Daily Readings - Sun Nov 10 2024
1 Kings
10So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, "Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?"11As she was going to get it, he called, "And bring me, please, a piece of bread."12"As surely as the LORD your God lives," she replied, "I don't have any bread-only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it-and die."13Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.14For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.'"15She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family.16For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.
Hebrews
24For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Mark
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."
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.