widows mite homily

Here’s a shout out to the poor widow of today’s gospel. Invisible to others but noticed and admired by Jesus. Back in that day, being a widow meant being removed from life support. Families were everything in those days, so without a family you had nothing. In practical terms, the world was dead to her and she to the world, so her life truly rested on God and God alone.

Our social safety net is a bit stronger today, but we still have widows who feel invisible, maybe especially in church world where it seems everything’s about families. So here’s to the widows among us: widows from death and widows of divorce. Here’s to the single moms and moms whose men don’t come to church with them. Here’s to the women whose hearts are for marriage and children but that dream has been elusive. Here’s to all those in our midst without a posse, who arrive alone and depart alone. Widows of today’s world, you are not invisible to Christ. He sees your courage, your faith and sacrifice. He sees you, and you and declares you to be the model of faith for us today.

And now a shout out to the widow’s mite, to the offerings we think so poor, but to God so priceless. Here’s to the times we wake up at the beginning of a long, demanding day, feeling completely unequal to what we know God will be asking of us: too much love, too much patience, too much effort, too much faith. But somehow we give it.

Here’s to the spouse who forgives, not because it brings peace, but because their partner needs forgiveness. Here’s to the child with the illness, who carries the cross just one more day. Here’s to the ones who still believe when all their friends and family turn against the faith.  Here’s to all those with nothing but their poverty to give.
We have poverties of money, time, patience and goodwill. So many poverties. Whatever it is, we don’t have enough, so we think we have nothing to give. But we give and how precious are the gifts that really cost us — the ones that we fear we can’t afford. In our series of messages “it’s not about you,” it’s good to remember that the times when we feel the most empty are the times we might be most filled with God.

I’d like to focus on a particular widow’s mite today that many of us don’t think we can afford: an hour of prayer. An hour, because we feel like we have no margin of time. Our lives feel scattered, rushed and hurried.  Prayer, because we feel like our faith is as paltry as the widow’s mite. We couldn’t explain our faith, or give reason for our hope. We have our doubts about some of the basics. We don’t know how to pray. And yet God calls us to pray. If that’s you, congratulations. You have a widow’s mite to give.

Jesus tells us to pray where we find God. He tells us God can be found in the secret places of our hearts. But he also promised that God can be found in a gathering of even two or three in his name, so that prayer is possible among friends and fellow believers. That makes your commute or water cooler conversations potential prayer meetings.

But above all, God has promised to be found in the Holy Eucharist, the real presence of Jesus. The Holy Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus, hidden in the sacrament of Holy Communion. That means Jesus dwells not only in a heart with faith and a gathering of the faithful, but in every tabernacle consecrated by the faith of the Church.

Our parish has a place of prayer where the Holy Eucharist is accessible 24/7 so people can spend time in the same room as God, day or night. We call it our adoration chapel. Think about it.  Spending time in the same room as God. It’s not as accessible as our own hearts, but almost.
Currently, our adoration chapel is found through those doors and to the left at the end of the hall. Next summer is our timeframe to convert the prayer room adjacent to our bell tower entryway behind you into a permanent home for our adoration chapel. Stop in and see the room and imagine it fixed up and being there with our Lord.

Let me share three reasons why spending time in the same room with Jesus is a good idea. First, God’s vision for faith communities includes time for personal prayer outside of mass. Acts 2:42 says “They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.” The teaching of the apostles is the study of Scripture and the teachings of the Church. Communal life is supporting our community through our finances, our fellowship and our service.

Breaking of the bread is participating in holy mass, the celebration of the Eucharist. And the prayers, well, that’s what I’m talking about. Having a personal prayer life. All of these bring spiritual growth.  All of these are in God’s plan for discipleship. 

Reason number two. Time with Jesus changes our hearts and increases our faith. If you find it hard to find God in your heart right now, you belong in that chapel. If time and faith are your weakest links, your widow’s mite, you belong in that chapel. Our souls are not made for ourselves. Our souls belong to God. Time spent with Jesus sets our priorities and deepens our union with him.

Imperceptibly, our hearts become places of faith where Jesus dwells. Every relationship grows with routines and special moments. A relationship with Jesus is no exception. Regular one to one time with Jesus irons out our relationship with him and strengthens it for the long haul.

Reason number three. Your time with Jesus is spiritually life giving for our community. Our parish has a territory that God has given us spiritual authority over. We are responsible for the spiritual care of Ham Lake, parts of Andover and Blaine and every household property registered in our parish. Time with Jesus in the adoration chapel sends graces to all who dwell in the boundaries in our parish. Protection, deliverance, healing, forgiveness, conversion, you name it.
The Eucharist is the heartbeat of the body of Christ. In the adoration chapel, God takes your time and your faith, and sends it to our community, to people in our spiritual care, whether they are Catholic or not, whether they even acknowledge God or not. Even if they never know, God knows. Like the widow’s mite. God sees it.  
We encourage everyone to visit our adoration chapel some time each week. You know, 2 hours a week is just over one percent of your time. God calls us to 10 percent of our income. An hour at mass and an hour in the chapel is still only 1.2 percent of your time. That’s still cheating God. But you can start small. You may consider a brief stop before or after work. You may consider bringing your children for a few minutes or stopping in on special occasions. You may consider coming in the quiet hours of night when you can’t sleep and you know that God is awake. The chapel is open for you 24/7.
Lots of folks don’t go alone. They have support. They come with their spouse or a friend. A group of men come on Wednesday night from 10-11. All the guys are welcome. It’s a great way to have some silent time and some vocal prayer time together.

Once you try it, it’s not uncommon at all to feel called to give Jesus an hour a week in the adoration chapel. People do feel that call.  They say “I have this strange desire, but no, that can’t be me. I’m not holy. I wouldn’t know what to do. I wouldn’t have the time.” But like the widow’s mite, Jesus actually does call those who think they have little to give. It turns out they have the most to give and the most to receive.
Today, after Mass, our Adoration Ministry Leaders will be in Meeting Room 5 to share information about spending time in the same room as God. They will share their experiences and answer your questions.  They will help you if you feel called to sign-up for an hour. They’ll have refreshments. This is a great Next Step opportunity for someone who has not yet been tried adoration or has been away from the practice for a while.
If your faith feels like the widow’s mite, outside of Mass, spending time in the same room as God is the best investment of time you can make. God does great things with the two small coins of your time and faith.

Here’s to your widow’s mite.