-
July 27, 2026We are presented with a gospel passage illuminating Jesus’ skill as a storyteller (a field, the fine pearl, a net full of fish) using parables to enter into peoples’ lives and imagination, into their hearts.
Madeleine L’Engle, the Christian author, authenticates the purpose behind Jesus’ shared stories/parables: “Stories make us more alive, more human, more courageous, more loving.” He taught through stories that would effectively bring us out of our doldrums, accept our mortality, sense a purpose beyond ourselves, and touch the grace of God’s unconditional love.And so it was with the different individuals on RAGBRAI who accepted our hospitality to stay at our parish before they started out toward Marshalltown on Wednesday morning. Within the conversations there were brief (and sometimes longer) stories of where they live, their backgrounds and of course, what drew them to ride across Iowa. One individual helping a group of riders from Minnesota explained his background and more specifically the death of his wife a couple years after forty some years of marriage. Still grappling with the loss he has found renewed meaning and purpose in his retirement years through photography. Always a hobby, he uses it now to capture elements of nature so often taken for granted or overlooked. He offers prints to others as a means of healing, of presence, of wonder who are seeking such in their lives. (I have one of his prints.)From time to time he will lead small groups on nature walks within parks or outdoor areas around his comunity, offering reflections on the aspects of nature. No different than volunteering to provide support for the riders during this week of RAGBRAI, his purposeful involvement in the lives of others is a way of connecting to the memory of his wife and their marriage. As he shared in the Sacrament of Marriage, he continues to share with others as an act of faith and vocation. I received a smile from the support driver of the Baptist church RAGBRAI riders from Missouri as he left for the next city, bidding me goodbye and saying,“I took one of the St. Christopher medals for the journey. ”
Following are three short parables/stories recorded in a Jesuit magazine emphasizing the potential of communicating that‘something more’as Jesus quite well understood.
Two parents and four boys make a small house feel like a sardine tin packed with firecrackers. I had my eye on a larger fixer-upper nearby. But despite its apparent practicality and my eagerness, my husband wasn’t enthused. I suggested a quick attempt at discernment: Pray one Hail Mary while imagining we had settled on each choice, buy or stay. We both felt God’s presence. The“Stay”prayer brought unwelcome but undeniable inner peace.“Buy”brought anxiety rather than excitement. I could only respond,“Thy will be done.”Our house is cramped and noisy, but we’ll stay for now. (J.Carney/Pennsylvania)
My sons and I were enjoying the wave pool at our local amusement park on a beautiful sunny day. There was the usual crowd of people—of different ages, from different neighborhoods and cultures—all enjoying the pool. I closed my eyes and was suddenly aware of the joyous cacophony. All the voices, screams and laughter of my siblings, my fellow children of God. I was awestruck, and with my eyes still shut, I smiled broadly, and I thanked God for that sudden grace of connection and awareness. (M. Whelehan/New York)
I invited my all-white classmates to Mass at my Black Catholic parish. During Mass, my friend nudged me,“Lee, we’re the only white people here.”I responded,“Frank, how do you think…”but before I could finish my statement, Frank added,“Lee, I never thought about you that way.”The experience helped him to see my struggles as the only Black kid in our classes. We had just had a class that taught we were made in the image and likeness of God. We saw that in one another more clearly now. (L. Baker/Louisiana)
As the Catholic journalist Malcolm Muggeridge reminds us, “Every happening, great and small, is a parable whereby God speaks to us, and the art of life is to get the message.” Through his parables/stories, Jesus intends for us to see beyond ourselves, to hear and listen from our heart. As the hundreds of bikers dipped their tires in the Mississippi at Dubuque I imagine each will take home their own unique story. And H.G. Wells provides assurance:
“Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.”
God Bless, Fr. Tim
FYI:“I thought of that while riding my bicycle.” (Albert Einstein)