10/11/2024
Sunday 10 November 2024
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Liturgical Colour: Green. Year: B(II).
Readings at Mass
________
First reading
1 Kings 17:10-16
'Jar of meal shall not be spent, jug of oil shall not be emptied'
Elijah the Prophet went off to Sidon. And when he reached the city gate, there was a widow gathering sticks; addressing her he said, ‘Please bring me a little water in a vessel for me to drink.’ She was setting off to bring it when he called after her. ‘Please’ he said ‘bring me a scrap of bread in your hand.’ ‘As the Lord your God lives,’ she replied ‘I have no baked bread, but only a handful of meal in a jar and a little oil in a jug; I am just gathering a stick or two to go and prepare this for myself and my son to eat, and then we shall die.’ But Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, go and do as you have said; but first make a little scone of it for me and bring it to me, and then make some for yourself and for your son. For thus the Lord speaks, the God of Israel:
“Jar of meal shall not be spent,
jug of oil shall not be emptied,
before the day when the Lord sends
rain on the face of the earth.”’
The woman went and did as Elijah told her and they ate the food, she, himself and her son. The jar of meal was not spent nor the jug of oil emptied, just as the Lord had foretold through Elijah.
________
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 145(146):7-10
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free.
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
It is the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down.
It is the Lord who loves the just,
the Lord, who protects the stranger.
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
The Lord upholds the widow and orphan
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
Zion’s God, from age to age.
My soul, give praise to the Lord.
or
Alleluia!
________
Second reading
Hebrews 9:24-28
Christ, our high priest, has done away with sin by sacrificing himself
It is not as though Christ had entered a man-made sanctuary which was only modelled on the real one; but it was heaven itself, so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf. And he does not have to offer himself again and again, like the high priest going into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own, or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. Instead of that, he has made his appearance once and for all, now at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself. Since men only die once, and after that comes judgement, so Christ, too, offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself, and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him.
________
Gospel Acclamation
Rv2:10
Alleluia, alleluia!
Even if you have to die, says the Lord,
keep faithful, and I will give you
the crown of life.
Alleluia!
Or:
Mt5:3
Alleluia, alleluia!
How happy are the poor in spirit:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Alleluia!
________
EITHER: --------
Gospel
Mark 12:38-44
This poor widow has put in more than all
In his teaching Jesus said, ‘Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.’
He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.’
OR: --------
Gospel
Mark 12:41-44
This poor widow has put in more than all
Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the treasury; and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.’
*✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE FOR THE DAY – _Nov 10, 2024: Sunday_*
*“Responding with _faithfulness and gratitude_ even in fiery and harsh situations of life!”*
*(Based on 1 Kgs 17:10-16, Heb 9:24-28 and Mk 12:38-44 - _32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B)_*
A missionary in a particular place came across a man who had bandaged and scarred hands.
When asked what had happened, he said, “My neighbour’s straw roof was on fire.
>> I helped him to put it out and that’s how my hands were burned.”
It was only later that the whole story was known.
The neighbour hated him and had in anger, set his roof on fire…
… while his wife and children were asleep in the hut.
>> They were in great danger.
Providentially, the Christian was able to put out the fire in his house on time.
>> But sparks flew over to the roof of the man who had set the house on fire…
… and his house started to burn.
There was no hate in the heart of this Christian!
>> There was only love for his enemy
And so, he did everything he could to put out the fire in his neighbour’s house.
That is how his own hands were burned!
Life was being pretty harsh and “fiery” to him…
… but he chose to respond in faithfulness and gratitude.
Am I loyal and dedicated to do my responsibilities even if unrewarded?
The Gospel of the Day presents an act of faithfulness and courage by a widow who make a “small but highly significant contribution” to the Temple Treasury.
The passage of the day is the culmination of the 12th Chapter of the Gospel of St Mark.
This has been a volatile passage…
1. Jesus tells the parable of the Tenants (Mk 12: 1-12)
… thereby giving out a sharp message to the Jews to accept the Messiah and not forfeit the many graces and blessings that they had been blessed with.
2. Jesus gives a fitting response to the question of paying taxes (Mk 12: 13-17)
… thereby exhorting the concerned people to not get stuck to earthly obligations and instead gear one's life in total allegiance to the Lord Creator
3. Jesus corrects the false notion regarding the teaching on Resurrection (Mk 12: 18-27)
… thereby challenging to live a life in worthiness of eternity and to have the correct and deeper faith in the Living God and His Teachings
4. Jesus makes clear the greatest commandments (Mk 12: 28-34)
… thereby inviting all to understand that there is only one true God and He deserves all the love and affection of our being and this love ought to be expressed in love of neighbour.
5. Jesus points out from Scripture that He is the Messiah, the Lord (Mk 12: 35-37)
… thereby opening the eyes of the people to read Scripture with greater openness to the Spirit and an invitation to accept Him as the Lord of their lives.
These five pronouncements finally concludes with Jesus denouncing the action of the scribes especially in devouring the lives of the poor widows.
Jesus says, "The scribes devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers" (Mk 12: 40)
• Widows were an easy trap to be cheated…
However, the chapter ends with a beautiful counteract…
A widow - symbol of all the other widows, who have been cheated, or oppressed or facing humiliations - comes in to the Temple and drops in her 'everything' in the treasure!
This is indeed a powerful symbol of faithfulness and duty…
• She is a symbol of being oppressed - yet she is heartily generous
• She is an object of being condemned - yet she is mightily liberal
And she becomes a symbol of self-giving and total-emptiness.
This poor widow becomes a great challenge for us in our lives…
• Life may bite us hard with cruel luck and bad destiny…
• Life may oppress us through various elements in the society…
• Life may cheat us in the form of many people or circumstances…
Yet, through all this…
Like this poor widow,
• Can I be firm to still give to God in gratitude?
• Can I be faithful to do my responsibilities even if unrewarded?
The widow of Zarephath selflessly shared her last meal with Elijah (1 Kgs 17:10-16)
>> She exemplifies faithfulness amidst scarcity, echoing today's Gospel's call to generous loyalty - and is rewarded!
Christ selflessly sacrifices Himself as our High Priest (Heb 9:24-28)
>> He exhorts us to be ever grateful and faithful - and He is highly exalted!
Life will often present “fiery and harsh” situations…
… can we still chose to respond in faithfulness and gratitude.
… can we still remain loyal and dedicated to my responsibilities?
May the Blessed Mother Mary, who Herself was a poor widow, and gave Herself entirely to the Lord…
>> And Jesus, who like the poor widow, gave Himself entirely to His people and in doing God's Will…
… be our inspiration, our strength and our hope!