Gospel: November 25, 2024
November 25, 2024 (Monday)
34th Week in Ordinary Time
Psalter: Week 2 / (Green/Red)
St. Catherine of Alexandria, virgin & martyr
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 24: 1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Lord, these are the people who long to see your face.
1st Reading: Revelation 14: 1-3, 4b-5
I was given another vision: The Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, surrounded by 144,000 people, who had his name, and his Father’s name, written on their foreheads. A sound reverberated in heaven, like the sound of the roaring of waves, or deafening thunder; it was like a chorus of singers, accompanied by their harps.
They sing a new song before the throne, in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders, a song, which no one can learn, except the 144,000 who have been taken from the earth. They are the first taken from humankind, who are already of God and the Lamb. No deceit has been found in them; they are faultless.
Gospel: Luke 21: 1-4
Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury of the temple. He also saw a poor widow, who dropped in two small coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For all of them gave an offering from their plenty; but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.“
Reflection:
“Emptying ourselves”
The “little apocalypse” consists of Mark 13, Matthew 24–25 and Luke 21. In these last days of the liturgical year, we continue our journey while beginning to reflect on Luke 21. Luke 21 begins with the “widow’s offerings” (cf. vv. 1-4), which parallels the one in Mark 12:41-44. Here, it seems that Luke used the materials from Mark.
Nevertheless, in its present form, the Lucan version of the “widow’s offerings” is found in Luke 21. Perhaps, Luke intended to have it there as a kind of introduction to the things he would be spelling out with regard to his version of apocalyptic materials adopted from Mark.
Today’s Gospel pericope highlights the example of the poor widow in sharing something not merely from her plenty but all that she had to live on. This implies that she gave not only something that was outside of herself but she gave her very self without reservations.
We have already reflected on the fact that the apocalyptic tradition challenges us to enter into a new relationship with God. We can only accept God’s offer of a new relationship after emptying ourselves. We have to empty our cups so that God can fill them to the brim.
