This is one of my favorites from 2018. Fr. DeLillio

A young student meets Jesus and takes this unique opportunity to ask Him a few questions about his faith.  Jesus is obliging and gives him permission.

The student is delighted and begins: “What is the first and most important commandment God, the Father, gives us?  If I do this one commandment, I can skip doing all the others?”

Jesus pauses, considers and then says: “Okay, listen closely.  The commandment has two parts and I want you to write this down. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and all your strength.”

Jesus adds: “And the second part goes with the first part. Which means you can’t do the first without the second.”  Jesus looks in his eyes and says: “Ready, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

And then for emphasis, Jesus says: “There is no other commandment like these. None.”

The student steps back and says: “I don’t have a problem with the first one. Loving God is easy, because God is faraway, and I never see Him.  But my neighbors too?”  Jesus says, “Yep,” neighbors too.”

The student, troubled, answers: “Wait a minute, you mean I have to love the guy who took my parking space at the last minute while I was waiting for a full ten minutes to pull in?”  Jesus responded, “Yes, him too!”

And Jesus continued: “And the woman in the crowded elevator who saw you rushing with an armful of packages to catch that same elevator yelling for her to hold the door!  And she didn’t!” The student looked at Jesus surprised He knew this.  “You mean her too?”  Again, Jesus replied: “Yep, her too!”

Still persistent the student tried again, asking: “You can’t mean this one. I study at Duke University. Our big rival is North Carolina.  Suppose we meet UNC for the national basketball championship and they beat us …. you can’t mean I have to love them too!?”  Jesus smiling said, “Yes!”

Seeing his puzzlement, Jesus asked: “Can you figure out why? Or shall I tell you?” The student looked at Jesus and nodded. Jesus explains: “God, my Father, made everyone alike.  No matter how different people look and even if they choose to attend UNC for their university.”  Jesus continued, “They all have the same spark of the Divine in them, that’s your soul.  Or as I like to call the spark, the image and likeness of God.”

Again smiling, Jesus added: “Everyone is made the same inside, but it’s tucked way down inside.  You really have to look for it.”  Jesus continued, “My Father didn’t make it easy to find this spark.”

Then looking thoughtful, Jesus said: “You’re just going to have to trust me.  Everyone has that same spark of the Divine in them.  It makes all my Father’s children alike.  And as their Father, God loves them all the same …no matter how bright or how dim.”

Looking straight at the young student, Jesus remarked: “This includes the driver of that car, the woman on the elevator, and I’m afraid all the students at UNC.  They are His and my Father loves them all equally and the same, and you have to try to do the same.”

Jesus admits that some don’t make it easy to love them.  But even these God loves with the hope that like all children they’ll grow up some day and come around to seeing things God’s way.  And by the way, Jesus added, “You’re not always a charmer yourself and my Father never gives up on you or any of His children.”

Jesus looked into the eyes of the inquisitive student and told him how all God’s children can help God and each other as some of God’s children have more than they need.  If everyone worked together and stopped competing, they could share their gifts, and more easily gain heaven together instead of living as rivals.

Jesus, gazing at the young student, ended with these last words: “God, my Father wants all His children to cooperate, get along, and for all to come home to heaven together.”  Jesus smiled saying: “That’s His dream and that’s His wish.”  Then waving farewell He added: “And you and all your brothers and sisters everywhere are His hope.  Don’t let Him down!”