I Bet You Can't Hit Me

 Whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me.

Mary and I find ourselves in San Francisco this week. A five day get away from the regular work days we go through. We arrived in the city, picked up our rental car and headed for the hotel. The city is quite beautiful, and yet the trials of life still show. We passed several homeless and jobless people begin for handouts. One man even had a sign reading 'I bet you can't hit me with a quarter!' Inventive, but still a sorrow to the heart for his hardship. Down the block from our hotel, as we asked the streets of the neighborhood, more people with no where to go. Shopping carts full. Sleeping on the streets.

We in New York are very familiar with these sites, but it hits home when we realize that this suffering is all over. Mary and I experienced these same sites in Madrid during our trip there for world youth day.

Jesus has called us to help those in need. To offer shelter to those who have none, food to the hungry, clothes to the naked. Together, we need to make this effort. It is very apparent that there are just to many suffering from our ailing economy for only a select few to take care of. We must work together. From the widow who may only be able to offer a few cents, to the rich young men who can offer a new life by following Christ, we need to try to make a difference.

This lent. Let us pray we find that way, together.