The
Community
at
Prayer
Reflection
by
Father
Paul
M.
Baca
November
8,
2009,
32nd
Sunday
in
Ordinary
Time
The
First
Reading
for
today
from
the
First
Book
of
Kings
reminded
me
of
how
important
hospitality
is
in
our
culture.
I
remember
how
so
very
often
I
would
be
called
to
go
see
someone
out
on
a
ranch
who
was
quite
ill.
After
I
got
past
the
dogs
in
the
yard,
I
would
reach
the
door
and
by
then
someone
was
there
saying,
"Come
on
in
Father."
Pase
usted."
And
then
of
course,
after
we
all
prayed
together,
they
would
offer
me
some
coffee
or
something
to
eat
from
the
little
that
they
had.
That
touch
of
hospitality
always
made
the
30
or
40
mile
trip
to
get
there
seem
as
nothing.
It
always
made
me
feel
that
responding
to
the
need
for
the
sacraments
was
not
like
a
duty,
but
an
opportunity.
It
always
brought
back
to
mind
how
one
morning
a
priest
came
to
the
door
of
the
parish
house
and
told
me
that
he
would
like
to
say
Mass.
I
remember
I
went
with
him
to
the
church
and
set
up
for
the
Mass,
served
the
Mass
and
while
he
was
making
his
thanksgiving,
I
ran
over
to
the
house
and
told
the
pastor
that
I
was
bringing
a
visiting
priest
over
for
breakfast
and
that
he
had
already
celebrated
Mass.
I
was
totally
dumbfounded
when
he
said,
"You
can't
bring
him
over.
Tell
him
he
cannot
come."
I
really
felt
like
an
idiot
disinviting
the
nice
priest.
I
don't
know
what
brought
that
on
because
ordinarily
my
pastor
was
a
very
nice
man.
In
the
First
Reading
Elijah
the
prophet
asks
for
hospitality,
first
a
cup
of
water,
and
then
a
little
something
to
eat.
The
widow
immediately
went
after
the
water
but
when
he
said,
"Please
bring
along
a
bit
of
bread,"
she
had
to
admit
that
she
had
none.
"As
the
Lord
your
God
lives,
I
have
nothing
baked;
there
is
only
a
handful
of
flour
in
my
jar
and
a
little
oil
in
my
jug.
Just
now
I
was
collecting
a
couple
of
sticks
to
go
in
and
prepare
something
for
myself
and
my
son;
when
we
have
eaten
it,
we
shall
die."
Elijah
then
said
to
her,
"Do
not
be
afraid.
Go
and
do
as
you
propose,
but
first
make
me
a
little
cake
and
bring
it
to
me.
Then
you
can
prepare
something
for
yourself
and
your
son
for
the
Lord,
the
God
of
Israel,
says,
'The
jar
of
flour
shall
not
go
empty
nor
the
jug
of
oil
run
dry
until
the
day
when
the
Lord
sends
rain
upon
the
earth.
She
left
and
did
as
Elijah
had
said.
She
was
able
to
eat
for
a
year,
and
he
and
her
son
as
well.
The
jar
of
flour
did
not
go
empty,
nor
the
jug
of
oil
run
dry,
as
the
Lord
had
foretold
through
Elijah."
This
brought
to
my
mind
how,
back
in
the
'30s,
when
men
going
west
looking
for
work
would
stop
by
the
different
homes
and
ask
for
a
meal.
the
people
didn't
have
much
due
to
the
Great
Depression,
but
as
in
my
own
home,
they
were
always
able
to
come
up
with
something.
I
find
the
gospel
encouraging
because
it
reminds
us
that
it
is
not
how
much
we
give,
but
rather, what
kind
of
a
sacrifice
we
make
to
share
what
we
have
with
others.
"Jesus
sat
down
opposite
the
treasury
and
observed
how
the
crowd
put
money
into
the
treasury.
Many
rich
people
put
in
large
sums.
A
poor
widow
also
came
and
put
in
two
small
coins
worth
a
few
cents.
Calling
his
disciples
to
himself,
he
said
to
them,
'Amen
I
say
to
you, this
poor
widow
put
in
more
than
all
the
other
contributions
to
the
treasury.
For
they
have
all
contributed
from
their
surplus
wealth,
but
she
from
her
poverty
has
contributed
all
she
had
for
her
livelihood.'"
In
1949
when
I
was
ordained,
the
salary
of
an
assistant
was
$35
a
month.
Needless
to
say,
I
hardly
had
any
money
to
spare,
but
I
learned
a
profound
lesson
that
taught
me
that
we
all
have
something
very
valuable
to
share,
just
like
the
widow.
I
started
visiting
the
elderly
and
the
sick
and
i
was
surprised
how
much
they
appreciated
it
and
continually
told
me
so.
So
now
I
feel
that
a
kind
word
and
a
smile
at
the
right
time
can
be
worth
more
than
a
treasure
because
of
the
effect.
These
readings
are
full
of
meaning
if
we
but
take
the
time
to
prayerfully
reflect
on
them.
Every
one
of
us
has
so
much
to
learn
about
living
our
Christian
faith,
but
opportunities
will
pass
us
by
if
we
do
not
take
time to
reflect
on
the
lessons
presented
to
us.
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