It was reported recently that those who are living in poverty are often the most generous among us. When it comes to responding to the needs of others, they are more generous than the vast majority of us. The theory behind their generosity is this: because they’ve “been there” (or are still there) they have discovered that by sharing with another in need, they both survive! Ponder that the next time you drive past a makeshift grouping of tents here in the Rose City, encounter one of our many neighbors visiting the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, or hear about someone struggling to make ends meet.
The Church will offer us two accounts of “poor” widows at this weekend’s Mass. The first, in 1st Kings 17, pays no attention at all to the fact that the prophet Elijah is a “foreigner,” a refugee, and even of a different religion. What matters to her is that he is a human being, vulnerable, frightened, and alone. So is she. When they both recognize their frailty, vulnerability, desperation, and fears, they do more than survive together, their solidarity is an unmistakable sign of how we can experience the Kingdom of God, not in some distant place or a long time from now, but right now.
The second widow, in Mark 12, was duped by slick pretenders who know how to bilk the innocent – which is what Jesus points out by scolding the leaders of the people who run the Temple. It’s a racket still going on today. Almost daily, we see news stories about someone who bilks innocent and naïve people out of money for work they never start or finish. Jesus says that God’s justice will come to such people, and it will. This second widow gives her all, whether or not it is appreciated or even noticed by those in power or those who supposedly matter. Jesus points her out, suggesting to the disciples that God operates with a different set of values than those leaders of the people. Jesus recognizes her as a “model disciple.” Her example, He says, shows that what matters are faith, trust, and human solidarity. Living in such a fashion is truly how we encounter (and show others the way to) the Kingdom of God, here and now.
Let us pray. “Grant us, O God, a vision of your world as your love would have it: a world where the weak are protected, and none go hungry or poor; a world where the riches of creation are shared, and everyone can enjoy them; a world where our difference do not keep us from living in harmony and mutual respect; a world where peace is built with justice, and justice is guided by love. Give us the inspiration and courage to build such a world, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
