Through the First Reading (Deuteronomy 6:2-6) and the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:28-34) of the 31st Sunday, we have been reminded to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5), as He is the Lord alone (Deuteronomy 6:4), and Jesus regards this as the most important commandment of all the 613 commandments in the Torah (Mark 12:29-30). In fact, in the Gospel Reading of the 31st Sunday, Jesus brought up the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18) as the second important commandment (Mark 12:31). By loving our neighbors as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18), the supreme commandment to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) can be fulfilled. As God loved us first, we demonstrate our love to God also by loving His beloved children, our neighbors and ourselves (i.e. 1 John 4:7-11).
The readings of Monday (Philippians 2:1-4; Luke 14:12-14) describe how we love our neighbors. It is with humility that we put others before ourselves, as we seek nothing for ourselves when we love (Philippians 2:3-4; cf. 1 Corinthains 13:5). It is also to make sure the poor and those who are in special needs due to disabilities are included (Luke 14:12-13).
Both the First Reading (1 Kings17:10-16) and the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:38-44) of the 32nd Sunday describes what it means to love God with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) for He alone is the Lord (Deuteronomy 6:4). Both of these readings feature a poor widow, who offers all she has left, for God.
The widow in the First Reading (1 Kings17:10-16) offered up the very last batch of flour and oil to feed Elijah as commanded by God, though she was a Gentile living in Zarephath of Sidon. The flour and oil she had were for the very last sustenance for her and her son. After she and her son used them up, they would have nothing to eat any more. But rather than saving these for her and her son, the widow in Zarephath gave all of them to feed Elijah as commanded by God and asked by him. She did not withhold anything for her and her son. She did not resist when asked by Elijah, either. She simply offered them for Elijah, as it was commanded by God.
In the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:38-44), Jesus calls the disciples’ attention to a poor widow, who drained her purse in making her offering in the Temple, while others offer out of their surplus. Though the actual amount this widow offered was only two small coins, Jesus tells her offering counts more than all other offerings, for she poured out all she had left.
It is noteworthy that Jesus spoke of the widow’s offering of her livelihood not only in contrast to offerings of others but also to hypocritic vices of the scribes. He said:
Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation (Mark 12:38-40).
Not only they were narcissistic but also they were greedy as they devoured the houses of widows. Their greed prompted them to handle widow’s properties unjustly. Rather than taking care of them, as commended in the Law (Exodus 22:22), the scribes preyed upon them to make personal gains.
In contrast, the widow held nothing for herself as she offered up her entire livelihood for God in the Temple (Mark 12:41-44).
The Second Reading of the 32nd Sunday (Hebrews 9:24-28) tells how God has loved us to save us (i.e. 1 John 4:9-10). He sent His beloved Son and let him offer himself as the redemptive sacrifice for us once for all. He let the Son empMarkty himself (Philippians 2:7). In response to this self-sacrificial love of God for us, we are commanded to love with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls, and all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). As love does not prompt us to withhold anything for ourselves (Philippians 2:3-4; cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4), we love God by offering up all we have, as exemplified by the widow in the First Reading (1 Kings17:10-16) and by the widow in the Gospel Reading (Mark 12:38-44).
As we love God and our neighbors, we do not count its cost on us, as love must be altruistic. It is actually to reflect the way God has loved us through Christ the Son, fulfilling the Father’s will, offered himself up, on the Cross. When God offered His only begotten Son, He did not withhold anything for Him, as the Son was completely given for us. So, as we love God, in return, we must be ready to offer our total selves for Him.
How willing are we to give all we have for God and His will, which includes to love our neighbors as ourselves? How can we fight our tendency to count the costs in loving?
In order for us to demonstrate our love of God altuistically, as exemplified by the widows in the First and Gospel Readings, we must trust God and His providence completely. This way, we have nothing to worry even though we offer everythig we have and the only thing left for ourselves. Otherwise, we would worry how we would live, And such worries would make us reluctant to offer our love to God.
It is helpful to pray, as St. Ignatius of Loyola has, in loving God and our neighbors, fighting our self-serving interests:
Lord Jesus, teach us to serve you as you deserve; to give, and not to count the cost, to fight, and not to heed the wounds, to toil, and not to seek for rest, to labor, and not to ask for reward, except that of knowing that we are doing your will.
Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. You have given all to me. To you, O lord, I return it. All is yours, dispose of it wholly according to your will. Give me your love and your grace, for this is sufficient for me. Amen.
Remember, God does not simply receive what we offer. In return, He gives us back more than what we offer Him, as He did to the poor widow in Zarephath of Sidon (1 Kings 17:15-24). It is certain that God responded to the widow’s selfless offering in the Temple likewise.
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