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RATTLESNAKES
Once upon a time there were two brothers: Robbie and Ralphie.
Ralphie – aged 18 was twice as old as his younger brother Robbie – who was only 9.
Robbie, the younger brother, liked his older brother, Ralphie.
Ralphie, the older brother, didn’t like his younger brother, Robbie.
Ralphie was an only child – that is, till this younger brother, his surprise brother, Robbie, came along.
Ralphie and Robbie: they were as different as rainbows and rattlesnakes.
Robbie was an optimist; his brother Ralphie was a pessimist.
Robbie was smile at you; Ralphie was snap at you.
Ralphie was half asleep till 11 o’clock every morning – probably because he spent time late into every night listening to strange music on his red I-pod, playing his electronic games or drawing strange ballpoint pen drawings of Aliens – hundreds and hundreds of ballpoint pen drawings of Aliens – sometimes on motorcycles, sometimes on skateboards – sometimes with sunglasses on the top of their heads.
Robbie went to bed every night when he was tired – but woke up every morning – completely alive – with a bounce and a fascination in his step and in his smile. “Hey, it’s a new day of life!” “Hey, each day is a new adventure.” This annoyed Ralphie – that is, if he noticed it.
Robbie saw God and God’s goodness everywhere.
Ralphie didn’t see God anywhere. In fact, he liked to shock his parents, his friends, but especially his younger brother by saying, “I don’t believe in God.”
Ralphie’s parents said to themselves, “It’s just a stage. He’ll get over it. When he’s married and has kids – especially teenagers, Ralphie will start praying and asking God for help and thanking God for each new day of life.”
Robbie, the younger brother, prayed for his older brother, Ralphie.
Robbie and his parents didn’t know that Ralphie sometimes was angry with God. Two girl friends dropped him – just like that – just like uncooked eggs hitting hard cement sidewalk. That hurt! Also he prayed and prayed to make the lacrosse team - and didn’t make it – and he remembers standing there as a 10 year old kid on September 11, 2001 and seeing all those people killed on the TV screen – and last year 3 seniors were killed in a car crash on a late Saturday night. “Why God, why?” “Why?”
Ralphie could be sour – surly and sort of half moving much of the day.
Robby – 9 years old – loved everything and everyone – swimming pools – zoos – soccer – his buddy Timmy from across the street who had a neat border collie named Blue Cheese. He liked chess, NASCAR Racing, the Blue Angels, the Ravens, the Redskins, the Capitals and the Nationals – and also the Orioles – and also math and spelling and 6 Flags. He loved to go to yard sales – because he could find buttons with interesting words on them to add to his button collection.
Robby loved summer vacations with his parents. Ralphie was glad, glad, glad 10 times over because he was going to college and get away from his parents and his nerdy brother Robby – and hopefully never have to go camping with his mom and dad and younger brother any summer ever again. Camping: boring, boring, boring.
Well, it was vacation time once more and Ralphie’s dad begged Ralphie to want to come on one last vacation as a family – before he went off to college. His dad begged him, “It will mean a lot to your mom.” He answered back, “Dad, boring!” “Well,” his dad said, “It will mean a lot to your younger brother Robbie.” “Double boring, dad. Double boring.”
But Ralphie went. This year they would drive down to Tennessee and go camping in the wilderness for just a week. They loaded up their SUV with two tents and sleeping bags, backpacks and plenty of food – and all the necessary stuff for camping.
Robbie couldn’t wait. Ralphie couldn’t wait till it would be over and he could be off to college.
The second day on vacation a horrible thing happened. Robbie was bit by a rattlesnake. His dad didn’t know what to do – but he sucked where Robby was bit and spit out the poison – and then washed his mouth out with bottled water and spit some more. Fortunately, they had cell phones and called the police who had an ambulance there immediately and off Robbie went to the local hospital.
Well, for the rest of their week’s vacation Robbie’s parents and Ralphie were not in tents – but in a motel and in a hospital.
