Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
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November 5, 2021November 7, 2021
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
1 Kgs 17:10-16
Heb 9:24-28
Mk 12:38-44 or 12:41-44
GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE
GROW: When it comes to money, I’m a worrier. Just ask my husband how I reacted when he had the audacity to pay for shipping! I shop carefully, armed with coupons. I’ve always been a saver, making sure to contribute to retirement, life insurance, and the “what-if-the-roof-comes-down” fund. Being fiscally responsible is a good thing, but the quest for financial security as the ultimate good is a fool’s errand. God is the true provider of all that we need, and what we have finds its fulfillment in service to him. The widows in today’s readings knew that too well. In the first reading, a mother and son are down to their last bites of food, facing starvation and death. Yet she gives her last morsels to the prophet Elijah. In the Gospel, the widow gives generously, not of her surplus, but of her entire livelihood. Both women exhibit utter and complete trust in God, and a generosity that knows no bounds. As we study today’s Scripture, they teach the worriers among us that God will and does provide, and that the more we give away, the greater our reward in this life and the next.
GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT
GO: Do you ever get that knock on the door from a Cub Scout selling popcorn just when you’re about the put dinner on the table or run out to a ballgame? Or perhaps you already have a full calendar and suddenly a neighbor really needs your help with an errand or a household emergency – and there goes a whole afternoon! Today’s readings invite us to set aside whatever “sticks we are gathering” and welcome the “Elijah moments.” They encourage us to give a bit of ourselves away, whether it’s time, money, or attention. In doing so, we give witness to the paradox of the Christian life – that the more we give away the more we are rewarded. We also set a positive example for our children and others, who will see our generosity in action.
SERVE: Even the budgeters among us can do this! Look ahead at your budget. In addition to regular expenditures and giving, look at something you can sacrifice – a meal out, a new sweater, a movie night – and decide as a family how you would like to use the extra money and/or time to help others.
