NONE SO POOR AS TO HAVE NOTHING TO SHARE
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32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (B)
November 11, 2012
NONE SO POOR AS TO HAVE NOTHING TO SHARE!
Jose Feliciano of old crooned that “love comes from the most
unexpected places.” True. But so does generosity. It comes, lived, shown, and
practiced even by persons least expected to do so.
Years ago, during the Ormoc tragedy in the Philippines, something
beautiful for God and humanity happened. A long line of hungry and weary people
were snaking through, waiting to receive relief goods. Foreign press people were
present, with flash lights popping and cameras whirring. At a certain point
everyone including the relief distributors was sure … there was not going to be
enough for everyone in the long line.
At the end of the line was a little girl of about five. She
was patient and hopeful, and even if she saw the supplies dwindling, she,
together with all the rest, stayed on, trudged on, slowly towards where the
supplies were. When it was her turn, there was absolutely nothing to give … not
a bag, not a packet, not a forlorn tin can, or a mashed bag of instant noodles.
There was nothing but an overripe and mushy banana.
Sadly and reluctantly, the women distributing food had to
give her the soggy half-rotten banana. Her face fell as she was handed the
banana, but still managed to flash a smile, obviously grateful that she got at
least that. The cameras were panning towards her direction. Everyone’s eyes
were focused on her. She ran as fast as she could towards a certain direction.
The cameraman and press people felt their hearts pounding, not knowing where
she was going and how this emerging story was going to end.
The little girl surprised the watching world. The cameraman
could not see clearly anymore, as he witnessed and made the world witness the
generosity of one who hardly had anything to give. The little girl scooped her
little brother slumped on the ground, as hungry and dirty as she was, and gave
him half the almost rotten banana she had.
Selflessness, generosity, and greatness do come from the
most unexpected places!
The widow was one such proof. She was at the end of her
rope. But she was by no means at the end of her wits, and oozing generosity.
Her greatness shone through insignificant worthless things: sticks, a handful
of flour, and a little oil. That was it! And confronted with a demanding
prophet, asking her for food to eat, the widow gave the last she had … her last
guarantee of a few additional hours of existence, with no more to spare!
Praise the Lord, my soul for the widow! Praise the Lord, my
soul, for that little girl. Praise the Lord, my soul, for Thou giveth – and
taketh away … for Thou giveth life while literally killing!
Yes, it is right and just to praise the Lord. The letter to
the Hebrews rightly speaks of Him as one who sacrificed and offered Himself
generously, once and for all, for that little girl and boy, for you, for
everyone who laughs now, and everyone who mourns now.
Scribes are long in robes, but short in generosity. They love
to accept greetings and seek out the best seats in the house, but they “devour
the houses of widows.”
Praise the Lord even for them! Praise the Lord for all
irresponsible and greedy loggers who directly caused the tragedy at Ormoc, and
other tragedies in the Philippines! In pain, they, too, can teach us the
opposite of what they show us – the opposite of greed, which is generosity and
magnanimity!
Praise the Lord, my soul for this Sunday! Today is a day of
widows, and widows’ mites, and children bereft of childhood on account of
indifferent humanity and because of adults’ irresponsibility!
Today, we learn a telling lesson – that generosity can shine
even in the most unexpected places, and be shown even by the most unexpected
people. Yes, scribes can potentially shine, too. Poor widows can give more than
people who have thicker wallets and stuffed pocketbooks. But widow or not, rich
or poor, scribe or plebeian alike … lay or ordained … we all can shine … we all
can rise to the occasion and prove once again, that generosity, greatness – and
yes – love, too, can come from the most unexpected places!
May this place be here! May this time be now!
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