32ND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME: “…A LITTLE OIL IN MY JUG”: THE MESSAGE OF HOPE IN OUR TIME

The readings this weekend present yet another interesting aspect of our relationship with God. The vertical dimension of our lives derives from our view of self, which is more of an internal work, also by the presence of the Holy Spirit. We read about two widows, one in the first reading and the other in the gospel, each giving something out of their littleness.

Starting with the widow in the gospel, the image depicted is one of marginalization and social discrimination. Jesus begins by condemning the attitudes of the Scribes, “They devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers.” Widows can be vulnerable, and society could take advantage of their situation. Mark describes the widow’s donation in the gospel: "Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins with a few cents.” Here, the question is, “Why would Jesus notice this poor widow? What does it mean for Jesus to single her out in the crowd? Let’s look at the widow of Zarephath a bit deeper.

This widow’s situation is extreme, facing hunger and socioeconomic threats. The prophet Elijah receives a legitimate pushback from her on his request to have some food and drink, “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” (1 Kgs. 17:12). It does not stop there. The woman voices her hopelessness to Elijah, “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." She sees herself on the fringe of death and views her life as possibly worth nothing. In his encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis writes, “Every threatening situation breeds mistrust and leads people to withdraw into their own safety zone… we believe that we can “ensure stability and peace through a false sense of security sustained by a mentality of fear and mistrust” (no. 26). That is what happens to the widow of Zarephath.

The expression, “only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug” represents her low self-esteem and lack of self-worth. Recently, I heard a strange expression from someone, “In the absence of anything, bad is good.” For this woman, bad has become good enough and that is all she knows. She is almost succumbing to hopelessness. In this case, the Zarephath widow seems to be living in that bubble when the prophet comes to her. Practically, nothing makes sense. Even dying becomes good, since she is not good enough to live, lest to give something. Her situation imposes on her a false sense of identity. Such can fester the seven deadly wounds Bob Schuchts described in the book, Do You Want to be Healed? In the widow’s voice we hear “abandonment (I am all alone; no one cares or understands), fear (I am afraid; if I trust, I will be hurt/die), powerlessness (I can’t change it; I’m too small/weak), hopelessness (things will never get better; I want to die), confusion (I don’t understand what is happening), rejection (I am not loved, wanted, or desired), and shame (I am bad, dirty, shameful, stupid, and worthless)” (p.79).

Elijah’s first words to her are, “Do not be afraid.” The false identity of fear must be countered by positivity. Then comes a reassurance that God cares, “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.'" The message of hope is crucial in times of desperation.

In our context, we are experiencing the dawn of a new era in American political history, following the just concluded elections. There seems to be a sense of victory posing itself against a sense of loss. There is an apparent divide created by the winner versus loser mindset. Some people are palpably afraid and justifiably so, whereas others exude a joyful and jubilant aura. There is what presents as the widow narrative here, whereby some individuals, thinking about their future might be saying, “There is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little jug of oil.” In some people’s heads, it is almost feeling like the widow of Zarephath’s “little jug of oil.” Preparing for something terrible and disastrous now that Trump has been elected president can spell fear and hopelessness. We must recognize this and embrace the prophetic role of Elijah and Jesus as the readings of this weekend present.

On October 3, 2020, Pope Francis wrote the encyclical Fratelli Tutti in the aftermath of Covid 19, with the core message to foster fraternity, following the words of Saint Francis of Assisi. Fratelli tutti means “All Brothers,” implying brotherhood in Christ. In that encyclical, the Holy Father elaborated on hope as follows: “I invite everyone to renewed hope, for hope “speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfillment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love… Hope is bold; it can look beyond personal convenience, the petty securities and compensations which limit our horizon, and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile. Let us continue, then, to advance along the paths of hope” (no. 55).

The lessons for us resonate with Elijah’s mission. He discovers this widow in her situation and speaks hope into her. It mandates us to embrace the reaction of Jesus. He discovers the widow in the temple and speaks about her in a positive light. We must recognize "widow’s voices and mindsets" speaking and imposing false identities on people. We are all invited to be messengers of hope for those experiencing a sense of abandonment, fear, powerlessness, hopelessness, confusion, rejection, and shame. Healing and recovery are much needed in our time. We celebrate the sacraments. We believe in the prophetic mission of the church. Then we are called to a missionary responsibility as agents of healing for Christ and his mystical body. As the Lord lives in us, we are all called to be brothers and sisters (Fratelli Tutti).

READINGS: 1ST- 1 KGS. 17:10-16; 2ND- HEB. 9:24-28; GOSPEL- MK. 12:38-44