Those Who Give Never Lack

Homily of Sunday of the 32nd Week in ordinary Time year B
1 Kings 17:10-16, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44

Some people remain in poverty because they have only learned how to receive, not how to give. They only recount their agonies and never count their blessings. Today’s scriptural passages present the picture of poor widows. In the book of 1King 17:10-16., We see the widow whom Elijah asked for her last bit of food, and she obeyed. In response, the prophet said to her,
“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.

In play, in this passage, is the principle of give and take. We cannot receive unless we give. Real giving comes with pain. It is not a bit we give out from our abundance, but the much we spend from our meagre resources.

Moreover, in the gospel according to Mark, the Lord presents to us the poor widow who dropped her last penny into the treasury. He said, “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.”

The praise of this widow was a contrast to Jesus’s comments about the scribes and pharisees. They love places of honour and show off. While they oppress the widows, they indulge in some other ungodly acts.

Although the principle of “give and take” is a divine law, it should not be used to obtain things from others. When misused, it turns into exploitation. Instead of feasting on the little crumbs of others, we are called to come to their aid. Instead of groaning over the little we have, we are also called to be generous still.

Above all, nobody is too poor to give. It is in giving that we receive. Givers never lack. God sees all we do. And he will surely repay us at his own time. Amen.