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The Catholic Way The articles on this page were chosen for reflection on what is expected of a person to be Catholic. Some of the articles where written to reflect on a reading for a given Sunday of the year while others are good advice as we live our lives from day to day. |
| What does it mean to be a Practicing Catholic Q. What dose it mean to be a practicing Catholic? Do I have to believe everything the church teaches, or just most of it? And if I don't go to Mass every single Sunday, am I still Catholic? A. It's wild, but as much as we throw around the phrase "practicing Catholic," its a hard concept to nail down... so, great question! Lets get right to it. First of all, many times, in questions like this, the easiest thing to do is slap down some guidelines and say "Stick with these and you'll be fine." That's the temptation, because it's so easy to track. The problem is, when we talk about faith, we are talking about relationship. When we talk about relationship, we lose something very special when we start explaining it as a list of what we must do and what we shouldn't do. Think of it this way: Imagine your best friend approached you with a pad of paper and a pencil. Then she asked you to sit down and says, "Listen. I want to be your friend. I know I should. Tell me, what is the minimum I can do and still he considered your friend?" If that sounds crazy, that's because it is. In the same way when we look at our relation-ship with God, if our question is "What is the minimum I can do and still be Catholic?", then we've got to stop and look at the core of the question. God wants a relationship with you. How intense is that? All our theology, all our sacraments, everything we do is all rooted in our belief that what God desires is a personal relationship with us, lived out in a community of believers. Take some time and ponder that, because its pretty intense and perhaps take us out of minimalist thinking. Yet, even with all this, we do need a list, don't we? Part of the role of the church is to show us precisely what is needed. If we don't hold our-selves to the standard that the Catholic faith gives us, it is way too easy to fall into self-deception. Ultimately then, after a lot of looking around, I have a list that I'll share with you. While re-searching this, I read a letter that Bishop George Wiesner wrote for the Diocese of Prince George. It was a great source of information. Anyway — here's what we've got. Please don't see this list as infallible or perfectly extensive. There's really no way to cover it all. In terms of the sacraments, a practicing Catholic has an active sacramental life. He or she goes to Mass a minimum of once a week and lives the Communion they receive by being in union with the church and her teachings. Since we are talking Communion, we need to remember that the sacrament of reconciliation is a huge part of this. Anytime we have committed a mortal sin, we have to get to confession as soon as possible before we attempt to receive Communion. We also need to hit our holy days of obligation. Besides public prayer, a practicing Catholic prays every day in private. Each day a Catholic responds to God's call to personal communion through quiet time and reflection. A practicing Catholic prays with his family everyday and never lets a schedule get in the way of that. The personal and communal prayer of a practicing Catholic compels her to go into the world and spread the Gospel of Jesus in the way she lives and loves. In terms of the social issues of our day, a practicing Catholic dedicates his financial, emotional and physical resources to those things that reflect the Kingdom of God on earth: We help our parish continue to function and minister effectively A practicing Catholic votes and lives pro-life – we do not support abortion under any circumstances or in any form. We oppose capital punishment and unjust wars. We support initiatives that help the poor and downtrodden and give our time and treasure to helping the "least among us." In short, her every action, political or social demonstrates a firm conviction that every person is a gift from God and must be treated in the same way that we would treat Jesus. Perhaps you can use this article as a jump off point for a discussion among your family and friends. See where God wants to challenge us to redefine what it means to he a practicing Catholic. Enjoy another day in God's presence. Fr. Joe Krupp, Faith Magazine September 2010 |
