Some people
wearing smiles
that warm my heart.
Other people
sour and dour,
wearing heavy coats
over their souls.
© Andy Costello,
Reflections, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
PERVADING
If rainy, snowy, dark January
or February days slide into
and invade our bones,
how much more does
a cold look, a nasty word,
or worse, the deadening
quiet of a frozen relationship
pervade us? If, and when,
they happen, then prepare
oneself for a long cold winter.
If rainy, snowy, dark January
or February days slide into
and invade our bones,
how much more does
a cold look, a nasty word,
or worse, the deadening
quiet of a frozen relationship
pervade us? If, and when,
they happen, then prepare
oneself for a long cold winter.
© Andy Costello,
Reflections, 2009
EAR AND HEART
Listen.
The heart is a musical instrument,
a piano, a violin, a saxophone.
Listen.
The heart has so many sounds –
some smooth, some strident,
cord and discord.
Listen.
The heart also has its background sound,
it’s ongoing beat – its predominate tune?
Listen.
The heart has its music, its mood, its memories,
ongoing pieces we keep repeating.
Listen.
The heart has so many feelings
and so many missed sensitivities.
Listen.The heart needs to be its own audience,
before we can really hear another’s heart.
Listen ….
© Andy Costello,
Reflections, 2009
MAIN STREET
The light turned red,
halfway up Main Street.
It was the weekend.
She noticed different couples –
one walking into a restaurant,
another couple looking in a
jewelry store window,
two others just strolling,
holding hands and holding
smiles on their faces.
He died a while back.
Aloneness filled her car.
The light turned green.
“Are memories enough
or do I need more?”
“Should I reach out
for a new hand and
a new smile or should I still
knit and knot with his love?”
God, friends, children,
are great, but ….
Tears and smiles
often hold hands.
So too fantasies and
memories walking together
up and down the
Main Street of her mind.
© Andy Costello,
The light turned red,
halfway up Main Street.
It was the weekend.
She noticed different couples –
one walking into a restaurant,
another couple looking in a
jewelry store window,
two others just strolling,
holding hands and holding
smiles on their faces.
He died a while back.
Aloneness filled her car.
The light turned green.
“Are memories enough
or do I need more?”
“Should I reach out
for a new hand and
a new smile or should I still
knit and knot with his love?”
God, friends, children,
are great, but ….
Tears and smiles
often hold hands.
So too fantasies and
memories walking together
up and down the
Main Street of her mind.
© Andy Costello,
Reflections 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
LENT:
40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS
40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Lent: Forty Days and 40 Nights.”
Lent is a time to get serious. Lent is a time to see if we are having the time of our life. Lent is a time to see where we are on the time line of our life. Lent is a time to look at serious matters – serious questions – and come up with some serious answers – year after year after year. Lent is a time to look in the mirror and ask, “How’s it going?”
Lent is 40 days and 40 nights. A month and 10 days. That’s a lot of time. Vacations are usually one or two weeks – or for some, just a long weekend – but 40 days and 40 nights. Now that’s a serious amount of time.
40 DAYS TO A MORE POWERFUL ?
When my brother – the oldest of 4 – was in high school and my two sisters and I were still in grammar school, he came up with the book, 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary – and for 30 days he drove us crazy with big words – words we never heard of before. His favorite word was, “sesquipedalian” – as in, “By now you’ve noticed I’ve become a sesquipedalian?”
And when we asked him what does that word mean, he would say, “A person who uses big words.”
Sesquipedalian – literally means “a foot and a half long”. Notice the “ped” root in the word.
The title of my homily is, “Lent: Forty Days and 40 Nights.”
Lent is a time to get serious. Lent is a time to see if we are having the time of our life. Lent is a time to see where we are on the time line of our life. Lent is a time to look at serious matters – serious questions – and come up with some serious answers – year after year after year. Lent is a time to look in the mirror and ask, “How’s it going?”
Lent is 40 days and 40 nights. A month and 10 days. That’s a lot of time. Vacations are usually one or two weeks – or for some, just a long weekend – but 40 days and 40 nights. Now that’s a serious amount of time.
40 DAYS TO A MORE POWERFUL ?
When my brother – the oldest of 4 – was in high school and my two sisters and I were still in grammar school, he came up with the book, 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary – and for 30 days he drove us crazy with big words – words we never heard of before. His favorite word was, “sesquipedalian” – as in, “By now you’ve noticed I’ve become a sesquipedalian?”
And when we asked him what does that word mean, he would say, “A person who uses big words.”
Sesquipedalian – literally means “a foot and a half long”. Notice the “ped” root in the word.
Some speakers are name droppers and some speakers are sesquipedalians.
Those of you who are writers know that one of Ernest Hemingway’s gifts to American writing was short sentences and short words.
Fill in the blank. Come up with just one word for the end of this sentence: “Lent: 40 days to a more powerful _________?”
