Sunday Gospel.

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The important things in life.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty jar and started to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He asked once again if the jar was full and they agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. So he asked once more if the jar was full. The students laughed and replied 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

'Now,' said the professor, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.'

'The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.'

'The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.'

'The sand is everything else - The small stuff. '

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.'

'If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your life and your happiness. Spend time in prayer. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner ... and so on. '

'There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.'

'Take care of the golf balls first ... The things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Drum.

I really like to beat the drum. The very big drum you carry with you when marching in a band. Great banging sound!

I sang Christmas Carols with the church choir last year. They didn’t like my rendition of “Silent Night” on the big drum.

I also find the big drum helps me tell the time.

When I wake up in the middle of the night and I can’t find my watch I just open the window and bang on my big drum.

Someone is sure to shout “Who’s the idiot banging a drum at three in the morning?”

Father Ignatius makes a discovery.

There are times when a light turns on in your head and you see something clearly for the first time and understand something new you’d never realized before.

Father Ignatius was a studious type of person spending many hours reading the Bible as well as many books on theology, ancient history and similar subjects which would soon send any lesser head spinning widely.

One evening he retired to the room he called “my meditation corner” and after reciting the Rosary he started reading the Bible and cross-referencing certain passages with other books to better understand what God is teaching through His Word.

One passage in particular caught his interest. After Christ’s death and burial, we are told that Mary Magdalene visited the tomb and found the stone rolled away from the entrance. She ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple and told them what she had seen. Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb. When Simon Peter got in and went inside he noticed the linen wrappings lying there, but the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded and lying to the side.

There it was, in the Gospel of John Chapter 20 Verse 7.

Father Ignatius puzzled about this for a moment or two. He’d read that chapter many times and nothing specific occurred to him. But this time, as if a small voice buzzing in his head, he kept wondering the significance of what he had read.

“Why are we told that the cloth which covered Jesus’ head was folded and lying to the side? What’s so important about that?” Father Ignatius asked himself.

Yet somehow, John thought it important enough to mention it. Why?

Father Ignatius checked the other three Gospels but they did not mention this fact. “But why did John consider it so significant to point it out” he wondered silently.

After hours of searching other books and checking on ancient traditions he came upon something he’d never known before.

In ancient Hebrew tradition the folded napkin was symbolic between the master of the house and his servant.

When the servant set the dinner table he made sure that everything was perfectly set out as the master wished and then he would wait out of sight until the master finished eating.

The servant would not clear the table until the master had finished.

When the master finished his meal he would wipe his fingers and mouth with the napkin and then toss the napkin on the table.

The servant would then clear the table, because in those days a tossed napkin meant “I’ve finished.”

However … and this is the significant bit which Father Ignatius discovered for himself, if the master left the table but neatly folded the napkin and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not touch the table.

Because the folded napkin meant “I’m coming back!”



“He’s coming back …” mumbled Father Ignatius in wonderment.

That’s what John was trying to tell us in his Gospel.

Stations of the Cross

Not one of us ...

John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us."

Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward". Mark 9:38-41.

I suppose it is in our human nature to say that someone does not belong to us because he does not believe what we believe.

What Jesus is teaching us here is that if we truly believe in Him, the Son of God, then we can’t possibly be against Him.

Yet, two thousand years later we still differentiate between our denomination and that of others. We say that we believe in this, and they believe in that. We know we are right, and they must be wrong because …

Instead of rejoicing in what unites us, we waste time arguing and debating on what divides us.

Jesus also said: “In my Father’s house are many rooms …” John 14:2.

I’ve just realized why. It is to put each denomination in a separate room so He can have some peace and quiet without our incessant arguing.

Lord I hope this day is good.

Father Francis Maple

Imagine.

Father Francis Maple

WHY I LOVE JESUS.

I have been tagged by Mary for a meme called Why I love Jesus.

The rules for this meme are:

- Those tagged will share 5 things they "love" about Jesus

- Those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers

- Those tagged will provide a link to those they have tagged as well as the originator of the tag; to encourage others to visit them.

Now this is a great idea because as a Christian community we should encourage each other and visit each others' Blogs if only to say "Hello". I know we don't always have something to say in the comments box; but just "Hello" would encourage Bloggers in that they know they have been visited and their efforts appreciated.

OK here goes. This is a list of the Blogs I would invite you to visit starting with Mary plus five more. Just click on their names below to visit them:

Mary   Sarah   Karinann   Daily Grace   Michael    and Tracy.