Well, the next afternoon at the hospital, Robbie still unconscious, Ralphie, seeing his mom and dad, exhausted, worried, scared, told them to go back to the motel and take a good nap and he would watch and wait – and if anything happens, if things get worse, he’d call them immediately.
His parents thought that was thoughtful and took him up on his suggestion.
Robbie was semi-conscious as he lay there.
Ralphie was worried – worried that his brother might die – and how tragic that would be for his parents.
Ralphie found himself praying – praying for the first time in years – other than just going through the motions when saying grace before dinner. In fact, he got down on his knees by the side of Robbie’s bed and prayed and prayed and prayed to God to get his baby brother better.
A nurse came in and was surprised to see this 18 year old young man kneeling by his brother’s side praying. She went out and told the other nurses how wonderful this other brother was – having such faith in God – praying for his brother.
Well, as Ralphie was begging God for help – as Ralphie was saying to God, “I’ll go to church for the rest of my life, if you get my brother better,” he just happened to look out the window and he saw this perfect rainbow – this great big beautiful colorful rainbow. He stood up and walked to the window and looked out at the rainbow. And Ralphie knew his brother was going to get better.
When his mom and dad showed up 2 hours later, he told his mom and dad, “Robbie is going to be okay.” His mom said, “Did the doctor come in and say something?”
“Nope! I just know!”
And sure enough that evening Robbie woke up and a day later was released from the hospital.
And surprise – that moment changed not only Ralphie’s life, but also Robbie and his mom and dad’s life.
And Ralphie told mom and dad and Robbie all about the rainbow – on their drive back from Tennessee.
Their family was always a family – but now they were much more a family.
Robbie and Ralphie’s mom and dad pinched themselves every time they came to church – thanking God for two wonderful sons – “Okay God,” his mom would pray, “as different as Rainbows and Rattlesnakes.”
[This is a story for our Kids' Mass - for the First Sunday of Lent -Year B - and I took the image of the rainbow from the first reading and the wilderness theme from the gospel. I couldn't figure out what age group this story would be for.]
Ralphie – aged 18 was twice as old as his younger brother Robbie – who was only 9.
Robbie, the younger brother, liked his older brother, Ralphie.
Ralphie, the older brother, didn’t like his younger brother, Robbie.
Ralphie was an only child – that is, till this younger brother, his surprise brother, Robbie, came along.
Ralphie and Robbie: they were as different as rainbows and rattlesnakes.
Robbie was an optimist; his brother Ralphie was a pessimist.
Robbie was smile at you; Ralphie was snap at you.
Ralphie was half asleep till 11 o’clock every morning – probably because he spent time late into every night listening to strange music on his red I-pod, playing his electronic games or drawing strange ballpoint pen drawings of Aliens – hundreds and hundreds of ballpoint pen drawings of Aliens – sometimes on motorcycles, sometimes on skateboards – sometimes with sunglasses on the top of their heads.
Robbie went to bed every night when he was tired – but woke up every morning – completely alive – with a bounce and a fascination in his step and in his smile. “Hey, it’s a new day of life!” “Hey, each day is a new adventure.” This annoyed Ralphie – that is, if he noticed it.
Robbie saw God and God’s goodness everywhere.
Ralphie didn’t see God anywhere. In fact, he liked to shock his parents, his friends, but especially his younger brother by saying, “I don’t believe in God.”
Ralphie’s parents said to themselves, “It’s just a stage. He’ll get over it. When he’s married and has kids – especially teenagers, Ralphie will start praying and asking God for help and thanking God for each new day of life.”
Robbie, the younger brother, prayed for his older brother, Ralphie.
Robbie and his parents didn’t know that Ralphie sometimes was angry with God. Two girl friends dropped him – just like that – just like uncooked eggs hitting hard cement sidewalk. That hurt! Also he prayed and prayed to make the lacrosse team - and didn’t make it – and he remembers standing there as a 10 year old kid on September 11, 2001 and seeing all those people killed on the TV screen – and last year 3 seniors were killed in a car crash on a late Saturday night. “Why God, why?” “Why?”
