Opening Our Hearts
Dear Parishioners,
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia, who died suddenly a few years back, was among my favorite writers. He was once asked to judge a contest to find the most caring child. Among the winners was the following and my favorite. It so much reflects the spirit of our parish.
“God’s Wife”
An eye witness account from New York City, on a cold day in December, some years ago:
A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the young boy and said, ‘My, but you’re in such deep thought staring in that window!’ ‘I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,’ was the boy’s reply.
The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel.
By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy’s feet, she purchased for him a pair of shoes. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, ‘No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.’ As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her: ‘Are you God’s wife?’
We have so many ways to act that way and indeed we as a parish have done so. Back in October, our senior high school youth group prepared 300 sandwiches to feed the hungry at Martha’s Table in Washington. They combined their efforts with nearby Sydenstricker Methodist Church. Just this past week, 68 of our middle school CYM prepared 2,190 egg salad sandwiches for the same group. Yes, 2,190! Sometimes we can forget that many people, just across the 14th Street Bridge, wonder where their next meal will come from. I am so proud of what these young men and women are doing – they are living the message.
I was reminded of that same message when I went to the Safeway this past week and heard the Salvation Army bell ringer. Whenever I hear that bell, it is a reminder that there are so many people in dire need in our own neighborhoods. It also brought back fond memories of my Mom, always putting a coin or two into the red kettle as she went into a store.
Parents CAN BE and ARE the best role models for their children. I got to know the bell ringer at our Safeway last year and would always stop for a few minutes and chat with him. My overly sensitive personality opened my eyes to see how many patrons would quickly pass by without dropping a coin or two into that red kettle. I often thought with all they bought, some of which they probably didn’t really need, couldn’t they have dropped something into that kettle? Were their hearts that closed ?
The above true story touched me. I hope it touches you. And I hope and pray that during this Thanksgiving and forthcoming Christmas season we ALL will open our eyes and hearts to those who have so much less. Now read again the story above and bring it to fruition as best you can. You CAN make a difference, just as you did with the impoverished in Haiti. That is LIVING the Gospel message.
Have a nice week!