Daily Readings - Sun Nov 07 2021

¹⁰He rose up and went away to Zarephath. And when he had arrived at the gate of the city, he saw the widowed woman collecting wood, and he called to her. And he said to her, "Give me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.¹¹And as she was going to bring it, he called out after her, saying, "Bring me also, I beg you, a morsel of bread in your hand.¹²And she responded: "As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, except a handful of flour in a jar, and a little oil in a bottle. See, I am collecting a couple of sticks, so that I may go in and make it for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.¹³And Elijah said to her: "Do not be afraid. But go and do as you have said. Yet truly, first make for me, from the same flour, a little bread baked under ashes, and bring it to me. Then afterward, make some for yourself and for your son¹⁴For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not fail, nor the bottle of oil be diminished, until the day when the Lord will grant rain upon the face of the earth.’ ¹⁵She went and acted in accord with the word of Elijah. And he ate, and she and her household ate. And from that day¹⁶the jar of flour did not fail, and the bottle of oil was not diminished, in accord with the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the hand of Elijah

Hebrews

Chapter 9

²⁴For Jesus did not enter by means of holy things made with hands, mere examples of the true things, but he entered into Heaven itself, so that he may appear now before the face of God for us²⁵And he did not enter so as to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters into the Holy of Holies each year, with the blood of another²⁶Otherwise, he would need to have suffered repeatedly since the beginning of the world. But now, one time, at the consummation of the ages, he has appeared in order to destroy sin though his own sacrifice²⁷And in the same manner as it has been appointed for men to die one time, and after this, to be judged²⁸so also Christ was offered, one time, in order to empty the sins of so many. He shall appear a second time without sin, for those who await him, unto salvation

Mark

Chapter 12

⁴¹And Jesus, sitting opposite the offertory box, considered the way in which the crowd cast coins into the offertory, and that many of the wealthy cast in a great deal⁴²But when one poor widow had arrived, she put in two small coins, which is a quarter⁴³And calling together his disciples, he said to them: "Amen I say to you, that this poor widow has put in more than all those who contributed to the offertory⁴⁴For they all gave from their abundance, yet truly, she gave from her scarcity, even all that she had, her entire living.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two widows whose acts of faith and generosity illuminate the path of trust and selflessness. The first widow, from the Book of Kings, finds herself on the brink of despair with her son, facing starvation. Yet, when Elijah asks her to prepare a meal for him first, she trusts in God's promise. Her obedience leads to a miracle, as her flour and oil never run out, sustaining her through the famine. This story underscores the reward of unwavering faith and trust in divine providence. The second reading from Hebrews shifts our focus to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. Unlike the annual sacrifices of the high priest, Jesus's sacrifice was once and for all, eradicating sin and opening the way to salvation. This emphasizes the completeness and uniqueness of Christ's offering, highlighting His role as the eternal high priest who intercedes for us in heaven. In the Gospel, Jesus observes the offerings at the temple and commends a poor widow who gives her last two coins. While others give from their abundance, her offering, though small in amount, is immense in sacrifice. Jesus teaches us that true generosity is not measured by quantity but by the depth of one's commitment and trust in God. These readings weave together themes of faith, trust, and selfless giving. The widows, though in different contexts, both demonstrate a profound trust in God's providence. Their stories challenge us to reflect on our own relationship with God, encouraging us to give generously, not just from our surplus, but from our very selves. In a world often driven by self-interest, these widows remind us that true faith leads to selfless giving and unwavering trust in God's plan. Let us strive to emulate their example, trusting in God's provision and giving with hearts full of faith and love.