By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday has come to its end and life returns to (relative) normality in the coming week. Yup … back to work, you people!! But we look forward to December and those pre-Christmas and Christmas seasons—hectic, but “that most wonderful time of the year.”

But, hopefully, though Thanksgiving Day has passed, our inner thanksgiving continues as we remember not only good times with family and friends of the past, but also those of the present and of the future. Yes, inevitably there are some (many) persons with those trials and difficulties that come with life, but hopefully they will (and should) receive the love, aid and companionship of those around them. Yet, while, as St. Paul writes, it’s more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), even the most generous person can find it difficult walking with a dour, bitter or hateful person. Such as these, often finding themselves ever alone, need to look within for the reason. After all, people have enough concerns in their lives without being around someone whose company is depressing!

So, rather than brood over difficulties and past hurts/disappointment, do we not do much better to remember the many blessings in our lives, especially we in the U.S.? No, it’s not Utopia … but if you find that, let us know. Nonetheless in the U.S. we have relative freedom, abundant food, shelter, ready medical care, etc. … so much absent from so many. And yes, of course there are many people without a lot of those blessings which we tend to take for granted, but knowledge of that should make those “with” even more aware and grateful.

I was reading the account of the “widow’s mite” in the Gospel recently (Luke 21:1-4), and that passage should make all of us reflect on what truly matters—hopefully something we considered during Thanksgiving. In that account, Jesus observes a destitute widow giving her last two coins to the Jerusalem temple treasury—her gift to God, and a testament to her great faith and trust in Him. Most people would, of course, think her foolish beyond measure: With what will you survive, dear lady? She no doubt thought of that herself, but offers her gift nonetheless, apparently without hesitation—her hope being in that which the world itself cannot provide.

This, of course, touches upon the hope of every Christian, as well as perhaps of all who have any religious faith throughout the world: that better lay not in this life, but in the next.

Yet we know how easy it is to slip into the fault of focused and single-minded self-interest—whether it be with coin, time, status or comfort. Thus, our widow’s self-forgetfulness is the center of the moral of that brief story. As the saying goes: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but rather is thinking of yourself less.” We might append: “…and thinking of others more.” Is that, after all, not the kernel of all virtue?

Our poor widow seems to have the same spirit as Mary, giving her all for God and the fulfillment of His will, literally holding nothing back. A handmaid of the Lord (Luke 1:38) entrusting her future entirely to God’s will.

Now, something often observed about the poor is that they are very frequently more generous with what they have than those who are wealthy. The wealthy worry much about “maintaining”—their wealth, their status, etc., as we hear in scripture: “Wakefulness over wealth wastes away one’s flesh, and anxiety about it removes sleep.” (Sirach 31:1) and “Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let him sleep.” (Ecclesiastes 5:12)

But the poor, with so much less to lose on this earth, often see more clearly and focus on their hope of the eternal. This is something especially for we Christians to remember in the approaching season as we focus upon the coming of the Lord … He who in all poverty born in a stable, and being first revealed not to the high and mighty, but to the poorest of the poor: shepherds of the field.

St. Paul reminds us: “There is great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” (1Timothy 6:6-8) … echoing Proverbs’ observation: “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fatted ox and hatred with it.” (Proverbs 15:16-17) “And, of course, we again remember Jesus’ own words: “You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Matthew 6:24-33)

So, where exists true wealth? Does—can—true wealth exist without love? St. Paul asserts: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3) But the thing about love is, that love longs to share itself. Thus, the more we give of ourselves, the more we love.

St. John tells us that “God IS love”, and AS pure love, He would share of Himself totally. We need only look at the cross to see how that truth has been realized. Thus, O Christian, and all who long to be truly wealthy: How ready are YOU to love?

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.