November 7, 2021

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)

It would be difficult to miss the similarities between the First Reading (1 Kgs. 17:10-16) and the Gospel (Mk. 12:38-44) for today. Two poor women subsisting on barely anything yet willing to give away the last of their livelihoods for the sake of the men of God they encounter. But much can also be said for what they receive in return for their generosity.

We begin with a story about the prophet Elijah. By the power of God, he has just condemned King Ahab and the land of Northern Israel to a long-lasting drought because of their idolatry and sins against the Lord. Because of his actions, by the order of God, he has been sent to hide to another territory, Zarephath of Sidon, where he will find a widow to care for him.

When Elijah arrives, he discovers the widow gathering sticks and he sends her to bring him a cupful of water along with a crust of bread. But the widow informs Elijah that she has nothing baked and very little flour and oil with which to prepare anything. In fact, she claims that she has so little that soon she and her son will die. Elijah, however, informs her, “Do not be afraid. Go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Afterwards 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.” (1 Kgs. 17:13-14).

After this Elijah, the woman, and her son have plenty to eat for a very long time. But then something else happens later in the story which is not included in the passage for today. The woman’s son who is the owner of the house becomes very ill and is near death. If he should die, the widow who is living in the patriarchal society of ancient times will lose her status in society. She will not have a male figure to give her credentials as an acceptable citizen. She may be forced to beg or even into prostitution to maintain a way of life for she will become a pariah of society.

However, neither God nor Elijah are willing to allow such misfortune to befall the widow who has been so kind to Elijah, so through their intervention the son is healed in response to the prayer of Elijah: “He called out to the LORD: ‘LORD, my God, will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying by killing her son?’ Then he stretched himself out upon the child three times and he called out to the LORD: ‘LORD, my God, let the life breath return to the body of this child.’ The LORD heard the prayer of Elijah; the life breath returned to the child’s body, and he lived” (1 Kgs. 17:20-22). Now, not only has the son been healed, but the woman has also been saved by his continued assurance of her acceptable status in society.

In the days of Jesus in the first-century AD, a widow without a son was still very much a victim of a patriarchal society as the widow in the days of Elijah. In fact, in the Gospel Jesus condemns the type of men who created such circumstances. Men who collect taxes from the people and flaunt their wealth. He warns, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets.  They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” (Mk. 12:38-40).

Next comes a story of a poor widow’s contribution. As Jesus continues to sit and observe what is happening in the Temple near the treasury, he witnesses many rich people putting in large sums of money. Then he sees a poor widow putting in two small coins worth only a few cents. He calls his disciples and makes note of the situation, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (Mk. 12:43-44).

Here Jesus has noted the generosity of the woman for the cause of the Temple. She has been as generous as the widow who helped Elijah in his time of need. But Jesus has done something more for the woman by pointing out her contribution. He has given her recognition and condoned her status amidst a Temple full of men, scribes, and wealthy people. He has pointed out that this poor widow can be valuable and worthwhile even without a man to establish her as a legitimate person in a patriarchal system controlled by men.

This is just one example of the way in which Jesus offered privileged status to women during his ministry on earth. There are many such examples. He included them among his disciples, like Joanna, Susanna, and Mary the wife of Clopas (Lk. 8:3). He counted them among his dearest friends, like Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus (Lk. 10:38-42). He gave them mercy and forgiveness, like the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53–8:11). And he consoled and showed them compassion on the way to his crucifixion (The Ninth Station of the Cross). But most of all and most importantly, it was a woman, Mary Magdalene, to whom he first appeared and sent as a disciple to announce his resurrection.

Because of this tolerant stance of Jesus, many women were welcomed into the early Church as Christian leaders. We can find some of their stories in the Acts of the Apostles. Today women continue to serve the Church in a myriad of functions, and it is our right and privilege to do so as a result of the total acceptance of all peoples, both men and women, into the Body of Christ by our Lord and Savior who looks on all humankind as equal being created in the image and likeness of God.