Dear parishioners,

I hope you’re enjoying the beautiful colours of this autumn season contrasted with the typical UK grey skies.  I hope too that the teachers and our youngsters had a peaceful and restful half term and have returned to school with a renewed energy. 

Today’s readings speak of two poor yet exemplary widows.  To be a widow in the time of the bile was already to be among the lowest of society, although they were supposed to looked after, they were often among the poorest of the poor.  Yet, through the first reading and the gospel we see that we have much to learn from these forgotten women of society.

These women are not named in the bible, perhaps inviting us to put ourselves into their shoes when we touch our own moments of weakness, vulnerability and poverty.  Those time of dryness in prayer, or the fragility of life, when we reach our limits or enter into darkness, when we are touched by the vulnerability of grief or the brokenness of humanity.  How might these widows and how they lived these trying moments help us in our own challenges?

I am struck firstly by the sensitivity of the widow in the first reading.  In spite of her own poverty and suffering, she was sensitive to hear God speaking to her through the prophet, and courageous enough to respond with kindness and generosity.  Her response shows her to be a woman of great faith, and unwavering trust in God.  Her poverty allowed her to be fully dependant on Him.  How do I respond in my own moments of poverty whether it be physical, spiritual, emotional…etc?  Am I able, like this widow, to trust in God and continue to be sensitive to His word speaking and working in my life?

In our gospel we hear again of a poor yet generous widow.  Her 2 small coins, although unnoticed and devalued by her society and community, were deeply valued by Jesus because He always looks at the heart of the matter.  Once again we see someone from their poverty able to give generously because of their trust and total dependence on God.  Do I see how much Jesus values even the 2 coins I am able to contribute?

We often limit generosity to material wealth, as in Jesus’s times.  The one who gives more money is valued more, sometime even within the church.  But more often than not there is generosity happening that is more valuable than the wealth that people give.  The generosity of peoples time, the volunteering that people do, when people go beyond themselves to reach out to others, the smile on someone’s face even when their own heart may be breaking and so much more.  It is in this generosity, often hidden and unseen, where people are giving all of themselves.  And like these widows it is often only Jesus and those with His special sensitivity who are able to see and know that they have given more than all who have contributed to the treasury.  How is Jesus inviting me to see my own and others generosity in a novel way?

Grief is a special kind of heartache and poverty and so we pray in a special way for those in our community who are grieving loved ones and remember them in a special way during this month of November.  We pray too on this Remembrance Sunday for all those who have generously given their lives to fight for justice and peace.

May you have a blessed Sunday.

Sr Ann Marie, FMVD.