I Met One of God's Angels

Last week, when I attended Mass -- I didn’t expect anything out of the ordinary. I walked into church --- shook hands with the greeter at the door -- stopped to get some holy water -- and proceeded inside to sit down.

I knelt down -- said a couple prayers -- then started to read the readings for that day -- while patiently waiting for Mass to begin.

Not long after the readings had been read and the gospel too -- that's when everything began to change for me and the people in attendance. He was a missionary -- an older man -- and after introducing himself to the congregation -- he began to tell us about himself -- where he'd been born and raised -- and so on.

Ironically, he began his sermon as if putting on some sort of show. He was comical -- yet serious -- and it left everyone both laughing or crying at what he was saying.

You see -- this man -- who was born Irish and raised in Philadelphia -- and who'd attended Princeton University, came to us that night with a message -- one of love and sacrifice. It didn't take me long to realize he was one of God's messengers and like ‘Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta’ -- had been called -- to go amongst the poorest of the poor -- and do God’s work. His call had been to the slums of Haiti.

Now if anyone knows anything about the horrible conditions that the people of this country must endure daily -- then they can only imagine this missionary’s mission there. The stories he shared made me cringe and cry. Now I've heard and read about the horrific atrocities that plague the world and I try to help where and how I can, but I guess what amazed me that night at Mass was HIM!

He carried this cross with him unlike anything I'd ever witnessed. He held his head high with all the strength and dignity one person could muster and never complained. His whole demeanor amazed me! He didn’t stand there praising himself for what he was doing in Haiti -- he didn't whine or cry the blues about a job that might be considered demeaning or gruesome -- actually -- he tried hard not to draw any attention to himself -- rather he wanted us to focus our attention on the people of Haiti. I had such deep regard and respect for this man -- it's hard to convey in words the emotion I felt that night at church -- seeing such humility and love for mankind wrapped up in one single human being.

He truly touched my heart and soul to the core -- and as he spoke -- he looked at each and everyone one of us -- sitting in our pews -- and directed his entire sermon to us personally. He directed it to both the young and old -- and made no apologies for anything he said. He made us all stop for a moment and consider what we take for granted everyday in our lives -- never giving a second thought to the life God’s blessed us with in comparison to some others.

As he stood on that pulpit -- and preached to each of us about the horrific conditions in Haiti -- perhaps unimaginable to many of us -- I knew how fortunate I was -- and how fortunate everyone else was -- sitting there in church. I personally knew that that evening when I left Mass -- I would get in my car -- go home -- eat a nice dinner -- and spend the evening with my friends and family -- and the next day -- I’d wake up -- and even with my own set of problems -- realize -- they were NOTHING -- in comparison to what was happening on the other side of the world.

What I didn’t expect when I walked into church that evening -- was to be left with a deep feeling of sadness -- and a profound sense of guilt -- knowing I would be returning to my normal life -- free of the pain and suffering this man was witnessing daily and returning to.

Was I drawn to tears?

Oh my heavens YES! -- and when the collection basket was passed around to aid the people of Haiti -- I felt a real sense of inadequacy -- knowing what I gave -- would hardly make any little difference to the amount of money that was needed there.

I had the privilege of speaking with this saintly man after Mass -- and I asked God to bless him and his mission. He told me the following day he was returning to Haiti -- and when he said those words to me -- his head wasn't held low -- looking down at the floor -- NO! It was held high! and his own little piece of heaven that he talked about during Mass -- he would take back to the people of Haiti-- and he would spread it amongst them -- reminding them -- God was with them through it all.

My tears and prayers went with him that evening -- and as I sit here and write this -- my friends in Christ -- it is not without tearful eyes I do so. Please -- pray for this loving, unselfish man -- because in my mind -- he is undoubtedly nothing less than ‘One of God’s Angels’.