Would that word be “me” or “Christian” or “father” or “mother” or “brother” or “sister” or “spouse” or “worker” or “friend” or “neighbor” or “driver”?
TODAY’S READINGS
The readings at Mass during Lent can be very helpful.
Today’s first reading from Genesis has God establishing a covenant with Noah and his children after 40 days and 40 nights of rain and destruction. The sign of the covenant is the rainbow.
Have you ever experienced a 40 day or a 400 day or 4,000 day time of destruction in your life – a time when cancer claimed a family member – or a divorce wiped you out – or the loss of a job – or someone in the family messed up totally – and the problem goes on and on and on?
You were flooded with pain and hurt and anger and emptiness – and then one day the sun shone – or a bird chirped at the right moment – or you were at the beach or a mountain – or out fishing – and the light in the morning or the evening was unique – or the night sky was just right – or you saw a rainbow as Noah and his family saw in today’s first reading and you felt the call for a new beginning.
That’s some of what today’s first reading is getting at.
Today’s second reading is a very strange text. Depending on the translation from the Greek – readers get different takes on the text. Some thought Peter was voicing Jesus’ mission to not only reach out to the living – but also to the dead – as we say in the Apostles Creed – the old translation being, “He descended into hell” now the translation is, “He descended to the dead.”
Whatever…. We believe that Jesus is Savior and Redeemer of all!
Jesus comes to us when we feel dead or we’ve been to hell and we want to come back. Jesus comes through all barriers and walls and says to us what he said to the disciples filled with fear when they locked themselves up in the Upper Room, “Peace!”
Today’s gospel has Mark’s two verse description of what happened to Jesus during those 40 days, “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.”
Matthew and Luke will take that text and develop a rich theology and imagery of the 3 temptations of Jesus in the desert.
Then Jesus came out of that desert with a vision and a message: to proclaim the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.”
HIDING OUT IN THE 40 DAYS
Most of us can’t take 40 days and find a desert to hide out in. We have to work and do our everyday family stuff.
But we can buy a $2.95 cent 9 1/2 inch X 6 inch spiral note book or create a new folder on our computer and start jotting down life’s big questions and then write down our answers, our wonderings, our further questions, as well as other people’s observations to life’s big questions.
There are no stupid questions – only stupid answers.
Today’s gospel talks about Jesus in the desert for 40 days.
A word that might jump out is the word “tempted”.
What are my temptations? In Matthew and Luke there are 3 – and preachers have a time trying to clarify them. Maybe Mark by being open ended challenges us to come up with our big 3 or our big 13 or just one temptation.
The 7 capital sins could help: gluttony, greed, lust, laziness, anger, envy, and pride. If you’re a computer buff, use Google to clarify these sins and where they hit you.
What is my predominant fault? What is my Achilles heel? What is my weak spot? What is my nemesis? There’s a word for a more powerful vocabulary. “Nemesis: the Greek goddess that inflicts retribution or vengeance on what rivals or opposes us.” What is my downfall every time? How do my mistakes and bad decisions come back at me a dozenfold?
Lent is a good time to reflect, figure, clarify.
The Gospel talks about wild beasts. Please, no cuffed comments or elbowing the person next to you on the old retreat discussion question: “If I were an animal, what animal would I be?” The group also makes us an animal. A bull, a bear, a snake, a bird, an elephant, a puppy, a poodle, a monkey, a gorilla, a parrot, what have you?
The gospel talks about Satan and Angels.
Those of you who are writers know that one of Ernest Hemingway’s gifts to American writing was short sentences and short words.
Fill in the blank. Come up with just one word for the end of this sentence: “Lent: 40 days to a more powerful _________?”
Would that word be “me” or “Christian” or “father” or “mother” or “brother” or “sister” or “spouse” or “worker” or “friend” or “neighbor” or “driver”?
TODAY’S READINGS
The readings at Mass during Lent can be very helpful.
Today’s first reading from Genesis has God establishing a covenant with Noah and his children after 40 days and 40 nights of rain and destruction. The sign of the covenant is the rainbow.
Have you ever experienced a 40 day or a 400 day or 4,000 day time of destruction in your life – a time when cancer claimed a family member – or a divorce wiped you out – or the loss of a job – or someone in the family messed up totally – and the problem goes on and on and on?
You were flooded with pain and hurt and anger and emptiness – and then one day the sun shone – or a bird chirped at the right moment – or you were at the beach or a mountain – or out fishing – and the light in the morning or the evening was unique – or the night sky was just right – or you saw a rainbow as Noah and his family saw in today’s first reading and you felt the call for a new beginning.
That’s some of what today’s first reading is getting at.
Today’s second reading is a very strange text. Depending on the translation from the Greek – readers get different takes on the text. Some thought Peter was voicing Jesus’ mission to not only reach out to the living – but also to the dead – as we say in the Apostles Creed – the old translation being, “He descended into hell” now the translation is, “He descended to the dead.”
