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Background:
Today’s passage is part of what is often called Jesus' “priestly
prayer” because he is picture as praying for his apostles, the first priests. While
it is legitimate to see the prayer in this fashion, it is a narrow interpretation, much
too narrow for John’s intent which was to reassure all those in the community for
which he was writing and not only its leaders. The apostles in this story represent the
whole community, everyone who is embraced by the love of Jesus and therefore by the love
of God. Jesus prays to the Father to take care of each one of his followers, to protect
them from evil, to perfect them in goodness, to promote their growth in grace. The Irish
blessing summarizes exactly the meaning of this prayer: “Until we meet again, may God
hold you all in the palm of his hand.” |
read the padre |
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Story: Once upon a time Mollie Whippy
discovered she had a real problem with the girls basketball team at Mother Mary High
School. Mollie, as everyone knows, was class president, student body president, captain of
the volleyball, basketball, and chess team, prefect of the sodality (they still had one at
her school) and had the best grades in her class. The president of the high school often
said that she was delighted that Mollie permitted her to remain in office. To which Mollie
goes, “like REALLY!” Well Mollie
did make mistakes. As her boy friend Joe goes, “she’s like occasionally in
error, but NEVER in doubt.” WELL, the
problem on the team was the poor kids that never played – the tenth, eleventh, and
twelfth players on a team which had only nine really good players. Well, pretty good. So
since the games were always close these other players never got in. And when Mother Mary
would win close games against schools like Lord Jesus high and all the crowd went wild and
hugged those who had played, they ignored the tenth and eleventh and twelfth players.
These young women were good sports and never complained, but one day Mollie noticed
how silent and sad they were down at the end of the bench. So she goes to the coach, we
have to do something about them. The coach didn’t understand (often times they
don’t, you know). If those girls played, they’d lose. Well, Mollie wanted to win
as much as anyone (maybe a tad more). But she didn’t like those sad faces on people
she liked a lot. So what did Mollie do? She organized a party at her house for all the
basketball team (Absolutely no BOYS permitted) and praised the tenth, eleventh, and
twelfth players for their hard work and good sportspersonship, and gave each of them a
totally neat blouse she had found at the mall. There was a lot of weeping and hugging. And
no more long faces. And Mollie goes to Joe, like we really have to take care totally of
everyone!
May Homilies:
3rd | 10th |
17th | 24th | 31st
Psalm 103:1-2,11-12,19-20 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy
name!
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