We all know that sacrifice is an important element of our faith. After all, we are gathered here to celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass. When we think about sacrificing, we usually think immediately about giving up something. At Mass, we gratefully acknowledge that Jesus gave up his life for us. During Lent, we give up candy or chocolate or coffee in imitation of Jesus who gave up his life for us. So, it makes sense for us to think of giving up something when we think of sacrifice. But, the word “sacrifice” has a much broader meaning. Like so many of our English words, it comes from two Latin words, “sacer” and “facio”, and its meaning is simply “sacred action.” Any act that we perform for the praise of God is a sacrifice, a sacred act. What makes it sacrificial in the sense that we most often think for that word is that we often have to give up our will to do God’s will. It requires trusting in God as we do something that doesn’t always make sense to us. We have to believe that God, who often works in mysterious ways, always works for our good.
Today’s readings offer two examples of the good that comes from trusting in God, even when it does not seem to make sense. In the first reading, the widow of Zarephath, who was on the edge of starvation, trusts in the promise of God spoken to her through the words of the prophet Elijah: that if she prepared a meal for the prophet, the Lord would provide food for her and her son. As a result of the widow’s trust in the promise of God, from meager rations God provided enough food for her, her son and Elijah.
In the Gospel, a poor widow donates two small coins – all that she had to live on – to the Temple treasury. Through this action, the widow surrenders her whole life into God’s hands, trusting that he will provide her with what she most truly needs. Though the Gospel doesn’t give us the end of the story, it seems safe to conclude that God provided for her needs, as he always does for his dearly beloved sons and daughters.
Even our Lord, Jesus, had to put his trust in his heavenly Father. We’re all familiar with his passionate prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, when he begged “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by.” But, humbly submitting to the inscrutable wisdom of God’s plan, he ended by saying, “but not my will, but yours be done.” We all know that this led to Jesus’ death – and then his resurrection, which has given all of humanity the hope of new life as well.
God has promised he will always be with us and give us all that we need. He assures us that he will give us the strength and grace to shoulder our burdens and persevere in faith. How can we do this? When we turn to the God in prayer, we can say: “Lord this doesn’t make any sense to me right now. Give me the strength I need to put my trust in you,” or, “Lord, help me in the midst my trials and doubts.” Notice, these are all variations of the Lord’s Prayer, where we say, “your will be done.”
We may not get instant answers or relief. But when we trust God even when it doesn’t make sense to us, and when we feel that we are just holding on to our faith by a thread, God will lead us to the light of a brighter day. Our faith will grow stronger, and so will our capacity to help others as they go through times of struggle and doubt. So, today and every day, whether it seems to make sense or not, let us live lives of sacrifice, that is, lives filled with sacred acts, loving unconditionally as God loves us, forgiving even those who have hurt us so deeply, extending our hands in generosity not just from our surplus but from our substance. Let us trust that God, in his goodness and love, will never leave or forsake us, and will provide us with what we most truly need. And, strong in that trust, let us, in turn, care for one another so that we can be signs of God’s love to everyone we encounter in our lives.