A Haitian child after Mass

A veteran who is struggling came by after a two months absence seeking again a little yard work for money. Before he left town, without notice and unexpectedly for few months, he had offered to do some garden work twice, twice had been payed in advance for the work and twice had not shown up to do the work. For some reason I was thinking of him and how I could not get mad at him if he ever showed up at my door when he did. Since he was not in the military during war time he does not qualify for any financial aid. He has a residence at a veterans place and with food stamps, medical care from VA and doing odd jobs he survives. I said I forgave him all his debts to me and he did some yard work around the house today for which he was paid.

This morning another veteran friend and I made six home visits to persons in need with our St. Vincent De Paul conferences. My veteran friend is poor and suffers from an illness but was glad to be helping others in need for no compensation except sharing in the God given graces to the poor.

Today I find out an elderly 92 year priest friend of mine lost his faculties to say Mass in the Catholic Milwaukee Archdiocese for a stand he took in conscience for standing in solidarity with women priest.

My list of persons I encountered today could go on and on, like the woman I met with five children, 3 of her own and two she took in, that was surviving without a refrigerator or stove, and still felt blessed by God; or the woman who lost her adult son was taking care of his children talking about how she survived by prayer. If we all look around us there are wonderful and courageous persons all around us, be they veterans or like the five single moms and their 18 children who we encountered in the homeless shelter tonight.

The persons most blessed are those who are aged, ill, poor or suffering. An Indian priest friend who came from very lowest caste and as adult priest worked with the poor and outcast once told me he prayed to God for the blessings and grace he found in the poor and outcast. Finally God answered his prayer one day by telling him that God had given all his graces and blessings to the poor, rejected, marginalized and suffering and that he would need to go them to share in God’s blessings and graces.

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