Trust me, I’m …………
At the time of writing this, Americans are going to the polls to elect their next President and some members of their Congress. We have over the past two years been inundated with news on the race for the Presidency with a key message from the candidates being that “you cannot trust” their opponent or that they are only in it for themselves and do not real care about their fellow citizens.
In our readings this week we are presented with the complete opposite behaviour. In the first reading, the widow puts her trust in Elijah and ultimately God, to provide for her and her son by using her last flour and oil to feed Elijah. Her trust in God brings her blessings.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus, after observing a poor widow put two small coins into the Treasury, reminds his disciples that true giving comes from the heart and not from excess. Both these readings provide us with a lesion to trust in God, even when things get difficult.
Our trust in God however should extend beyond the material things. At our Saturday Vigil Mass this weekend we remember our loved ones who have gone before us and especially those who were connected to our Parish and passed away in the last year. Remembering the deceased can be difficult as it conjures up memories that can leave us feeling empty. Praying and remembering our deceased loved ones is however a beautiful thing. As they undergo purification so that they can enter God’s kingdom with pure hearts we accompany them on this journey in the knowledge that God’s mercy and love for all of us is infinite – all we must do is trust in Him.
Like the widow in the Gospel, we need to be generous in our love and prayers for others as well as the material things. This generosity does not have to be big and opulent, but anything given with faith and love can be meaningful.
As you read this, the results of the elections may be known (I certainly hope so) and depending on who has one, there may be accusations flying around of not trusting the system. We can at least take comfort in the fact that there is one thing we can trust in – GOD.
Clint Ramoo
(Finance Chair)
