The son and
daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. We must do something about
father, said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and
food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There,
Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since
Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. When the family glanced in Grandfather's
direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only
words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or
spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before
supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He
asked the child sweetly, What are you making? Just as sweetly, the boy
responded, Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in
when I grow up. The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.
The words so shock
the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their
cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening
the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family
table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for
some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork
dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
Two
young men, James and John asked Jesus a favor. They simply wanted a special
place next to their teacher. This was their best friend’s response.
It is
one thing to love when you feel love around you, when others understand you and
are grateful for your person and gifts; it is quite another when everything
around you speaks of misunderstanding, jealousy, coldness, and hatred.
It is
one thing to maintain your ideals when they are shared by others, when the
Gospel works for you, when principle works out in practice; it is quite another
when it seems you are alone in some ideal and when the Gospel appears to be
delivering more death than life.
It is
one thing to be gracious when those around you are respectful, warm, and fair;
it is quite another when everyone seems bitter, disrespectful, jealous, and
cold.
It is
one thing to bless others when they want to receive that blessing, when they
hang on to your every word, when they want to be in your company; it is quite
another when their very glance speaks of loathing and when they avoid you when
you come into a room.
It is
one thing to forgive others when that forgiveness seems fair, when it isn't
impossible to swallow the hurt, when the wound dealt you is not mortal; it is
quite another to forgive someone when it isn't fair, when the wound dealt you
is mortal, when the life being murdered is your own.
It is
one thing to give your life over to family, church, community, and God when you
feel loved and supported by them, when they seem worth the sacrifice, when you
get a good feeling by doing it; it is quite another thing when you do not feel
support, when it doesn't seem worthwhile, and when you feel no other reason for
doing it except truth and principle.
This
teacher reminded his students that the special placed they requested would come
with what Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. It requires a
passion of the heart, not an endurance test for his body.
I am
counseling a young mom who has struggled with PTSD and depression the result of
being abused many years ago. She found her way back to church. She said she met
the minister’s wife and something inside her made her feel very comfortable
with this person. The minister’s wife invited her to join the church’s woman’s
group on a Tuesday morning. She sat in the parking lot of the church a long
time before she decided to get out of her car and go inside to join the ladies.
The women were simply asked to share what was their highs and lows for the
week. Our mom shared that she was preparing for surgery in a week and afraid of
the results. Three women out of he blue offered to bring dinner for her and her
child. She was shocked by this outpouring of compassion to a stranger. Then
another woman shared that she was taking care of her Alzheimer’s husband but
lost her in-home care services due to lack of money. At that moment, this
mother shared that she had experienced working in a group home for adults and
offered to come a couple of hours to sit with her husband so that the lady
could do some errands. At that moment, she felt more like her old self. Within
each of us is the seed of divine love that God has placed in our hearts and we
simply have to be present to respond to his call to service. This is the
essence of the Gospel message to his young disciples,that we are at our best
when we serve rather than being served.
In a
few moments, you will experience Holy Family at their best serving you a dinner
with lots of meatballs and sauce to thank you for your generous support of this
reborn Catholic community. (Note: over 200 visitors came to enjoy a delicious
dinner). Please remember that we are truly grateful for your presence, prayers
and compassion. We welcome you back, especially all who use to call this your
“home parish” of St Nicholas. Our mission statement says, “open doors, open
minds and open hearts.” We are a Catholic community that respects the pope and
our Catholic roots, celebrates the same seven sacraments for over 122 years and
live in this spirit everyday in our homes, on our farms and in this beautiful
church.
The
people of Holy Family are no strangers to rejection or the bitterness of
jealousy or coldness of those who walk away from us. But we a resilient
community and choose to follow the Jesus on the cross and giving ourselves to
Jesus without bitterness, without self-pity, holding our Catholic ideals
intact, gracious, respectful, forgiving, without losing our balance, Jesus meaning,
or living His message. This is our test and we face it daily here at Holy
Family and I am proud to serve as their Shepherd and thank you sincerely from
my heart for your ongoing support.
