PAN DE LA SEMANA

[BREAKING THE BREAD OF GOD’S WORD] 32 nd Sunday OT_B November 8, 2015 HERO OR HEEL? How little things have changed from then and now. The widow of Zarephath was gathering sticks, much like the poor now gather what has come to be known almost derisively now in the Philippines as “kalakal.” I grew up at a place and time when “kalakal” did not refer to garbage. It simply meant farm produce that you brought twice a week to market to be sold wholesale to merchants who had the capital and the means of transport to sell them to the big Metro Manila market. We were not anywhere near the abject poverty of the widow, who having been married lost the support of her father, and who, having been widowed, lost the entire support from a husband. She was alone – and poor by any standard. So, too, was the widow mentioned in the gospel, who gave her all, despite her want, in spite of her need. The first widow was the object of the Lord’s largesse and compassion. The secon...

  10 th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) June 9, 2013 GOD CARES; GOD CALLS! We are back to good, old ordinary time, the longest “time” of the liturgical year. But it is anything but ordinary. In these so-called “ferial” days, extraordinary things can – and, in fact, do – happen! Take it from the distraught widow of Zarephath with whom the prophet Elijah was staying. Curiously, the boy grew sick “until he stopped breathing,” as the first reading says. Right on the days when a prophet was in the house, staying as guest! Thw widow complains, “Why have you done this to me, o man of God?” The prophet complains to God in his turn, “O Lord, my God, will you afflict even the widow with whom I am staying by killing her son?” God knows how many times I have complained to the Lord! How many times I have lamented this or that! It makes for good prayer, I tell you! When one is in front of undeserved suffering, I become prayerful. I don’t know about...