The Parable of the Unknown Requiem

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, on Remembrance Day, do you ever wonder whether a war to end all wars is possible?”

Josh spoke thus:

A composer was searching for a requiem mass.

“I can’t find the requiem mass I’m looking for,” the composer told a friend.

“You’re a composer,” the composer’s friend said, “Write a requiem mass.”

“I can write a requiem mass,” the composer said, “I could hardly call myself a composer if I couldn’t write a requiem mass.  I don’t need to write a requiem mass, I need to find a requiem mass.”

“You could look on the Internet,” the composer’s friend said, “You can find pretty much anything on the Internet these days.  I’m sure you could find a requiem mass on the Internet.”

“I can find a requiem mass on the Internet,” the composer said, “I’d have to be pretty dim not to find a requiem mass on the Internet.”

“Is it a rare requiem mass you’re looking for?” the composer’s friend asked.

“It’s the rarest requiem mass I’m looking for,” the composer said.

“Who wrote it?” the composer’s friend asked.

“I wrote it,” the composer said.

“You wrote it?” the composer’s friend, “When did you write it?”

“I just wrote it,” the composer said.

“The whole thing?  A whole requiem mass?” the composer’s friend said, “I haven’t seen you writing a mass.”

“No, I mean I just wrote it,” the composer said, “It just came to me now, this moment.  Then I lost it.”

“You mean you forgot it?” the composer’s friend asked.

“I mean I lost it,” the composer said, “It was right here. I had it, I turned, and I didn’t have it anymore.”

“Where did you have it?” the composer’s friend asked.

“Right there, by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,” the composer said, “I was studying the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and I found the requiem of the Unknown Soldier.  Then I turned, and I’d lost it.”

“How ironic,” the composer’s friend said, “The Unknown Requiem for the Unknown Soldier.”

The composer grabbed the composer’s friend and kissed the top of the composer’s friend’s head.

“Bless you,” the composer said, “You’ve found my requiem mass!  I’d thought I’d lost it forever.”