November 7
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intention
Sat. 4:00 PM – Madeline Moore / Mary Kay & Jim Moore
Sun. 7:30 AM – Sheila Guinto / Dutter Family
Sun. 10:30 Am – Anthony Jastrem / Allie & Kirkman Family
Sun. 5:00 PM - Hilda Loguidice / Agnes, Rose & Karen
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
1 Kings 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
Psalms 146:7, 8-9, 9-10
R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
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!
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!
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!
Second Reading
Hebrews 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.
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 5:3
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 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."
“Praise the Lord, my soul!”
Reflection
One of the most spiritual (and sorrowful) places to be in the world is in the position of a widow. When you have dedicated your life to someone in matrimony and then have lost them, it is a very powerful loss. We see the experience of widows in our readings this weekend.
Losing your husband is a tragic and sorrowful experience. But in Jesus’ time there were some added burdens to bear. A woman was pretty much without any power or influence in Jewish society, which was patriarchal to the extreme. Unless a widow had brothers or sons who could mitigate their affairs, there was very little that could be done in terms of working or ownership. This meant that widows would be among the poorest of the poor. That is why God had such a special place in His heart for those women who were in the state of widowhood.
In the first reading from first Kings, Elijah the prophet meets a widow who is about to cook the last meal for herself and her son before they die of hunger in the midst of a great famine. Elijah asks her to make him something and blesses her to the point where her flour jar will not go empty and her jug of oil will stay full until the famine is over. It is significant that Elijah offers this blessing to a widow because of God’s love.
In the Gospel Jesus is watching the people put their money into the temple treasury and sees a widow give a very small amount. He makes the important distinction that she is giving from her poverty while those who give great amounts are giving from their plenty.
Let us all remember the special place that widows hold in God’s heart. We know that when we suffer, we can be brought close to the sufferings that Jesus experienced for us. There is no suffering like that experienced by a widow.
May God’s peace be with you,
Deacon Dare
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