Nov-7 Liturgical Study Thirty-Second Sunday

 

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary time

1 Kings 17:10-16

At Zarephath (town between Tyre and Sidon), Elijah meets a Canaanite widow at perhaps her lowest level of material resources in the midst of a drought/famine. She is gathering firewood to prepare what would be the last meal that she and her son would eat before facing death by starvation. The drought/famine should be seen in the bigger context of the battle of Yahweh versus Baal to see who controls nature, and the widow could be seen as collateral damage in this war. We know that women and children are most acutely affected by disasters and war. According to the laws of hospitality to strangers, the widow brings Elijah water and Elijah imposes an insensitive and even selfish request for bread. And then Elijah ups the ante and asks for cake with a promise that Yahweh would ensure her larder never empties till the rains. In effect Yahweh is replacing her impending death sentence with redemption, if she chooses to believe in Yahweh and not Baal.

On closer inspection, Elijah a foreigner, in effects puts an unreasonable burden on the poor widow just to satisfy his thirst and hunger - sometimes we too ask more from the vulnerable and economically challenged, the immigrant, the outcast etc to maintain the status quo.

Psalm 146

Verses 6-9 contain a mini-salvation history and catalogue of God’s beneficent activities, all of which are positive until the last. God creates, keeps promises, gives justice, feeds the hungry, sets captives free, opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up the lowly, loves the righteous, and cares for strangers, orphans, and widows. The only negative action mentioned is the relatively mild, “… but the ways of the wicked he thwarts.”

Hebrews 9:24-28

The author of Hebrews tells his audience that the heavenly tabernacle is the “true one,” and the earthly tabernacle is its “representation” (antitypos). Jesus appears in heaven to mediate and intercede “on our behalf”.

By dying on the cross, Jesus covers all sins for all of human history; the author reiterates the contrast between this single offering of Christ and the repetitive burnt offerings of the Levitical priests

And with the second “coming” of Christ or parousia, Jesus will “bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Mark 12:38-44

The Gospel presents both a word of caution and an example: “Watch out for the scribes” who devour the houses of widows, on the one hand, and “Look at this widow, who gave of her livelihood”.

Devour widows’ houses probably is a result of the demand for tithes beyond the means of the widow and/or the mismanagement of the widow's assets entrusted to the scribes.

People normally give from their excess but the widow gives all she had to live on. 

If we are consumed by honour, power, ego, beauty, or money, these motives will eat us alive, and ultimately leave us empty. 

Instead we should use our talents to look after the dispossessed, the vulnerable then we behave like true disciples of Christ and not as the hypocritical scribes.