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So, why can't I go to Communion if I have committed a mortal sin? Q. So, why can't I go to Communion if I have committed a mortal sin? A. Right. This one is a follow-up to a recent column where I explained what a mortal sin is and emphasized that we should not go to Communion without confession if we've committed a mortal sin. So, now we hit the why. One of the many ways we describe Communion is source and sign of our unity with God. We're going to take that statement apart piece by piece and show how it answers our question. First, Communion is the source of our unity: St. Augustine (my favorite) wrote a LOT about this. When we receive the body of Christ, it strengthens us to be the body of Christ. It is a spiritual gift, a miracle if you will, that God provides us with the strength to be in unity with him and his people. Communion is the sign of our unity with each other: When we make the bread that will be consecrated, we are gathering together all sorts of elements and bringing them into one. Many grains of wheat are brought in and crushed into one reality. Next time you are at Mass, take a moment and look around. Look at all the different people gathered together to celebrate. Would anything but Jesus have brought us together? All our gifts and talents are merged into one community, united by God for the purpose of loving and serving God – wow, Communion is the source and sign of our unity with God: The Eucharist is a sign of our unity with God. In all things, but particularly in Communion, God shares himself with us, holding nothing back. The Eucharist is a sign of that. God made, and makes, himself small so that we can receive him. That, in itself, is part of the reason it's the source of our unity with God. It's spiritual, mystical reality changes our souls when we receive it. An early saint whose name eludes me described being in the presence of the Eucharist as being similar to working in the sun: We generally can't feel the changes happening inside and outside of our body, but others sure can. So, when we look at these things, we begin to see why we can't go to Communion if we have committed mortal sin. When we commit a mortal sin, we quite literally offend God. Not only that, but we attack our own ability to connect with God and receive what we need to he healed of our sin and the damage it does to us. Because of that, we say we aren't "in communion" with God. The catechism tells us that the damage a mortal sin inflicts is so extensive that it requires a special grace to fix it. And ... our sins affect the body of Christ as well. We wound the community of Christians around the world when we sin. This is the easiest thing to prove, really: How many times has someone else's sin messed with you? Our sin is a communal event — every time. A mortal sin damages the community in such a way that it requires a special grace to fix it. So, when we commit a mortal sin, we are not only out of communion with God and each other, but we've actually wounded our ability to receive what is needed to restore those relationships. This is where the sacrament of reconciliation comes in. Through this amazing sacrament, God gives us the grace and mercy we need to repair the damage that we have done. The priest is in the confessional for God and as a representative for the whole church. Enjoy another day in God's presence!
Fr. Joe Krupp, Faith Magazine July/ Aug. 2010
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Cast off deeds of darkness and to put on the armor of light. Salesian Perspective There is a clear sense of urgency in today's selection from Paul's Letter to the Romans: an urgent appeal to "cast off deeds of darkness and to put on the armor of light." Paul is quite specific about these so-called "deeds of darkness:" According to biblical commentator William Barclay, they provide much material for our own personal examination and reflection: Carousing – being a source of mayhem and disturbance to others after decent folks would have retired for the day. In general, it is the practice of being a major nuisance to others. Drunkenness – being intoxicated – literally, poisoned — to the point where one loses all sense of reason, discipline and common sense. Sexual excess and lust – consumed with a desire for pleasure without any regard for the consequences or the impact upon others. Lacking even the illusion of following any kind of moral compass. Quarrelsome – unable to relate to others without provoking confrontation, contention or conflict. Always wanting to win or to be right. Jealousy – envious of the blessings or good fortune of others. St. Francis de Sales tells us it is not enough to cast off these — and other — deeds of darkness. We must cast off our affection for - or attraction to - these deeds: "Although all the Israelites left Egypt in effect, not all of them left Egypt in affection; hence in the wilderness many of them regretted their lack of the onions and fleshpots of Egypt. In like manner, there are penitents who leave sin in effect, but do not leave it in affection." (Introduction to the Devout Life, Part I, Chapter 7) Why must we cast off even the affection for sin, affection for deeds of darkness? "In addition to the danger of falling again, such base affections can powerfully weaken and weigh down our spirits, making it impossible to do good works promptly, diligently and frequently." (Ibid) Advent is the season of hope: hope that the promise made to us in Christ will be fulfilled. This same hope requires that we seriously examine whether or not the deeds that we both cast off and/or embrace are helping us to make this hope a reality in our own lives and in the lives of others. How far are we willing to go in our desire to live a devout life, that is, to promptly, diligently and frequently do what is good? If it is measured by turning away from sin itself only, but not from the affection for sin as well, we are simply not going far enough. Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.
