GIGI

[The following is  a  story for this morning’s Children’s Mass.  The readings were from the 7^th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The 1^st Graders did the readings and the prayers and brought the gifts up to the altar. The theme chosen for the Mass was: Fill Our World With Love.]

Once upon a time there was this really neat dog - a Chocolate Labrador Retriever - named, “Gigi!”

Now, everybody loved Gigi. Everybody! She was THE perfect dog.

Her owner - believe it or not - was a first grader named Patricia - but nobody called her Patricia.  Everyone called her “Patsy!”

Patsy and Gigi - went everywhere together - except when Patsy had to go to school.

Luckily Patsy’s mom and dad - and Patsy - an only child  - lived just two streets away from Patsy’s school.

Well, sometimes Gigi got bored or lonely - or was really missing Patsy, so she would slip out of the back yard and walk the 2 streets to Patsy’s school.

Gigi  would  then park herself - on the other side of the fence that surrounded the playground that was right next to the school. Gigi would sit down in a nice comfortable spot under her favorite tree. Then she would bark just one bark - one simple solitary bark - to let Patsy know she was there.

At first - during recess - the teachers didn’t like it that a dog was sitting there - just sitting there - all alone on the other side of the fence. The dog was not doing anything - except  making sure Patsy was all right - and letting Patsy know she was there and she was missing her.  

Of course, right away Patsy’s good friend Jeannette, told the teacher not to worry or call the police - about the dog.  Jeannette  simply said, “That’s Gigi. She’s Patsy’s best friend and the sweetest dog in the whole wide world.”

Then Jeannette added, “You gotta love her!”

Now if you knew this dog, it would come as no surprise, that Gigi was soon invited into the playground with the kids and the teachers. Everyone loved to hang around this neat Chocolate Labrador Retriever - named “Gigi”.

This dog was not stupid. The more people who knew her - the more treats she got - and as  anyone who knows Labrador’s, they know Labradors  love to eat - and they can put on weight and become really big dogs.

Of course Gigi wasn’t worried about weight - she was worried about treats and making sure Patsy was okay.

Gigi knew her priorities: Patsy and food, food and Patsy.

Now what none of you know - is the amazing story - history - of this dog and her owner Patsy.

So here’s the rest of the story ….

Gigi wasn’t always called Gigi.

She was called “Dog” - and her owners had two dogs in a rundown part of town - and the other dog they had was also called, “Dog!”

The family kept both dogs in a fenced in yard - in the back of the house - never taking them for walks or giving them treats or what have you.

The family was a mom and a dad and 3 teen age boys. And these three boys were always getting into trouble in school and in the neighborhood.

Whenever their parents or teachers or the police gave these 3 boys a correction or a yelling at, they would often take it out on their 2 dogs - especially the Chocolate Labrador Retriever. They would kick her. They would make fun of “Dog”.

Dog 1 and Dog 2 were tied by  leashes to a tree. It’s then the 3 boys would hit the dogs  with sticks and throw rocks at them.

Well Dog 1 - a mutt - cowered - and became quite quiet. He would just sit there - whenever possible - to avoid the sticks and stones.

Dog 2 - the Chocolate Labrador Retriever reacted differently. She growled. She growled every time the boys were mean to her. As a result, somewhere along the line, they changed her name to just that, “Growl!” - especially because she would go, “Grrrrrr!” to the boys and show her teeth.

Well “Growl” growled so much - especially in the middle of the night - that the neighbors would call the police - who would come - and shine flashlights in the night on “Growl” till she would quiet down.

Well, one night Growl was growling so much that the police woke up the owners and told them they have to quiet down their dog.

At that the father of the 3 teen age boys said to the police, “If you want her, you can have her.”

And the police wrote that down in one of those small spiral pads they keep in their shirt pockets.

The next day the people from the Animal Shelter were there to take the Chocolate Labrador away.  On the way out, they asked the 3 boys, “What’s the dog’s name?”  And all three said together with a grrrrrrr, “Growl.”

Well, that put Growl in her new home - the Animal Shelter.

There - instead of growling - she would sulk and hide in the back of her cage.

One of the attendants said, “I wouldn’t call her “Growl”. I’d call her “Grudge.”  She looks like so  angry with the whole world.

If the attendant at the Animal Shelter  only knew about those three boys and how they treated Growl, he would know say, “No wonder she spends her time in the back of her cage.”

Well, people would come to the Animal Shelter - to look at possible dogs to bring home and care for.

But when visitors saw the face and the look of Chocolate Labrador Retriever - nobody wanted her. She always looked so, so, so sad.

By her own behavior and her own action - she herself changed her name from Dog to Growl and now to Grudge.

Then the day came when Patsy appeared. She came to the shelter with her dad.  Mom and dad kept trying to have kids and they were not coming. They tried to adopt, but they found out that was too expensive. So they decided to get a dog for Patsy.

As soon as Patsy saw the Chocolate Labrador Retriever she fell in love with her at first sight.

The attendant said, “Little Girl, you don’t want this dog. Her name is Grudge. Look at how sad she looks. And we heard her name before that was Growl. So would you want a dog named Growl or Grudge?”

And Patsy said, “Of course I want her - and her new name will be Gigi - a combination of those two G’s - Growl and Grudge.”

Patsy knew big words.

And that’s how Gigi got her name.

Now, how did she become such a neat dog? That’s obvious. Patsy gave her dog a lot of love.

Her grandma - who came every Sunday afternoon for dinner - after her husband, Patsy’s grandfather died, upon seeing Gigi for the first time said, “Patsy…. That’s a Chocolate Labrador Retriever. They are wonderful dogs. Make sure you give her lots of love and she’ll give you lots of love in return.”

Then her grandma paused for a moment - and then said, “Love and niceness always works with dogs, too bad it doesn’t always work with people.”

Then her grandmother paused again.

Then she said, “Well,” as Jesus said, “Love your enemies. Go the extra mile. Turn the other cheek.”

Then looking at Gigi - and hearing where her name came from, Patsy’s grandmother concluded, “Practicing Jesus’ words would surely help people move from growls and grudges to lots of love. Amen.”