What do I give?

It's been a while......since July to be exact.  Things have gone so fast.  Taking some vacation, many funerals in the parish, trying to build first church building, and getting older.  So time to get back.  Today is Veteran's Day, and there is a foot of snow on the ground. Less than a week since the presidential elections. Perhaps a semblance of normal may return.  Thinking of the history of Veteran's Day, what happened and why we honor the "vets" actually reminds me of the gospel today.  When one truly knows that God dwells in oneself, giving God away via acts of charity and love is natural.

Jesus has a simple message in today's gospel. If you want God, God God must be given away.  As did the two widows in scripture, they gave all they had...they gave the presence of God.  At the core we are all God's creation, without the baggage we "acquire" during our lives. When we finally can give God away, share God with others, we are not blocked by possessions or expecting honor or recognition.  It is just giving our true selves.

Locally in Montana I was puzzled by the results of last week's election.  We had only two ballot initiatives that our two state bishops asked us to support. The first was a requirement for parental notification in the case of minors seeking an abortion. No brainer. I cannot give out a band-aid without a parent's approval.  That passed.  The second one was to deny state resources to immigrants.  It passed 80-20.  Sadly our immigrant community is scared.  In my opinion many folks here, and unfortunately Catholics included still are living in fear of the other. Not one immigrant in my parish community "takes" from the state or federal government. They are hard-working, buying "things' like automobiles, real property, purchasing goods in local stores.  That is not TAKING...that is giving.  But the community is still silently working against them.  Not wearing "long robes" though, many of them preach and claim that they follow Jesus....  Kind of like those Pharisees in the gospel.  Methinks they need to see faith and love from the point of view of the two widows. +Christ is in our Midsts!