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Holy Trinity The major seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Triduum, and Easter are now past, but about half the year remains for us to celebrate our redemption in Christ in a more general way. Before we resume the counted Sundays of Ordinary Time, however, we devote this Sunday and next to celebrating two profound mysteries of our faith: the Trinity and the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist (Corpus Christi). A special feast in honor of the Holy Trinity began in monastic communities as early as the ninth century. By the fourteenth century, the whole Western church was observing it as it does today, on the Sunday after Pentecost. This bulletin insert was written by Marion Eagen, a liturgist and musician in the diocese of Scranton. Pa. © 2002 Resource Publications, Inc., 160 E. Virginia St. #290, San Jose, CA 95112, (408) 286-8505. All rights reserved. Salesian Perspective God is revealed to us as a creating and loving Father, a nourishing and redeeming Son, and an inspiring and challenging Spirit. It is in the image and likeness of the Trinity that we are created; it is in the image and likeness of the Trinity that we are called to live with one another on this earth; it is in the image and likeness of the Trinity that we are destined for the glory of heaven. Trinity speaks of creative fullness; Trinity speaks of healing abundance; Trinity speaks of inspiring generosity. The Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of God, is the source of the gifts that we need to experience and embody this Triune God in our daily lives. St. Francis de Sales wrote in his Treatise on the Love of God: "We need temperance to restrain the rebellious inclinations of sensuality; justice to do what is right in relation to God, our neighbor and ourselves; fortitude, in order that we might remain faithful in doing what is good and in avoiding what is evil; prudence, to discover the most proper ways for us to pursue what is good and to practice virtue; knowledge, that we might know the true good to which we must aspire, as well as true evil, that we must reject; understanding, to penetrate well into the first and chief foundations or principles of the beauty and excellence of virtue, and; at the very end, wisdom, to contemplate the divine nature, the first source of all that is good." (Treatise on the Love of God, Book 11, Chapter 15) Sound familiar? They should be: we know them as the "seven gifts" of the Holy Spirit. The love that comes from this triune God, this love that is part and parcel of who we are, contains all of these gifts. Francis de Sales described this love as "a splendid lily that has six petals whiter than snow, and in its center are the beautiful little golden hammers of wisdom that drive into our hearts the loving taste and flavor of the goodness of the Father, our Creator, the mercy of the Son, our Redeemer, and the sweetness of the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier." (Ibi As mysterious as the Trinity may be, two things are crystal clear: (1) we are called to embody God's creative fullness, God's healing abundance, and God's inspiring generosity, and: (2) we have been given the gifts to make that call a reality. Triune God — Father, Son, Spirit -- help us to clearly - and convincingly - reflect your image in our own minds, hearts, attitudes and actions. Give us the grace to be your delight day by day in the lives of one another. Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.
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The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ celebrates the doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. This feast was established in the thirteenth century not long after the Fourth Lateran Council reaffirmed this doctrine in the face of much theological debate on the issue. In former days, it was known by its Latin title as Corpus Christi, the Body of Christ, and there was a separate feast of the Precious Blood. The current church calendar combines the two into a single celebration. In many places of the world, it is still celebrated on its traditional day, the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. That day was chosen by the church to remember Holy Thursday, the day on which the Eucharist was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper.
Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of
the De Sales Spirituality Center.
