The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the faith of the poor and lowly, known as the anawim.
Gifts shared
The reading from the First Book of Kings relates the experience of the widow when the jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail.
* [17:1–24] The story of Elijah is in three parts. The first (chap. 17) describes how Elijah proclaimed a drought on God’s authority and how he survived during the drought. The second (chap. 18) describes how he ends the drought by bringing the populace back to exclusive worship of the Lord. The third (chap. 19) describes Elijah’s despair at the failure of his prophetic mission and his consequent attempt to resign from the prophetic office.1
Psalm 146 offers praise for God’s Help.
* [Psalm 146] A hymn of someone who has learned there is no other source of strength except the merciful God. Only God, not mortal human beings (Ps 146:3–4), can help vulnerable and oppressed people (Ps 146:5–9). The first of the five hymns that conclude the Psalter.2
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews indicates Jesus' desire to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
* [9:28] To take away the sins of many: the reference is to Is 53:12. Since the Greek verb anapherÅ can mean both “to take away” and “to bear,” the author no doubt intended to play upon both senses: Jesus took away sin by bearing it himself. See the similar wordplay in Jn 1:29. Many is used in the Semitic meaning of “all” in the inclusive sense, as in Mk 14:24. To those who eagerly await him: Jesus will appear a second time at the parousia, as the high priest reappeared on the Day of Atonement, emerging from the Holy of Holies, which he had entered to take away sin. This dramatic scene is described in Sir 50:5–11.3
In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus Denounces the Scribes and praises the Widow’s Offering.
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more
than all the other contributors to the treasury…”4
David Crawford comments that the famous acting teacher Konstantin Stanislavski once said, “There are no small parts, only small actors.” A successful play or movie requires every performer, including the person with only one line, to give his or her very best.
With God, the small parts are extremely important, because those are the individuals He uses to work miracles, just like the starving widow who fed Elijah. I don’t have to wait for something major. I don’t have to wait until I am down to my last two coins or the last bit of food in the cupboard. I do have to give myself fully and completely to God.5
Don Schwager quotes “Mercy and compassion are never worthless,” by Leo the Great, 400-461 A.D.
"Although the spite of some people does not grow gentle with any kindness, nevertheless the works of mercy are not fruitless, and kindness never loses what is offered to the ungrateful. May no one, dearly beloved, make themselves strangers to good works. Let no one claim that his poverty scarcely sufficed for himself and could not help another. What is offered from a little is great, and in the scale of divine justice, the quantity of gifts is not measured but the steadfastness of souls. The 'widow' in the Gospel put two coins into the 'treasury,' and this surpassed the gifts of all the rich. No mercy is worthless before God. No compassion is fruitless. He has given different resources to human beings, but he does not ask different affections." (excerpt from SERMON 20.3.1.6)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 12:38-44 comments that sacrificial giving reflects the character of God himself. Just think of the way Jesus held nothing back when he gave himself to us. He gave every drop of blood, every ounce of mercy and love.
But know that when you ask God for the grace and strength to give from what little you have, he will bless you. He might give you what you lack, or he might give you the strength to spend yourself a little more. Even when it seems like a drop in the bucket, your decision to give pleases the Lord. That’s because each time you choose to give of yourself, you become more like him. He is building his own character in you! “Lord, help me give of myself as generously as you did.”7
Friar Jude Winkler explains the encounter of Elijah with the widow in Lebanon during a drought. The author of Hebrews shows Jesus fulfilling the customs of the Hebrew Testament. Friar Jude reminds us that some have received more gifts than others and we are called to be generous with our gifts.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, often says, “If it’s true, it is true all the time and everywhere, and sincere lovers of truth will take it from wherever it comes.” He is convinced that in many ways Buddhism and Christianity shadow each other. They reveal each other’s blind spots. In general, Western Christians have not done contemplation very well, and Buddhism has not done action very well. There is a reason that art usually shows Jesus with his eyes open and Buddha with his eyes closed. At the risk of overgeneralization: in the West, we have largely been an extroverted religion, with all the superficiality that it represents; and the East has largely produced introverted forms of religion, with little social engagement up to now.
Both approaches have their strengths and limitations. Buddhism is more a way of knowing and cleaning the lens of perception than a theistic religion concerned with metaphysical “God” questions. In telling us mostly how to see, Buddhism both appeals to us and challenges us because it demands much more vulnerability and immediate commitment to a practice—more than just “attending” a service, like many Christians do. Buddhism is more a philosophy, a worldview, a set of practices to free us for truth and love than it is a formal belief system in any notion of God. It provides insights and principles that address the how of spiritual practice, with very little concern about what or who is behind it all. That is its strength, and I am not sure why that should threaten any Christian believer.8
We are called to examine our actions around generously using our gifts to support the growth of others.
References
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