Whole

A memory flashes through my mind.  Unfortunately, that memory came one Wednesday morning during Mass.  The word whole jumped out at me when our priest spoke it during his homily.  However, I’m embarrassed to admit that my mind wandered off to something that was not what you would anticipate during his words of inspiration.  It was about a bakery cake!  Let me explain.  When I was in my early teens, we had just moved to a new town.  My brother was hired as a Matre de at a local, but well-known event/catering company.  After one large event, there was an overabundance of cake left over, and my brother was allowed to bring home one of these whole bakery cakes.  You know, the kind with the thick, sugary sweet icing that might make many of you cringe.  As for me, I just say, “Yummy!”  So, you’re probably wondering at this point, what does a bakery cake have to do with the word whole?  You can imagine our family’s surprise and excitement, when my brother walked in the front door, holding this professionally decorated cake with gobs of icing roses.  From the look on my face, one would think we’d won the lottery!  And it didn’t take long to bring out the forks and plates and dig in.  Over a short period of time, our family worked our way down to that last piece.  When all that was left were crumbs, except for being physically full (and a little sick from all that sugar), it sank in that this whole cake ceased to exist.  What once was whole was gone.  I didn’t realize it at my young age but have come to realize that our physical food does not satisfy us or makes us feel complete as a spiritual person.  Even when it comes to buying other worldly desires – that new car, the greatest and most current electronic device, you and I are still left feeling unsatisfied and looking for our next treat.  I used to crave that whole bakery cake, but as my faith has grown and God has pruned my branches, I know that the best whole feeling is when I make Him my priority every day.  When we approach the altar to receive Jesus every week, let’s pray for our desire to feel whole only by receiving Him with our whole heart.  Jesus is in each one of us, flowing through our whole self.  I hope you’ll join me in craving that wholeness that only comes from following Him.  So even though that kid in me may still welcome a whole bakery cake if it appeared at my front door, I crave even more that amazing feeling of wholeness that comes from Jesus and only Jesus. 

“May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, and put you together – spirit, soul, and body…” 1 Thessalonians 5:23