Homily – November 8, 2009 – Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

+ With this simple statement: "this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury" – Jesus, by his comment about her, leveled the playing field for all who are trying to do what would please God very much! What impressed him so, were the amazing trust, love and generosity that this poor woman demonstrated in giving God absolutely everything she had – she held back nothing even what was directly related to her livelihood. God was very pleased with her contribution and thereby let us know that he would also be very pleased with a similar one from us – most especially the poorest among us – who have only a moderate to meager amount to live on and to give – but whose hearts and faith are large – and whose trust level is high!

Jesus does not condemn the rich who dump large amounts into the treasury – mostly for the show of it – sure, the money can be used for good purposes – and because they followed the dictates of the law, the rich will be credited for their contributions; but the truly lasting and favored donations are the seemingly insignificant ones that are made by the lowly poor who give from the soul because they believe it will somehow work out in the end!

The widow gathering sticks in the first reading from the Book of Kings was also poor, and she and her son were about to die. But when Elijah, a prophet of the Lord, asked her to bake him a loaf of bread, she trusted what he had to say, that she and her son would not die if she trusted enough to make the bread just for him. She did. He ate. And then at his invitation, they ate. And there was enough flour and oil to supply her need for a very long time. This of course is a prophecy of the very gospel passage that we read today: I doubt very much if the widow in the gospel passage went hungry either: when one puts God first in one's life things do work out – eventually – and oftentimes even miraculously!

In both cases, the rich and the poor – God wants the devotion, loyalty and commitment from hearts, to surrender entirely to him, so that he can use the person possessing the heart as he wills to make the lives of others better! So that we can be like Elijah, sent to encourage someone who thinks they are on their last measure of flour and oil; so that we could encourage all to receive the gift of Jesus who was sent to multiply his very Eucharistic Body and Blood throughout the ages – never letting its available supply run dry - so that no one would go spiritually hungry as they travel hand in hand with their brothers and sisters throughout this world into the eternal life of the next!

Rejoice in the Lord always; the Lord, who keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, who sets captives free – forever!

Homily – November 6, 2009 – Thirty-first Week in Ordinary Time - Friday

+ Jesus is complimenting the dishonest steward for a left-handed kind of prudence – he is in no way complimenting him for his virtue. And this reference is not really meant to be a slight against the children of light; rather, if anyone is to be complimented, it is they who are trying the best they can to be faithful stewards with all that God has given them to use in this life.

Yesterday, in the first reading we read that for the baptized person – we are not our own – all in life and in death belongs to the Lord. We truly are to be stewards of a variety of gifts given to help us get through life in a satisfactory sort of way, with an emphasis on looking out for and helping others – sharing what we have been given. Our new parish mission statement is: We believe and we share! This is what it means!

In the first reading today St. Paul is also telling the Romans that they can count on hearing nothing at all from him other than what he hears Christ Jesus himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, telling him to tell them; and that he would not build on a foundation that another has laid: if a Christian community has been established – he will not come in and preach as though he were starting from scratch with this particular group. There is enough work to be done without repetitious efforts.

May we this day receive what the Lord has to say to us, may we live our day in the Lord and with his sacramental help and strength, and may we be complimented by the Lord at the end of the day, and of our lives, for being good and faithful and holy stewards of the manifold gifts that he gives us for our good and for the good of others!

Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him!