32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 7 (Year B) 1 Kings 17:10-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44

Elijah’s request might have seemed a bit presumptuous and insensitive to the poor widow at Zarephath.

True fasting is helping your neighbour; while false fasting mixes religiosity with dirty deals and the bribes of vanity. That was the message of Pope Francis at the morning Mass at the Casa Santa Marta on Friday.

My grandmother once told me a story. A farmer’s wife noticed a rat running through the kitchen and told her husband to set a trap. When the rat saw the trap, he got scared because he might be caught. He went to ask his friends for advice.