Jesus Meant What He Said You have probably heard about the survey done a few years back that suggested that many Catholics today don't really believe that the bread and wine of the Eucharist truly become the body and blood of the Lord. (One wonders if that is part of the reason why Mass attendance is down among Catholics. If Christ is not there in the Eucharist, why go to Church?) There are serious doubts about the accuracy of such surveys, but it seems a good idea to recall the Church's ancient teaching. To put it simply, the Church has always believed that Jesus meant what he said. At the Last Supper, as we recall in every Mass, he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take this, all of you, and eat it. This is my body which will be given up for you." After the meal he took the cup filled with wine, gave God thanks and praise and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take this, all of you, and drink from it: this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant." Notice that Jesus does not say that the bread and wine are only signs or symbols of his body and blood. He says, "This is my body; this is the cup of my blood." We take him at his word. Now, of course, we don't believe that the bread becomes a piece of flesh. Christ's physical body was his way of being fully present with us, and now he takes bread and wine and says that these will be his way of being fully present, physically present with us now and always and everywhere. How this is possible is ultimately a mystery. The Church has used the term "transubstantiation" to express the truth that the substance, the deep reality, of the bread becomes Christ's body. But this does not explain how. The best we can say is that it is by the power of Christ's word and the action of the Holy Spirit. We can't explain just how, but we believe that Jesus meant what he said. (This should come as no surprise to us – we do it in the world of science all the time – we don't understand electricity or light but we are able to use science.) Jesus also meant what he said when he told us all to take and eat and to take and drink. For too many centuries, Catholics received Communion under only the species of bread. This was a reaction to a medieval heresy that said you didn't really receive Christ if you only received one species. After that issue faded, the Protestants restored both species, so the Catholic Church did not. Judging that this reason, too, was no longer valid, the bishops at the Second Vatican Council called for the restoration of Communion under both species. Bread, the staff of life, speaks of sustenance. Wine speaks of the spirit and the joy of life. Christ used both of these very ordinary foods to communicate the fullness of his being. He intends us to receive both. Sharing the bread reminds us of our unity in one body. Sharing the cup speaks of sharing in the covenant, as Jesus' words indicate. It reminds us, too, that we share the same lifeblood with Christ and with one another. Those who cannot drink any alcohol and those who cannot eat any wheat can, of course, receive under only one species. It's still the whole Jesus. Nevertheless, receiving both the body and the blood is a more complete form of Communion and a "fuller sign of the Eucharistic banquet" (GIRM, # 281). Besides, it's what the Lord told us to do, and he meant what he said. 2004 Lawrence E. Mick. This series was originally written by Fr. Mick for the Worship Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Distributed by the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions
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Salesian Perspective Pope Paul VI defined evangelization as "bringing the Good News into all strata of humanity and through its influence transforming humanity from within and making it new." In their book entitled Creating the Evangelizing Parish, Paulist Fathers Frank DeSiano and Kenneth Boyack challenge us to accept this simple truth: each of us is called to be an evangelist, to "go out to all the world and tell the good news," to give witness to the power and promise of God's redeeming love in our lives. (Paulist Press, 1993) While the good news is essentially the same, the authors insist that the manner and method in which each of us evangelizes must he rooted in the state and stage of life in which we find ourselves. For a deeper understanding of what this means, they turn to our old friend and companion, St. Francis de Sales: "St. Francis de Sales wrote a marvelous book entitled The Introduction to the Devout Life. In it he makes the simple yet profound point that a follower (a disciple) of Jesus should look at his or her situation in life and then live a Christian life accordingly. A wife and mother will find holiness in the way she lives in relation to her husband, and in taking care of the family. She could hardly leave her family many times each day, like monks or nuns, to attend Liturgy of the Hours...Her spirituality, her way of following Christ is determined by her vocation and lifestyle...and if she works, living out her vocation as a married woman bearing witness to Christ in the workplace." We are made in the image and likeness of God. We are redeemed by the life, love, death and resurrection of Jesus. We are inspired and strengthened by the Holy Spirit. This is indeed Good News! This good news should make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those with whom we love, live, work pray and play. This Good News should transform and renew us. Through us, this Good News offers the possibility of transformation and renewal to others. How we share this good news -- how we evangelize -- depends on who we are, where we are and how we are. It must match the state, stage, circumstances, responsibilities, routines and relationships in which we find ourselves each day. Following Jesus is not about forsaking our ordinary lives: no, it is about making real the life and love of God in our thoughts, feelings attitudes and actions. Evangelization has a lot to do with what we say: after all, it is about "telling" something, in this case, the Good News of God. However, it also has a lot to do (perhaps even more) with what we do: what we say is a convincing sign of God's love only insofar as it is congruent with how we relate to one another. By all means - by any means - "go out to all the world and tell the Good News" of God's love, God's forgiveness, God's justice and God's peace. But most especially, do it in the places - with the people - where you live, work, pray and play each day. Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center. |
