The Family Foundation Catholic Community Bulletin
Pauca Verba (a few words)
January continues to be pro-life month. Father Stephen’s observations: I’m in my 14th year here and have met and talked with many hundreds, I don’t know, maybe thousands of young people, all of whom in one way or another lament something about their lives: that life is awful at times, that life is difficult at times, that life is disappointing, that our lives are often full of mistakes and error, that life can be exhausting and painful. And in countless conversations-but always with those who have been adopted and for whom life contains particular sorrows, I’ve asked,”Would you prefer not to have been born? In this time of easy abortion-your mother could have been done with you in an afternoon?” Some kids will have a few moments to think on it, but no one has ever said, “I wish she aborted me.” Hmmmm. Each day, on average in our country alone, there are over 4000 abortions. Can you imagine what we’d hear if we first had to somehow obtain each baby’s permission before those thousands of abortions could take place! Some of us understand these things. And some of us don’t.
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Maybe when we were little the teacher said that she needed some special help and who would like to volunteer. Well, we waved our hands in the air, and bounced in our seats, and screamed out, “Me, Me, Me” to be recognized. Or an adult would say, “Who’d like to go to….” And a whole chorus of crazy-eager volunteers jumped to their feet. Can you imagine if our whole school assembled in the chapel and Jesus appeared and asked for help – to ask for volunteers – you know – for help with the things that are on his mind. Could he count on you?
When I was 8 years old my third grade class went to visit a real farm for a field trip. It was spring and the grass was green and the lambs had been born and when the bus drove onto the farm property (I was sitting by the window) the lambs were literally bouncing in the air. When the farmer took us over to the fence where the lambs and their mothers were he said to the whole class, “Who would like to hold a lamb?” The class went nuts screaming their desire and willingness. I was short and way in the back, but jumped so high, and with such excitement, the farmer called me up from the back and let me hold the little lamb. Fifty years later I still remember the thrill of that moment; the delight could have lasted forever. In fact, when I heard that last spring there was a new lamb on a local farm nearby I went to see and asked to hold the lamb to try to re-live that wonderful day from long ago.
That’s the kind of excitement I want to feel about Christ (Hmmmm, Jesus, AGNELLO – little lamb.) I want Jesus to count on me. I want Jesus to pick me out. I want to jump out of my skin to be near Jesus, to do his bidding. I want to savor forever the feeling of a warm friendship with Jesus! I want Jesus to be my source of delight, my over-the-top joy. Get it!