Ralphie could be sour – surly and sort of half moving much of the day.
Robby – 9 years old – loved everything and everyone – swimming pools – zoos – soccer – his buddy Timmy from across the street who had a neat border collie named Blue Cheese. He liked chess, NASCAR Racing, the Blue Angels, the Ravens, the Redskins, the Capitals and the Nationals – and also the Orioles – and also math and spelling and 6 Flags. He loved to go to yard sales – because he could find buttons with interesting words on them to add to his button collection.
Robby loved summer vacations with his parents. Ralphie was glad, glad, glad 10 times over because he was going to college and get away from his parents and his nerdy brother Robby – and hopefully never have to go camping with his mom and dad and younger brother any summer ever again. Camping: boring, boring, boring.
Well, it was vacation time once more and Ralphie’s dad begged Ralphie to want to come on one last vacation as a family – before he went off to college. His dad begged him, “It will mean a lot to your mom.” He answered back, “Dad, boring!” “Well,” his dad said, “It will mean a lot to your younger brother Robbie.” “Double boring, dad. Double boring.”
But Ralphie went. This year they would drive down to Tennessee and go camping in the wilderness for just a week. They loaded up their SUV with two tents and sleeping bags, backpacks and plenty of food – and all the necessary stuff for camping.
Robbie couldn’t wait. Ralphie couldn’t wait till it would be over and he could be off to college.
The second day on vacation a horrible thing happened. Robbie was bit by a rattlesnake. His dad didn’t know what to do – but he sucked where Robby was bit and spit out the poison – and then washed his mouth out with bottled water and spit some more. Fortunately, they had cell phones and called the police who had an ambulance there immediately and off Robbie went to the local hospital.
Well, for the rest of their week’s vacation Robbie’s parents and Ralphie were not in tents – but in a motel and in a hospital.
Well, the next afternoon at the hospital, Robbie still unconscious, Ralphie, seeing his mom and dad, exhausted, worried, scared, told them to go back to the motel and take a good nap and he would watch and wait – and if anything happens, if things get worse, he’d call them immediately.
His parents thought that was thoughtful and took him up on his suggestion.
Robbie was semi-conscious as he lay there.
Ralphie was worried – worried that his brother might die – and how tragic that would be for his parents.
Ralphie found himself praying – praying for the first time in years – other than just going through the motions when saying grace before dinner. In fact, he got down on his knees by the side of Robbie’s bed and prayed and prayed and prayed to God to get his baby brother better.
A nurse came in and was surprised to see this 18 year old young man kneeling by his brother’s side praying. She went out and told the other nurses how wonderful this other brother was – having such faith in God – praying for his brother.
Well, as Ralphie was begging God for help – as Ralphie was saying to God, “I’ll go to church for the rest of my life, if you get my brother better,” he just happened to look out the window and he saw this perfect rainbow – this great big beautiful colorful rainbow. He stood up and walked to the window and looked out at the rainbow. And Ralphie knew his brother was going to get better.
When his mom and dad showed up 2 hours later, he told his mom and dad, “Robbie is going to be okay.” His mom said, “Did the doctor come in and say something?”
“Nope! I just know!”
And sure enough that evening Robbie woke up and a day later was released from the hospital.
And surprise – that moment changed not only Ralphie’s life, but also Robbie and his mom and dad’s life.
And Ralphie told mom and dad and Robbie all about the rainbow – on their drive back from Tennessee.
Their family was always a family – but now they were much more a family.
Robbie and Ralphie’s mom and dad pinched themselves every time they came to church – thanking God for two wonderful sons – “Okay God,” his mom would pray, “as different as Rainbows and Rattlesnakes.”
[This is a story for our Kids' Mass - for the First Sunday of Lent -Year B - and I took the image of the rainbow from the first reading and the wilderness theme from the gospel. I couldn't figure out what age group this story would be for.]
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