Giving Thanks and Helping the Homeless

Today after Mass I was taking my dog on a walk when I saw a local homeless person all bandaged up and having trouble standing up.  He actually looked like he would collapse on the ground.  I asked him if there was anything I could do to help and he said he was just released from the hospital.  He looked in very bad shape.  He asked if I could get him a soda and insisted on paying for it.  I took his change and went to look for a soda machine.  In the meantime I called 911 even though he had asked me not to do so.

When I returned I gave him his soda and his change.  What touched my heart was the fact that he told me to keep the change.  Here was a poor man in very bad condition who has lived on the streets for as long as I can remember, yet he still kept his humanity and his dignity.  When the police arrived, he told the officer he was okay but I had to insist that he needed help.

The reason I bring this up today is because one of our priests gave a short homily the other day. He mentioned how people love their pets (and he even made kissy noises to demonstrate) and could walk right past a homeless person in need.

This blog is approximately 6 years old and there have been many, many prayer requests for the pets and animals in need.  The have also been many owners letting us know that their prayers had indeed been answered.  I thought that was good but I think we should be more to show our gratitude.  I hope that when your prayers are answered, and even if they are not, you can show your gratitude and appreciation to God by helping out His less fortunate children, the homeless, the elderly, and the lonely.  There are many ways we can help but the most important way is to acknowledge their existence.  A simple smile, a warm greeting or a kind word may make the world of difference to that person that day.

God is so good to us.  Please let us in turn be good to those that may come our way in need of our help.

I leave you with some quotes by Mother Teresa:

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”
“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you.”