April 2, 2022

Is being “a good little boy” really a long-term vision for life?  We are trained from a very early age to follow the rules and get the reward, to follow the rules and get the reward, to follow the rules and get the reward….all the way to our coffins!  But what’s the point of that?!  Jesus invites us at the very least to be risk-takers.  He tells the story of a father who has two sons (Lk 15:11-32):  The first son is a good little boy who follows all the rules but nevertheless ends up angry and unhappy at the conclusion of the story.  The second son recognizes a desire in his heart for something more than the rules and acts on it.  And while that desire initially comes out in an unexpected and destructive way, he continues to trust in the “something more” and eventually his desire gets worked out as he becomes a new person.  Let’s identify the places in our lives where the rules have just become a socially acceptable way to mask our fears.  Let’s be honest about our desire for more and act on it.  It is there, in the clumsiness and awkwardness of it all, that we shall find ourselves worthy companions of the sinners, tax-collectors, prostitutes and thieves (Mt 21:31, Lk 23:42) who have also taken a risk on God.  Ave Crux, Spes Unica.