10th Week, Tuesday, June 7
1 Kings 17:7-16 / Matthew 5:13-16
A poor widow feeds Elijah: Her faith and generosity were rewarded.
The story of the widow in today’s reading must have made a deep impression on Jesus. He referred to it in the very first sermon he preached in his hometown of Nazareth. (Luke 5:25-26)
It’s easy to see why the story would have made a deep
impression on him. It’s a beautiful tale of faith and generosity. The widow
gave away what she had every right to keep. She gave away that which stood
between her and starvation. Moreover, the widow gave it away because she
trusted Elijah. She believed him when he told her not to worry because God
would provide for her.
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How trusting are we when it comes to other people—and God?
“The man who trusts other men will make fewer mistakes than the one who distrusts
them” Ardis Whitman
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The ways of the Lord are indeed wonderful and marvellous to see. Yet for the rich and secure, for those who had no dire need, the ways of the Lord are hidden from them. But for the poor and the lowly and the needy, the Lord shows them signs and wonders.
The 1st reading shows us how the Lord takes care and provides for those who obey Him and trust in Him. In a dire situation like a famine, the widow could have cared less about Elijah, and just go on with her last meal with her son and then wait for death. Nobody would have bothered about hospitality or concern for neighbour. It was each for for his own survival; so it was then, and so it is now. But the widow obeyed the voice of the Lord and, putting her life and the life of her son and their needs aside, attended to Elijah.
Hence to be the salt and light that Jesus was talking about
in the gospel, we have to learn from the wonderful and marvellous example of
the nameless widow of the 1st reading. We need to be lowly and ordinary like
the salt, and yet humble even when we are shining like the light. Only then
will we see the wonders and the marvellous works of the Lord.
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LIGHT IS ITS OWN PROOF: SALT AND LIGHT
Introduction
To show how great Elijah was as a prophet, the Elijah cycle in the book of
Kings shows how he rewarded the widow by seeing to it that she did not suffer
from the lack of food during the famine. Later he will restore her son to life.
During the communist regime in Poland, only a dozen or so Catholic secondary
schools for girls remained under the direction of religious sisters. They had
to follow the state program without any religion. When asked whether there was
still any sense in their work, a sister directress answered: “We stay with the
girls, we are a presence among them. If we try to be good Christians, we
automatically let the light shine. Light is its own proof. One has not to talk
about it.” Her words echo those of Christ in the gospel. A Christian has not
necessarily to preach from a pulpit. Authentic Christian living is a
proclamation all by itself.
Penitential Rite:
-As you feed and protect us in our depravity and poverty, as
you did to Elijah, LHM
-As you call us to share even out of our poverty as you made
the widow of Zarephath do, CHM
-As you call us to become the salt and light of the world,
LHM
Opening Prayer
Lord our God, your Son asks of every disciple to be the salt
and the light of the world. Season our lives and words with the salt of the
gospel, that all those who encounter us may taste how good it is to live in
your love and to work in joy and hope towards a world and a heaven of justice,
peace and friendship. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Commentary
When Elijah insisted on a part of the small quantity of food that the widow of
Zarephath possessed, he is not unmindful of her own need. He assures her that
in providing for him in his want, she will be amply provided for. She goes to
fetch for him the water and cake requested, in the midst of a crippling drought
that had left the land hard and dry. Initially she had denied his request. But
when he assures her that the God of Israel will reward her generosity with an
unfailing supply of oil and flour, she quickly complies. There are moments in
life when we are called to step out in faith. It may be when the salt has
become flat and the light dim. But in giving our “Yes” to God, his generosity
will not be diminished. Christianity is not an esoteric faith, a set of beliefs
destined only for the enlightened. It is to radiate throughout the world, and
we are called to be its emissaries. At times it seems easier to hold on to our
faith tenaciously and ignore our role in the world. But if the salt goes flat,
it has no value. And if the light is encumbered and not placed on a lamp stand
to be seen, it will never attract the human spirit. The widow gained biblical
prominence because she gave of the little that she had. We become salt and
light when we let God’s goodness show forth in our lives. It is always better
to light one candle than to curse the darkness!
Points to Ponder
Sharing our little with confidence in God
Letting conviction show forth in what we do
Images of salt and light.
Intercessions
– That in the Church there may be men and women today who show us something of
the face of God by their goodness and concern for the poor and the little
people, we pray:
– That in our communities we may be like the salt that preserves among us a
sense of service and commitment to one another, we pray:
– That we may not be blind to the needs of the poor and those suffering and
help them carry their burdens, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Our God and Father, you give taste to our lives through the
bread and wine of your Son, for they steep us in his love and faithfulness. Do
not allow us to lose our savor but give it more vigor to use it to preserve in
this world the goodness and dedicated love which you shown us in your Son, Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God our Father, the words spoken by your Son have been a
light on the path of life and his body our source of renewal. Do not allow us
to hide the light of his self-forgetting, faithful love but let it shine in us,
that people may see in us a reflection of his goodness and give praise to you, our
God for ever and ever.
Blessing
“I am the light of the world,” said Christ, and he says of us too: you are, you
must be, the light of the world. Let your faith shine and inspire, with the
blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.