Jabba Returns Home

FR. TERRY RYAN, CSP
Luke 15: 1-10
September 16, 2007

I went to live in a Trappist Monastery for four months this past summer. I left my friend, the dog Jabba, on May 15. She looked curiously at me as I packed my car. I heard that she was despondent for the first week that I was away. I wrote her twice from the monastery. Almost four months to the day, I walked back into the house. She came to the door quietly. Her tail wagged and she sniffed me. She stayed very close to me as I sat down to pet her. Usually she jumps up and is much more animated when someone comes to the door. I think that she was getting used to her lost friend being back home. This quiet bonding lasted for about two hours. Then Jabba wanted more attention. Back to work! She began to be a pest, jumping up onto me and walking between my legs as I walked. She wanted me to put her on the leash and go out running with her in the park and neighborhood. The simple bonding and being loved on was now moving to my being of service in her wants or needs. Jabba helps me to understand many things about the gospel and my relationship with God.

I love today's gospel. Jesus comes to eat with sinners. Sinners don't have to do anything to have Jesus come to them in friendship. He goes after the lost sheep. The lost coin is important. Sometimes I am lost and certainly sin. Jesus seems to love me and will search me out, just to be with me. This is like Jabba wanting to just sit with me. I like the gospels that say, “Come to me all you who are heavy burdened, and I will refresh you.” I don't have to do much but come. Heaven is happy when I repent. I seem to be repenting each day, only to fall back into some of the same old habits. Jesus seems to have unconditional love for me. This is an important aspect of our relationship with God. We need to know that God's love is given with no action on our part. Unless we can accept this kind of love, we cannot move onto more difficult aspects of the relationship with God.

We try to teach second-graders who want to receive First Communion these friendly sayings of Jesus. But there are other aspects of the Gospel for when people get older. “Sell all you have, give the proceeds to the poor, and come follow me.” “Take up your cross and follow me.” “Unless you lose your life you will not find it.” These are not First Communion lessons. But Jesus calls us eventually to move into the hard part of being Catholic. I like going to Communion. It is daily life that is hard. People can be difficult. Painful situations arise. There is sickness, death, betrayal, loss of job, etc. Jabba wants me to get up from what I want to do and take her for a walk — frequently. I want to be left alone to do what I want when I want, all too often. She calls me out of myself. Jesus calls his “friends” to discipleship, the hard part of the relationship. The eating of meals is comforting. But Jesus seems to want more. Some days it is very hard to keep focused on the discipleship part of the gospel. Jabba is a grace in my life to remind me of the selflessness needed to grow in relationship with her, and with God.