SAVING THE CITY OF SODOM/BREAD FOR A FRIEND

SAVING THE CITY OF SODOM/BREAD FOR A FRIEND

Of course, we all know that scripture was shared, then written, thousands of years ago, reflecting on the people who lived in those times with their cultures, beliefs and traditions.  And sometimes we are left scratching our heads as to what the inspired writer’s message really means for us. 

As I read this weekend’s story from Genesis, I imagined listening in to the conversation between Abraham and the Lord, as Abraham tried to convince God not to destroy the innocent people of Sodom.  He begged the Lord’s mercy and kept at it, if there were “at least ten there”.  And God’s mercy prevailed. 

I tried to picture Abraham here today in 2019, begging the Lord to save our country and see that it was worth saving if there were only a few innocent people left.  A few hundred, a few thousand, a few million perhaps and God’s mercy would prevail. 

That is the hope of my journey – God’s mercy for all who are trying to walk in God’s way.  Some days produce a closer walk than others for me. 

After reading the Gospel of Luke, describing one who seeks out a friend to borrow some bread, I recalled an experience last Sunday. After spending several hours in our home preparing it for a neighborhood gathering today, I left projects undone because I was “undone” and needed a break for a bit.  The house was still in a state of disarray as was I.  The doorbell rang soon after I sat down to give my aching feet a rest.  L  When I opened the door, two smiling guests were there all ready to party, albeit one week early. I was mortified, they were embarrassed.  At first I wanted to send them away and keep my messy self and house from too much view.  But with their chilled bottle of wine in hand, I invited them in and we all had a great time visiting.

Jesus keeps on giving us opportunities to “open our doors”, either those of our homes or those of our hearts.  I pray for the grace to seek God’s mercy when the door of my own heart is sometimes not opened to God-visitors who are seeking the Lord’s path through me.

Reflection by Mary Keefe

The Modern Day Good Samaritan

The Parable of The Good Samaritan

   I would like to paraphrase just a few thoughts and consolidated definitions of what a parable is and is meant to do. First, the parable must be looked at in context with what came before and after it in scripture writings. Chris Dodd defines a parable as something from nature or common life that is strange and meant to tease the mind into thought.  Jesus intends for us to look at things in a different way and let ourselves be transformed.  Often there is humor or exaggeration but not an explicit demand.

     When I read this parable I ask myself, “Am I willing to have my world turned upside down? So many great minds have written commentaries and interpretations on this parable that I cannot do them justice, but will simply offer this story.

  

Sammy 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” …… “And who is my neighbor?”  Luke 10:27,29

                                                     

       The ringing of her telephone startled her eyes to attention well before she usually woke up for the day’s first cup of coffee. The voice on the line belonged to her granddaughter, “Would you please drive us to school?.....We missed the bus and Mom has already left for work.”

      “O.K. Let me pull on some clothes and I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  

    After returning home, Sammy quickly did her house chores so she could have lunch with her mother. She drove to her mother who was in an assisted living facility with a memory care unit. Several times a week, Sammy tried to have lunch or join in the activities with her mother there because it was becoming too confusing to her mother when they would leave the facility.

  

     After signing in, Sammy walked the corridor to her mother’s room and along the way she passed the same faces, John, Agnes, Ruby and others that she greeted each time she visited. But this was a new day so she became a new friend to John, Agnes, Ruby and others today. As usual, when she greeted Ruby, Ruby complimented the necklace that Sammy was wearing.  

      She found her mother getting ready to go to lunch. “I see you’re ready to go to lunch, Mom. I’ll walk down with you when you are ready.”

      “Oh, don’t you think we should wait for your father before we go down?” Sammy’s father had died 18 months ago.

     “We can go ahead and ask the kitchen staff  to keep his meal warm until he returns.” Sammy had learned that this rues was kinder than reminding her mother of a truth that still registered a startled grief in her mother’s frail body. Sammy sat with her Mom at a table with some of the other residents and sometimes was able to engage them in conversation, but most often was not able to converse very much. Her mother enjoyed seeing pictures that Sammy kept on her phone, often ones she had already seen, of the grandchildren and other members of the family. After lunch Sammy might take her mother upstairs for a cup of tea. When Mom became tired they would return to her room where Sammy would settle her in for an afternoon nap and promise to return the next day. As she closed the door, she offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the many “holy moments” she could share with her mother.

