June 9

A mom brings her boy to a psychiatrist and he says, “Well, we’ll have to give him an aptitude test.”

The mother responds, “oh he’s apt to do anything!”

A teacher, unfortunately, was going in for open heart surgery, but still wanted to use the opportunity. So when the team of doctors has him on the operating table, they remove his shirt and see “Think” written across his chest.

For the past several weeks I have been fortunate to serve on the Archdiocese of Hartford’s Catholic Committee on Scouting. All we were doing was planning for a retreat/ camp out for Catholic scouts in CT. They will earn the Pope Pius XII award. The theme is "a scout is Helpful” (which is a point of the Boy Scout Law). In planning to teach being helpful, I found many opportunities in my own life.

It’s easy to give rides home to coworkers and small amounts of money, cover other people’s shift, eat with them, have a drink with them and kindly listen to them. My Latino co workers are so endearing. When I run to the kitchen and ask for a sauce or a salad remake in Spanish, they get it to me faster than if I was a manager. It’s about walking into the kitchen to start work and every cook and dish staff greeting you with a “¿Como estás?” Being helpful improves everyone's life.

One of the more special moments was when a complete stranger picks me to ask for a ride. In the doctor’s office, being stopped on the way out, when he could have asked any other person. It was my opportunity.

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:... (Isaiah 6:8-9)”

veterans.ky.gov

However, things don’t always work out so simple. I met Ethan on the side of the road up by the Hartford Seminary. He’s an Air Force Vietnam veteran from 1974. He was asking for money. He didn’t want food, saying he wouldn’t be able to keep it down and refused a ride. As I was waving him into my car a lady perpendicular to my right jumped out of her car to give him a dollar. Even with the others watching, we all wanted to help him. “No man, I just want a dollar, can’t do that, just need a dollar.” I imagine that his situation is far more complicated than I can understand. Marching in the Memorial Day parade is beautiful, but it’s not enough.

Homelessness among veterans is decreasing, but we can still open our hearts to the reality.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 2013 Annual Homeless Assessment to Congress.

Pope Francis warns against division in the church, “Jesus prays for the unity of his people, but he knows that ‘the spirit of the world’ is a ‘spirit of division, war, envy and jealousy’.” On May 21 during his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Pope Francis said the devil’s main weapons for sowing division are gossiping and labeling others. “Each person is how he or she is, but try to live in unity,” the pope said. “Has Jesus forgiven you? Forgive all others.” In the day’s passage from the Gospel of St. John it begins, “Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying; ‘I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. (John 17:20)”

“We probably haven’t paid enough attention to these words,” the pope said.

So to be helpful, to help a homeless veteran, person or a coworker, we can start by not labeling them. Or talking badly about one another. Maybe we could recognize His thirst for unity and so love one another as an extension of ourselves.

If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. 

But... 

if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine... 

then let us walk Together.             

                                                                         (Lilla Watson)