When my
daughter Sarah was about 8 years old, my family decided we wanted to eat out. As is often the case, we were in the mood for
Mexican food. We went to a restaurant
downtown that had very good food and was easy on the pocketbook. The only concern we had was that it was a
neighborhood that most people would consider “dangerous,” because one is always
confronted by a panhandler--which doesn’t make the area “dangerous,” just
“poor”.
Sarah couldn’t
finish her meal, and asked the waitress to box it up so she could eat it the
next day. On our way out we were
approached by a disheveled man who asked for some money so he could “get
something to eat”. My first thought was
“I just bet that’s why you want the money. To ‘eat.’ Right. It’s
probably to go down to the liquor store and buy a bottle of wine. I’m not going to help you kill yourself. So leave me alone.”
But before I
could express those thoughts by simply ignoring the guy and walking along,
Sarah said “Here, sir” and handed her leftover meal to the man! He was so hungry he opened it right there and
“wolfed” it down, proving that he was, indeed, hungry and not just another
drunk. He thanked Sarah for the food,
said “God Bless you”, and moved on. I
was so ashamed of myself for that day, but thankful to God that he blessed me
with such a compassionate child.
“…naked
and you clothed me…”
Several
years ago, my mother-in-law was cleaning out some closets and came across a
couple of WWII vintage army blankets that belonged to my father-in-law. One was in excellent shape and the other had
a slight tear on one edge. We decided to
keep the good one as a memento, but we put the other in a bag, hoping to drop
it off at a homeless shelter, because they can always use blankets. I put it in the trunk of my car and forgot
about it.
About a
month later, I was sitting in my office looking out the window as the wind blew
and the rain was getting heavy from a cloudburst, and I saw him. We’ve all seen him—he’s pushing a shopping
cart or carrying a black trash bag and rummaging through trash bins and
landscaping looking for recyclables that he can turn into cash. He’s in every city in the country. That
day he poked his head into my office.
"Do you have any cans or bottles I can take off of your hands
today?", he asked rather pleasantly.
I replied "Sorry, not today!" hoping (I'm sorry to admit) he
would beat a hasty retreat back outside where he could "bother"
someone else.
He started
out the door then turned back toward me and said, "Do you mind if I wait
out the storm in here? It's kind of cold
and wet out there and I don't have a coat." I
suddenly remembered the blanket that had been sitting in my trunk. "Come with me", I said. I took him out to my car and opened the
trunk. I handed him the army blanket and
said, "I've been waiting for you".
He said "Wow! This is great! I don't have a blanket. It's awfully cold some nights." I also had in my trunk a hooded coat that I
didn’t wear very often because of some slight tears in the fabric. I handed that to him as well and said,
"God bless you, I think this will fit you."
With that,
he started walking off (I think) with his head held a little higher than when I
first met him ten minutes earlier.
What a
loving God we have that guides His sheep to those who can supply just what they
need when they need it!
“…ill
and you cared for me; in prison and you visited me.”
Sometime mid-morning
on Holy Thursday 2009, there was a knock on my mother’s door. She was 90 years old at the time. She had taken a tumble earlier in the week and
was very sore and bruised not only physically, but mentally, too. Because even at that age, she was still very
mobile and active and when she was restricted from leaving the house due to
soreness and pain, it took a toll on her usual zest for life. She was quite “blue” and feeling "imprisoned."
She answered
the door, and there stood Joey Long and another young man (I think it was his
brother) with a bag of cookies that he presented to her saying that he heard
she was under the weather (how he found out is still a mystery to me) and
thought that some cookies at Easter would cheer her up. He handed her a bag that said, “Happy Easter
from Joey Long, 3rd Grade”. My mother
waved to Joey’s mother who was waiting in the car for Joey to complete his
mission of mercy and love.
I arrived at
my mom’s home at about 5 o’clock as I had promised to take her and a neighbor
to Mass and she related the story to me. Although she was in no shape to attend Mass
that evening, she encouraged me to go anyway, so I met with her neighbor and
the two of us went as planned.
During the
Gospel reading at the Mass, I was moved to tears as a passage from John’s
Gospel was read. "I give you a
new commandment: love one another. As I
have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know
that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." [John
13:35-35]
I remember
thinking to myself, “Joey Long and everyone who is responsible for teaching him
the love he showed my mother tonight —from his parents, to his teachers and his
family—must be true disciples of Christ.”
The final
judgement
At one
definitive moment in the future, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity,
now also in human form as the “Son of Man,” will return to earth in
glory surrounded by all the angels of Heaven and will sit upon His new and
glorious throne. In front of that
throne, every person of every nation ever to exist will be gathered together,
and each person will be judged according to their deeds. Those who served our Lord and treated the
least of His brothers and sisters with mercy and compassion will hear Jesus
say, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world.” Those who did not serve Christ and did not
treat the least ones with mercy will be sent off to eternal punishment as Jesus
says to them, “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared
for the Devil and his angels.” On
that day, only one thing will matter, because eternity will be determined with
permanence. All that will matter is
whether you will be placed on our Lord’s right so as to inherit eternal life,
or on His left and sent into the eternal fires.
Sometimes,
as we journey through life, we can lose sight of this glorious day. When we think of God and Heaven, it’s easy to
fall into the presumption that Heaven is guaranteed to us. God is kind and merciful, and He loves us. Therefore, we presume that Heaven is for
certain and only the most horrible people will end in hell. But that’s not how Jesus depicts the Day of
Judgment.
Jesus
explains that at the time of judgment, the righteous will be astonished by the
fact that caring for those who are hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, ill, or
imprisoned was the same as showing love for God. Likewise, those who neglected the same people
will be astonished that they failed to love God by failing to love the least of
Jesus’ brothers and sisters. Don’t take
this teaching lightly. Jesus doesn’t
mince His words. He is abundantly clear
and definitive.
Many of us
look the other way when Jesus presents us with an opportunity to help our
neighbor. The only asset we need to
fulfill this commandment is Love. Be
Christ to others. Don’t worry about
their color, their wealth, or their clothes. Let God bring people into your path who you
can share even a moment’s joy with and give yourself the opportunity to feel
the blessing of kindness to another human being.
Most
merciful Lord, Your compassion is great, and Your judgment is real. Help me to
always keep my mind upon that final and glorious day on which You will return
in all Your splendor and glory to judge the living and the dead. May I truly
heed Your words and prepare for that day by loving You in all people,
especially in those most in need. Jesus, I trust in You.
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