THE GREAT RIP OFF

A funny thing happened at St. Mary’s Church - Annapolis Maryland - on July 14, 2013.

It happened at the 12:30 and 5:30 Sunday Masses. People opened up the Breaking Bread Missalettes in the benches only to notice the readings for the 15^th Sunday in Ordinary Time were missing. Someone ripped out pages 193 to 196 - actually 2 pages - print on both sides.

“That’s funny!” or “That’s strange!” or “What happened here?” went through the different minds of the different people at the different Masses in the different benches that Sunday.

“Well,” different people thought, “I might as well listen to the readings since they’re not in the books.”

But as they did that, they noticed that different people were looking around - especially at people next to them - or in front of them - or even right behind them - because it seemed everyone was trying to figure out what happened. By the end of the first reading, it was quite a distraction.

Some people just shrugged their shoulders. Some people stiffened their shoulders. Some people cursed inwardly - like getting a library book and one discovers someone ripped out a few pages - and the story was really getting interesting - or someone marked up a book. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugly. And in Church mind you!

Well, as a result, sorry to say, some people found it difficult to pray that Sunday Mass.

What happened? Who did this? What’s going on?

Engineers and logical types - carefully examined the missalette they were holding - and if possible any other book still on a bench or in the book holders below the benches - to see if other books were altered. It was obviously a rip off or a rip out.

After Mass - on the way out, many people reported to the priest who had the Mass, “Father someone ripped out the pages of today’s readings from the Missalette.”

The priests for those two Sunday Masses at St. Mary’s at first were confused. “What?”

People repeated themselves, “Someone ripped out the pages for today’s readings in the missalettes .”

By the twentieth person the priest said, “Call the pastor!” - one of whom was the Pastor. He’s smart.

Different people called the pastor, but being Sunday - they only got the parish answering machine - which led to more frustration. Some found his e-mail address on line - and reported, “The Great Rip Off.”

Word got around the parish by Tuesday - even though it was summertime - what had happened.

Now for the rest of the story….

The priest - an old guy in his 70’s - who had the 10:30 Mass said that if you grasp the 3 readings for today - you have it all.

He pointed out that the first reading from Deuteronomy 30: 10 to 14 said that Moses said, “It’s not that complicated. God’s command is not mysterious or remote.  It’s not something you have to go up into the clouds or across the sea to discover. It’s right here - already in your hearts and minds - you just have to do it.” “Just do it!”

He pointed out that the second reading from Paul to the Colossians said that God is invisible, but Christ is the image of the invisible God - and you’ll find everything in him. He holds everything together. Get Christ and get him big.”

He pointed out that the scholar of the Law in today’s gospel from Luke  wanted to know the secret of inheriting eternal life. Don’t we all? So Jesus  threw a question back to him. “What’s written in the Law? How do you read it?” 

And the scholar answered, “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 Jesus told him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

The old priest then said, “Well, the scholar knew Jesus was correct - but he also knew how difficult Part B was -  loving one’s neighbor as we love ourselves - so he hit Jesus with a what if - as if to say, “Do you have any idea who my neighbor is - and what he or she is like? In other words, he tried to justify himself - and get out the Part B obligation - loving one’s neighbor.”

“Thank God the scholar in the story did that,” the old priest said, “because as a result the world got the great Good Samaritan Parable.”

“How many people,” the old priest said, “have been helped down through the ages - thanks to the scholar of the Law asking Jesus, “Well, who is my neighbor?”

“How many people down through the ages changed their plans, opened their wallets, stopped their carts or cars, to help a person who was stuck?”

The old priest also told a funny example. He said, “You’re not going to believe this - but last Monday I was up in New Jersey for a picnic at our retreat house there. Well, there was also a group of young priests - mainly diocesan priests - making a workshop there at the same time.”

He continued, “Well on the dinner line the night before, I found himself next to a priest who looked familiar. I introduced myself to him saying, ‘I met you somewhere.’ And the young priest, ‘Yes, you look familiar. Maybe it was here. I was here two years ago for another workshop.’”

The old priest said, “The next day, Tuesday, I was on the lunch line this time and I heard this same priest talking to someone about a trip he took to the Holy Land in the year 2000.” 

The old priest continued, “Ten minutes later I realized that’s where I met this guy. I was on that same trip with him. It was a Priest Retreat - run by Father Steven Doyle - a Franciscan - and the young priest was with me on the bus. I think he was from the mid-west.”

“Now, here’s where it really gets interesting,” the old priest said. “We were in the bus  on that same road from  Jerusalem to Jericho. It was    the opposite way from today’s gospel. We were going from Jericho to Jerusalem. Well the young guy said to me that he was stuck for money - buying too many souvenirs for the folks back home. Would it be possible to lend me some money and I’ll pay you back when I get back  to the states?’ So I gave him a hundred dollars.”

And the old priest laughed. He said, “God, you have a great sense of humor and a great sense of timing.  It’s the story of the Good Samaritan again - who gave the Inn Keeper two silver coins and told him - if it’s costs more - I’ll will cover your costs the next time I come this way.”

“Obviously, as to the young priest, I let it slide about the money. That was a long time ago, and not wanting to embarrass him, I didn’t go over to  the young guy to tell him  where I remembered him from.

Then the old priest concluded, “These 3 readings contain it all. If we had these 3 readings in our wallets and read them from time to time - what a difference our lives would be.”

Well, evidently, many people discreetly ripped those 2 pages out of the missalette at that 10:30 Mass - thinking nobody would notice The Great Rip Off.



* Painting on top: Vincent Van Gogh, 1899, The Good Samaritan after Delacroix [1849] painting - below.