Translate

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community- Thirty-Second Week in Extra-Ordinary Time November 10, 2018 Homily Starter-Kathryn Shea, ARCWP Theme: Take Care of Each Other



Our theme today is “Take Care of Each Other”.  In our First Reading we are encouraged to make the most out of every moment of every day and not to take for granted all of our many blessings and our beautiful world.  It’s also about not taking each other for granted, but to be a light and support for one another.  It encourages us to listen to our neighbor, hear their story and the story of their ancestors.  This is how we truly learn and demonstrate “love thy neighbor”.   And I’ve learned over the years, we just need to simply listen to their story.  We don’t need to have answers for them or feel pity for them, just listen with an open heart.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus warns us to not be sucked into the world of the religious scholars who make pretense of their holiness and flaunt their wealth.  He then draws attention to the poor widow who gives two small coins, “all she had to live on.”  And while we often interpret Jesus’ message to be about praising this woman for giving what she could, I wonder if the message from Jesus is really about, why are we expecting her to give at all?  Why isn’t the gift of her presence at Temple sufficient?  Why aren’t the rich religious scholars embracing her and helping to support her?  Why are they not caring for her?

Having money does not make the rich bad; rather, money reveals what is inside of us and magnifies our character for good or ill.  Historically, the rich and powerful have taken advantage of their power to increase privileges at the expense of the poor and weak.  We see far too much of this in our country today.

But, as a result of Tuesday’s election, I have hope.  It is the beginning of turning the tide in our country from one of power, greed, and elitism, to caring for all people whoever or wherever they might be.  We have “miles to go before we sleep”  but let us bask in this victory and pledge with even more vigor to reach out to those in need, hear their stories, advocate for them, and let gratefulness overflow into blessing around us.    


No comments: