F.U.N. (Faith Up Now!): Cross-eyed
Children’s Talk:
Bet you can’t do this!” Karl challenged Bryan.
“I can, but my mommy sez that it’s bad to cross your eyes!”
Bryan corrected him.
“…and why so?” a surprised Karl uncrossed his eyes.
“’Coz your eyes might not go back to normal!” Bryan warned him.
“Not true!” Karl contested him.
“But my mom won’t tell a lie,” Bryan defended himself.
“My dad sez it’s cool ‘coz you see more by seeing double!”
“You mean your dad crosses his eyes too?” Bryan asked.
“Yup! And he jokes with us a lot when he points at our doubles,” Karl giggled.
“Then mom must have meant somethin’ else,” Bryan wondered.
* * *
Adult Talk:
A man attentively observed the corpulent priest praying after Holy Mass in the front pew.
He saw that there was nothing really unique in the way the priest was praying. But he felt attracted to something more, something about how he conversed with God.
Unable to contain his curiosity, he approached the priest. “Good morning Fr. Thomas,” he cordially greeted the priest.
“Yes, my son, what is it that you wish?” the priest gave him a very reassuring fatherly smile.
“Oh, nothing, really…, Father, eh…ah…, I don’t mean to be rude, but I was just wondering….I hope I’m not interrupting you….”
“My son, it’s alright, how may I help you?” the priest offered him to sit down.
“Thank you, Father. I have recently come back to the Church. I have been trying my best to get closer to God, but I don’t seem to be making much progress.”
“…and…?” the priest patiently listened.
“Well, I saw… like how you prayed, and I wondered if you could recommend a book I could read. That way, perhaps…, I can learn how to pray as you do,” the man explained.
“My son, you really need not worry too much about that. Each person prays in his own way. What is required is his faith, constancy and sincerity in conversing with the Lord.”
“But Father, if I may say so, you seem to have it so easy.”
“Neither was it easy when I started. Back then I was just like you when I began taking my spiritual life seriously.”
“Yes, but surely with your years as a priest you would have some useful advice?”
“Ah, if it is advice you seek, then it is advice I will give,” the priest chuckled. Then he reached through his large weather-beaten habit and pulled out something.
“A crucifix?” the man reacted both surprised and amazed at how an almost foot-long crucifix could be hidden underneath the priest’s vestment.
“Why do you seem surprised?” the priest asked.
“I thought you were going to give me a passage in the Bible or some inspiring book whose ideas could guide and enlighten me.”
“This, my son, is the only and best book you will ever need for prayer.”
“But how exactly do I read it?”
“Every wound, drop of blood, sweat, and tears… and the many unseen sufferings our Lord bore upon the Cross is an infinite chapter of grace and conversion.”
“But Father, how exactly do I turn the pages of this ‘unique book’?”
“My son, unlike other books where the reader is in control by turning the pages, reading and understanding words, paragraphs and chapters… Well, in this book, the reader must allow the book to control him.”
The man was more perplexed but simultaneously intrigued at what he learned.
“Let’s just say that you have to learn how to cross your eyes,” the priest said.
“Cross my eyes, isn’t that bad?”
“I don’t know, but I enjoyed doing it when I was boy,” the priest laughed. “In any case, I didn’t mean doing it literally.”
“Then what?”
“I only wished to say it in that way so you won’t forget.”
“So what do you want me not to forget?”
“That your eyes must always see the Cross in everything you do. You have to learn not only to pray this book of the Cross, but also to learn how to find it through, in and with everything you do.”
“…find it with everything I do…,” the man attentively followed Father Thomas’ advice.
“It will be a constant source of light, peace and joy. You will see things in a richer perspective. As when we cross our eyes we end up seeing double, by seeing everything through the cross we will learn to pass all of life’s realities through richer human and divine dimensions.”
“…but that’s not easy… especially for beginners like me,” the man complained.
“Maybe! But if today, you strive to cross your eyes and tell yourself that you would try your best to pass everything you do through the wounded right hand of Jesus, this would perhaps, begin to open endless possibilities for you in learning how to read this very special book!”
“…you mean?”
“Yes, learn how to cross everything your eyes see!”
“Amen, Father!”
