WATERMELONS

 He lost his faith – but he didn’t know it – when he was 5 years old.
 
You’re kidding.
 
I thought 7 years old was the beginning of the use of reason.
 
Let me explain.
 
He was just sitting there after supper – 5 years old - at the kitchen table – and his mom presented the family with watermelon for dessert.
 
He’s looking at the delicious  piece he received – but what in the world were these little finger nail looking white things stuck in his watermelon?
 
His dad said, “Oh they are seeds. Just pick them out and eat the delicious cold red fruit”
 
He did just that.
 
It was delicious.
 
He became full.
 
Sitting there wiping his fingers on his t-shirt –  belly front – he asked, “What do you do with the seeds?”
 
His older sister – aged 7 – said, “You plant them – and someday you might get a watermelon.”
 
He blurted out a reply to that, “You’re kidding.”
 
She replied, “Try it. Just plant the seeds out in the backyard and water them everyday – and if you’re lucky – you’ll get a watermelon.”
 
He did it. He tried it. But nope – he only got a small green plant.
 
He even prayed.
 
Prayer didn’t work.
 
And that’s how he lost his faith – age 5.
 
Oh - he still went to church.
 
Oh - he still prayed.
 
But he lost his faith – down down deep – but he didn’t know what was happening.
 
During high school – into college – faith all but disappeared. Slowly ….
 
Oh he got married in church. He had his kids baptized in church.
 
But down deep faith – I-Thou faith with God -  never really appeared  - like those watermelons never appeared.
 
He went to church at Christmas and Easter – funerals and weddings – but real faith never grew inside of him.
 
Two years after he retired – in his 60’s – not bad - well after their 3 kids all had gotten married – he and his wife got in their car and headed for Florida – to check it out.
 
On the way down he spotted a big enormous sign – “Visit Bacon Georgia, Watermelon Capital of the World.”
 
“Honey, look at that! Wow.”
 
He made a right turn and headed for a big parking lot – right on the highway – just inside the front entrance of the watermelon farm.
 
He and his wife headed out into this enormous field filled with thousands and thousands and thousands of bright green stripped watermelons.
 
“Wow! Wow! Wow!”
 
“Honey! Look at them! Watermelons and I didn’t believe they would grow.”
 
They stopped into the big store – center front -  and bought 3 big red juicy watermelons – besides each getting two cold slices each at the watermelon bar.
 
Well, something happened that day. Something big and bright happened that day.
 
His eyes were opened up.
 
He received the gift of faith – at the age of 66.
 
Let me describe it this way – because faith is hard to describe.  He began to see watermelons in supermarkets – as well as apples, oranges and grapes – pears and fig newton cookies – his favorite.
 
He began to sit on the porch at night and see the stars – the millions and millions of stars  - as well as the thousands and thousands of blades of grass on his back lawn – during the day.
 
At Mass sometimes he would be overwhelmed seeing the gold cup of round thin pieces of  bread – Christ wanting to be with us in Holy Communion.
 
Without knowing it he was praising God for the babies and kids he saw while driving down the street  - as well as the old people he began visiting in two nursing homes – part of an out reach program from his parish.
 
He loved hearing rain and falling snow and feeling 4 seasons .  No they didn’t move to Florida. It was just that one visit.
 
He smiled. Sometime in there he said to himself, “I lost my faith and I found my faith because of watermelons. Life is funny.”
 
Funny indeed. Faith is funny too.
 
Faith is growing [Today’s gospel – John 13: 18-21].  Faith is the groaning of the Spirit. [Today’s first reading Romans 8: 18.] Amen.