Homily for November 10th – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Father Joe Tedesco

1 Kings 17: 10 – 16 Hebrews 9: 24- 28 Mark 12: 38 – 44

Today’s Widow’s stories teach us great lessons that are foundational truths of our spiritual journey. We see a spirituality of love redirected to God and the Community.

We seek to live in total dependence and trust in God, giving of ourselves in every way. Letting God invite us into a deeper life with God trusting God will show us the way.

So if we really heard the deep wisdom of the widows in the stories, we can examine our lives and see if we have that willingness to be dependent on God, putting God first. We see a great generosity that goes beyond their station in life, we see a trust in God that is startling. Her devotion and pity, her dedication to the Temple of God and the support she gives to the place of worship. There is this deep sense of freedom one feels in her to be able to give away her two last coins. God has taken over her heart. Jesus was so moved by the widow and her two coins. He truly saw the widow with the depth of meaning and understanding.

Jesus, of course, is the ultimate model for us. His complete dependence and trust in the Father’s love brought him to that sacrificial love that gave us new life.
As a pastor of a large parish before coming to Mepkin, I saw so many times the widows taking an important place in the parish community. Truly ministering to others and others seeing them as such caring individuals. Responding to life freely and with a willingness to be of service to God and others. So often in the parish, it was the widows who we counted on for prayers and service for the whole church.

How do we let go of everything and just live in God? Do we realize how powerful this way of life is for the Church and the world? A generosity that touches deeply the hearts of others. That can change someone’s vision of life and understanding of God and the life of the Spirit.

What happens when we give of ourselves, is a deepening of humility, of joyfulness, and of attentiveness to others. And all of a sudden there is this deepening of your spirit with Christ and a change in your prayer that is inviting you to more. There is always more with God and God honors our openness and response to his grace.

What is happening is the identification with Christ becomes very real. The beatitude takes a place in our hearts: Blessed are the poor in spirit the kingdom of God is theirs. Christ is the poor one we seek to emulate. His sacrificial love is the key to our call to holiness. And just the very day stuff done in love can make a difference.

Pope Francis in his newest encyclical on the Sacred Heart of Jesus writes about translating spiritual experiences into concrete acts. He says, how can we hear the heartbeat of God today, infinite within the finite incarnation, his living word within, touching our hearts to new life. Of course, this means having that sensitivity that we can integrate the source and root of all of our strengths and convictions to making choices that reflect who we are in faith and love.
This brings us to mindfulness and the whole sense of practicing the presence of God. A prayerfulness that opens us up to the present moment and the action required for our wholehearted response.

For us in the monastic community, we can see ourselves here, being challenged to live in this place of dedication to all that God invites us to behold and live out. Moving away from any selfishness that is still part of our lives. O, is that a challenge for all of us!! Coming to a level of humility that can handle naming how we need to still let go of our control. Whatever that means for each of us.

So Pope Francis’ question in his encyclical asks us today: do I have a heart that welcomes, that and loves. Let us always keep our eyes fixed on our Crucified Lord that shows us the way of the heart.