The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home

November 10, 2024 – Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - Mark 12:38-44

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Download this simple process to Prepare for Sunday using the Observe, Judge, Act Method

Some of the teachings of Jesus bring comfort. But others might make us feel uncomfortable. When I read today’s gospel, I felt a touch of discomfort. It describes how people deal with their personal economic resources, a matter that seems timeless in its implications.

During the time of Jesus, some of the most vulnerable and needy people were widows. They might be in a situation where they no longer could rely on others for support. They were “on their own.” When a woman married in those days, they left their family of origin, where they usually received support, and became a “member” of her husband’s family.

But if he died leaving her a widow, where does she look for support? It’s uncertain. She may enter poverty, as did the woman in today’s gospel. If she needed help, where could she turn? And if others asked for her help, what could she offer?

While todays’ gospel gives us scant details, something typical in Mark’s gospel, we do learn  about what she gave to others in need.  Mark writes that “she from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” (12:44).

According to Jesus, this is the essence of true generosity, the heart of what it means to be a saintly person, or to use a traditional reference, a true child of God, another Christ.

This is why being a genuine Christian is not simply a matter of acting in accord with a finite list of religious obligations. Clearly, it is not a “Sunday only” thing. It is about the everyday. The moment to moment. It touches all aspects of our lives. To use an image from today’s gospel, it is about giving our whole livelihood as an expression of our love for God and neighbor.

There are many challenges facing those who want to live the gospel message to the full. And at times, it can seem almost impossible to do. But I have found that the approach to seemingly impossible tasks advocated by groups like Alcoholic Anonymous is helpful. Take it “one day at a time.” Or live moment to moment. The widow who gave her all did not accomplish this in one magnificent act of generosity but rather, she probably did so one genuine act of love at a time. Something we all can do.

David M. Thomas, PhD