By Father Christopher Kubat, pastor
On Easter Sunday, when St. Mary Magdalene discovered the empty tomb, she thought someone had taken the dead body of her Lord Jesus Christ away. When she saw Jesus, but did not recognize Him, Jesus said,
“Woman, why are you weeping?” She replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away” (Jn 20:15). We know that Jesus ultimately revealed His presence to her and she left consoled.
I love walking through the lobbies of our offices where people off the street come in seeking help.
A few days ago, I met a woman who asked if I was a pastor. She wanted to talk. She was weeping. After entering our chapel dedicated to St. Joseph, where Jesus lives in the Blessed Sacrament, I pointed to the tabernacle and said, “There is Jesus, and He loves you!” The tears became more pronounced, and the stream became a torrent.
She then informed me that she recently lost a son to suicide and a daughter to an incurable illness. After telling her that God loves them also, I heard the rest of her story.
The woman has recently exited homelessness and will be starting a new job. She was in need of a gas card to see her father-in-law, who is dying of cancer, in Omaha. After helping her, she went away with the peace of the Lord in her heart and some consolation.
I later met a young man who desperately wanted a blessing. He is a homeless man, living on the streets, who frequently talks to himself. I remembered seeing him standing in the middle of the street yelling something at another person on the sidewalk. He just stood there until he was sure the person he was talking to had heard him. We serve him a sack lunch every day.
But this day, before going over for a lunch, he came to our lobby and was eating a piece of garlic bread and drinking coffee we provide. As I blessed him, he took my hand and held it on the top of his head for a brief while. Stopping at CSS is part of his daily routine. After talking to him for a moment, it is evident he will not be able to hold down any kind of job. He left us with a bit of peace and consolation in his heart. It may not seem like much, but what little love and kindness we give him goes a long way.
As we continue traversing through this Lenten season, let us be reminded that one never knows what woundedness exists in the hearts of the people we encounter. Offering to pray with someone, acts and words of kindness, along with a smile, go a long way to bring peace, joy and consolation of God into a wounded soul.
I would like to thank all of our donors who make it possible for us to touch the many wounded hearts that come to us daily, like the two people mentioned above. St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!
