He never does get that honest wage. Mass. He also teaches English lessons and Southern gospel hymns to the sisters. The big challenge comes when Mother Maria Marthe asks Homer to build a chapel from a ruined shed. Homer doesn't have near enough supplies. He does what he can but, ultimately, bricks run out.
Homer leaves to find work in a big city, leaving the chapel half-finished.
The Lilies of the Field , based on the and novel by William E. Barrett and the Academy Award-winning movie starring Sidney Poitier, pits two opposites against each other. Mother Maria Marthe pronounces Homer Smith as Schmidt. Homer mocks Mother's accent. Yet, there's an unspoken respect they share. Both actors make the characters realistic.