Month: November 2021

I love the widow’s mite, even as it challenges me every time to give of my substance and not my surplus. It is no act of great trust to give only what is left over AFTER I take care of my needs and probably my wants, and then, once I’m sure my own situation is provided for, give some of the surplus.

As I write this, I am on the couch with one of the most famous illnesses in the history of the world (after Bubonic Plague and the Spanish Flu, I’d guess) and unable to do much of anything. It is hard to be immobilized when you have several jobs, children, grandchildren, charitable activities, writing deadlines. There is a moment when you wonder, “What will happen?!” And then you recognize how the Lord reaches in, fills in the gaps, and makes sure that all the necessaries are actually attended to, that people are generous with their various assistances, and patience is the virtue that will win the day/week.

I also realized that very often the objective tasks we do (and we are definitely called to certain tasks, by our duties and responsibilities, the needs of the people before us, and the movements of the Spirit within us) can keep us from the deep self-examination that is the call to ongoing conversion. Being forced to hold still can bring this reality to the forefront.

So, as I wrestled a fever for what seemed like endless days, I felt that I “wasn’t doing anything.” But of course, I could be doing something if I accept this unavoidable difficulty as a gift from the Hand of God and offer it back to Him in love. Like the widow who dropped her few pennies into the temple treasury, I am able to give nothing more. It’s all I have. And it’s all God wants. Because it takes great trust to give something that seems so insignificant and know God can do great things with it.

So, the meditation for each of us is about how generously we give. Do we give of our surplus, or do we give to the Lord first, and then trust that the rest will be enough for us? Do we give what we choose to give, what is satisfying to us, or do we give in each moment whatever the Lord is asking us to give? Today it may be to endure this fever with patience, tomorrow it may be to do some great act of charity. Does our giving cost us anything? Or does it simply prop up our own idea of ourselves as generous (which is to make ourselves the actual recipient of our gift… which is no gift at all…)?

Lord, teach us to walk with you in every moment, so that we give of our substance, and give what you are inviting us to give, so that we are truly free.

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It is hard not to “look down on” other people when they disagree with us. This is especially true when our opinions are well supported by facts and expert opinions. Those who hold different viewpoints than we do can seem ignorant at best and at worst…dangerous. Today’s First Reading reminds us that this temptation to judge others affected the earliest Christian communities as well. 

This reading makes even more sense when Chapter 14 of the book of Romans is read in its entirety. It should help all of us realize that, when it comes to opinions, even regarding the best way to draw close to God, we need to refrain from judging others. If the people we are tempted to look down on are motivated by true love of God and neighbor, this will go a long way in making their actions fruitful, even though it may not be the “ideal.” 

In our parish communities for example, while we may fume over this or that issue, God is looking at the heart and writing straight with crooked lines. And while there will be situations in which there is a “right” and “wrong” way to do things, St. Paul’s words guide us as we seek to improve.

In my own experience, I have been a part of many diverse communities within the church and each one tends to judge the other. As a homeschooling mom, I have felt misunderstood by non-homeschooling Catholics, but when I was heavily involved in Catholic schools, I sometimes felt discredited by the homeschool community. In the past, my husband and I have reverently led music (with the guitar) at Mass and were told by several individuals that our “contemporary” music was not appreciated. On the other hand, I was recently disgusted when one of our greeters at church was making small talk with other parishioners about how “out of touch” the traditional Latin Mass was. I, myself, have harshly judged individuals in each of those camps for one reason or another. Aye Yai Yai! 

Our society at large no longer seems to value calm, respectful dialogue. Our churches and our families should be havens of respite in which we are still invited to share our viewpoints freely. In our parishes, and especially in regard to the liturgy of the Mass, there are many uneducated Catholics with good hearts who need to be willing to learn more about what the Church teaches and why. There are many Catholics whose education and experience allows them to share a more well-informed perspective, and they must wait until a good opportunity arises in which to help educate others, remembering that education can sometimes make a person impatient and/or proud. 

As usual, our good God is calling all of us to stay close to Christ in humble prayer. We need to stop treating our own individual preferences as law and looking down on those who have differing opinions. Yet we need to constantly discern what the essentials of our faith practices are so we don’t lose our way.  And everything we do must be done in a true spirit of love for God and neighbor, so that we can have a clean conscience before God.

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