Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

• 1 Kings 17:10-16 • Hebrews 9:24-28 • Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

I want to share a interesting story I read;

I married a widow whom I loved deeply. A couple of years later, my father fell in love with my stepdaughter. So, my father became my son-in-law, and I became father-in-law of my biological father.

Legally, that means my daughter is now my mother, and my wife is my grandmother. But the confusion did not end there. When I had a son, he became my father’s brother, so he became my uncle.

Things got even more complicated when my father had a son of his own. Now, my father’s son (my brother) is legally my grandson.

So, in the end, I became my own grandfather and my own grandson. And people still think they have family problems...

If we are willing to give everything, we will receive all things.

Experience in the Philippines in a slum village.

10 years ago, I had the chance to spend ten days in a poor slum in the Philippines with fellow seminarians. It was my first experience with extreme poverty. People there live in places filled with garbageand polluted water. They struggle daily to find food and shelter among the waste.

I stayed with an elderly couple and their two children. The family usually ate only twice a day. When I arrived, they offered me their food, saying they had already eaten. The next day, I learned they had given me their only meal for the day. I asked them where do you get food to eat? They told me that they often searched for leftovers at fast-food restaurants like McDanal, or KFC to eat.

Lesson: I was excited to come to this place, thinking that I came to serve and help them, but on the contrary, I learned a big lesson: the poor have so many things to teach me; the biggest thing is that Despite having so little, they were willing to give everything they have for others;

Today is the day of widows; From the Old Testament to the New, from the prophets to our Lord Jesus, widows are praised for their selfless generosity.

In the first reading, we hear one of my favorite stories about giving. Imagine this: you have only one meal left, and you’re about to die of hunger. Then, someone comes to you and asks, "Can you give me the food you're about to eat?" It’s almost impossible to imagine doing that. How could you give away the only thing you have to keep you alive?

But that’s exactly what the widow in this story did. She was facing a famine, preparing her last meal for herself and her son. Then the prophet Elijah came and asked her to share it with him. Even though she almost has nothing, she chose to give all she had. And here’s what happened: God provided for her. Her flour and oil never ran out, and she and her son were taken care of. She gave everything, and in return, she received everything.

In the Gospel of Mark, we hear about another widow who gives everything she has to the temple. Jesus noticed her and said, "I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all the others." (Mark 12:43). While others gave from their wealth, this widow gave her whole livelihood. She was willing to give everything she has.

The second reading from Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is the ultimate example of giving. He was not only willing to give what he has, He gave Himself completely for our sake. His sacrifice, made once and for all, is the highest form of giving. Jesus gave His life, and in return, He received everything: our salvation and restoration to God.

These examples show us the principle of our spiritual life: "Give, and you will be given" (Luke 6:38), When we are willing to give all we have, we open ourselves to receive all that God has for us. The message of the Gospel is clear: The way to the heavenly kingdom is through giving. Jesus said"whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it." When we give, we don’t lose anything—we gain everything.

In our world, we often hear that success comes from taking more and looking out for ourselves. But the truth of the Gospel is different: It is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving brings peace, joy, and fulfillment, while taking leaves us feeling empty.

Today, let us strive to be willing to give like the widows in the readings. Let us remind ourselves that; True spiritual fulfillment comes not from taking things for ourselves, but from being willing to give of ourselves—whether it’s time, talent, resources, or love.

May we be willing to give all that we have, even our lives so that in return we will receive hundred-fold in the kingdom of God.

May God bless us all.