Sunday, Nov. 10, is the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass readings: 1 Kings 17:10-16; Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 or 12:41-44.

The first reading in today’s Mass (1 Kings 17:10-16) speaks to us of the paradox of poverty: It is our poverty, our neediness, that provides a doorway for God to bless us with true riches.

Our emptiness provides room for God to go to work.

Let’s look at the first reading to see how poverty can usher in strange blessings.

The text states, “In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath. … A widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her.”

Both Elijah and the widow are hungry and thirsty. The widow’s hunger for earthly food is a symbol for a deeper hunger: a hunger for communion with God. At some point, our hunger must meet God’s “hunger,” symbolized here by Elijah.

For us, every other hunger merely points to the hunger for Holy Communion, and every other “food” is but a temporary morsel until this deepest hunger is satisfied.

Elijah makes his request: “Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink ... and a bit of bread.” This elicits her reply, “I have nothing … but a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. … When [my son and I] have eaten it, we shall die.”

We may wonder why God allows poverty and suffering. The quick answer is that it is because there is such grave risk in riches and comfort.

But there is a kind of freedom in poverty. The poor have less to lose. As we shall see, it is the widow’s poverty that opens her to lasting blessings. Having little to lose, she is free enough to accept the next stage of our story.

God’s prophet, Elijah, summons her to trusting faith: “Do not be afraid. First, make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself. … The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry.”

Elijah tells her not to be afraid to share. In effect, he teaches her that the Lord will not be outdone in generosity. On a human level, Elijah’s request seems almost cruel, but from a spiritual perspective, he is summoning her to the faith that alone can truly save her.

Although she is afraid, her fear is easily overcome. Why? Because she has little to lose. So many of our fears are rooted in the fear of loss.

The more we have, the more we have to be anxious about. We, too, must come to realize that looking merely to our own self-interest will only feed us for a day.

Only in openness to God and others can we procure a superabundant food, that which will draw us to life eternal. The woman trusts in God’s word and shares her food. “She was able to eat for a year, 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.”

If we learn to trust God, we come to discover that he never fails.

Of course, this takes faith, and faith involves risk. The widow takes the risk and shares what little she has — and is blessed for her faith.

Are you free enough to trust?