Fr. Bob’s Weekly Reflections

Today the Church celebrates All Souls Day, a time to pray for those who have gone before us in faith. St. Paul reminds us that after death comes judgment.

In 1967, a book was published titled, “I’m OK, You’re OK.” It sold hundreds of thousands of copies and became very popular. It stayed on the bestseller list for months. Why did it cause such a stir? After all, the author wasn’t revealing anything we didn’t already know. So why did so many people feel compelled to read it?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus introduces us to two strikingly different characters: a powerful judge and a powerless widow. The contrast could not be sharper.

There is a certain irony, and even tragedy, in our Gospel story today. We have 10 lepers: nine Jews and one Samaritan. The Samaritan was the odd man out. Unwelcome in Jerusalem, unwelcome in the Temple.

My friends, imagine for a moment stepping into a time machine and traveling back to the historic year of 1776, holding a copy of a morning newspaper from our own time. Now, picture the people of that time trying to read it. How much would they understand?

In 1950, Albert Schweitzer was named “Man of the Century” during a gathering with representatives from 17 different countries. Just two years later, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Years ago, I read about a priest who was leading a retreat in a federal prison in the South. One of his talks focused on Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness.

Today is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but I’d like to turn our attention to a deeper celebration today: the Feast of the Triumph of the Holy Cross.

In the 1960s, a man named Gale Sayers played for the Chicago Bears football team. He is remembered as one of the greatest players in professional football history. Around his neck, he always wore a gold medal – about the size of a silver dollar – with three simple words engraved on it: “I Am Third.”

Many will remember the famed Miami Dolphins football coach, Don Shula. Years ago, he and his family took a vacation in northern Maine. One rainy afternoon, they decided to go see a movie.

A young man named Chris once wrote a letter to a priest. He told the priest he could use the letter any way he wished. In the letter, he described how he was one of the top swimmers in Canada. Life was good. But one day, his friends talked him into experimenting with drugs.

Some time ago, a newspaper columnist shared a story about an important moment in his early life. Long before he became a writer, he served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force, bunking with 30 other men during his training. On his very first night, he faced a personal dilemma.

I once read a story about a man from a small town in Alabama who had become quite wealthy. Wanting to make a difference, he began giving his money away. He first made a generous donation to his church. He then donated land and funded the construction of a children’s playground. Finally, through a grant, he offered several million dollars to upgrade a local hospital.

In 1923, a notable meeting took place at the Edgewater Hotel in Chicago. In attendance were some of the most powerful men in America: the president of the largest steel company, the president of the largest gas company, the president of the New York Stock Exchange, one of Wall Street’s most influential investors, and even a member of President Warren G. Harding’s cabinet.

Many years ago, a remarkable psychiatrist named Karl Menninger wrote a book titled, “Whatever Became of Sin?” In one chapter, he boldly quoted the First Letter of John: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”