Abundance in the Face of Want
“The Lord executes justice for the oppressed; he gives food to the hungry.”
Cornelis van Poelenburch’s The Prophet Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath is a tender portrayal of divine provision amidst desolation. The scene shows Elijah, his presence serene and commanding, standing before a widow and her child in a rocky, barren landscape. The widow looks up at Elijah, her face a blend of worry and reluctant trust, while her young son clings close to her, symbolizing both her vulnerability and her desire to protect. Van Poelenburch’s soft colors and warm light transform this harsh setting, giving the moment an almost gentle radiance — a hint of the miracle that will soon unfold.
The painting captures the tension of sacrifice and trust. The widow, with so little left, stands at the edge of desperation. Yet Elijah’s calm assurance seems to invite her beyond mere survival, toward a faith that promises abundance. Her gesture of offering, small yet profound, becomes a gateway to divine generosity. In van Poelenburch’s hands, this story is a meditation on the power of giving even in scarcity — a reminder that the smallest acts of faith can open the door to boundless grace.
For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.
- Mark 12:44
Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Texts for This Week
Prayer
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Scriptures
I Kings 17:8–16
Psalm 146
Hebrews 9:24–28
Mark 12:38–44
Gabriel Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine
Gabriel Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine is a choral meditation that seems to rise and fall like the soft wings of prayer ascending toward heaven. Fauré composed in his youth, imbuing it with a profound sense of reverence, humility, and yearning for divine mercy and transformation. The lyrics, based on Racine’s paraphrase of an ancient hymn, ask for God’s presence to “descend upon us” with grace and healing.
Word of the Highest, our only hope,
Eternal day of earth and the heavens,
We break the silence of the peaceful night;
Saviour Divine, cast your eyes upon us!
Pour on us the fire of your powerful grace,
That all hell may flee at the sound of your voice;
Banish the slumber of a weary soul,
That brings forgetfulness of your laws!
O Christ, look with favour upon your faithful people
Now gathered here to praise you;
Receive their hymns offered to your immortal glory;
May they go forth filled with your gifts.
It speaks to the heart’s longing to be purified, echoing, perhaps, the sentiment of this week’s Collect, that we may “purify ourselves as He is pure,” and be prepared for the glorious kingdom.
The piece’s delicate, ethereal quality mirrors the humble offerings in this week’s scriptures: the widow’s last meal and the widow’s mite. Like these simple acts, Fauré’s composition reaches beyond human limitations, expressing a need for the divine touch that sanctifies and makes holy. The music’s movement is gentle, almost hesitant, as if stepping softly toward a sacred space where God’s purifying light awaits. In the same way, we are invited this week to draw near to God, acknowledging our dependence and entrusting even our smallest acts of faith into his hands.
