If you have it, give it.

Just a real quick story. prior to things falling apart from Covid are used to take the train every day to and from work. Over the course of years of doing this are used to come in contact with a lot of homeless people. There were a couple in particular that I had developed a friendship with. Although it’s started for me give me a dollar or two he developed into more of just people to have conversations with, for them and me. I often wonder, now that I no longer take the train, how they are doing.

How they fared through the pandemic.

Which brings me to today. I was telling a coworker one of my “Penn station stories” when a woman, much older than I, walked up us saying that she was thirsty. So I grabbed a bottle of water out of my truck and a dollar out of my wallet and handed it to her. In a barely coherent voice she said thank you and walked away. Short time later as I was driving back to the yard, I came across a man standing in the intersection. He kept shaking his arms and hands like they were in pain, unfortunately it’s something identify with. Around his neck was a handwritten sign that said “my name is Frank. I could use some help or at least a friendly voice”. Even though the light was green I want to pull up next to him I stopped and said “hey Frank, how’s it going?”. After we spoke for a few moments about the weather and the neighborhood I reached over handed him a bottle of water and another dollar I had in my wallet. As I drove off he said “thank you very much “, “It’s not a problem” was my response. “not just the water and the money, taking a minute to talk to me, most people don’t have that kind of patience”. As the light turned green I said,”if you have it, give it”. We both waved to each other like old, new friends, “take it easy…God bless” was the last thing I said as I drove away . It wasn’t until I was about a block or so away so I thought about what I had said. Honestly it rolled off my tongue without me even thinking about it. And as I got further and further away it became more and more clear, that’s all God wants from us. If any of us has what someone else needs than give it. Maybe it’s as simple as a smile, but that could mean everything to someone who needs it.

Know that I am always praying for you and remember to live the Faith. God bless.

Within us all

Something that we have to remember, and I absolutely forget all the time, is that the same love and power the brought Christ to us and then raised him from the dead is the same love and power the God has for us and is inside of all of us in the form of the Holy Spirit. Knowing that how can any of us believe that anything is impossible? How do we have fear? We need to believe in ourselves the same way that the Lord believes in us. Know that I am always praying for you all, remember to live the Faith. His bless

At the foot of the cross

I was walking down the street the other day headed to grab a cup of coffee with my mind racing in 1000 different directions. “Large cream one sugar” I blurted barely looking over the counter. I got halfway back down the block before my “fog” was broken by the sound of a car horn. After watching the bike bound food delivery guy and the cab driver exchange a few colorful words I started back on my way, only now I was taking in all that was going on around me. It was amazing to me how just a few minutes earlier was “alone” walking down 5th Ave in Manhattan but now I was surrounded by “alone” people, who seemed to barely notice I was in their midst. How often does that happen to all of us. Our problems, our blessings, our lives…can sometimes make us isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Not always intentionally, sometimes it’s self preservation, sometimes it’s how we’ve trained ourselves.

Personally, it’s either a lack of self worth or a feeling of “drowning” that makes me detach myself from the world. Now by self worth what I mean is that I have a tendency to think my problems, or victories, aren’t as big or important as other people’s so I keep to myself. “Drowning”… well I think that’s a bit more common. When we keep to ourselves it’s like dropping small stones into a creek, it slowly causes a dam and when enough water builds up, like a river that overflows it’s banks, our minds get so overwhelmed concentration is virtually impossible.

It’s a rough time, but it doesn’t have to be the way. What we have to remember is that Christ sacrificed Himself for us on the cross. And by doing so He gives a place to leave all our burdens. To share our pain and our joy.

At the foot of the cross.

It’s here we are all equal in the eyes of God. No one is greater. No one is more worthy. What’s even better is that God already knows what’s going on in your head so all you have to do is give it up to Him. No matter who you are or where are you are, you’re guaranteed a place at the foot of the cross. It’s there for all of us, all we have to do is ask. Truly is that simple. Know that I am always praying, and remember to live the Faith. God bless.

Halfway Attitude

Just for the record the Blessed Sacrament isn’t something that you order à la cart. The 10 Commandments are not on the “pick three menu”, And Jesus didn’t say…

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love…sometimes”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, our faith is the easiest to follow and the most difficult to practice. Now I say practice because none of us are perfect, perfection happened once, and when He was here Christ taught us to love everyone. Forgive everyone. And as difficult as that may be at times it doesn’t mean we don’t strive for it everyday. We have to learn to “unlearn” what society taught us, and focus on what Jesus teaches us.

I was in the car the other morning thinking about a conversation I had been in a few days earlier. There was a few of us talking about acceptance. Let’s be real here, it probably wasn’t more than a week after Adam and Eve were banished from Eden before they started looking at some people sideways! Ok I know I’m being a bit dramatic but you understand my point. We all build up these preconceived notions over the course of our lives about how we view the world and the people in it whether we want to admit it or not. So at one point in the conversation I stopped talking and just sat back and listened. Initially, my silence was to try and really learn how everyone else’s thought process steered their viewpoints, but as the conversation went on I started to have this “conversation” in my head. What struck me was when someone had made the comment about how “we’re all made in God’s image”. Now I absolutely agree with that, but does everyone? I will tell you I didn’t always think like that. But if you truly believe that, then how can you justify not treating everyone with love and forgiveness?

Which brings me to the picture at the top of this letter. As I said earlier I was driving trying to formulate these thoughts into some form of order I looked up and saw the car in front of me. Immediately I laughed and thought to myself this guys got a real “halfway attitude”. And as ridiculous as he looked it was such a great visual to the point I’m making. I mean how many of us have a “halfway attitude” when it comes to practicing our faith? Like the guy who cleared off the bare minimum of his car to travel, don’t we sometimes do the same spiritually? But the reality is halfway is not enough. Not enough when you’re driving and absolutely not enough when you’re living your life for Christ.

As always know that I am praying for you, and remember to live the Faith. God bless.