Dear Friends of Carmel Mission,
I received my first stoning when I was ten years old! I was walking home from school with some friends when we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of some sort of gang fighting, between kids from two different neighborhoods . (This is the first time that I have revealed that I grew up in the “hood”!)
Long story short, the rival teenagers started throwing stones at each other, and yours truly got hit in my right eye. I fainted and awoke in hospital. I was told later that my injury had caused both gangs to disperse rapidly. But what a cost to become a peacekeeper!
Ever since, I’ve been wary of stones in the hands of children.
Most adults don’t throw stones, or do they?
We sometimes throw rocks at people with whom we vehemently disagree, by casting aspersions on their character, by using degrading racial epithets, by malicious slander or careless gossip.
We throw stones at people every time we judge them, without knowing all the facts involved.
We can cause grave injury to others without lifting a stone.
Are you carrying a stone right now? No? What about those pebbles in your pocket? Isn’t it time you unburdened yourself of the extra weight that you carry?
The Season of Lent is preparing us to roll away a very large stone at Easter.
A major part of our preparation involves a recognition of our own sinfulness and a reticence to cast stones at others.
Please take a moment to read our weekly Parish Bulletin.
Fr. Paul
Pastor at Carmel Mission