By Rachael Flanagan, Fiat Ventures
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
My husband and I took our kids to Legoland last week. We had never been there before and didn’t know what to expect, other than throngs of kids and parents thrusting out their phones to take the perfect pictures and videos to post on their Insta. That part turned out to be accurate.
As we entered into the brightly colored pixelated landscape, I prayed the prayer: “God, I’m available.” I’m available if you want to use me to help someone today, or for whatever purpose you have in mind… I got the idea for that prayer from a nun who said it was a dangerous prayer, because you never know what is going to happen. Secretly, I hoped God would use me to help find a lost kid because it’s not unusual for kids to get lost in a big place like this. And as God would have it (and probably because I prayed the dangerous prayer), God threw me a bone later that afternoon. I was strolling our sleeping baby around in circles whilst my husband and 2 older kids persevered in an outrageously long line for a boat ride that would later break down, I heard a small voice: “Mama? Mama?” I saw the 5 year old boy with cheeks glowing red under the hot sun, bobbing about in a lego photo-opp car. I think God in Heaven was saying, “Okay, there are 528 people in this exact area who can help find this lost kid, but since Rachael asked for it, I’ll give it to her.”
“Are you looking for your mommy?” I asked. “Uh-huh” replied the worried boy, squirming around looking for his mother’s familiar face in the crowd. “What’s your mommy’s name?” “Mommy.” He replied, unhelpfully. “Okay, I’m a mommy too and I’ll help you find her.”
15 minutes, a couple of park rangers and radio buzzes later, Mommy and son were reunited through many tears.
In the Gospel today, Jesus sends the apostles out two by two, to go out into the various cities and proclaim the kingdom of God is at hand, and to do incredible things to prove it. He tells them, “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.” I bet the apostles looked at each other incredulously, wondering the same thought – we can do that stuff?? I bet they struggled to believe that God was going to work such incredible things through themselves. They might not have believed in their own abilities, but when they trusted that Jesus knew what he was doing and they just went out and tried, they (and all who witnessed their acts) were amazed. The apostles did indeed cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and drive out demons.
Jesus is sending us out, too. God might not choose to use us to raise the dead, but he might choose to use us to raise someone from their loneliness – if only we make ourselves available. Or give hope to the hopeless, or cheer someone up who’s been having a rough time. Or find a lost kid. This summer as you venture out with family to your vacation destinations or hit the gym for your preseason conditioning – literally wherever you find yourself – I dare you to pray the dangerous prayer, “God, I’m available” and then pay attention to the opportunities he puts in front of you. I bet you’ll experience some meaningful moments, whether you find yourself helping someone in need, or just striking up a conversation with an old man in the frozen pizza aisle and end up being blessed to hear his crazy stories about being a kid during WWII. The Kingdom of God is at hand, and you are part of it. God gave you unique gifts and gives you power to reflect his light in the dark places in this world, so get to work. Be bold! Be audacious in putting yourself out there – don’t be afraid to take the initiative in reaching out to others. So, cure the “sick!” Hug some “lepers!” And if you happen to be a priest reading this blog who’s been appointed by the diocese as an exorcist – heck yeah – cast out some demons!