     On her drive home, Sammy passed a grocery store with a picket line in front. The sun was not quite ready to set but the north wind began to blow a chilling rain across the empty parking lot. Sammy didn’t know details about the strike but was taken in by the smiles that beckoned others to their cause. Her heart only saw the soaked and matted hair and felt the chill on their skin. So she did what she knew best to help---she fed them. Her car turned into McDonald’s where she bought twenty five burgers and cups of coffee. When she pulled into the parking lot with the burgers and coffee, her reward was many warm bear hugs from so many grateful strangers. 

  

    Before her head hit the pillow that night, she gave thanks for the many beautiful people who had entered her life that day.

  

   Sammy’s story is fiction but our lives are not. How do I live my life?

                         

Reflection by Linda Crowley

It was then that I carried you!

Over the past few months the faith formation office has run various events that were designed for students but had a parent element as part of it.  After each one of those events we have had adults share with us that they learned so much and really enjoyed the events.  That got me thinking, why?  What do these events, that are geared towards kids and teenagers have that parents and adults find so appealing?  And I have come up with 2 answers – a simple, clear message and fun.  Our faith at its core is simple, “love the Lord your God with all your heart mind, body and soul and love one another as I have loved you” Luke 10:27.  Yes there is a lot more to our faith then that, but at its core, Jesus told us that this was the greatest commandment, and sums up everything our faith should be about.  Sometimes we get so lost in the details, we forget the core meaning.  Giving a simple, clear, concise message, keeps that from happening.

The other important aspect is fun.  Too often our faith and our church seems rigid, stuffy and boring.  That is so far from the truth.  Our faith is fun and amazing; we just have to let it.  Again we can get caught up the minor details of rituals and rubrics and forget about the meaning, or person (i.e. Jesus Christ) behind it.  Last week during #Jesus (our summer faith formation program for 7^th and 8^th graders) we prayed the rosary, had adoration, prayed the examen and learned about the death and resurrection of Christ, but we did so in a lively and fun way.  The students having fun while praying the rosary and acting out each joyful mystery didn’t detract from the beauty of the rosary, it added to it.  40 teenagers on their knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament during Adoration is beautiful and powerful, even if teenage laughter and giggles sometimes break out. 

This Sunday we sign during the Responsorial Psalm “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy, shout joyfully to God, all the earth, sing praise to the glory of his name.”  That doesn’t sound like a faith that should be stuffy or boring, that sounds like a faith that should be alive and shouted joyfully from the rooftops! 

As I was walking through the parish center today, looking at all the decorations Jackie Halpin Curran has set up for our Vacation Bible School (If you don’t normally walk through the parish center, you should this week, it is awesome, Jackie did an amazing job!) it struck me that the simple fun message we will be teaching our preschoolers through fourth graders, is such an important message for the parish as a whole – When Life is ____, God is Good!  You can insert anything you want into that blank – when life is scary; when life is hard; when life is difficult; when life is exciting; when life is just ok; when life is good, GOD IS GOOD!

Sometimes we find ourselves only turning to God when life has turned hard or difficult and we think we need him, but when times are going well, we tend to forget about him.  Or we think that during the difficult times, God has somehow abandoned us.  No matter our situation- whether we just lost our job; are struggling in our marriage; just suffered a miscarriage; got promoted; got accepted into our favorite college; got dumped by the boy/girl you like; had our parents go through a painful divorce; lost a loved one; met the love of your life; been diagnosed with cancer; won the lottery – GOD IS GOOD. 

God loves you no matter what and is with you through the good times and the bad times.  Sometimes it is hard to see how He is working in your life but He is always there.  He loves you like His son or daughter and would do anything for you.  Sometimes it is just hard to see His plan, but know He is always there. 

This poem, “Footprints in the Sand” helped me through a lot of hard times in my life, someone gave me a cross with it written across it after my dad died when I was 18.  I have since passed that cross on to someone else who needed it and I hope it has been passed on again and again after that.  My prayer for you is that you always remember, that no matter what, GOD IS GOOD, and He is always with you.

Footprints in the Sand

“Last night I had a dream.  I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.  Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.  For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand.  I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.  "Lord, you said  once I decided to follow you, You'd walk with me all the way.  But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints.  I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.  During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

Reflection by Matthew Bensman