32nd Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year B, By Rev. Fr. Lucas Binnah Junior

1st Reading: I Kings 17:10-16/Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:6c-7.8-9a.9bc-10ab (R. 1b) 2nd Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28/Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 5:3/Gospel: Mark 12:38-44

Theme: Give Till It Hurts

We pause for a while to ponder these questions: Do we give because we no longer have need for the things we give? Do we give money or food only when someone asks us? Do we give because of what we can get out of it? If these are the reasons why we give, then we have wrong understanding of the art and act of giving! We do not give only when we have surpluses, unwanted or already-used items and archaic things. We do not give in order to court favour and approval, and to broadcast our generosity and sense of self[1]importance. Today, we learn how to give sacrificially so as to receive bountifully. Kindly come along!

In the first reading, the Prophet Elijah asks a widow in Zarephath, a land experiencing severe famine, saying: “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink…Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand” (I Kgs. 17:10-11). To this request, the widow sincerely speaks her heart out as if to swear by God’s name: “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a pitcher; and now, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die” (I Kgs. 17:12). Why does she say ‘that we may eat and die’? Because, that is the only food she has, and together with her son, they have no hope again. They are at life’s lowest ebb. In spite of this, she still makes a little cake from her meal and brings it to Elijah. This is giving till it hurts! This is the limitless generosity that costs one something! The lesson is that real giving is sacrificial. It may not be how much one gives but the intention and disposition behind it; and the sacrifice involved in it. Yet, there is a mystery in giving: the more we give, the more we receive in order to give (cf. II Cor. 9:6).

What is interesting is that, Prophet Elijah behaves here like a beggar with a choice! Not only does he ask the poor widow to prepare him food, he also tells her to prepare the food for him first before preparing for herself and her son (cf. I Kgs. 17:13). No doubt Elijah is very hungry and thirsty! Notice that it is only after the request from Elijah which the widow obliges him that he is stirred in the spirit to exercise the prophetic ministry. He prophesies to the widow using the messenger formula “Thus says the Lord”. He speaks not his own word but the word of God. He says: “For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not be spent and the pitcher of oil shall not fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth” (I Kgs. 17:14). In effect, when others, even the rich in Zarephath, look everywhere for food to buy in an environment of drought and starvation, this widow, by her generosity, never lacks food. Surely, there is blessing in giving than receiving. Giving is living, and this is the spiritual principle many of us miss!

Again, the spirit of sacrifice of another poor widow is highlighted in the Gospel passage when she puts in two copper coins whose value is just a penny! For this gesture, Jesus says to his disciples: “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury” (Mk. 12:43). The reason Jesus gives for the aforementioned statement is that, the rich in question only give because they have surpluses, but the poor widow, gives out of almost nothing, out of her poverty. True giving does not wait for the time of surplus before it can give. No one becomes poor by giving. Giving, rather, enriches!

Furthermore, authentic giving has God in view and it is done in love. In this way, when we give, we give ourselves. Jesus, who gives himself for us on the cross, is our standard! He shows his love for us when he dies for our sins. He shares his very life, withholding nothing. All we are and all we have must be shared with the needy. We share our time, attention, energy and resources. Sometimes, it is not money that people need from us, but just our attention, a listening ear and a welcoming presence. No one is too poor to give and there is no one too rich to receive. The only sacrifice that pleases God is a heart ready to love. Many of us find it too hard to give, and if at all we give, we give anticipating a bigger return from the other person!

Also, giving must be done cheerfully not grudgingly, freely and not under compulsion (cf. II Cor. 9:7). Sometimes, when donors give to the poor, there are strings attached. They put bottlenecks which make life more difficult, and one may never be able to come out of it since they remain dependent on donor support. In addition, some donors give aid in exchange for raw materials which they will process to yield much more than what was given as aid. In this sense, can we really call what is given as aid? Can it qualify as a true donation? Is it not an exploitation in disguise? Real generosity flows from a large heart, not a large purse!

Let us remember that it is the Lord who provides for all, and he does so through people. We may be the solution to the prayers of our poverty-stricken neighbours, needy students, the dying sick, sorrowful relatives, suffering colleagues, oppressed workers, ill-treated prisoners and hungry and thirsty beggars. When we read “It is the Lord who does justice to those who are oppressed” (Ps. 146:7a), we are the lawyers and judges whom God needs to bring justice to the oppressed. When we are told “It is he who gives bread to the hungry” (Ps. 146:7b), we may be the ones who have enough food which we waste sometimes, and with which we can feed the hungry. When we read “The Lord sets prisoners free” (Ps. 146:7c), we are the advocates and defenders of those who have been put in bondage either by themselves or society. When we are told “It is the Lord who opens the eyes of the blind” (Ps. 146:8a), we should be the health professionals who diligently care for the sick by manufacturing and giving quality medication to them. Spiritually, we are the ones who should give proper direction and counselling to those blinded and confused by the vicissitudes of life. Pastors who fail in this area end up making people double-blinded! A misery!

When we read “The Lord raises those who are bowed down” (Ps. 146:8b), we are the ones whose words should bring comfort and solace to those who think life is unfair, meaningless and painful. These may be the people contemplating suicide, self-harm, euthanasia, divorce, terrorism, kidnapping, armed-robbery, etc. When we are told “It is the Lord who loves the just and protects the stranger” (Ps. 146:8c-9a), we are the ones to fight corruption, support governments who do the right thing and be hospitable to those who need our welcome embrace. When we read “The Lord upholds the widow and the orphan” (Ps. 146:9b), we are the ones who are to protect the socially disadvantaged and those thrown to the peripheries of society. When we are told that the Lord “thwarts the path of the wicked” (Ps. 146:9c), we are the ones who should make it difficult for evil to thrive in our land. We ought to expose ghost workers on government payroll, illegality, smuggling, trafficking, drug-peddling and budget-padding. We must speak truth to power and not be sycophants. We ourselves must change for the better. We are the ones to checkmate nepotism, ethnocentrism, racism, bigotry and environmental degradation. We ought to and must be good citizens!

How can we achieve all these if we do not learn to give ourselves? Self-donation is what we need and Christ gives us the example of his life. He is the one who offers himself once and for all to bear the sins of many (cf. Heb. 9:26). He sheds his life’s blood for us as if to say that ‘even if I have to die in order to save you, I am ready and willing’. This is what God expects of us, especially those occupying positions of authority. That explains why Christ comes so strongly on the Jewish authorities in today’s Gospel saying: “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretence make long prayers” (Mk. 12:38-40). Certainly, these charges speak against the unrestrained desire for prominence, deference and the use of religion for personal gain to the detriment of others. Such a habit is always out to receive, never to give; exploit others, never to help them; to take out not to bring in.

The widows in the first reading and the Gospel could have kept their water/food and money respectively for themselves so they do not go hungry afterwards. Sometimes, we have to entertain a certain form of ‘out-of[1]the-box’ giving for the sake of God. Generosity in this sense really hurts, but in it lies our blessing. Little wonder, when Jesus does not acknowledge even the rich people who give their surpluses, except the poor widow! Only the poor widow is remembered for all generations to come! We learn from these widows that when we give sincerely, we surrender to God and his will, and by so doing, we see his glory in our lives. Dearly beloved, how often do we hold back our Sunday collections, harvest contributions, church levies, offertories and statutory taxes without feeling any guilt? Sometimes, we simply refuse to do our best for our spouses, children, students and communities, with no shame. For all these, let us be sorry and pray “Come, Lord, and save us” (Ps. 146:1b). Happy Sunday and may God bless us! Remember: #Give-Till-It-Hurts#

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