THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - NOVEMBER 10, 2024

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Every so often in life, we come to a moment in which we are forced to choose between staying the safe course, or taking a risk for a possibly greater life trajectory. These are frightening, but exciting, moments because they build up our life stories, they lead us to the moments that make life worth living, and they possibly allow us to encounter the people who matter most in our lives. If we instead choose to play it safe and not jump at these risks, we may feel secure about the decision, but there will always be a question of “what if”. We also experience the same inner turmoil before undertaking a sacrifice for a greater good. In this situation, though, the fundamental question that arises and puts doubt in choosing sacrifice is, “would the good that results from this sacrifice outweigh the goods of avoiding the sacrifice?”

READ THIS SUNDAY'S MESSAGE

In this Sunday’s readings, we encounter two stories that exemplify the doubt and anxiety of sacrificing something. In the first reading, a widow from Zarephath gives what little food she has to the prophet Elijah. In the Gospel, a widow gives merely a few coins to the temple, but they constitute her whole livelihood. In many ways, the widow of Zarephath was also contributing her whole livelihood; this was all the food she had to survive for herself and for her son, yet a stranger asks for it. If we were to place ourselves in the situation of these two women, that doubt and anxiety would be at the forefront of our minds at this moment. I only have a bit of flour and oil for myself, but this prophet is asking for it. I only have two small coins, but what can I give besides this as an offering to God in the Temple? In both situations, the widows put aside the question of doubt, “what good will result from this sacrifice?”, and made the decision to go through with the sacrifice. This is the same motivation and mindset that drives love; you do not act in service for another, or in charity, or with kindness and reverence with the expectation that you will receive anything in return. When you do, you become resentful if that is never repaid. And if it is repaid, you begin to falsely assume that you have earned the result of your sacrifice. Sacrifice is instead just that - there is no expectation of return. Love is just that - there is no expectation of return, or else there is no love. The widow of Zarephath trusted the promise of the prophet and acted accordingly. For the widow of the Temple, she received no explicit promise but performed her religious obligation. She also received nothing in return in the Gospel story we read, besides the admiration of Christ. This admiration, though, is the most valuable thing in the world because it leads to sanctification.