WHAT REMAINS

What remains:
footprints, scars, graffiti,
stains, dents, scratches,
spaghetti sauce on white wool sweaters
and memories.


What remains:
Jesus’ words,
that he chose us, appointed us,
to go and bear fruit with our lives,
fruit that will remain. (1)


What remains:
what we put in writing.
As the old Latin saying goes,
“Scripta manet!” (2)


What remains:
where we were born,
neighbors, schools, friends,
cars, great vacations,
weddings, baptisms, funerals,
and where we were on days like September 11th.


What remains:
graduation – not the diploma, but the memory
of moving on – big days and moments ahead,
the feeling of saying, “Good bye” and “Thank you!”
to some classmates and some teachers,
but not to all. Sorry.


What remains:
the drink is drunk,
but sometimes we placed
our wet cold glass down,
right on the top of an important piece
of furniture which we weren’t supposed to use,
but we were jabbering and didn't think
of coasters and the circle outline
of our water stain lasting forever
on the expensive wood.


What remains:
those who came to mom’s funeral.
I don’t remember what they said,
but I appreciated their being there.


What remains:
well as St. Paul put it,
“Faith, hope and love last
and the greatest of these is love.” (3)


What remains:
sometimes the hurt,
sometimes the “I’m sorry”,
sometimes the “I forgive you!”
sometimes the “Oh I forgot that a long time ago!”
but the one who hurt me, can’t let it go.


What remains:
the memory of the first kiss, or drink or smoke
when nobody was watching.


What remains:
not the gift,
but the thought behind the gift,
but, okay, some gifts we remember-  
diamonds or a simple  pair of rosary beads
from Rome, blessed by the pope –
maybe from 100 yards away –
but they didn’t tell us that.


What remains:
Jesus in the tabernacle
and Jesus in our heart
as we go back out into the traffic of life.


What remains:
our children and our children’s children.


What remains:
the memory of seeing our parents sneak a kiss
once at a picnic and they didn’t see us seeing them,
or their holding hands as they went to the microphone
for their 50th Wedding anniversary.


What remains:
a phone call in the night –
saying he or she died.


What remains:
mistakes and memories of our mistakes,
but please God we know about scars and healing
and the great Mass prayer: “Lord have mercy.”


What remains:
10,000 acts of kindness
that we won’t know about till Heaven,
if that’s part of Heaven -
and if we remain, please God -
let us remain.


What remains:
sometimes words like these written here.
“Hey, today’s gospel made it till today!”

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NOTES

(1) This was a poetic type homily for this 5th Friday after Easter. I began reflecting on the key Greek word “MENO” in today’s gospel from the 15th Chapter of John – which can be translated “to remain” or “to abide” or “to stay”. Notice the word “MENO” is the second part of the English word “remain” as well as similar words in and various other languages.


(2) There is the old Latin saying, “Verba volunt, scripta manet.” Or “Verba volunta, littera scripta manet.” English translation: "Words fly away, but the written word remains.” It’s a warning about being careful in what one puts in writing. Of course, this was before recording machines and cameras.

(3) 1 Corinthians 13:13