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Someone said recently, “The one thing God receives more than anything else is complaints.”

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This could certainly be true for 2020.

Imagine how many people have cried out, “God, I’m tired of COVID, face masks and social distance! Bring an end to it!”

Or, “Please, Lord, let me go back to school. I can’t stand my siblings any longer!”

Or, “My clothes don’t fit. I fell victim to the quarantine-15!” 

Or, I’m sure many of us have complained to God about not seeing our loved ones this Thanksgiving.

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God’s received his fair share of complaints this year.

But what might the Lord say to us in return?

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I’d imagine him saying something like, “2020 has been a difficult year, to be sure. But have an attitude of gratitude. Behind most of those complaints, there’s a reason to be grateful.”

For example, “My clothes don’t fit, BUT I’m well fed.”

Or, “I’m tired of learning online, BUT I’m receiving an education.”

Or in the case of the leper in today’s Gospel, “I’ve spent my entire life being shunned by society…BUT I was just healed by Jesus.”

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So much of life is perspective. We can spend our time complaining about what goes wrong, or we can look for a reason to be grateful.

For example, I’m grateful for the gift of faith. I’m grateful for this parish. I’m grateful I woke up today – and, please God, I’ll be grateful for waking up tomorrow.

So, what about you? What are you grateful for?

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Make a mental list. Then give thanks to God.

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Gospel:

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?” 
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’ 
Do not follow them! 
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.” 
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.”  

The Gospel of the Lord.

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It seems everyone wants to know when the world will end, even the disciples in today’s Gospel. But Jesus only offers them an elusive answer, saying there will be wars, earthquakes, famines, and plagues.

But even that will not be the end. The easiest answer, then, is, “Nobody knows.” 

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Perhaps it’s wisest to focus on two things that we do know are coming to an end.

The first is quite obvious – we’re approaching the end of the year. The leaves have fallen, the days are getting darker, colder, and the time for harvesting is over. 

Winter is at hand.

As we prepare to mark the end of this calendar year, we should take a few moments to reflect upon 2020. It was a year like none other. And while it’s easy to complain – to see all the things that went wrong – what can we say went right?

Did we draw closer to the Lord? Did we become more grateful for the people and blessings in our lives?

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While we know neither the day nor the hour, we also know that our lives are coming to an end.

Think of the person who just received a terminal diagnosis…the officer who didn’t return home from work…or those who lost their lives in wildfires or hurricanes this year.

For them, the world – not just the year – came unexpectedly to an end.

It’s a sobering truth, but Jesus reminds us today to remember that all things are passing, even the world and we who call it home. 

So, how ready are we to see the Lord?

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Advent is the time for us to reflect on these deeper, more uncomfortable, questions.

Whether or not the end is near, we who believe shall rejoice to see the Lord come.

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Gospel:

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people
putting their offerings into the treasury
and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.
He said, “I tell you truly,
this poor widow put in more than all the rest;
for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,
but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.”

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On the surface, I’m sure we’re all thankful we’re not poor like this widow.

Imagine her stomach growling with hunger, her bones aching with age, her clothes reeking of dust. As she drops her final two coins into the “weekly collection,” her savings slip to zero.

She is bitterly poor, truly on the fringe of society. It’s easy to think, “Thank God that isn’t me.”

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But the truth is we’re all poor like this widow. Though our clothes may not reek of dust, there’s one thing we all wish we had a little more of.

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Time.

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Time is like sand. We cannot count the grains – the minutes – we have left. But it slips through our fingers, nonetheless. 

And we don’t know we’re out of it…until we’re out.

Over the next few weeks, in particular, we’ll be pressed for time as we prepare for the holidays – writing cards, shopping online, making phone calls, and so on, which is why we must be intentional about setting aside time for the Lord.

How much time do I already spend in prayer? And how much more can I give to the Lord this Advent season, beginning on Sunday?

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“Truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest…she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood,” Jesus says.

Like this widow, may we give the Lord everything we have – not only our dollars and cents, but also our time, something that can never be replaced.

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