Whatever we give to God is amply rewarded. This is the basic message of today's Mass readings. The first reading tells of an important woman from a place called Shunem who "pressed" the prophet Elijah to stay with her and her husband. And it turned out that "since then, he would stop there to eat every time he passed by.". The good woman, perceiving the sanctity of the prophet, then persuaded her husband to make a small shelter for Elijah with "a bed, a table, a chair and a lamp, so that when he comes he can retire." But this generous couple had no children. So Elijah called her and told her he would conceive a son, and sure enough, he did the following year. Not only that, but years later, when the son, now grown up, hemorrhaged and died, Elijah raised him from the dead.
What a blessing it is to contribute to the Church and its ministers! Although these should never abuse this trust and generosity (which is, in fact, what Elijah's servant Gehazi will later do in another episode - much to Elijah's chagrin and incurring great punishment for his sin), God richly blesses the generosity of those who give of their own goods to support the mission of the Church.
How Jesus rejoiced over that woman who poured costly ointment on his head (see Mt 26:13). We also see several women who supported Jesus and the disciples. "served them with their goods" (Lk 8:3).
And in today's Gospel Jesus not only praises but demands this generosity. It is not only necessary to give him the best, but to put it before all family and personal ties.. He who loves his father or his mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves his son or his daughter more than me is not worthy of me" (1 Corinthians 5:1).". This is not an unreasonable demand. As God, Jesus has a right to everything we have and are: He gave it to us in the first place. But He asks it for us, not for Him. Only if we give everything to God will we be happy.
It is foolish to prefer the creature to the Creator. Therefore, discipleship may involve loss, taking up our cross to follow Jesus, losing our life to gain it. But whatever we give will be rewarded a hundredfold (see Mk 10:30). The woman of Shunem received the gift of life, a son, for caring for a prophet. God promises eternal life to those who give to him. Every small gift is taken into account and rewarded. As Jesus tells us: "Whoever gives to drink, even if it is but a cup of fresh water, to one of these little ones, just because he is my disciple, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward." Giving to God's ministers and to God's poor will earn us "treasures in the sky" (Mt 6:20).
Homily on the readings of Sunday 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
