The Widows' Example

Homily for the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

8 November 2015

Last week, we had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate the great Solemnity of All Saints, recalling our vocation modeled for us by countless men and women, who are known and unknown to us, to sanctify the world by being men and women of the Beatitudes. This week, we have the blessed opportunity through the examples of the widows in our First Reading and Gospel on how we are to truly live the Beatitudes in this world: We put our trust in God, and give all without counting the cost.

While I'm sure we have heard or said the phrases "Offer it up" and "Give it to God", it's only human nature to count the cost. We have a difficult time in just letting God do what He needs to; we have a hard time in allowing our trust in God to give us His peace. The widow of Zeraphath is a prime example of this as she protested to the message and request brought to her by Elijah. While she was looking out for the welfare of herself and her son, Elijah called her to be more faithful in her trust in the Lord.

The widow in our Gospel, on the other hand, seems to have that implicit trust in God, so much so that Jesus is able to recognize the giving of her everything to the praise and glory of God.

Sometimes we are like the widow of Zeraphath. Sometimes we are like the widow in the Temple.

One widow in the Tradition of the Church teaches us how to truly turn everything over to the Lord - Our Blessed Mother, Mary. During my time away from the parish in recovery, I had A LOT of free time on my hands. I had and took that opportunity to learn a little more about some the Marian apparitions that may be a little less known. One of these apparitions grabbed my attention - and, dare I say, also my heart. Our Lady's appearances in Kibeho, Rwanda, were an amazing series of visions, not only because they foretold of the genocide experienced in Rwanda in the mid-1990's, but - like all authentic Marian apparitions - the called us back from being obsessed with the things of this world to turning our hearts and live back to Jesus Christ.

Giving everything to the Lord - not just what we WANT to give over to Him - is essential in living out the Beatitudes. It is only in turning our entire life over to God that we can truly imitate Him, trust Him, and give Him praise. Our Lady's appearances to the visionaries of Kibeho do this by calling the Rwandan people back to that relationship lived in fidelity with her Son. The turning of our hearts back to the Lord, the giving of our livelihood from our spiritual poverty for the praise and glory of God, includes all that which turns our hearts away from the love of God and our neighbor. The messages of Our Lady of Kibeho urge us not to give the Lord only what we believe will please Him, but giving Him the entirety of our whole self. This is what the widow of the Temple models for us: That trust in God, and giving Him everything from our livelihood, ultimately releases any fear and doubt that we may have. Our practice of giving the widow's mite opens us up to letting go of all that binds us to this world, and allows us to be men and women of the Beatitudes.

It is important to keep this all in mind as we begin to close out this liturgical year. As we prepare to celebrate the great Solemnity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ the King, and as we prepare for the blessed season of Advent, it would be wise for us to keep the message of Mary, that Blessed Widow, in mind: The more that we keep in our hearts - jealousy, fear, anger, resentment, etc. - the less that we can give to the Lord in praise. The more that we offer the Lord from whatever is simply left over from the excess of blessings, the less that we can offer Him from the bottom of our coffers in our spiritual poverty.

Our participation in the widow's mite must be for us an invitation to a life lived through the Beatitudes. This abandonment of our fear and practice of trust in the Lord is the graced moment when we recognize how much the world controls us, how much we try to control the world, and the sacrifice coming from the coffers of our livelihood is that which should bring us closer to Christ. This is one of the messages that Our Lady gave to the visionaries of Kibeho: You are burdened in life with cares of every sort. Understand that difficulties are the daily bread of all who live on this earth. When they become too hard to cope with, know how to offer them to God. He really likes and expects from every Christian at least one sacrifice. The burdens and difficulties of this life - as well as its joys and ecstasies - need to become for us that which we offer as our mite, holding nothing back in our praise of God.

That is what the widows this weekend teach us:

          - The Widow of Zeraphath: Showing us the human condition;

          - The Widow of the Temple: Modeling for us how we ought to respond in faith; and

          - The Widow of Nazareth: Reminding us that we need to move beyond the limits of our human condition, and to trust in God so that we do everything for His glory and praise - including bearing our burdens and difficulties.

As a parish family, our trust in God and His plan for us will be tested over the next few months. Like the widows, we must respond in faith. We need to be able to offer everything back to the Lord, including any joy, fear or frustration we may be feeling. While there may be much confusion and doubt about the future, the response we give back in faith to learn Jesus, to love Jesus and to live Jesus is how we take that step in faith and open ourselves to the grace and movement of the Holy Spirit. Will it be uncomfortable? Yes. Will it be scary? You bet. But following the example of these faithful women, we allow that sacrifice to transform us, to sanctify us so that we may sanctify the world.

The sacrifice that we offer mow in the Eucharist is the first step in becoming more trusting of God as we lay over lives upon the Altar, giving to Him all that we are. The widows that we have encountered this weekend - of Zeraphath, of the Temple, and of Nazareth - remind us that it is in God alone that put our faith in, for us we truly want to be women and men of the Beatitudes, we can offer nothing better back to God than the totality of our very selves.

----------------

Enjoy the journey . . .