He Died…Holding Some Cheese

I was on my way home from a very successful evangelization effort on the west side of Toronto.

Old spiritual wounds were healed…

…people were finding hope again and renewed strength to carry out their missions as baptized and confirmed Catholics.

But as the drive became longer and longer, my mind gradually gave more attention to my stomach.

Yes, the changed lives and the tears gave me much to ponder…

…but I found that I wanted to ponder something more instead.

I had brought with me a LARGE piece of cheese to nibble on the way, and so I happily began to grope around in the bag beside me.

The effort to find it seemed difficult enough, and there was a moment…

…just a brief one…

…when I had almost concluded that the search and rescue of the fine mozzarella was not worth it.

THANKFULLY

After ten minutes of trying, I had the cheese safely in my hands.

All was right with the world then…until I noticed the wrapper.

And so the fight began.

With my teeth and then with a pen.

I wanted my cheese, and that was all.

It was then…

…in that struggle…

…that my car veered a little bit over the line into oncoming traffic.

AND IT WAS THEN

…that my guardian angel shouted:

“Drop the cheese!”

Yes, I know.

I almost lost everything that I love..

…my wife Kyla, my children, my friends and family…

…I almost gave it all away for a piece of cheese.

BUT I AM NOT UNIQUE

There are people right now who can’t grab ahold of the Gospel because their hands are too tightly grabbing at success.

There are Catholics who…

…right now in fact…

…have decided against talking to their neighbour about the Faith…

…because they are struggling for that neighbour’s respect instead.

If we have learned anything from the last couple of weeks, we could at least say this:

…that the world is in desperate need of the Good News.

But we…

…the baptised and confirmed…

…the ones with the message that can heal everything…

…well we are too busy grabbing at cheese.

Let it go and get back in your lane.

We have a long road ahead of us.

Stay hopeful my friends,

in Christ, patrick

#cheese #death #evangelization #gospel