I'm sorry they're not in alphabetical order, or any order for that matter. Blame it on a wasted education !!!

And now here are my reasons "Why I love Jesus".   

Jesus is the Son of God and He visited us here on earth as a human being, to share our humanity, to live amongst us, to listen to us and to teach us.

Whilst here He healed many people and raised them from the dead. He was all-powerful and all He had to do is think it, or click His fingers, and a person would be healed. But He did not do that. He took time to talk to the sick, the poor and the destitute. He touched them and they were healed or raised back to life. He took time to visit them in their homes and showed love and pity for them.

He was above all obedient. He obeyed His mother at the wedding in Cana and ultimately He obeyed His Father on the Cross.

Although He knew from a very early age what was to happen to Him, and the very thought must have tortured His mind many times throughout His life; He still accepted His destiny and died for us in a most cruel way.

He was then raised from the dead and as He ascended to Heaven He promised to be with us always, to the end of time. He is here with us right now. Only a prayer away. If we believe in Him and trust Him.

Father Ignatius learns a lesson.

Father Ignatius had an old radio which, despite its age, was in good working order. He really didn’t need it anymore because a kind parishioner had given him a newer model. So he asked around if anyone wanted it.

Mrs Davenport, his housekeeper, turned down his generous offer. She had no need of another radio in her home.

He asked a few parishioners whom he knew were too poor to own a radio but they said they didn’t need one.

So he put a little notice in the weekly Church Newsletter and … three weeks later, there were still no takers for this free radio seeking a good home with someone, somewhere.

On a sunny summer afternoon Father Ignatius put a small table at the end of the church’s car park, just by the gate, on the sidewalk. On the table he placed the old radio and a sign which read: “This radio is yours for FREE. Help yourself.”

He then went to his office on the first floor of Parish House and got on with some work. Every so often he looked out of the window and there, on the table, was the poor radio waiting to be taken away.

A few passers-by stopped, looked at the radio, some picked it up to see if it was broken, then they placed it back on the table and walked away.

An hour later and the radio was still there even though some fifty people must have passed by.

“Perhaps people can’t believe such a beautiful item is given away free!” thought the priest.

So he went out to the table, took away the notice and put another one saying: “Radio for sale. Only £10. Please call at the Parish House to pay.”

He thought to himself as he went back to his office, “If anyone offers to buy it I’ll give it to them for free!”

Moments later he looked out of the window and the radio was still there. Some people picked it up, examined it for a while, and then put it back again on the table and left.

The priest was about to give up when he noticed two youngsters approach the table.

“They look interested!” he thought.

They picked up the radio, examined it carefully, looked around to see if anyone was watching them, then ran away with the radio in hand.

Father Ignatius turned back into his office and looked at the large Crucifix hanging on the wall and said: “I don’t know about You … but sometimes I despair with the human race!”

How to enter Heaven.

A man dies and arrives at the Gates of Heaven where he meets St Peter.

“Hello there …” says the Saint, “welcome to your final destination. You’ll like it here … it’s all about love. Can you spell love?”

“L … O … V … E …” says the man.

“That’s great,” replies St Peter with a smile, “you can come in!”

At this point the telephone rings and St Peter answers it. After a while he says to the new arrival:

“You’ll have to excuse me a minute … there’s something I have to attend to … it’s those Catholics … they’ve lit all the incense and set off the fire alarms … and they keep arguing about which type of Mass is best … I have to go and sort them out!

“Can you stay here at the Gates for a while until I return?”

Moments later a woman arrives at the Gates and the man recognizes his wife.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, “you’re quick to follow me … I haven’t even had time to Rest In Peace and here you are following me …”

“Well … yes …” she mumbles, “after your funeral … the hearse was speeding to the pub and it got off the road … and here I am …”

“Oh …” he replies, remembering a lifetime of nagging.

“What’s it like here?” she asks her husband, “does it need re-decorating? I've seen some lovely wallpaper ..."

He raises his eyebrows and says nothing.

"Don't be like that ..." she goes on, "is it easy to get in Heaven?”

“Very easy …” he replies, “this fellow, Peter, is very easy going … all you have to do is spell a word and you’re in …”

“That’s great …” she smiles enthusiastically.

“Can you spell Rachmaninoff?”


Ha … That’s a good one. I’ve never heard this joke before!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: If God had not meant us to laugh He would not have created the "dolphins" within us which are released when we laugh, and they tickle us from the inside, and make us laugh more! Dolphins are good for our health.