I'm a Wacko-Doomski

My friend Clem, who I breakfasted with every Saturday morning, thought some of my ideas and actions were extreme.  He saw my generous tips, heard stories of the poor I helped, and knew how I spent hours in the chapel and went to daily mass.  He was not one for long explanations, and so never asked why I did these things, because he knew: “I know why you did that, ‘cause you’re a wacko-doomski,” he said laughing.  I always liked his Italian laugh, and fun at my being a Polack.  Perhaps he was right in his assessment, but I know that I am not alone in my strange thoughts and actions.

The shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, … so they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.  (Lk2:15)    --- What stupid idiots!  They ought to be fired for leaving the sheep they were supposed to be watching.  Going to see a baby!  What kind of excuse is that for leaving work in the middle of your shift?  Dumbkofs!!

Going into the house, they (the Magi) saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage.  Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Mt2:10) --- And these are supposed to be “wise” men??  What a joke.  I suppose if they were around today, they’d be saying we should give babies a new car?  How dumb can these guys be, following a star and giving gold to a kid??

They took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord … and also to offer in sacrifice in accordance to the Law of the Lord.” --- Today is a feast day called the Presentation, and sometimes The Purification.  None of this makes sense!  Jesus is God, but they’re presenting Him to the Lord?  Mary was a virgin, yet she went through rites of purification?  Did the people who wrote this stuff think we’re idiots?

Prompted by the Spirit, he (Simeon) came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus … he took him into his arms and said ‘Now Master, you can let your servant go in peace, just as you promised; because my eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared for all nations to see, a light to enlighten the pagans.” (Lk2:35) --- Put that baby down right now!!  Why is Mary letting this nutcase hold her baby?  He was ‘prompted by the Spirit’?  Oh, I know what kind of spirits he was prompted by, picking up a strangers’ kid.

She (Anna) came by just at that moment and began to praise God, and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.  (LK2:38) --- Another one!  ‘She came by just at that moment’???  Sure she did; she knew how to spot some dummies to con.  Why does the Bible have stories about idiots?

I can understand why the Jewish people found some of this hard to swallow, especially the more intelligent ones.  To them, this didn’t make sense.  And later Jesus said to the rich man: “sell all you have and follow me.”  Who would do something so stupid?

I suspect there were lots of “Clems” around in Jesus’ day, calling Him and his followers wackos.

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But coincidently I read these words of explanation in my meditations last night:

“But, before entering the Temple to present Jesus, Mary wanted to submit to the law of legal purification.  Although she knew she was a virgin, she put herself on the level of all the other mothers and standing with them, humbly awaited her turn, carrying a pair of turtle-doves, the offering of the poor.  We see Jesus and Mary submitting themselves to laws by which they are not bound.  Jesus does not need to be redeemed, nor Mary purified.  These are lessons in humility and respect for the law of God.

There may be some laws by which we are bound and from which our pride by false pretexts seeks to exempt us.  Such dispensations are abuses sought in the name of rights which do not really exist.  Whereas Mary had no need to be purified, let us humble ourselves and acknowledge our extreme need of interior purification.”
                          --- Divine Intimacy, Meditation 371

And then, coincidently I read these words in the one chapter of the New Testament I read each morning:

“No one comprehends the thought of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit.
The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.  The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself judged by no one.  For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?  But we have the mind of Christ.”
                          --- 1Cor2:11-16

And coincidently I also went to Christ The King Church this morning (for the first time in a month) and heard Fr. Ed speak these words:

“One day I was driving in Pennsylvania when my car broke down.  I got it to a local service station where I complained to the man working on the vehicle: ‘Isn’t this always the way it is?  I’m in a hurry and this happens.  They don’t make cars like they used to.  Things break that never broke before.’  And I griped on and on. It was a relatively simple repair and soon I was on my way.  Then, I said a short prayer of thanks, but then I heard God speak to me: ‘You know, I put you with that service man because he desperately needed to hear some uplifting words of faith.’  But I was too stuck in my own worries.

Another time my motorcycle just stopped as I was out riding at 11PM.  I guess this time I did pray --- it WAS 11PM and very dark --- and a car quickly stopped behind me.  ‘Need help?  I live nearby and have a trailer.’  And as I rode with him, he happened to mention how he didn’t go to church anymore: ‘I’m Catholic and got divorced.’  After a couple of questions, I told him that just because he was divorced didn’t mean he couldn’t go to church.  ‘What do you know about Catholic teachings?’  And then I told him (Ta-Dah!) that I was a priest, and I know because it is my job to know.”

“When God puts roadblocks to our plans,” Fr Ed said, “We need to stop and ask if He has other plans for us, and be open to His responses.  Mother Teresa once visited a family in Minnesota.  The parents told their kids to leave Mother Teresa alone in her room to pray.  But Mother Teresa said: ‘And then I saw the door to my room slowly open, and a small hand holding a truck appeared.  And so, I played trucks with Jesus.’

We need to be open when Jesus speaks to us, through things and people He puts in our path.  Christ is present in every person we meet.  We need to search for Him; they are there for a reason.”

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Clem isn’t the only one who sometimes thinks of me as a wacko-doomski.  Some of my friends use more polite expressions, however, and they DO try to understand.  Very intelligent people, they’d like me to logically explain why I do some of the things I do, when there are more profitable, more fun things to do.  (They don’t understand, for instance, why I still have my Christmas lights up until today, which is the official end of the 40 days of the Christmas Season).  And I admit that for many things I do, there is no logical reason.  My friend Clem, with Alzheimer’s, is now in a senior care facility.  Perhaps that’s something that is in my future also --- perhaps soon.

But I find joy in knowing I have some friends that are as crazy as I am.  And I see something in them and they see something in me, which brings us a joy beyond all reason.

And, just as in Jesus’ day, it’s hard to explain.