Reflections By The Bay

Sunday, March 13, 2016

March 13, 2016

GOD'S PLAN

From time to time people ask me if God

has a plan for them.

From time to time I answer, "Of course! And it's
very clear and it's very basic: love God with
all your heart, mind, soul and strength and

love your neighbor as you love yourself."

This sort of silences them. That's not my

purpose - but it sort of silences them.

Why?

I don't know - but it seems to me that they

want from God something more specific -
something much more exact - with details.

Like whom to marry - where to go - what to do.

They seem to want spelled out specifics - clear contracts and carved out covenants in stone.

They want laws - rules and regulations.

If they keep pressing - I say - "Sorry I'm not
the one to talk to. In fact, I don't know whom to refer you to. I avoid Scribes and Pharisees."

Then I look them in the eye as I become quiet.

If there is too much quiet, I might get nervous
and add, "In fact I avoid anyone who tells me
what God is thinking - other than what Jesus
meant when he said, 'Thy will be done on
earth as it is in heaven.'"

Or I say, "Read the Gospels if you want particulars: love, forgive, wash feet, go the extra mile, give the shirt off your back, turn the other cheek, show pity and mercy to the one caught in sin and acknowledge the person who is tugging at the tassel of your sleeve."

Saturday, March 12, 2016

March 12, 2016

DISARMAMENT

A smile disarms a gathering of fists and

stuck solid stone minds that are already

made up before the meeting begins.

Relax. Zip lips. Unzip ears. Smile.

You’re being filmed by the camera eyes

of everyone else in the room. So, "Smile!"

Friday, March 11, 2016

March 11, 2016

SOCKS WITH HOLES IN THEM

Too many sermons have holes in them

like Father McKenzie's socks - as he

darns together words that he hopes -

will take away the loneliness in the

benches of his church - scattered

with people in corners and behind

poles - all the lonely people who

long for communion - who long for

union - who long for others - who

long for Christ - the Lonely One -

who takes away the sins of our world.

Father McKenzie please, please, meet
Eleanor Rigby before she dies.

March 10, 2016

PHONE CALL

Rejected too many times, he crawled

into dark alleys - settling amongst the

plastic garbage bags… becoming

the sole possessor of himself -

becoming odder - someone who

used to be someone’s husband,

son, brother, father, all of the above -

and all of us screaming out on this cold

night. "Where are you? Call. Please call!"

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

March 9, 2016

NOT ENOUGH

What do I do when

I feel like

I’m not enough?

Well, that feels

better than feeling

like I’m nothing.

And both feel

better than thinking

I’m something else.

Especially when
I don't know when
I don't know enough.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

THE CHURCH

WITH THE RUNNING WATER

Once upon a time, down south, deep down south, a church building committee met to start planning for a new church building. For Sunday morning Mass, they were using a local restaurant for 9 years.

In the meanwhile they saved up a good bit of money for their future church.

Three big senior citizen villages took root in the area - with a good bit of Catholics in the mix. In the meanwhile that Sunday morning restaurant Mass was a bit crowded - even with a second Mass. It used to be just 10 AM. With this new schedule, 8 and 11:30 A.M., there was time for breakfast right there after each Mass. It was a win-win for the parish as well as for the restaurant.

Still a church of their own was the hope and the dream and the plan.

That night, the church building committee met in one of the homes of a parishioner. Their meeting began with a home mass. Surprise, surprise, it was on the 4^th Tuesday of Lent and the first reading talked about Ezekiel’s vision of the temple and lots of water [Cf. Ezekiel 49: 1-9, 12] . The gospel - from the 5^th chapter of John - talked about the healing water at the healing pool at Bethesda. This man who was a crippled for 38 years was healed by Jesus. [Cf. John 5:1-16]

“Why not build a church with running water inside?” was one of the first suggestions - with a laugh - as the meeting began.

“Yes,” said someone else. “I’ve always loved fountains in Malls - with benches off to the side. I’ve always wondered, “Why not for our church?”

Everyone became energized - saying, “Why not? Why not?”

The realists in the group - they weren’t all dreamers - said, “I don’t know. I think running water and ongoing splash would become a distraction during Mass.”

“Besides that,” said someone, “we have a lot of senior citizens in these 3 new developments in our area. Hearing that water during Mass, the ongoing flowing, even with hearing problems, obviously they would be saying, ‘Where’s the bathroom?’”

The pastor was a listener. He let people dream. Why not let folks put their minds and hearts into this project? They are paying for it. It’s their money. It’s their church. They will be here a long time after I’m gone.”

One dreamer said, “Let’s have a square church - with parking lots on all 4 sides - North, East, South and West - and 4 gates leading up to 4 entrances - with beautiful streams of water from the church building. We have this beautiful river right there on the side of the church - so we won’t need extra water - and we would be cleaning and clearing it up.”

Then this dreamer added, “As we heard in the today’s first reading from Ezekiel, we can also have beautiful fruit trees along the paths leading to and from the church - as Ezekiel has for the temple. And at the right season, parishioners can pick up fresh fruit. Neat.”

Next, looking at the gospel the pastor said, “I’ve always wanted to be in a church with total immersion - for baptism. This is our chance. We can have a beautiful baptism pool in the middle or the church - with flowing water.”

Someone added, “Why not let the children and the handicapped have access to some nice small pools just outside of church. Most of the year we have warm weather.”

And that’s what they did. They built a beautiful church - inside and out - with lots and lots of running clear water - fountains and pools.

In time people came from all over to see and to pray at this church. In time they built a replica of the baths of Lourdes, France, and they had healing services all through the year. Being down there, in the deep, deep south, they had lots of people who had arthritis and were in wheel chairs - and many said they felt much better after a Holy Bath. And at every healing service at the Lourdes Baths they would read the 5^th chapter of John - as well as do a renewal of Baptism vows.

And yes they built big bathrooms - near all 4th entrances to the church and no, there didn’t seem to have a more than normal rush for the rest rooms.

March 8, 2016

ANONYMITY

Teenage girls scream at the rock star -

with the name - with the albums - with

the posters - with the glistening guitar -

but then the tune changes and the rock

star at some point wants to hide under

a rock and just be at home - alone -

without a name - incognito - hiding

in a t-shirt inside his house - and hiding

behind sunglasses on the street - while

the anonymous loner on the street longs

for someone - just one person to know

him or her and to say, “Hello. Hi. Are you

okay today? What's going on with you?
Want to take a walk? What to chat?