February 2019
James : (Jas 2:14-17)
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Vincentian Reflection
I took a series of phone calls today from a friend and associate of 20+ years. Prostate cancer.
Hakuna matata and move on, where’s the reflection in that you might ask.
Well…..Mac (not his real name) is an interesting guy. These calls weren’t specifically for emotional support, or distraction from the normal process. Mac looks at the world with a certain pragmatism and practicality; one generally devoid of a fear of death and dying.
But he had questions. Lots of questions. Two adult males with better things to do than be stuck on the phone like a 1950’s teenage girl don’t spend a couple of hours on the phone without purpose, and Mac had questions.
The thing to know is Mac has millions in the bank. Like maybe basketball player millions. Not necessarily baseball millions, but millions and millions. Smart, educated, pragmatic and able to afford any medical care on the planet. And yet he has questions.
No, I’m not going with the “life is short, Jesus can call us any day, are you ready for the final judgement” mantra. While that is certainly true and relevant, it is not my reflection.
My reflection is if this guy, who with an over-sized backpack of intellectual capabilities and a jumbo sized bank account can bury me with questions around a topic we’ve discussed before….well, then what must it be like for people who call the St Dorothy Chapter of St Vincent de Paul?
I know it’s a stretch, but that’s my reflection. Sure, we have our regulars for whom it is a delight to provide what we can in food and script. And every once in a while we see real pain and are not only able to provide assistance but receive gratitude in return. These are the easy pickings…if that’s all we faced in our mission, our membership list would be enormous.
On the other hand, we recently had a difficult time with a disturbed client being upset and wanting to cause us to embarrassment or worse for her own reasons. This isolated instance is an extreme that hopefully has or is fading into obscurity.
Here, I endeavor to remind us all that between these examples and scammers aside, asking for help is a difficult thing to do. Many times our clients don’t know what’s next because they can’t see past the moment, just like my buddy Mac.
We’re blessed to be in a mission where we have the opportunity to lovingly hear their questions, problems and needs – in response to which we will provide what spiritual and corporeal nourishment we can. I hope.
Welcome to 10 Angels 