Trust-Generosity-St. Norbert

HOMILY WEEK 09 06 – Year II

Trust in God Expressed Through Generosity:

Optional Memorial of St. Norbert

(Tobit 11:5-15; Ps 146; Mk 12:35-37)

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“She, from her poverty, has contributed all she had.”

That comment by Jesus to his disciples, after taking special note of the widow’s gift while observing people donating to the temple treasury, invites us to a deeper faith in Jesus that expresses itself through generous giving.

The Word Among Us comments that it might seem foolish that this old woman gave her last few coins to the Temple collection. As a widow, she may have very well needed those few cents to buy her dinner. We don’t know exactly what motivated her to do this, but we do know one thing for sure: she trusted God. She trusted that even as she gave “from what she had to live on”, God would provide for her.

In many ways, trust is the foundation of generosity. When we give something away to someone else, we have to trust that God will fill our lack. If we donate to our parish, we have to trust that we will still have enough to pay our bills and save for the future. If we stay up late talking to a friend in distress, we have to trust that God will get us through the next day with less sleep. If we volunteer on Saturdays at a homeless shelter, we have to trust that we will still be able to get all our errands and chores done before we go back to work on Monday.

The truth is, the more we practice generosity, the more our trust in God grows. It often takes a leap of faith to believe that we really will have enough money, time or energy if we give it away. But when we make the decision to be generous, we are demonstrating our trust in God. We are giving God the opportunity to show us how he cares for us. Either God will supply what we lack, or he will give us the grace to do without. In either case, we will be blessed.

Jesus commended this poor widow, and he commends us when we stretch out our hands to help and support people in need. He knows it will help us grow closer to him even as it benefits the people we are serving. So, the next time we have the opportunity to give generously, think of it as an act of trust in the Lord. Then look for ways God cares for us. Remember, we can’t outdo God in generosity!

Doreen was challenged by a friend to discern what her biggest defect of character was. She took up the challenge, and through reflection, prayer and getting feedback from others, was shocked to discover the she really did not “trust in the providence of God – that God would be there for her in the end.” What her friends did was to point out to her that she had become very materialistic, and had the very best of everything – computer, I-pad, phone, camera, as well as other technological gadgets. That awareness, along with prayer with this gospel passage led her to simplify and down-size her life, and to grow in her faith that God has her back, as the saying goes today.

Today the church honors St. Norbert, someone who took the gospel very seriously, and whose trust in God’s love empowered him to give his life away in selfless service. Norbert was born near Xanten, Germany, in 1080. He lived a life devoted to pleasure until a narrow escape from death in 1115 inspired him to become a monk. Irked by his extreme asceticism and attempts to reform them, his fellow monks denounced him. Norbert gave everything away and went to Rome, where Pope Gelasius II granted him permission to preach wherever he wished. Norbert became an itinerant preacher in France, attracting many followers. The bishop of Leon gave him land at Prémontré, where he founded a community of strict and uncompromising asceticism (later known as the Premonstratensians or Norbertines). Named bishop of Magdeburg in 1126, he survived several assassination attempts brought on by his rigorous reforms, particularly in the defence of the rights of the Church against secular powers. Norbert died on June 6, 1134.

The Eucharist is a profound act of faith in God’s love for us, and in the presence of Jesus in his Word and sacrament. May our celebration today strengthen our faith in God’s providence, and empower us to express that faith through generous giving and selfless service like St. Norbert.