God's Accounting

Homily for the Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Given at St. Patrick's Church
By: Rev. Fr. Ronnie P. Floyd

Many of you know that before entering seminary
I worked for the US Senate Budget committee.

You can imagine that one of the most frustrating things
about my old job was looking the US Government's Budget.

It was difficult not just because of the sheer amount of our money
that Washington was spending daily.

But most of all because of the way
they accounted for our money in the budget.

Most of us make a weekly, monthly, or yearly budget
by figuring out how much money we have
in income, savings, and investments
and then figuring out how much we need to spend
making priorities and sacrificing items that just don't fit the budget.

In Washington, in contrast, the budget is calculated
based on how much was spent last year
regardless of whether or not there was enough money
to pay for last years expenses.

Budgeting zero dollars for a particular item in Washington
doesn't mean that you are going to spend zero dollars
but simply that you aren't going to spend more than last year.

And I knew it was time for me to leave Washington,
when a high level economist friend told me
that it was impossible for the US Government
to ever have too much debt. > talk about drinking the coolaid.
In the Gospel today Jesus shows us
another method of accounting
that is in stark contrast to Washington's method.

The widow in the Gospel today
put only a few cents in the collection plate,

and yet in Jesus' estimation she gave more than the rich
who gave large sums.

For the widow without income of her own
she must depend on the generosity
of her friends and family for income.
To the widow a few cents is a major portion of her livelihood.
And yet in her poverty she gives generously.

To God the widow's few cents are greater
than all the money in the federal budget,
because they are given out of love.

The rich, in contrast, who give large sums, give out of a surplus
out of monies they really don't need,
and so there is no sacrifice involved in giving these donations.

And whats more, Jesus reveals the true intentions
behind many of the large gifts of the rich.

These acts of charity, Jesus judges, are done more to be seen,
for the sake of human respect and honor, than out of simple love.


The fact of the matter is that it is easy to give, to love,
when it doesn't hurt, when it doesn't cost us anything,
and when our gift is rewarded by joy, respect, or honor,

just as it is easy for Washington to be generous
when they are spending other peoples money
and getting honor and praise for it.

True love in contrast is tested and proved
when we get nothing for our gift of love.

When our love is unnoticed, unappreciated, and even unwanted.

Any parent knows this—sure its great to have a baby
when they are clean and cute and giggling,
the object of affection for all who see them.

But a parent's true love is tested and proved
when they spend the whole night with a puking child.
Or when their teenage child rejects their loving concern.

The same is true with all human relationships,
love is for better or for worse, as we say in marriage vows,
and its only in the midst of the worse that our love is proven true.

Jesus shows us on the cross that the purpose of this life
is to learn this sacrificial love.

To learn to love God and our neighbor
even when we don't want to, when it hurts,
when we feel unloved and abandoned.
On the Cross Jesus gains us the grace needed to love,
not just superficial but selflessly and passionately!

As we hear in the Letter to the Hebrews
we have one life to learn this lesson,
to learn to love, and to choose to love.

And we will be judged on how well we learn it.

God judges not by appearances but realities.
God Judges the heart.

And the scary thing about God's judgment
is that who we are is determined by each of our actions,
every time we fail to love, when we act selfishly
we turn away from God—and choose not be be God's children.

God's judgment is simply the revealing of the truth
about who we have chosen to become.

Thankfully through the power of the cross of Jesus Christ,
even the most hardened sinner,
can have the slate wiped clean,
and can be given a second chance.

Last night I was at the Barnstable county jail hearing confessions
and over and over again I heard the same question
asked in different ways—Do you think I can change.

I always answer the question the same way:

The grace of Baptism and the Sacrament of Pennence
gives us the ability to change.

But it doesn't take away all the bad habits
that our former lives of sin have formed.

Change is possible, for all of us who sin so often
but like love itself, it isn't easy! It takes constant vigilance!

We must always be aware of what we are doing
and why we are doing it!

We must always keep Love of God in our mind
so that our motives always remain pure.

And focus on doing all the little things in our life well
so that when it comes time to love sacrificially
when it comes time for those big and difficult things
when it comes time for our cross
we can pray as Jesus taught us: your will be done.

Each time we make a choice
we are making a gift to God,
and when those choices are both good and difficult
our pennies start to add up.

Lets ask the Lord for the grace to live and love sacrificially.
Like the humble widow in the Gospel today.