“Have you ever listened to the mass on the radio?”
The hostess of a brunch celebrating the volunteers of the Benedictine Health Center seated me
beside a woman who easily engaged me in conversation. She talked about her life, her volunteer
work in the Daycare with the children, her artistic endeavors, and her desire to learn to crochet
more than just a chain stitch.
“The priest told a story during the homily about a pastor who was teaching a group of children
what the ‘INRI’ on the crucifix stood for. One little boy raised his hand, eagerly wanting to be
called on. He knew the answer: ‘I’ll never regret it’.”
We marveled together at the wisdom of a child. She loved it so much she wrote the phrase in her
journal. I marveled at how she seemed to embody Christ’s admonition that we “become like little
children” (Matt. 18:2-4). She would get down on the floor to play with the little ones, find
wisdom in what they say, and share it joyfully with others, with me – a total stranger who is
admittedly not very childlike at times.
INRI = “I’ll never regret it.”
Becoming like a little child means displaying innocence that is not destroyed by experience but
is deeply rooted in a higher wisdom. Radical trust in God means placing the vulnerability of our
humanity in the hands of God, knowing that wherever we go or whatever we choose God will be
with us. Complete faith means learning to live gratefully, not in a black and white world with all
the answers, but with curiosity and openness to what emerges from the shades of grey of
uncertainty. The unconditional love of God means that we are loved, not because we are wise,
have all the answers, have done great things, and not in spite of our weaknesses and mistakes,
but precisely because we are little and need God.
When we gaze upon a crucifix, its message is one of loving reassurance: “I’LL NEVER
REGRET IT! If you were the only human person on earth, I still would have done it, because I
LOVE you!”