faith will always attract radical reactions from God.The widow of Sidon took a radical action. God gave a radical reaction by making sure that her supplies never run dry. The widow in the Gospel took a radical action by giving all she had to live on. Jesus gave a radical reaction by praising her before everyone. If we go extra-mile for God, God also goes extra-mile for us.
5. You have heard many beautiful sermons on giving either to people, as in today’s first reading or to God as in the Gospel. You do not need more. All you need now is to start giving, not because you have but because you believe. Make a conscious effort to give from the little you have. You will be surprised to see that you will always have something to give at any moment. You will experience the truth in the saying that givers never lack and takers never have.
@Vitalis Anaehobi
10/11/24
