Not Our Problem Dear

Prudently picking the problems we must solve

05/23/2017

Acts of the Apostles 16:22-34 About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted out in a loud voice, "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here." He asked for a light and rushed in and, trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved." So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house. He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized at once.

         Arguably one of the most popular pastors of Immaculate Conception Church was Msgr. John O’Donnell. Next to the definition of “Irish wit” in the dictionary, you will see his smiling face. But popularity has its price. Since he was the pastor of the biggest Catholic church in town, people expected him or the parish to take care of all sort of problems. Sometimes those requests were reasonable, but sometimes they were just passing the buck. But because Msgr. O’Donnell also had a huge heart, he gladly gave himself to the point of exhaustion.

           One day he was visiting New Orleans and saw a baseball cap for the city police. On the cap were the letters, “N.O.P.D.” standing for “New Orleans Police Department.” His Irish wit always sitting just below the surface of his smile, he bought several hats as gifts for the church staff. He handed them out to the staff members saying, “Wear this if someone comes in asking you to do something unreasonable. The letters stand for “Not Our Problem Dear,” – N.O.P.D.  Fortunately, they have not worn that hat when I have asked them to do something. When you’re popular you must prudently pick what problems are yours and which are “Not Our Problem Dear.”

           In the first reading today, the jailor find himself in a similar predicament: trying to discern which problems are his and which are not. Paul and Silas are imprisoned and an earthquake frees them from their chains. The jailor realizes his life will be at risk for his apparent dereliction of duty and is ready to take his own life. He wanted to don that hat that said, “Not Our Problem Dear.” He wanted to escape responsibility. But when he learns that the apostles are still inside, he realizes that something bigger is happening here. He hears the Good News proclaimed by them and he and his family are baptized. In other words, he told his family to put on the hats with N.O.P.D. but he interpreted those letters to mean “Now Our Problem Dear.” You could say that, in a sense, they made Christianity their own problem, and that’s the best problem you can have. Everyone must discern what problems are “now ours dear” and what problem are “not ours dear.”

           Here are a few tips I’ve used to help me make this same discernment. First, I have a personal rule that I do not give people money – cash – when someone catches me in the parking lot. However, I do put money in the poor box and I give to the church to help the poor. That way I feel my money truly helps the poor instead of merely enabling the lazy. Second, even when I cannot give someone exactly what they request – a million dollars for instance – I try to give them something: a smile, my time to listen to them, or a cup of coffee. I feel like the little kid in the gospel who had only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, but Jesus was able to use that to feed thousands. And third, I pray for those who need help on my daily rosary, or sometimes we even pray together. In other words, we do not have a responsibility to give everyone everything they ask for, but we do have a responsibility to give them something.

            Msgr. O’Donnell was exactly right in handing out the N.O.P.D. hats to the church staff. The hard part is knowing when those letters should mean “not our problem dear,” and when they should mean “now our problem dear.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!