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Baptism into the Community Baptism is the sacrament of incorporation into a faith community. All the signs and symbols that surround the pouring of water speak of belonging. It is because of this that many parishes require parents to be registered members of the parish before their child's baptism. Having a child baptized in this church is making the statement that this is where you intend to nurture the faith life of yourself and your child. It has nothing to do with "limbo." Many times in the past, people thought they had to have the child baptized as soon after birth as possible. (Part of this was due to the very high mortality rate among infants.) Part also was due to the concept of limbo. (Limbo was defined by St. Augustine as a "place, state or condition of perfect natural happiness.") Limbo was his concept to "theologize" what would happen were a person to die without Baptism. (He took seriously the passage in the gospel of John "Unless a man be born again with water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven." However, limbo was never accepted or defined as official Catholic teaching. You will not even find the word "limbo" in the new Catholic Catechism. Copyright © 2008 Resource Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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The peace that comes from Jesus Salesian Perspective Jesus makes a distinction in today's Gospel between the "peace as the world offers it" and the peace that comes from him. Just what does Jesus mean? The American Heritage Dictionary on the English Language may provide us with some clues. It defines peace as: "1. The absence of war or hostilities. 2. An agreement or treaty to end hostilities. 3. Freedom from quarrels or disagreements; harmonious relations. 4. Public security and order. 5. Inner contentment; serenity." The vision of peace that the world offers - appropriately enough - tells us that in order to experience true inner contentment we must first establish a world in which there is no war, no hostility, no quarrels, no disagreements, no public disorder or chaos. Tempting as this vision is to pursue, history - the world's, and our own - painfully illustrates how truly fleeting and fallacious is this promise of peace...at least, this way of going about it. By contrast, the peace that Jesus promises starts from within. It's about having a sense of integrity. It's about having a sense of purpose. It's about having a sense of meaning. Its about having a sense of mission. Ultimately, it's about having a clear and unambiguous sense of self, a self that is only fully understood and actualized in the context of one's relationship with God, oneself and others. This is the kind of peace that the world cannot give. Ironically, it is Jesus' promise of inner peace that offers the greatest hope for world peace. Only when we have first set aside our own personal hostilities, can we truly work for a world free of war. Only when we have first set aside our own need to always be right, can we strive for a world in which disagreements are not the last word. Only when we have first established some order and direction in our own lives, can we hope to achieve the same on a greater scale. Only when we experience the power and possibility that comes from knowing - and embracing - who we really are in the sight of God, can we become sources of that same power and possibility in the lives of others. God's peace is not measured by the absence of conflict. God's peace is a function of how dedicated each one of us is to first knowing who we are so that we can see more clearly what the world can be and what steps we must take - together - to make that ideal, however fleeting or fragile, a reality. Want world peace? Think global. But, like Jesus, act local. As the last line of a well-known hymn challenges, "Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin...with me." Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.
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Salesian Perspective
The search for the divine is not about going to far away places. The search for the divine is not about looking up to the sky. The search for the divine is not about crossing great oceans. No, the search for the divine is about the greatest - and sometimes the most challenging - adventure of all: the search inside ourselves. It is the journey to the heart. It is the journey to the soul, the core, and the center of our being.
A third
man, by contrast, is "moved to compassion" at the plight of the other. He is
able to reach out to another in need because he first had the courage to see
inside himself the presence of a God who loves and cares for him: the
presence of a God who called him to do the same for others.
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Stewardship is a way of life
deeply rooted in Jesus Christ, who by His example has taught us how to live.
He came, not to do his own will but the will of the One who sent him. He
came not to be served, but to serve.
3. Sharing: A good steward knows that it is better to give than to receive, for in giving, we receive far more than we could ever imagine.
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CaringBridge connects when health matters Paul Leingang
"It is difficult, not knowing how long this stage will last," Mary wrote. "We long for the day when they are able to remove most of these medicines, machines and IV and we can look into those beautiful blue eyes again. Keep praying for all the doctors and nurses who are working so hard to bring Clare back to us!"
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What does it mean to "thirst for God"?
