Here is what poverty of spirit looks like. It looks like a widow who barely has enough money to pay for food for the month, coming to the temple, and giving to God from the money she depended on for sustenance.
Plenty of rich people were coming to the Temple. They were no doubt putting larger sums into the Temple Offertory. But Jesus claimed that it was this widow who was most generous of all because she gave from her livelihood. It would have been totally understandable if she refrained from putting any money into the offertory; she was incredibly impoverished and had no one to care for her. No one would blame her for spending the money on a bit of food for herself, securing her lodging for the week. Anyone else would have thought the widow foolish for giving from her livelihood.
But, Jesus praised her, and gave the Church of all ages, an example to emulate. What would the world look like, if each of us did as she did. This story challenges each of us, doesn’t it? Do I look in my heart and find the attitude of that poor widow? Do I strive like her to give to God everything I can, recognizing that everything I have ultimately comes from Him?
This Gospel really isn’t about money. It’s not just Jesus reminder to make sure we are putting enough money into the offertory every week. It’s about reflecting on, am I cheap with God? Am I cheap in serving Him, am I cheap in praying to Him, am I cheap in allowing his teachings to shape my life?
The widow was rich in the Gospel today, rich in what really counts in the end—in the only thing that counts in the end: our generous service to God.
This fundamental Christian teaching is pretty counter-cultural, isn’t it? Our culture says only be generous when it is convenient. Only give when someone is going to notice. Only come to church when you don’t have something else going on, only pray when you want something. If you have to choose between a having another child and a Porsche, choose the car that will make you the envy of your neighborhood. But the selfishness idolized by our culture is in the end empty and fleeting, and does not give us authentic life, but rather, takes it from us.
The spirit of the world is really opposite the spirit of Jesus. Two months ago, before coming to the United States, Pope Francis visited Cuba. And he had this to say to the Cuban priests, religious, and seminarians gathered at the Cathedral: “The spirit of the world does not love the way of the Son of God, who emptied himself and became poor. He became nothing — he humiliated himself in order to be one of us.” Every Christian is called to this same poverty.
Fear and attachment to wealth can keep us poor in the only wealth that matters, the Pope said. Let every Christian nurture the spirit of poverty, of letting go of everything to follow Jesus.
There was a saint who is famous for recognizing that Jesus calls us to be quite different than the world wants us to be. It is said that this Saint followed in the footsteps of Christ as closely as anyone ever has. For this he was called Christ’s fool. Yet, he is certainly one of the most universally beloved saints of all time. Of course, I am speak of Saint Francis of Assisi. All of the saints glorified God in a radical way. But Saint Francis embraced radical poverty in order to remind us all that we must not allow the riches of the world, the spirit of the world, to separate us from Christ.
For embracing poverty, the world would think that Francis must be the most unhappy of men. And yet, we Christians know, that in poverty, Francis found, not unhappiness, but joy; he radiated joy, he would dance down the road pretending to play the violin composing love songs to God, he was at peace and in harmony with Creation, he was filled with an authenticity that the Pope at the time recognized as exemplary.
Do you want the love of God that allowed the widow in today’s Gospel to give so generously? Do you want what St. Francis had that allowed him to surrender his entire life to Christ and embrace radical poverty for the kingdom? What might you have to change, what might you have to renounce, so that their spirit may dwell in you? The wisdom of Christ seems foolish to the world, but is truly the road to joy and to eternal life. I hope, each here, desires to become fools for Christ, by becoming poor in what the world considers wealth, and becoming rich in the true treasures of heaven.
As we continue this celebration of the Eucharist, in which the Lord pours himself out in love of the Father, let us unite ourselves to Him, that we may pour ourselves out in joyful service to God, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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