I wrote this a couple of days ago, but didn’t get around to
posting it:
Last night I had dinner with some special friends. The conversation centered around the many
loving works they do, and their yearning to do even more! I was humbled in their presence, even as I thanked
God for blessing me with their friendship.
Later that night in the chapel, I read from a book titled
Behold He Comes. It contains daily
readings for Advent, meditations by Fr. Benedict Groeschel (a man I too called
a friend, and who while he lived also amazed me). And I read for yesterday’s meditation:
In Advent, Christ reminds us: “As
you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me (Mt
25:40). Make sure in Advent you make
special efforts and real sacrifices to help the poor … hands-on help.
The poor are all around you: the bedridden, the very infirm and elderly,
the mentally ill and lonely eccentrics, as well as the immense number of needy
people, found in our affluent society. …
How appalling! Ask the Lord to open your
eyes … that you may serve Him joyfully.
- -
- - - - - - - -
I woke early this morning to make one of my final Christmas
present drop-offs, to the mother of one of my Godchilden. (The Godchild is in college, and only the
Lord knows if our paths will cross over this holiday break.)
As I then drove to the coffee shop for my Friday morning
Bible Study, an idea came to me, which I really didn’t mull upon. Arriving just as the store opened, I was the
first customer. I asked the manager, who
was waiting on me: “Can you count to 10?”
“Yes,” she said, puzzled at my question.
And then I told her: “Good, take my credit card and tell the first 10
customers: ‘Merry Christmas; your breakfast is on us.’” She thanked me and said she would do as I
requested --- and told me my coffee was free.
As the Bible Study guys arrived, they said “Thank you, Tom,
for buying my breakfast.” The store
manager apparently didn’t hear my instructions well. I wanted no thanks. Then strangers started coming over and
asking: “Who bought my breakfast?” and the Bible Study guys pointed at me. It was getting embarrassing --- and, I
noticed, the count was getting considerably over 10. I thought about going to the counter and
asking for my card back, but I said to myself: “Lord, I trust in You.” Perhaps He had His reasons. Later the manager came by and, handing me my
card, quietly said: “Here are the receipts for the 10 breakfasts you bought;
this was a good idea. Thank you.” Obviously, she had bought at least 10 also.
The Bible Study was focused on sin and grace --- but most of
the talk focused on Christmas, and upcoming Christmas gatherings. Almost to a man, the talk was about “my dysfunctional
family” --- this brother or sister or child, who does this thing, or who can’t
forgive, or who they just can’t seem to bring to Christ. I made attempts to deflect all the negative
talk, but it was only when the discussion leader spoke about Jesus’ family that
we got back on topic. “Look at the
beginning of Matthew’s gospel, and all the ‘begats’ there, the 42 generations
of the family of Jesus,” he said. And he
described the many sins of those people, as documented in the Bible. “Talk about a dysfunctional family history,”
he said. “Jesus was probably embarrassed
to mention His family.”
But then a later passage was cited, where Jesus said: “Who
are my mother and brothers?” And Jesus
told them that His family were those who loved their neighbor. Someone pointed out that Jesus regularly ate
with sinners, that He was even invited by sinners to eat with them. “What do you suppose those dinner conversations
were about?” Were the dinners spent
criticizing one another? If that were
true, the invites would have dried up quickly.
No, the conversations surely had a heavy focus on the good things these
sinners were doing, the things they all had in common, and could celebrate.
Certainly, the Christmas dinner table, OUR Christmas dinner
tables, should be a place where the good of the family is celebrated, those
good memories of times and events. No
sinner is all bad; there is much good in even the worst in our families. And those good conversations over Christmas
dinner may spawn conversations at a later date, where differences can be calmly
discussed.
It came to me, and I concluded the conversations, with an
insight on what I had been led to do this morning: “I felt compelled to buy
breakfast for 10 people, perhaps strangers.
Maybe some of those people were sinners; maybe some of them were rich
people who didn’t need my generosity. I
loved them anyway. This is what Jesus is
telling us to do, a way to celebrate His birthday, with HIS family.
And then one of the guys wrapped up the conversation: “Well,”
he said while raising his hand, “I can attest to the fact that you bought
breakfast for at least one sinner here.”
And with that we concluded our time together in prayer, and
thanksgiving. And wished each other a
very Merry Christmas --- as I wish you.
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