32nd Sunday

Today I want to reflect on the concepts of ALL & EVERYONE.

Because this year is the 50^th anniversary of Vatican II I was rereading Lumen Gentium, one of the council’s premiere documents. Its title comes from the opening words” Christ is the light of nations” and the document  goes on to reflect on the Church as not above the world, but in the world working to be  its light.

And I was struck by a bold assertion, I quote - 

 “Everyone is called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity.  Everyone     must follow in Christ’s footsteps and conform themselves to his image, seeking the will of the Father in all things. Everyone must devote themselves with all their being to the Glory of God and the service of their neighbor.  The ways and duties of life are many and varied, but holiness is one”

unquote

 In last week’s Gospel  I was struck by another bold assertion -

“Love God with all your heart and all your mind and all your strength” 

Everyone & All is usually not part of the human equation.   We separate out one from the other. We divide up our hearts and our lives.   We hide, sometimes even from ourselves, but certainly from each other, and from Christ, parts of our lives that we rather not share, or are ashamed to share, or find unreasonable to share.  And when we do share, often our first question is - how much? 

If we ask this question of God the answer is clear.  Only complete out pouring of love, through his creation and his son Jesus and in Holy Spirit is enough.   If we ask this of Jesus, only his passion was enough.

Ask this question of the Holy Spirit and we just need to look at the Hope and Love still active in the world to see the Spirit has not reached enough yet.

In human terms we can measure what is enough by the radicalness of the 12 or the martyrs, but also by  the everyday discipleship of Martha, Zaccheaus,  Levi, or the poor widow in today’s Gospel.  

Regardless if it is radical or ordinary there is a choice to be made. And it is not choice of degree but of authenticity and sincerity. It is about who we are as a person, the quality of our heart, and not about the surface have or don’t have. To be authentically conformed to Christ is to be made whole and it compels us to give up our fractured, divided self & life and to offer them, reunited, up to God.  Because it does no good to offer up only the extra bit of something left over. 

In the first reading Elijah tells the widow not be afraid to give up what little she has.  Her concern is for the welfare of her son and herself and this is not unreasonable.   Elijah tells her to trust in God.

Her heart is moved (perhaps, where her head was not) and she offers all that she has, without grumbling, or secretly holding back.  She offers to Elijah, in a very real sense, her life and the life of her son.  And we know from the story her trust is rewarded. 

In today’s Gospel we have two stories intertwined, facets of the same truth. One is about those who make great display of their piety and what they have.   They hang onto, and make a god, of their prestige and privilege.  This is love of self and it separates them from neighbor and God. In contrast we have the love of the poor widow, who clings to nothing.  Even in her lowliness she does not hold back any part of who she is and this is made visible by the two small coins she offers to God.  She is perhaps not reasonable or prudent, but - she is in love and comes to God to give herself whole-heartedly to her beloved.  

She is a model of the beatitudes.  

•Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
•Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God

The widow’s spirit, bound to God in love, is a sign of what proper relationship to God looks like. Her heart is pure for it is whole and not torn and divided by self-interest.  She holds nothing back, giving not just what she has, but who she is.  She is a gift of self.  Jesus tells us her generous gift is precious in the eyes of God. 

The poor widow teaches us that love does not count the cost.  Love does not ask – how much?   

It seems that just in asking “how much” we are already limiting our charity, hoping to hold something back, to keep something for ourselves.  Our heart, divided by self–love, withholds love from others and from God.  

Asking” how much” keeps our faith, our life with Christ, restricted, discreetly off to the side, out of the way, and only brought out when appropriate and convenient.

So perhaps the real question is not - how much, but - how.  Not the amount, but the way.

And by asking “how”, our faith is engaged, active and alive, and driven by the Holy Spirit, always searching out ways to love.

Pope Benedict has declared this year (Oct 11th, 2012 to Nov 24th, 2013) to be The Year of Faith, a time for revitalization of and re-commitment to our life in Christ.  This is the perfect time to begin asking ourselves not “how much” but “how”. How can I love God and how can I love neighbor?  How can I be self-gift?

In this Year of Faith, and in the spirit of the poor widow, let’s stop deciding; when and where, what part or how much, how long and how far.   

Let us strive towards wholeness over division, love over self-love and how over of how much.

And this gets us back to the beginning.  It’s where EVERYONE meets ALL.

And if we are still not sure this everyone & all really means me.   I quote again from Lumen Gentium

“The faithful, by their very lives seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in everyday affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God.  They live ordinary lives of family and society.   They are called there by God to exercise their proper role, and lead by the Spirit, everyone will work for the sanctification of the world from within, as leaven” unquote 

These are powerful words and an awesome and humbling responsibility. You and I (EVERYONE) are called to act (WHOLE-HEARTEDLY ), that is undivided and conformed to Christ,  in the world and to work towards its sanctification.   We are called to contribute (ALL) that we are to the saving of the world.

But, if you are like me, and find yourself holding back or heart divided and asking how much is enough? 

I want you to remember, as I do, the words of the saintly Jesuit Pedro Arrupe 

“Fall in love with Jesus, stay in love with Jesus, and that will decide everything for you.

We pray
Father, conformed to your son Jesus, our hearts are made whole.
May our hearts always ask how?
How may we; know you, love you, and serve you better.

Amen †