Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 7, 2021
“Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’ She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well... ‘Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury... for she from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.’”
The old and new testaments make us quite aware of responsibility toward the poor and marginalized, widows, orphans and aliens. Today we find both Elijah and Jesus reflecting upon women who are now deprived of their husbands.
Every parish community can provide names and faces of women who are both in need, or who make great contributions through prayer, presence or service. What a blessing, yet we sometimes overlook or ignore their state in life, as vital members of our communities. We pray for them and thank God for their presence.
The women of the scriptures today gave of their last jar of flour and drops of oil and were provided for by God. The two cents contributed to the temple treasury far exceeded the huge amounts provided by the surplus of some.
May we express our gratitude for all gifts given from the heart and provide especially for those in need.
by Rev. William J. Reilly