Readings for Nov. 9-10, Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Lyn Zahorik | For On Mission
Two weeks ago, I must have had a nostalgia attack for the “good old days.” While I did write a column about the Gospel for the 30 Sunday in Ordinary Time, I went back to the year 2023 for the reading I used. My apologies, but perhaps God wanted some point made, even if it did not complement the Scriptures of the day.
On this Sunday (Year C of 2024), we are called to imagine being so poor that death by starvation is imminent. As the starving widow stands at the brink of despair, a total stranger approaches and basically says, “Oh, don’t worry about it and bake me some bread instead.”
The widow did as the prophet Elijah asked. Only after that “yes” did she learn that saying yes to God without knowing the outcome is an ultimate act of faith and trust. It’s the essence of true faith — an unwavering belief that, even though it seems impossible, you’re guided by God’s grace, promising strength and provision along the way.
The widow’s generosity resulted in a year passing with her jars of oil and flour never running out. What piqued my attention was the line, “She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well.”
I love it when God’s humor shines through, leading to unexpected and profound blessings. When the widow was brought back from the brink of starvation, she did not realize the surprise God had in store: that she would be hosting a one-year bed & breakfast for Elijah,
In our faith journeys, we may have similar experiences. We pray for something or work toward a desired outcome and it happens. We breathe out that sigh of gratuitousness, only to have God say, “Oh, and by the way …” Then God asks us to do just a bit more.
Accepting the grace to do more than we bargained for calls for a humble heart and an open mind, but often brings greater growth, wisdom and blessings than we could have imagined.
The widow in the Gospel reminds us that there is no such thing as “nothing” to give to God. We can understand Jesus being moved by her actions. We witness people with little money, such as elders on fixed incomes, making it a priority to give to the church.
Jesus appears to be chastising wealthy people, but his words probably were directed toward the ostentatious rich. I am sure you can think of generous wealthy people, who are very private philanthropists. (Perhaps you’re one of them. Thank you.)
A person in my parish is a highly successful businessman and quietly, behind the scenes, he is also a generous donor. He has said, “My gratitude to God’s abundance in my life is to give from that abundance to help grow my parish. The Gospel says from who has been given much, much will be expected.”
Both forms of giving, be it from modest means or from an abundance, weave threads of holy generosity in the fabric of Christ’s church.
Zahorik is director for spiritual engagement at St. Mary Parish, Omro, and St. Mary Parish, Winneconne.
The readings for Sunday, Nov. 10, can be found at Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time | USCCB.
