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Connections
October 1, 2000

"Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will surely not lose his reward& Better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna& "

Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

Secret Grace
In her memoir, One More Time, actress and comedienne Carol Burnetts tells of the night she met Mr. and Mrs. "C".
When she was a drama student at UCLA, Ms. Burnett and a troupe of students were asked to perform at a very elegant dinner party for faculty and guests. After their performance--as she was filling her handbag with cookies and food from the buffet table--a couple came up to her.


	Mr. and Mrs. "C" - as Ms. Burnett identifies them in the book--were both very taken with her performance and asked her about her plans for the future. She said without hesitation that she wanted to go to New York and work in the musical theater. What was stopping her? the couple asked politely. "Money" she replied. How much would she need? "Oh, a thousand would be nice," Ms. Burnett tossed of, not really thinking about the figure. "It's yours," Mr. C. said. He told her to call him at his office. She took his card and, a couple of days later, on a whim, called the number, never dreaming he would remember her or his promise. But he did remember and met with her. He said he would loan her $1,000 on three conditions: one, that she pay


	him back in five years--not if but when she succeeded; two, that she never reveal his identity; and three, that she help someone else realize their dreams later on. With Mr. C's check, Carol Burnett went to New York and, as we all know, became a star on Broadway and television-- and five years later, to the day, she repaid the money to her mysterious benefactor. She has kept his name a strict secret ever since. And has she kept the third part of the agreement? When asked, Carol Burnett smiles and says simply, "That's my secret!" CONNECTION: To give a "cup of water" to someone, to give our time to someone who needs to talk, even to give survival money to a struggling actress--because they belong to Christ--is to act in Jesus' name. Jesus promises that the simplest act of kindness and grace will, one day, be honored by God. Anyone and everyone in need or in trouble has a claim on our compassion and charity because they belong to Christ. In whatever opportunity we have, with whomever we meet and are able to offer help, may we not hesitate to act in Jesus' name .v

Thank you!

Thank you to all parishioners who donated money to the booya--your generosity is greatly appreciated. Thank you to all the workers, young and not so young, who helped prepare vegetables & meat, who set up the dining room and to those who helped serve over 750 people who came to enjoy a bowl of booya.
Thank you to our family & friends who helped up cook 540 gallons of booya including: Tony & Kathy Bona, Bill, Ray, Mary, Jeff Flor, Arnie Angeloni & our sons Craig and Cory. A special thanks to Fr. Michael who helped us until the wee hours of the morning.
Thank you to the staff of St. John's for all your help & support, to the Festival Committee for the wonderful cooperation--we always work well together!
The Booya would never take place without the extraordinary help of Pat Berczyk and Connie Lyke who called the many volunteers to work Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday for the Booya. You are the best!!
With Sincere Thanks,
Ron & Mariaane Flor

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