Daily Readings - Sun Nov 10 2024

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 powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on faith, trust, and generosity. The first reading from 1 Kings tells the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, who, despite her poverty, trusts Elijah’s words and shares her last resources. This act of faith is met with God’s abundant provision, as her flour and oil miraculously sustain her. The second reading from Hebrews shifts our gaze to the ultimate act of trust and sacrifice—Jesus’ self-offering, which once and for all reconciles humanity with God. The Gospel from Mark presents another widow, this time in the Temple, who gives her last two coins, teaching us that true giving is not about quantity but about surrendering all we have. These readings are woven together by the theme of trust in God’s providence, even in times of scarcity. Elijah’s story occurs during a famine, a time of great need, yet the widow’s faith leads to abundance. Similarly, the widow in the Gospel, in her poverty, gives everything, embodying the spirit of complete trust. Hebrews reminds us that Jesus’ sacrifice is the ultimate expression of this trust, offering himself once for all to destroy sin and bring salvation. In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to trust in God’s plan, even when our resources seem limited. They call us to live with generosity, recognizing that true wealth lies not in what we possess but in our willingness to surrender all to God. Let us embrace this spirit of trust and generosity, allowing our lives to be a testament to God’s faithfulness, just as the widows in today’s readings. May we, like them, find joy and peace in giving ourselves fully to God.