Dear Friends,

A water-bearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the mistress's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For two years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her master’s house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream: “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer. “Of what are you ashamed?” “I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your mistress's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in her compassion, she said, “As we return to the mistress’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wildflowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. “For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my mistress’s table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not have this beauty to grace her house.”

The moral of the story is simply: we each have our own unique flaws; in a word, we’re all cracked pots. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that often make our lives so very interesting and rewarding. They provide us with a drive to live a life worthy of the Creator’s Dream for each of us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says: “ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Of whom is He speaking? Commonly, I believe most people think that it is God; but, that would be erroneous because He explicitly says: “DO NOT BE AFRAID!” He then goes on to explain the value of sparrows in the eyes of God only to declare emphatically that each of us is worth more than a whole flock of sparrows! It is not God of whom we should be afraid; rather it is you for you and me for me who destroy both body and soul and cast ourselves into fiery Gehenna. Our choices in this world will determine our eternal life, for good or bad. If our personal choices are directed toward and by our Christian faith … we are choosing God. If not, then …?

God, the water-bearer knows our limitations and flaws, but will utilize them always for the good. When we give up; when we make excuses; when we fail to recognize our own worth and dignity … it is time to pause in prayer and refocus our attention on the Truth of in Whose image and likeness we were created; Whose sons and daughters we truly are and Whose Precious Blood was poured out for us and our salvation.

Be of good cheer and have a blessed week!

Msgr. Grous

Happy Father’s Day!

Too often these days, we read about the negative effects of the selfish choices made by men; not enough, however, do we hear about and remember the good and faithful men who, despite their limitations and failures, have strived to embrace the Fatherhood of God. Blessings on all our Dads!

Even Superman needs a Dad! (Liz Lemon Swindle)