11/21/2011 – Homily for Monday of 34th week in ordinary time – presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Luke 21:1-4

      In today’s Gospel, Jesus addresses the importance of sacrificing for our faith, how the two coins that the widow gives as an offering, coins that represent all that she has, means much more than a huge sum of money that a wealthy man gives out of his surplus.  This Gospel has such a strong message for us in our modern world. On the day we hear about sacrifice, we celebrate the presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple, an event which does not have a direct reference in the Gospels, but can be traced to other first century writings & to tradition in the early Church. 

       Mary was taken to the Temple in Jerusalem when she was a young girl.  She must have spent a great deal of time in the Temple preparing for her eventual role as the mother of our Lord & the mother of Church.  We can use our imagination & our understanding of Mary from Scripture & tradition to reflect upon what her childhood & her journey of faith might have been like before the annunciation.  We can also ask ourselves how we can turn to Mary and ask her to help prepare us for our mission as Christians in our modern world. 

       Although Mary probably spent much time in the Temple & in the study of Jewish Scripture & tradition, she also probably spent a lot of time with St. Anne & St. Joachim, her mother & father, growing up in a loving family who exposed her to the reality of life around her, including the sufferings of the poor. Mary was full of grace, but I also imagine that her parents and her upbringing fostered and encouraged her empathy and compassion, her generosity and humble nature, her empathy and forgiveness. 

       May the example of the Virgin Mary encourage us as we travel along our own journey of faith. It's so easy to have a cynical vision of our world, & to have that cynicism & sarcasm seep into our lives of faith.  Look at how so many in our society place their faith in trust in their wealth and riches, thinking that those things will bring them redemption and happiness. May the Virgin Mary be an example of Christian love & virtue for us in how we should live our lives of faith, to combat the skepticism, sarcasm, and cynicism of our modern secular world.