3P Random Reflections Blog

A passage from "Barking to the Choir" written by Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries...

- - - When I taught at Loyola High School in Los Angeles in the late ’70s, after Sunday morning mass I’d grab a cup of coffee and sit in the living room on the second floor and read the LA Times. Peace, quiet, and feliz; it didn’t get better than that. One Sunday, I was sitting with my friend and Jesuit brother, Al Naucke. Both of us had our coffee and were silently turning the pages of the paper when the doorbell started to ring repeatedly. Initially, Al and I hid behind our papers, waiting it out. The doorbell rarely rang, but when it did, it was almost always some homeless person. Finally, Al, the way better man, quietly put down the paper. There was no annoyed sighing (though who would blame him?). Some ten minutes later he returned, sat down, took a sip of coffee, and resumed his reading. After a few beats I asked, without lowering the paper, “Well?” “Well what?” Al replied, not lowering his paper either. “Who was it?” From behind the sports section he said, “Jesus, in his least recognizable form.” - - -

I laughed out loud!

I love this story....

...It reminds me of the OKness of our humanity... that even a Jesuit, who's life is dedicated to the service of love and care for "the least of us", still needs some time to relax and be human instead of super-human

...It reminds me that divinity can be found anywhere, whenever I just have the eyes to see it

...It reminds me that when I'm in a state of irritation or judgment of "other", that I always have the potential to remember the "beautiful" in the human being who is the subject of my ire

...It reminds me that despite "knowing" at some level the miraculous in all life, my personal ego is still allowed plenty of moments to be beautifully, irritably, and judgmentally, oblivious to it

...It reminds me of the humanity and humility and humour and hilarity in the messiness of all of it

The next time I get all irritated and judgy, I wonder if I'll give myself a break, and I wonder if I'll relax and truly see and feel all of the incredible beauty, right in this moment, right in front of me, in whatever form it appears? And if I don't, I wonder if I'll be just as OK with the incredible beauty of that too?

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