“Back to the Storyboard?” by Brian Flanagan
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Last year, the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother” ended a nine-year run on TV. My favorite sitcom of all-time will always be “I Love Lucy”, but after devouring the first 7 seasons of “How I Met Your Mother” on Netflix and subsequently watching the 8th and 9th seasons on TV, it quickly became #2 on my all-time list.
For as many things on that show that were…shall we say not exactly a depiction of holiness and virtue, there were just as many scenes and storylines that beautifully portrayed the longings of the human heart. For those who are unfamiliar, the story is told in flashbacks as the Narrator tells his children the tale of how he met their mother.
This gave the show a unique twist: unlike most other sitcoms, this story begins with the end in mind (not only in the mind of the writers, but also of the audience). We didn’t know how or when, but sooner or later we knew that Ted (the main character) would finally meet The Mother. From the first episode, he was on a quest to find “The One” –a person to love, not just someone who completed requirements on a checklist.
Being a hopeless romantic, he believed she was out there and he held onto the hope of one day finding her. He knew she was The Mother before he even met her. From what I understand, even the casting team had this experience when casting The Mother. She walked in and did some auditions, and they knew.
For The Mother, meeting Ted was a bit more unexpected. She wasn’t on the same quest as he was, and was surprised that when she showed up in his life, he seemed to be expecting her.
Maybe you’ve stumbled into a retreat or a bible study or a friend brought you to Mass after having been away for a while. Maybe this has kick-started an unexpected journey of faith for you. Maybe you feel like now God has to go back to the storyboard with his team of writers to figure out how to write you into the story. Perhaps they can figure out a cameo or a small role for you to play.
But in the First Reading this week, God says “I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not.” Throughout the Old Testament in particular, God is always saying things to his people like, “before I formed you in the womb I knew you” and “I know well the plans I have for you”. He knew us before we knew him, and he loved us before we loved him.
So not only does God not have to scramble to fit you into the story, but in a sense you’re the title character everyone has been waiting for. You have a unique and unrepeatable role to play in the lives of those around you, showing them God’s love and mercy. The story wouldn’t be complete without you in it.
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