LIGHT

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Mark 12: 38-44

November 10, 2024

Jesus sat down opposite the collection box and watched the people putting money in it, and many of the rich put in a great deal. A poor widow came and put in two small coins, the equivalent of a penny.

Then Jesus called out to the disciples and said to them, “The truth is, this woman has put in more than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have put in money from their surplus, but she has put in everything she possessed from the little she had — all she had to live on.”

To be an elderly widow in the time of Jesus was fraught with danger. After spending her life raising her children and caring for her husband, she would have had, in all likelihood, no possessions. Everything would have belonged to her husband and when he died, it would have been handed over to the eldest son. If the son died, the property went to his children. And if there was no son to receive the estate, the religious leaders took possession of everything.

Women in the first century, of course, could not work for themselves. They had no rights. So, a widow would have no means of supporting herself. The elderly who lived in the countryside might have a better chance of a sustainable life, since they might be taken in by their children or grandchildren to help around the house while the rest of the family tended the fields or livestock or performed their trade. But in a city, like Jerusalem, a widow was among the poorest of the poor.

When Jesus points out the widow, in today’s Gospel, he marvels at her generosity knowing full well that she has precious little to be generous with. In her way, she has placed her trust in God to take care of her. Even though dozens of wealthy people passed by her to place their own money in the donation box, the people looked right past her and missed the opportunity to truly do something worthwhile with their wealth.

Today’s world is not very different. Oh sure, women are no longer considered property and can work for themselves. But the reality is that women are still objects of objectification and subjectification. They receive less pay for the same work as a man and face fierce resistance if an office they seek is deemed too high for a female to hold. There are always exceptions to the rule, but overall, women must overcome more hurdles to achieve what a man would in similar situations. Women still have to place their trust in God to be the person they strive to be.

Today’s world is fraught with danger for all people. It seems that people want to impress each other with their money and possessions more than care for those without money or possessions. To the widows, the poor, the immigrants, the LGBTQ, and those who live on the margins of our society, this time of danger is like living in perpetual darkness. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I do know that nothing can live forever in darkness. It’s one thing to say they need to place their trust in God to survive, and another to try and live that trust.

I believe that this is where God has called me, and others, to step up and be a light in the darkness. Darkness is not so scary when you have a flashlight. Darkness can actually be quite beautiful if you can see the stars. And the amazing thing is that there are a bazillion stars out there in the sky. Sometimes it’s too cloudy to see the stars. Sometimes artificial light hides their view. There are even stars that exist that we have not yet seen. But they are there. They are there.

I have had the good fortune in my life to have seen a shooting star. I have seen the Northern Lights and the Milky Way galaxy. I have seen the planet Saturn through a telescope. It was dark outside when I saw these events. But seeing those heavenly lights brightly shining lifted my soul so much, I will always be grateful.

No one should be forced to live in darkness or to be a “widow” with no hope. How will they see light in the darkness? By me showing the light of Christ to them.

Every Day.

© 2024 by Timothy J. Doppel

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