A priest went to the pulpit one Sunday morning with a Band-Aid on his face, he said he had cut his face while shaving earlier that morning thinking about his homily. After Mass, a woman comes up to him and says “Father, you would have been much better off just cutting the homily and shaving your face.” You know, Gospel was rather long, so I’ll cut my homily short.

In the summer of 1983, I was working on my master’s degree at the University of Notre Dame in liturgy. One of my fellow graduate students, during class, asked professor “Why is it sometimes so difficult to love others or believe God is present in our lives?” Professor paused and asked to all of us, “Did anyone of you ever have a toothache?” I thought to myself, what does his question have to do with the original question?

When my classmates replied that he did about six months ago, professor continued, “Whom were you thinking about when you had that toothache?” Without a moment’s hesitation, the students said “Me.” Professor sat back and said, “That’s your answer.” That is why people sometimes find it so hard to trust love and believe in God. Not because they don’t want to but because they are hurting too much.

This story beautifully connects to today’s Gospel story. This story is about us. At times we feel defeated without hopes, dreams or direction in life. Sometimes, we look for happiness in all the wrong places. We may doubt, but the Lord always, always, runs after us.