Thoughts on the poor

 Luke 21:1-4 The Widows Mite

 

When I was a youngster, probably around 10 years old, for variety of reasons I used to walk around downtown Saint Louis a lot. Usually, I would be with my mother or another family member. Every so often I would come across a person begging, sitting on the sidewalk leaning against a building. In front of him would be a hat, usually with some change and a few bills in it.  In his hand there would be a bunch of newly sharpened pencils. If you put some money into his hat he would offer you one of the pencils. I had no need for it but I always took it. Whoever was with me would say little or nothing about what I had done. But It seems to me they somehow would let me know that they approved what I had done.

This Sunday's gospel, often referred to as the widows mite, reminds me that somebody else was watching and noting what I had done. It challenges me in the sense that so often today, often on street corners where there's a lot of car traffic, I find people begging. For variety of reasons, some not so clear to me, I refuse or ignore their request. From my work here at the retreat house I know that this is not just my problem or dilemma. 

To deal with this I remember talking to one of my Jesuit brothers who had a great sensitivity to the needs of the poor and our need to help them. I asked him how he dealt with people that he ran into on the streets and they reached out to him. Part of his solution was to listen very carefully and respectfully to what they were saying.   If there was some way in which he could practically help them he would. But often just respectfully listening to them and talking to them was the only thing he could do. This approach does not work well on a street corner in a car. So I'm still looking for a good solution.

What is encouraging to me today is the manner in which many people in our country respond to those who have suffered the disasters of hurricanes, floods and storms and other very unfortunate events. This is not the widows mite story.  But it is  evidence of people trying to follow through the teaching and example of Jesus and many others.

 

Jim Blumeyer, S.J.