“That They Should Know You” by Melanie Blaszczak, Fiat Ventures
Seventh Sunday of Easter
My family loves to watch baseball in the summer. I guess you could say I know a lot about baseball. I know that the 1927 Yankees were one of the greatest teams of all time. I know which players are having a good season so far this year. I certainly know the basics like, “three strikes, you’re out!” I know a lot about baseball. But do I know baseball? Well, not really. I’ve never played it except in the backyard. I don’t know what it’s like to make the decision to steal a base and I don’t know the feeling of hitting the game winning home run.
Sure, I know about baseball, but I don’t really know baseball. For a lot of us, the same could be said about God. We might know all about him, but do we really know him?
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.” For me, it doesn’t get any better than seeing people go from knowing about God to knowing God.
One such person was a homeless woman I met in college. I decided to stay after Mass in the Church to pray because I had a lot on my mind. As I was finishing up, I heard someone walk into Church but I didn’t turn around to see who it was. As I left the Church, I noticed this older woman, with torn, dirty clothes sitting in a pew. She looked like she slept outside for days and her face caught my attention. She was looking up at the cross, crying. I walked by feeling sorry for her, but as I got to the door I felt this voice inside me say, “you can’t leave her.” I knew I had to do something so I went to the bathroom and grabbed some tissues and went to talk to the woman. I introduced myself to her and gave her the tissues. I remember her name was Ronda and she told me how tough life was and how she felt like she needed to come in to Church and talk to God. I told her I would pray for her, and I did over the coming months. Then one day I ran into her again.
I saw her in Church after Mass, but this time I noticed she looked different. She looked like she had her joy restored! I went up to Ronda I told her how I prayed for her and she said that God has been doing incredible things in her life, that she wasn’t homeless anymore and she had a job. I was amazed and so happy for her and she said she had to come back to Church to thank God. Ronda also said that she thought about me too and she was hoping that she would run into me again. I left church that day so full wonder and amazement. A few months ago, this woman knew enough about God to stop into a Church and pray while going through a rough time, but now it was evident that she knew him. She had a friendship with him, and she was experiencing, already, this eternal life that Jesus talks about in the Gospel.
You might be reading this and thinking, “Wow, I don’t feel like I really know God, even though I know about him.” Well it’s not too late to get to know him! Start by praying a few minutes every day. Maybe you feel like you know him pretty well, and in that case, think about somebody in your life who could know him better. Jesus gives us this joy and life, and he asks us to share it with all those that the Father has given him in the world. So pass that joy along; you never know when you’ll meet a Ronda of your own!
