Shiny

Once or twice a week I walk over to the school at 10^th and F Streets to pick up my grandson.

It takes me an easy ten minute walk to get over there.

But leading him on our journey home is never so quick or easy.

It's not that his six-year-old legs can't keep up.

It's because he wants to stop and inspect every piece of shiny junk he sees on the sidewalk.

Pick it up and put it in his pocket.

A bottle cap, a smooth pebble, a piece of gold or silver foil, a nail.

I tell him we don't want to bring all that junk home with us.

He tells me one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Last week he found a fancy earring with a dozen dangling cut-glass gems.

Reinforced with such a prize,

I don't imagine he'll be lifting his eyes from the sidewalk anytime soon.

And I can't blame him too much.

It's easy for all of us to be attracted to—and distracted by—shiny things.

Grown-up things.

A shiny new car.

A shiny new 60-inch TV.

A bright new house.

A bright new career opportunity.
Bright ideas on how to feel comfortable about ourselves and our lives. 

Some of those may be good things in themselves.
But all are distractions from what's most important in our journey.

All things that draw us to take our eyes off the true prize.

All things that can create such a glare that it becomes hard to focus on the true priorities.

We can easily become like that Pharisee in today's Gospel.

Dwelling on superficial things, and disregarding deeper things.

That Pharisee wasn't a particularly bad guy.

He invited Jesus into his home.

He was amazed that Jesus didn't follow the washing ritual.

He was probably shocked when Jesus told him he, a Pharisee, was the one on the wrong track.

We don't know if he accepted that correction or not—perhaps he did.

But, we can learn from that Pharisee's experience.

Learn to take a closer, deeper look at ourselves.

We all need encouragement and even a periodic course correction.

We can invite Jesus in and listen for his guidance.

If he has some criticism for us, we can take it in consolation.

Knowing that he's come to save us, not to condemn us.

He's come to lead us on our journey home.

To help us avoid being side-tracked by the glitter and the unimportant things.

Tuesday, 28th Week of  Ordinary Time

Lk 11:37-41        Read this Scripture @usccb.or