Salesian Perspective What does it mean to "thirst for God"? To desire to be close to God. To desire to know God. To desire to walk with God here on earth. To desire to live with God forever in heaven. Our desire for union with God must be expressed by our efforts to be in union with each other. It is not enough to be with God. We must also act like God, perhaps best described by the Beatitude: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst to see right prevail; they shall be satisfied." William Barclay suggests that this hunger — this thirst -- is the hunger of those who are starving, the thirst of one who will die without drink. This raises the question: how deeply do we want/desire righteousness? Of all the things about which/for which we hunger, how close to the top of the list is a desire to see right prevail? Those who have this desire may not necessarily see it come to fulfillment on this earth. This is not a perfect world — we are not perfect people — therefore, it should not surprise or shock us that we still have a long way to go in making righteousness a reality in the lives of all people. Still, blessedness comes to those who, in spite of failings and failures, still cling to the hunger and thirst for what is right and just...and struggle to make it real in their own little corners of the world. Francis de Sales once wrote: "I see you have a debt...never withhold from others anything that belongs to them." (Stopp, Letters, p. 69) To hunger and thirst for God righteousness means that we must be righteous: we strive to fulfill our debts to others. Which, of course, begs the question: For what am I indebted to others? What do I owe other people? Respect. Reverence. Courtesy. Patience. Honesty. Truthfulness. Generosity. To hunger for God — to thirst for God — requires (among other things) that we act like God: that we strive to treat others with the same respect, reverence, courtesy, patience, honesty, truthfulness and generosity with which God treats us. How hungry — and thirsty — are we? Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS. is the Executive Director of the De Sales Spirituality Center.
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The habit can sustain prayer for a lifetime Father Ron Rolheiser
What do I mean by that? Here's an example: A recent study on marriage points out that couples who make it a habit to give each other a ritual embrace or kiss before leaving the house in the morning and another ritual embrace or kiss before retiring at night fare better than those who let this gesture be determined by simple spontaneity or mood. The study makes the point that even if the ritual kiss is done in a distracted, hurried, perfunctory or duty-bound way it still serves a very important function, namely, it speaks of fidelity and commitment beyond the ups and downs of our emotions, distractions and tiredness on a given day. It is a ritual, an act that is done regularly to precisely say what our hearts and heads cannot always say, namely, that the deepest part of us remains committed even during those times when we are too tired, too distracted, too angry, too bored, too anxious, too self-preoccupied, or too emotionally or intellectually unfaithful to be as attentive and present as we should be. It says we still love the other and remain committed despite the inevitable changes and pressures that the seasons bring.
It's fidelity to simply being at the weekday meal, simple fare eaten quickly and distractedly, not the huge celebration or banquet, that sustains family life. A family that demands that every meal together be an event where everyone affectively engages and insists that the pressures of time and personal agenda should be of no concern soon enough notices more and more family members are finding excuses not to be there. And for good reason: Nobody has energy for a banquet every day. Indeed, nobody, except God, is immune to the simple tiredness, distraction, affective promiscuity and self-preoccupation that can make it difficult for the heart to be alert, attentive and emotionally present at any given time. Love, as the language of Marriage Encounter puts it, is shown in decision.
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Father Ron Rolheiser
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Respond with respect for others every day Paul Leingang
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What Is Freedom Salesian Perspective The America Heritage Dictionary defines freedom as "the condition of being free of restraints; the liberty of the person from slavery, detention or oppression; the capacity to exercise choice: free will."
Rev. Michael S. Murray, OSFS, is the Executive Director of
the De Sales Spirituality Center. |
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What is the Church? The Church is the people of God. The church is the church building, the house of the people of God. We have called the church the house of God. It has become that, because it is the place which has been made sacred through Eucharist worship. The work of the people, LITURGY, sanctifies the space as it makes Christ present through the word, through the Eucharist, through the ministers, and through the Body of Christ assembled. The Church is "a who," not "a what."
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UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. Breakfast at McDonald's (a beautiful Christmas story) . This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.' The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch. An overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford.. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm). Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.' I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you.... God is here working through me to give you hope.' I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son.. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.' We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but we are believers.. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, Can I share this?' I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class.. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, the instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE.
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