A recurring theme that I experienced throughout this week was “suffering”. Meeting the needs of the poor allowed me to suffer with them. Hearing their stories broke my heart; yet I noticed how God radiates His love through them.
A lady that we met asked for prayers for her son Damion. I asked for Mama Mary’s intercession to protect her child and the lady. On her face, I see love. It makes me ponder: Everyone including myself complain about problems in our lives. Obviously this lady has tons of problems on her plate. In spite of the hardship she faces, she chose life, the greatest gift from God. Another sweet gentleman we met told us he is a Roman Catholic but he doesn’t go to church anymore. He was convinced that we are good people because of what we did. When we asked how we should pray for him, he asked for prayers for his dad who passed away recently. I was very inspired by his selfless heart - when he shared about his stories with us, I learned about all the suffering he bears. Yet, when we asked to pray for him, he thought of other people before himself. We are all created in the image of God, and I truly see Christ in him as I serve the poor. Through our spiritual and emotional support, we share God’s love to him. Even if he doesn’t go to church anymore, I am convinced that God has planted a seed in his heart and reassured him that he is still a beloved son of God.
The friends that I encountered all carried different crosses. I had the opportunity to talk with them and learn about their stories. Looking up at the cross, I saw Jesus who has transformed the symbol of suffering, humiliation and death into a symbol of hope, life and promise. There is hope for the homeless as they long a better future. I truly believe that God has a promise and plan for them. The Lord really had prepared me for the whole week for this outreach. He ignites a flame in my heart, a calling to sacrifice and suffer for the conversions of their souls. I want to serve the poorest of the poor, so that they know nothing can take away their identity - beloved children of God who deserved to be loved.
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