Sunday of 32nd Year, T.O., year ’B’
“In his teaching, Jesus said, ’Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted respectfully in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets.These are the men who devour the property of widows and for show offer long prayers.The more severe will be the sentence they receive.”
Jesus wants to see an attitude of service in the people responsible for his People! To be truly linked to the God of Hope and Love is the happiness of a whole lifetime. This happiness becomes service when someone who presents himself asks for something! Our daily life is something difficult, it is hard work and we have too much of it! It is when we best accompany sufferings that we bear our situations that are limit in our families our homes or in the Church. This widow’s attitude in the Gospel makes us think about another widow ;’The prophet Elijah went off to Sarepta. A widow was gathering wood. She doesn’t have anything left to eat and her son is going to die. Go and fetch some water’, the prophet says to her. ’I am going to gather some wood, mix up the rest of flour, water and oil and heat it up on the fire. We’ll eat this bit of bread then we’ll die’, she said. In this situation that is limit, this woman will simply go and fetch some water with all the love in her heart. When she will come back the Prophet Elijah says to her ’Do as you said, but first bring me this bit of bread! ’ The ordeal will be that this bread won’t be for her child, for him to live!
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."
Jesus looks at this widow with an admiring gaze, placing her offering in the temple treasury and he exclaims : ’With these two small coins she has put in all than anyone else! Everyone else has given from what they could spare, she has given everything she has al that she has to live.’ The gift of this poor widow who places her two small coins in the trunk, shows the dynamism and hope in her heart. We can think of another woman at the foot of the Cross who will offer up everything she has to live : the Mystery of the woman, the mystery of Mary, the mystery of the true religious attitude. In Cana, she detects the
misery of her people and gives it to Jesus , sharing it with her brothers ’They have no wine ’ she will say to Jesus. We ask her to prepare us for the gift of ourselves by preparing ourselves like she did in the little gifts of our daily life.
Jesus called his disciples and said to them, ’In truth I tell you, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury ; for they have all put money in they could spare, but she in her poverty has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on.“How should we behave in situations that are limit?’ She gave everything she had to live ’said Jesus. To be looked to the God of Hope and Love it is to respond tot hose who ask a service of us in difficult moments. Jesus will say to Mary at Cana ’What is there between you and me?’ The prophet will say ’’ Yes , do as you said, but first of all bring me this small loaf.’ This is how the bread of the Eucharist is announced. In Golgotha, there is the mystery of life given up and offered in sacrifice. This is how the Body of Christ comes, the Bread of Life. The woman of Serepta did what the prophet told her , she brought him a small loaf. In the same way, the servants of Cana obey Jesus. The power of God’s Infinite Love, the power of Jesus’ Resurrection is at work : This is my Body given up for you.”