In 1993 I listened to forty homilies at the long retreat in Guelph. All but five are forgotten, but I want to tell you about the one that impacted me m It was delivered by an older American Jesuit priest, who had been deepening his understanding of the IgNation Exercises.

Growing up in a large family. J.told the story of how when his mother baked cookies, she would allow her kids to have the burned bits on the cookie sheet after they came out of the oven.

   He said that in a prayer session, he thought about difficult times in his own life when he felt life was especially hard. He remembered his mother offering him the left over part that would not be collected in the cookie jar.

In contemplating suffering he had a conversation with Jesus, when he heard Him say: “give me the burned bits.” I have often thought of this myself when an event seems unfair, harsh, or unreasonable, and I can’t do much to change it. Jesus says: “give me the burned bits.”