JUDITH: 

DO  THE  MATH 

Judith was 63.

She used to be a math teacher - but when she was teaching in a Catholic school in Chicago - she secretly always wanted to be a religion teacher.

But she was good in Math - really good in Math - and was appreciated big time at her Elementary School  - by parents and kids alike. Parents knew Math was a key key to life - getting a good job - what have you. Do the Math - know what the best paying jobs were.  Religion - not everyone thought of that as a key key to life.

When she retired,  she and her husband Jonah moved closer to their three kids - all of whom lived relatively near each other - in and around Atlanta, Georgia. So it was a logical move. Besides that Jonah was from near Atlanta and still had lots of family down there.

Jonah was a Baptist - big on the Bible - and taught Judith a good bit of Bible stuff all through their marriage. Both went to their respective churches - at times one going to the other’s church - and both agreed Baptist preachers were much better than Catholic preachers - but spoke longer.

Having moved to the Atlanta area and having their parents nearby was wonderful - especially for their kids.   

Obvious first reason, the kids would have a chance to experience this set of grandparents.

Second reason: instant baby sitters.

Third, but less obvious reason, the kids would get a chance to have grandma, Judith, or "JuJu"  - as the 7 grand kids called her, to help them with their math homework.

Judith and Jonah soon discovered what lots of grandparents were discovering: their kids were not going to Church - so that also  meant their grand kids were not going to church either.

And their 3 kids had a Catholic education in grammar school, high school and college.

What to do?

Well it happened by accident - it really did - but maybe this is the way the grace of God works - by accident - at times.

Judith was babysitting this Saturday. Jonah was fishing the whole weekend off Savannah with two brothers-in-law - one of whom had a neat power boat. Their daughter Jane - was at a wedding in Chicago with her husband.

Jane’s youngest granddaughter Jessica asked her grandma to tell her a story. She was an only child. Judith asked Jessica, “Do you have a story book with you?”

“Nope. I left all my story books at home.”

Judith spotted her husband’s Bible just sitting there next to his small beer and TV remote table. She opened it up and the first page she opened to was Luke 10: 25-37. It was the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Sitting there on their big comfy couch - with Jessica snuggling into her grandma - Judith heard Jessica say, “Okay, ready now, start reading!”

JuJu  started reading.  Jessica loved the way her grandma could tell a story. She would add and multiply as she went along.

She smiled to herself - thinking, “I love doing this. Finally I’m teaching religion - but OKAY - I also love Math.”

“That’s a serious story,” said Jessica. “Wow! Do people still beat up and rob people and leave them half dead?”

“Yep,” said Judith. “Sorry to say, ‘Still yep.’”

Then Judith said to Jessica, “Let’s go for a walk. Do you want to go to the park?”

As they walked down the street, an ambulance went flying by - with it’s lights flashing and horn blowing.

Jessica said, “Look, there goes a Good Samaritan bringing someone to the hospital.”

Judith - said to herself. “Wow, she picked that story up fast.”

Judith continued talking to herself as they walked to the park, letting Jessica, climb the different bars and steps and slides there.

Judith then thought, “Maybe teaching kids the parables of Jesus is the first place to start when teaching religion.”

Then Judith added, “And our grand kids are not getting any religion.”

After they got back home, after they had lunch, Jessica said, “Grandma how about another story from Jesus?”

“Okay,” said Judith.

This time she opened to Luke 15 and she read the story - the parable - of the lady who lost one of her 10 coins.  She searched everywhere for it - under the couch, behind the couch, in her bedroom, down the cellar, in the garage, till she finally found it.  And she was so happy she threw a party.

Jessica said, “That’s silly - a party - for just finding a lost coin!”

“Yep,” said grandma. “Just for a coin. That tells us how much God loves us.”

“Wow,” said Jessica. “Wow.”

During the week -  following that first weekend of reading,  Judith was telling Jonah, her husband, about that story of the lost coin and how she wondered about that too. Kind of strange, throwing a party for finding a lost coin.

“Well,” Jonah said, “When I was a kid, I once heard a Baptist Preacher telling us that it was a wedding coin. Brides used to sew the coins they received at their weddings onto their special dresses and gowns and cloaks - and headbands. The more coins - the more important she was.”

“Oh,” said Judith. “Wait till I see Jessica again. She’d love to hear that.”

And Judith started telling not just Jessica, but her other 6 grand kids, James, John, Joseph, Jan, Judith Jr, and Jennifer,  the parables of Jesus.

And her grand kids started getting religion - slowly - and two of their kids got back to church as well.

Hey do the Math.

One of the parables Judith read to her grand kids was,  The Parable of the Seeds. Jessica got it. It still made sense.

Some seed falls on rock - and doesn’t grow - but some seed lands on good soil - and produces, 30, 60 and 100fold.

Do the Math.

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This is a story I wrote this morning for today's Mass - the 27th Monday in Ordinary Time - Readings Jonah 1: 1-2: 2, 11 and Luke 10: 25-37.

Next it hit me to write up a possible plan for Grandparents as Catechists - using the parables. So here goes:

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GRANDPARENTS AS 

STORY TELLING CATECHISTS

Using a couch as a classroom, sit down on that couch with a small grand kid or two and read a parable - only one at a time -  using each of the following 12 Parables.  Don't hesitate to paraphrase - put it into a modern setting - or two or three versions - making sure the kid is getting the story or parable.

As a result the kid or kids will be become familiar with a Bible - and remember the old adage: the teacher always learns the most.

The Lost Coin  - Luke 15: 8-10

The Lost Sheep -Luke 15: 4-7

The Lost Son - Luke 15: 11 - 31

The Good Samaritan - Luke 10: 25-37

The Workers in the Vineyard - Matthew 20:1-16

A Man Had Two Sons - Yes and No - Matthew 21: 28-32

The Man Who Wouldn't Forgive - Matthew 18: 23-35

Lazarus and the Rich Man Luke - 16: 19-31

The Pharisee and the Tax Collector - Luke 18: 9-14

The Sower and the Seed - Luke 8: 5-8, then 11-15

The Barren Fig Tree - Luke 13: 6-9

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© Andy Costello, Might Work this into a book or article or pamphlet.