Sunday - November 23, 2008

 requiem

Appropriately, the gospel reading of the day was from Matthew.  Beginning with Verse 31 he talks about the judgement day, and yes, I refrained from breaking into song after the sheep to the right, goats to the left bit.  I didn't even crack a grin before that silly Cake tune faded from my head and I wondered about my friend, named for the gospel writer, who died yesterday.

Was he a sheep?  He sure wasn't a "follower" by any means - he marched to his own drum, did his own thinking and listened to his own heart.  And his heart was true.  Or was he a "goat"?  He was more than a wee bit wild.

Goats, yeh... just as I was contemplating what to do with the two logs of goat cheese I bought at Costco this week (what a deal!), I noticed Matthew diving into details about those "sheep" that are destined to inherit The Kingdom, and surprise!  He doesn't say anything about attending services and following rules.  Whew.  

No, this is what you have to do to make the A-list:

"For I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me to drink. I was an outcast and you took me in.  I was naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me."

Which of course, launched another tune in my head... and a memory of some hairy hippie priest at St. Joe's (what the heck was his name?) a million years ago (really, it was the 60's) strumming his guitar and leading the song "Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto Me."

And basically, that's it.  Isn't that what Jesus said in a nutshell anyway?  The Word Made Flesh declared that no one enters the kingdom of heaven except through Him.  And when pressed, He swore that most important of all was to

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."  And "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Dude, respect my Me and all my stuff, show some love to my people.  Word.

Knowing the person for which I'm praying had a deep respect for his maker and a sensitive spirit toward his fellow people,  I was ready to send up my requiem prayer; 

Hey up there wherever, welcome this guy Matt.  I don't know if he's been talking to you or not lately, but I know you're really gonna like him. He's definitely one of the good guys and he'll have you laughing in minutes, I swear.