Friday, January 30, 2009

Once upon a time there was a little girl. We'll call her Beeps. Beeps was a mischievous little girl and liked to play jokes on her siblings - particularly her little brother, Super Sam. One day Beeps' mother went to lunch with the parish staff at their favorite Mexican restaurant. Beeps' mom liked to order the hot green peppers. The ones that burned both ends of the body. That particular day Beeps' mom came home with a doggie bag from Tachos. In it were half a wet burrito and some of the hot green peppers. Beeps loved Mexican food and asked if she could have the burrito. Beeps' mom said yes, but warned her not to eat the peppers because they were very hot. Beeps ate the burrito but left the peppers. In walks little Super Sam.

"Super Sam," said Beeps, "you should taste these yummy pickles."

Super Sam was a trusting little boy (although he was soon to learn the tough lessons of his position in the family as the youngest and the only boy) and he ate 2 of the "pickles." Super Sam's mom could hear the screaming from the other end of the house.

Fast forward to last night. Little Clayton and Claire ate dinner with us. We had McMoeggey Cheeseburgers. As Clayton will tell you, McMoeggey Cheeseburgers do not come with seeds on top of the bun, nor with the grand prize - pickles.

Now, Grandpa Buggabugg likes to eat hot peppers with his dinner. After dinner, Beeps, the mommy of Clayton and Claire, came to pick them up to take them home. Little Claire likes to eat. After putting on her boots, she took one last trip to the table. There she spied "pickles" on Grandpa Buggabugg's plate. Little Claire likes pickles and she didn't get any on her McMoeggey Cheeseburger. Before Grandma Buggabugg realized what little Claire was doing, little Claire had put a "pickle" in her mouth.

Ah, the sins of the mother are visited upon the daughter. Poor little Claire.

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Word of the day:
Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel
Mk 4:26-34

Jesus said to the crowds:
“This is how it is with the Kingdom of God;
it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land
and would sleep and rise night and day
and the seed would sprout and grow,
he knows not how.
Of its own accord the land yields fruit,
first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once,
for the harvest has come.”
He said,
“To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God,
or what parable can we use for it?
It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth.
But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the largest of plants
and puts forth large branches,
so that the birds of the sky can dwell in its shade.”
With many such parables
he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it.
Without parables he did not speak to them,
but to his own disciples he explained everything in private.


God bless our troops!

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