Two Widows

32^nd Sunday Ordinary Time – Cycle B

Kings 17: 10-16; 

Hebrews 9: 24-28; 

Mark 12: 38-44

Have you ever found new meaning in an everyday object? Perhaps a painting that you’ve seen 100 times catches your eye and you notice a new detail. Perhaps you reread a familiar story and pick-up a tidbit that had somehow eluded you before. These types of revelations are eye-opening and wonderful. I had just such an experience a few years back.

I have a friend, Joseph, who has a terrible time managing his money. He came to me once and complained that his paycheck never seemed to stretch far enough. He got paid every Friday, but by the following Tuesday, his pockets would be empty and he was struggling to make it through the rest of the week. He couldn’t understand where all of his money went. So one Friday I met him after work. We made a list of all of his bills, all of his leisure activities and wrote a detailed log of how much everything costs. We worked out a budget and planned for everything. Joseph agreed to give it a try.

The following Thursday, we met downtown. It was holy week, and we were going to the cathedral for Holy Thursday liturgy. We were standing outside the church and he was telling me about his week. He was excited. He had stuck to the budget and it had worked. Here it was Thursday evening and he still had enough money to buy lunch the next day. As we were standing there in front of the church, I spotted another friend nearby and turned to say a few words. When I turned back around, I saw Joseph reach in his pocket, pull out his last $5.00 bill, and hand it to a lady on a bicycle. I was stunned.

After the woman had peddled off, I accosted him. “Why did you do that? It was irresponsible. Now you’re out of money again.” Joseph just shrugged and said that she needed the money more than he did. The woman needed to buy diapers for her baby and didn’t have enough money, so he helped her out.

When mass had ended, I had to lend Joseph $2.00 to pay the parking garage.

Later that evening as I lay awake in bed, I was still angry with Joseph. He had no way of knowing if that woman’s story was genuine. It’s one thing if you have the money to spare, but Joseph had, in one ill-conceived moment, thrown away the budget that we had worked so hard to create. And then it dawned on me – I remembered the Gospel passage that we just read, about the widow who gave her last two coins to the temple treasury and I finally understood. I was thinking like the scribes that Christ condemned. Joseph was doing as Jesus taught. The following day, Good Friday, I called Joseph and told him of my epiphany. He seemed bewildered. “I only gave her $5.00. It’s no big deal, I get another paycheck today anyway.”

Everything about that incident, from Joseph’s selfless act, to his modesty afterwards, taught me the true meaning of today’s readings. In Kings, we hear of a widow who gives Elijah water and makes him a cake using the last of her flour and oil. There had been a seven year drought. The woman understood that she and her son would soon die of starvation, and yet her final act was one of hospitality toward a stranger. In today’s gospel, Jesus proclaims that the widow’s gift to the temple treasury was greater than all of the other contributions. Now, as I hear these readings again, it is with a new appreciation and understanding.

A few weeks ago, we read a similar gospel passage about the man who kept all the commandments. When he asked what must he do to inherit the kingdom, Jesus told him to give his possessions to the poor and “follow me.”

This theme keeps popping up. Does God want all of our money? Does Jesus expect us to give everything we own to the poor? I believe that answer is “no” – but with a condition. God doesn’t want our money. Jesus doesn’t need us to give away our homes, our cars, our 401K’s and follow him. More simply, he wants us to think of others before ourselves. We do this all the time for the people we love. We do it for our spouses, for our children, for our parents. But Jesus expects a little more from us. He wants us to give unselfishly to those who may be lacking. It may not be money at all. Maybe it’s just finding the time to visit someone who is sick or alone. Perhaps it’s finding the patience to deal with someone who infuriates or aggravates us. Maybe it’s inviting the widower down the street to share a meal.

Pope Francis addressed this subject in a homily earlier this week. The Holy Father reminded us that it is the scribes and the pharisees who separate themselves from others. Their acceptance is conditional. The true christian – the follower of Christ – welcomes and accepts everyone without judgement or condemnation. They shouldn't need to flash their credentials first – they are already worthy. They are worthy of our compassion. They are worthy of our support. They are worthy of our love.

My friend Joseph already understands this concept. What part of our lifestyle are we willing to part with in order to draw nearer to Jesus? When you consider what awaits us in the kingdom, what are we really giving up?

Deacon Darryl J. Diemer
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 8, 2015

Painting:  The Widow and the Mite by James Tissot, c. 1884