Whatever…. We believe that Jesus is Savior and Redeemer of all!
Jesus comes to us when we feel dead or we’ve been to hell and we want to come back. Jesus comes through all barriers and walls and says to us what he said to the disciples filled with fear when they locked themselves up in the Upper Room, “Peace!”
Today’s gospel has Mark’s two verse description of what happened to Jesus during those 40 days, “The Spirit drove Jesus out into the desert, and he remained in the desert for forty days tempted by Satan. He was among wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him.”
Matthew and Luke will take that text and develop a rich theology and imagery of the 3 temptations of Jesus in the desert.
Then Jesus came out of that desert with a vision and a message: to proclaim the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.”
HIDING OUT IN THE 40 DAYS
Most of us can’t take 40 days and find a desert to hide out in. We have to work and do our everyday family stuff.
But we can buy a $2.95 cent 9 1/2 inch X 6 inch spiral note book or create a new folder on our computer and start jotting down life’s big questions and then write down our answers, our wonderings, our further questions, as well as other people’s observations to life’s big questions.
There are no stupid questions – only stupid answers.
Today’s gospel talks about Jesus in the desert for 40 days.
A word that might jump out is the word “tempted”.
What are my temptations? In Matthew and Luke there are 3 – and preachers have a time trying to clarify them. Maybe Mark by being open ended challenges us to come up with our big 3 or our big 13 or just one temptation.
The 7 capital sins could help: gluttony, greed, lust, laziness, anger, envy, and pride. If you’re a computer buff, use Google to clarify these sins and where they hit you.
What is my predominant fault? What is my Achilles heel? What is my weak spot? What is my nemesis? There’s a word for a more powerful vocabulary. “Nemesis: the Greek goddess that inflicts retribution or vengeance on what rivals or opposes us.” What is my downfall every time? How do my mistakes and bad decisions come back at me a dozenfold?
Lent is a good time to reflect, figure, clarify.
The Gospel talks about wild beasts. Please, no cuffed comments or elbowing the person next to you on the old retreat discussion question: “If I were an animal, what animal would I be?” The group also makes us an animal. A bull, a bear, a snake, a bird, an elephant, a puppy, a poodle, a monkey, a gorilla, a parrot, what have you?
The gospel talks about Satan and Angels.
What / who / how is the devil?
Eric Hoffer defines the devil as, “Anything that dehumanizes.”
There is a Dutch saying, “When the devil gets into the church, he seats himself at the altar.”
There is a saying that appears in French, German, Spanish, Dutch, “The devil lurks (or sits) behind the cross.”
Those are interesting and scary comments. I assume that the Devil hangs around churchy stuff. After all here he is in today’s gospel with Jesus. Is this what Daniel Defoe was implying when he wrote, “Wherever God erects a house of prayer, / The Devil always builds a chapel there; / And ‘twill be found, upon examination, / The latter has the largest congregation.”? [The True-Born Englishman (1701)]
But beware: the scriptures imply he wanders around the world sometimes like a roaring lion – sometimes as a sneaky snake.
There is an old saying, “The devil is not always at one door.”
There is a German saying, “Once invited into the house, you’ll never be rid of the devil.”
Read C.S. Lewis classic, The Screwtape Letters – and he will get you in touch with the devil and how the devil tempts and operates.
Speaking of Postwar Germany, Helmut Thielicke said, “There is a dark, mysterious, spellbinding figure at work. Behind the temptations stands the tempter, behind the lie stands the liar, behind all the dead and bloodshed stands the 'murderer from the beginning.'”
You might have seen or read Elie Wiesel’s comments the other day about how his foundation lost a lot money in the Madoff scam – and he blurted out in anger how evil Madoff was. Or you could read Elie’s Wiesel’s story Night or about his experience in the concentration camp horror – and realize people do evil things.
CONCLUSION
Each day we all have to wrestle with good and evil – to lie or not to lie – to be attentive or to be lazy – to give of ourselves or to be self-centered or selfish – at home or at work.
Lent is the time to face this serious stuff – and to ask, “How am I doing with patience or generosity or laughing or singing or being creative or hard working or giving good example?”
Lent is the time to go to our inner room – and check out what it looks like. Is it empty? Is it a disaster area? Is it a chapel? Is it beautiful? Are we at home with ourselves?
Imagine the example we would give each other if a kid saw mom or dad sitting in a quiet place in the basement or upper room – reading a spiritual reading book or the scriptures or writing down some good journal stuff – or at times kids seeing both mom and dad praying or reading scriptures or a spiritual reading book together?
People are in book clubs. Others say, “I have no time for that.” What a book club that would be – mom and dad – husband and wife – doing a book together. Kids – the couple themselves - would reap big time dividends down the time line of their lives. Amen.
[Top Photo from 5000 Color Photos - Delux Edition]
&
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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