Not long ago, before offering Mass in our main chapel, while walking through the lobby on a crisp fall morning, I noticed a relatively young woman in the parking lot. While setting up for Mass, I noticed the same young woman sitting in the front pew. I later found out she was not Catholic (which makes perfect sense because she was sitting in the front pew). In any case, she looked in acute distress and was crying. I knew from many years of experience, the big output from her lacrimal glands were not crocodile tears but the real deal.
Since there were a good number of CSS employees attending Mass that morning, I thought it would be nice if we did a little bit of singing. I was proud of our employees because for the most part we were all in tune and, except for one of us, we sang like angels. You can imagine who that one is, but I can assure you, he tries his level best when he does sing.
After Mass started, she lifted her head out of her hands and tried her best to participate. All the while, her eyes seemed to be at peace. As most of you know, when a priest or bishop offers Mass, he does so for a particular intention, but while offering Mass, the celebrant outside of offering the Mass for a certain intention is free to converse with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. At Mass, I often say, ‘Lord, the official intention for this Mass is such and such, but remember and please help so and so etc.’
As it turns out, after Mass one of our staff met with her only to find out that she is a single woman with children struggling to survive. She had just received a three-day eviction notice and was a whisker away of being evicted. She had lost her job and was fortunate to have found another but the interruption of income made her unable to pay her rent. She did not know where or who to turn to. Little did she know that she would be present at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that morning. For all I know, this could have been the first Mass she ever attended. As I mentioned to the Lord that morning, I pray that it will not be the last but the first of many Masses during her life. After helping her, for some reason, she asked for a St. Christopher medal which we gave her. We happened to have one at our St. Louise Gift & Thrift Store. I hope that the person who donated it will meet her and her children in heaven at the end of time - just another side intention.
Whenever I tell or write these stories, I am always filled with gratitude for the grace of God, and to our generous donors who have responded to the grace and inspiration of God to donate to us, making it possible to fulfill the gospel mandate in loving Jesus Who lives in the poor and needy. So, for those out there reading these lines, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please know that in addition to offering Masses for you directly, I include all of you and your families as a ‘side intention,’ while offering Mass. St. Christopher, pray for the woman mentioned above and for all of us!
