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Catholic Caucus: Sunday Mass Readings, 11-11-18, Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
USCCB.org/RNAB ^ | 11-11-18 | Revised New American Bible

Posted on 11/10/2018 4:57:34 PM PST by Salvation

November 11, 2018

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 1 Kgs 17:10-16

In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath.
As he arrived at the entrance of the city,
a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her,
"Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink."
She left to get it, and he called out after her,
"Please bring along a bit of bread."
She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives,
I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar
and a little oil in my jug.
Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks,
to go in and prepare something for myself and my son;
when we have eaten it, we shall die."
Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid.
Go and do as you propose.
But first make me a little cake and bring it to me.
Then 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.'"
She left and did as Elijah had said.
She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well;
the jar of flour did not go empty,
nor the jug of oil run dry,
as the LORD had foretold through Elijah.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 146:7, 8-9, 9-10

R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD gives sight to the blind;
the LORD raises up those who were bowed down.
The LORD loves the just;
the LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
or:
R. Alleluia.

Reading 2 Heb 9:24-28

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
with blood that is not his own;
if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
and after this the judgment, so also Christ,
offered once to take away the sins of many,
will appear a second time, not to take away sin
but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Alleluia Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 12:38-44

In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds,
"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."

He sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"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."

or Mk 12:41-44


Jesus sat down opposite the treasury
and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.
Many rich people put in large sums.
A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.
Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them,
"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."


TOPICS: Catholic; General Discusssion; Prayer; Worship
KEYWORDS: catholic; mk12; ordinarytime; prayer
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Scripture Speaks: The Widow’s Mite

Gayle Somers

Jesus gives the disciples a lesson in true religion; the example He uses must have surprised them.

Gospel (Read Mk 12:38-44)

Jesus often warned His disciples of the dangers of false, empty religion. His strongest words of condemnation in the Gospels are always directed to those who make a showy pious flourish while, at the same time, pervert the meaning of God’s covenant with the Jews. There were scribes in His day whose goal was their reputation. They loved “seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets,” but they used their public show of religion to wrest contributions to the Temple (their source of income) from widows with the pretext of reciting “lengthy prayers.” Anyone who uses religion and reputation this way faces a “very severe condemnation.”

As it happened, when Jesus “sat down opposite the treasury,” He saw someone who was the living example of true religion. He pointed out that “many rich people put in large sums,” but a “poor widow…put in two small coins worth a few cents.” Nevertheless, Jesus teaches His disciples that she had contributed “more than all” the others. Why? She had given “all she had, her whole livelihood,” whereas the others gave “from their surplus.” The woman’s contribution issued from faith and gratitude. By that one simple act, she demonstrated unreserved trust in the goodness of God and His promises to care for His people. She was not afraid to let go of everything and to cast herself completely on the loving mercy of God. The large sums given by the rich, although not rejected by God, did not equal the value of the widow’s few cents. Their offering cost them nothing; hers required everything.

The widow at the Temple was a living example of what Jesus taught about the kingdom of God: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…but…treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also” (see Mt 6:19-21).

 

Possible response: Lord Jesus, please teach me to be as generous with myself as this widow, with her simple trust in the Father’s care.

First Reading (Read 1 Kings 17:10-16)

In this reading, we have another surprising example of the kind of faith God desires in His people—again a widow, again someone we would not expect to teach us about true religion. Elijah was the prophet sent by God to the rebellious ten tribes who broke away from Jerusalem and the throne of David to establish their own kingdom in the north (about 980 B.C.). In doing so, they sank into idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. Through Elijah, God sent a drought on the land to punish them. Elijah could find no open, willing hearts to respond to his preaching of repentance. Therefore, God sent him into Gentile country, and, specifically, to this widow in Zarephath. Although she was not a Jew, when Elijah assured her that the Lord God of Israel would miraculously keep her and her son alive if she would give him some food from the last of her supplies, she believed him. A Gentile woman had greater faith than anyone is Israel! She gave all the food she had to the prophet (as the widow in the Gospel contributed all her money to the Temple treasury), and God did exactly as Elijah had promised.

We simply can’t miss the meaning of these readings. Whenever God asks us for everything (as He did of Jesus, Mary, and the apostles), we need not fear our loss. God will keep His word: “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (see Lk 6:38).

Possible response: Heavenly Father, each day I need to learn that it is in losing my life that I find it.

Psalm (Read Ps 146:7-10)

The psalmist is full of praise for God’s trustworthiness in caring for all those in great need who trust in Him—the oppressed, the captives, the blind, those who are bowed down with the heaviness of life, the strangers. In particular, “the fatherless and the widow He sustains.” These were the people who, in the psalmist’s day (and in Jesus’ day as well) were most likely to be overlooked and without protection. God’s people can count on Him. Therefore, we sing, “Praise the Lord, my soul.”

Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.

Second Reading (Read Heb 9:24-28)

Why is it that we can, without any fear at all, count on God to care for us when we must give our all to Him, whether it’s our money, our bodies, or our wills? The author of Hebrews reminds us that God’s love for us is so enormous and endless that He sacrificed His own Son on our behalf, to free us of our sins. Having offered Himself, Jesus is now in heaven, “that He might appear before God on our behalf.” Why should we ever fear letting go of everything, should God ask it of us? What reason could we give to have anything other than generous hearts toward Him?

Possible response: Lord Jesus, You are now in heaven, appearing before our Father on my behalf. I have nothing to fear.


41 posted on 11/11/2018 8:06:04 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 34, Issue 6

<< Sunday, November 11, 2018 >> 32nd Sunday Ordinary Time
 
1 Kings 17:10-16
Hebrews 9:24-28

View Readings
Psalm 146:7-10
Mark 12:38-44

Similar Reflections
 

LIFE-GIVING

 
"They gave from their surplus wealth, but she gave from her want, all that she had to live on." �Mark 12:44
 

God the Father loves us so much that He gave His Son to us (Jn 3:16). Jesus gave His life for us when He died on the cross. The Holy Spirit gives us charisms, gifts of the Spirit (see 1 Cor 12:4ff). Because God is the greatest Giver, He teaches us that it is better to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Because God is the greatest Giver, Jesus, Who is God, sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury (Mk 12:41). Jesus makes a point to observe our giving � not only at the collection during Mass but in every aspect of our lives.

Because the Lord has given His "all" to us, He commands us to give our "all" to Him. The Lord is not as interested in how much we give as in how much we have left. He tells us to give all that we have to live on (Mk 12:44).

Many of us don't mind giving, or we may even enjoy giving something to God and others. Nevertheless, we are terrified and overwhelmed by the prospect of giving all. Nonetheless, God's grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9). The Lord will grace us to love Him so much that we would be ashamed to give Him less than everything. Paradoxically, in giving our lives totally to Him we will save our lives (see Lk 9:24; 1 Kgs 17:15). May our almsgiving be "all-giving."

 
Prayer: Jesus, You gave Your life for me. I give my life for You.
Promise: "Christ was offered up once to take away the sins of many; He will appear a second time not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him." —Heb 9:28
Praise: Praise You, risen Jesus! By your death and resurrection, you have given us Life. Alleluia!

42 posted on 11/11/2018 8:09:49 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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43 posted on 11/11/2018 8:10:51 PM PST by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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