Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s providence through our trust and complete surrender

Then this prophet from Israel, named Elijah, says,

“The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty nor the jar of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.”

The widow did as she was asked.

She reached into the jar for the last handful of flour

and then upended the jug and emptied out the last drop of oil.

She let go of all she had.

She made a cake and divided it into three parts and gave two of them away.

Her open hand won God’s heart.

The Widow’s Faith—Her blind obedience to the movement of grace (cf.

(9b) may be compared to Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son.

Her reward pre-figured the inexhaustible graces to be bestowed on the gentiles by Christ,

The LORD sets the prisoners free;

8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.

The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

the LORD loves the righteous.

She carried two coins with her, two lepton, the smallest pieces of coinage.

They were worth 1/64 of a denarius, that is, 1/64 of a day’s wages.

A pittance.

It was all she had.

Smyth, K. (1953).

3 and 4 Kings.

In B. Orchard & E. F. Sutcliffe (Eds.),

A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (p.

336).

Toronto; New York; Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson.

Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Then this prophet from Israel, named Elijah, says,

“The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘The jar of flour shall not go empty nor the jar of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.”

The widow did as she was asked.

She reached into the jar for the last handful of flour

and then upended the jug and emptied out the last drop of oil.

She let go of all she had.

She made a cake and divided it into three parts and gave two of them away.

Her open hand won God’s heart.

Christ is offered… God provides now for the sacrifice.

It is God who comes and gives not because we would give but because of His love.

His Only Begotten Son… The two widows give all they have because they trust, their hearts are not set on what they have but what they can give.

Our wealth is not measured by what we have, but by what we can give.

The LORD sets the prisoners free;

8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.

The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

the LORD loves the righteous.

“Didn’t you see the light in Jesus’ eyes as the poor widow left her little alms in the temple?

Give him what you can: the merit is not in whether it is big or small, but in the intention with which you give it”

By the same token, our actions are pleasing to God even if they are not as perfect as we would like.

St Francis de Sales comments: “Now as among the treasures of the temple, the poor widow’s mite was much esteemed, so the least little good works, even though performed somewhat coldly and not according to the whole extent of the charity which is in us, are agreeable to God, and esteemed by him; so that though of themselves they cannot cause any increase in the existing love […] yet divine providence, counting on them and, out of his goodness, valuing them, forthwith rewards them with increase of charity for the present, and assigns to them a greater heavenly glory for the future”