Discussion Questions

First Reading

1 Kings 17:10-16

F1. Elijah asks the widow to give away the last bits of flour reserved for her final meal. As a result, she receives a jar of flour that doesn’t ever go empty. Was it a leap of faith for her? Can you  trust that you will always receive the grace you need to do the things God asks, for example, to feed the hungry, care for creation, end anti-racism?

F2. Does God reward the widow in this reading? What are the rewards for helping others? On a scale of one to ten, how do you rate your ability to give?
 

Second Reading

Hebrews 9:24-28

S1. Compare Christ’s sacrifice with those of the two widows, the one in the First Reading and the other in the Gospel.

S2. What did God the Father give away?

Gospel

Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44

G1. How do you develop a magnanimous heart? Do you think it happens little by little or all at once? Is grace needed?

G2. According to Pope Francis, what happens to the widow in the Gospel when she gives everything away?

She has nothing left, but finds her everything in God. She is not afraid of losing the little she has because she trusts in God’s abundance, and God’s abundance multiplies the joy of those who give. This also makes us think of that other widow, the one of the prophet Elijah, who was about to make a flatbread with the last of her flour and the last of her oil; Elijah says to her: “Feed me” and she gives; and the flour never runs out, it is a miracle (cf. 1 Kings 17:9-16).

In the face of people’s generosity, the Lord always goes further, is more generous. … This is why Jesus proposes her as a teacher of faith, this woman: she does not go to the Temple to clear her conscience, she does not pray to make herself seen, she does not show off her faith, but she gives from her heart generously and freely. The sound of her few coins is more beautiful than the grandiose offerings of the rich, since they express a life sincerely dedicated to God, a faith that does not live by appearances but by unconditional trust. Let us learn from her: a faith without external frills, but interiorly sincere; a faith composed of humble love for God and for our brothers and sisters.

Pope Frqncis Angelus for 32nd Sun Ord B
Nov 7, 2021

Anne Osdieck

**From Saint Louis University