The Holy Cows, By Rick Stevens, Fiat Ventures

15^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

This summer I had the opportunity to help out at a Catholic Summer Camp for two weeks.  The camp hosted about 60 participants who were split up into groups of 10-12, each led by an adult facilitator.  One of the first activities the groups did was choosing a team name, designing a team poster, and coming up with a team cheer.

In addition to icebreaker games and talks, the groups are pitted against each other every day in friendly competition with a running score kept throughout the two weeks.  The kids are left to their own devices to figure out how best to compete with the adults merely observing the action.  The groups that are the most successful are always those where one participant assumed the role of leader and rallies the rest of the team around them.

After the third day of the competition, one group (The Holy Cows) was pulling away with the lead when disaster stuck.  Their de facto leader, Lily, fell victim to a stomach virus and was absent.  The group immediately struggled, forgot their cheer and its hand motions, and lost their way.  With nowhere to turn, they quickly fell in the standings.

This is often what happens in our lives. We count on someone or something too heavily and are left disappointed or let down.  While it’s ok to have human role models, we have to realize that role models are human and prone to making mistakes or simply not able to be there for us all the time.

In today’s second reading, we are reminded that it is Jesus who should be the central figure in our lives to rally around. He is the leader who has made order from the very beginning and keeps order today.  The Alpha and Omega – the beginning and the end. And while it’s easy to think of images of Jesus walking around Galilee teaching and performing miracles, we have to remember too that he’s the Son of God.  The Son of God is the second person of the Trinity who was “born of the Father before all ages.”  “Through him all things were made” way before that first Christmas when he was born.

Jesus has always been there since before the beginning of time, he’ll always be there for us.  Our human leaders and role models might let us down, but Jesus never will.  He modeled for us the best way to live, and through the Holy Spirit he leads us and guides us.

Fortunately, Lizzie got better quickly, and by the end of the camp, the Holy Cows were able to edge out the Cool Catholic Crew to win it all.  I guess you could say having her back gave them that extra…MOO-tivation…