As the Vine is supported by the Elm, so is the Rich Man Helped by the Prayer of the Poor

By Hermas

As I was walking in the field, and observing an elm and vine, and determining in my own mind to admire them and their fruits, the Shepherd appears to me, and says, "What is it that you are thinking about the elm and vine?" "I am considering," I reply, "that they complement each other exceedingly well." "These two trees," he continues, "are intended as an example for the servants of God." "I would like to know," said I, "the example which these trees you say, are intended to teach." "Do you see," he says, "the elm and the vine?" "I see them sir," I replied. "This vine," he continued, "produces fruit, and the elm is an unfruitful tree; but unless the vine be trained to climb up upon the elm, it cannot bear much fruit when extended at length upon the ground; and the fruit which it does bear is rotten, because the plant is not suspended upon the elm. When, therefore, the vine is grown upon the elm, it yields fruit both from itself and from the elm. You see, moreover, that the elm also produces much fruit, not less than the vine, but even more; because," he continued, "the vine, when suspended upon the elm, yields much fruit, and good; but when thrown upon the ground, what it produces is small and rotten.

This similitude, therefore, is for the servants of God – for the poor man and for the rich." "How so, sir?" said I; "explain the matter to me." "Listen," he said: "The rich man has much wealth, but is poor in matters relating to the Lord, because he is distracted about his riches; and he offers very few confessions and intercessions to the Lord, and those which he does offer are small and weak, and have no power in heaven. But when the rich man refreshes the poor, and assists him in his necessities, believing that what he does to the poor man will be able to find its reward with God – because the poor man is rich in intercession and confession, and his intercession has great power with God – then the rich man helps the poor in all things without hesitation; and the poor man, being helped by the rich, intercedes for him, giving thanks to God for him who bestows gifts upon him. And he still continues to interest himself zealously for the poor man, that his wants may be constantly supplied. For he knows that the intercession of the poor man is acceptable and influential with God. Both, accordingly, accomplish their work. The poor man makes intercession; a work in which he is rich, which he received from the Lord, and with which he recompenses the master who helps him. And the rich man, in like manner, unhesitatingly bestows upon the poor man the riches which he received from the Lord. And this is a great work, and acceptable before God, because he understands the object of his wealth, and has given to the poor of the gifts of the Lord, and rightly discharged his service to Him. Among men, however, the elm appears not to produce fruit, and they do not know nor understand that if a drought come, the elm, which contains water, nourishes the vine; and the vine, having an unfailing supply of water, yields double fruit both for itself and for the elm. So also poor men interceding with the Lord on behalf of the rich, increase their riches; and the rich, again, aiding the poor in their necessities, satisfy their souls. Both, therefore, are partners in the righteous work. He who does these things shall not be deserted by God, but shall be enrolled in the books of the living. Blessed are they who have riches, and who understand that they are from the Lord. For they who are of that mind will be able to do some good." (The Second Similitude)

A second century author; Hermas is known only through the autobiographical details given in his work titled “The Shepherd”.  A Christian slave who was given his freedom, he became a wealthy merchant, lost his property, and did penance for past sins.

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Homelessness Happens: 32,000 People Chased from Their Homes

Jeremy Myer, a writer for the Denver Post reported yesterday that a three-day-old wildfire erupted with catastrophic fury on Tuesday, ripping across the foothills neighborhoods of Colorado Springs, devouring an untold number of homes and sending tens of thousands fleeing to safety in what was shaping up as one of the biggest disasters in state history. "This is a firestorm of epic proportions," said Colorado Springs Fire Chief Richard Brown. The Waldo Canyon fire in El Paso County — which had been growing in the forested hills on the city's west side — blew into an inferno late in the afternoon, raging over a ridge toward densely populated neighborhoods.

An apocalyptic plume of smoke covered Colorado's second-largest city as thousands of people forced to evacuate clogged Interstate 25 at rush hour trying to get to their homes or to get out of the way.  By nightfall, roughly 32,000 people left their homes, chased out by the flames.

While Colorado Springs and Boulder took over the headlines, crews working on the High Park fire west of Fort Collins was measured at 87,250 acres with still 55 percent containment. That fire, the most destructive in state history, has torched at least 257 homes, nine more than previously thought.

By early evening, the website for the Flying W Ranch, a Western-themed attraction west of Garden of the Gods, announced that it had "burned to the ground."

Jesus said: “Blessed are the merciful, they shall receive mercy.” Cf. Matthew 5:7.  Whether it’s New Orleans, Northridge or now, Colorado Springs, one never knows when it will be their city or their time next.  But now is the time to be merciful and help the homeless around us in our own neighborhoods and hometowns. 

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Hunger

By Homelesssomtimes

Should I open my eyes today?

Wondering,
Pinching myself,
I’m alive,
Another day of hunger?
Searching,
The pain.
Will this be it?
Cursed as I open my eyes,
I live another day,
Hear my cries O Lord,
Lift the poor.

The wicked,

The lovers of money,
Wealth,
Let them drink from the cup,
They poured.

Let the poor have their place O Lord,
Lift them in your embrace,
Give them strength,
Father God.
I praise you in my pain and hunger,
This is temporary,
Your love is eternal.
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The Spreading of the Gospel and the End of Our Homelessness

By Eusebius

“Thus, under the influence of heavenly power, and with the divine co-operation, the doctrine of the Savior, like the rays of the sun, quickly illumined the whole world; and straightway, in accordance with the divine Scriptures, the voice of the inspired evangelists and apostles went forth through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.

 “In every city and village, churches were quickly established, filled with multitudes of people like a replenished threshing-floor. And those whose minds, in consequence of errors which had descended to them from their forefathers, were fettered by the ancient disease of idolatrous superstition, were, by the power of Christ operating through the teaching and the wonderful works of his disciples, set free, as it were, from terrible masters, and found a release from the most cruel bondage. They renounced with abhorrence every species of demoniacal polytheism, and confessed that there was only one God, the creator of all things, and him they honored with the rites of true piety, through the inspired and rational worship which has been planted by our Savior among men.

“But the divine grace being now poured out upon the rest of the nations, Cornelius, of Cæsarea in Palestine, with his whole house, through a divine revelation and the agency of Peter, first received faith in Christ; and after him a multitude of other Greeks in Antioch, to whom those who were scattered by the persecution of Stephen had preached the Gospel. When the church of Antioch was now increasing and abounding, and a multitude of prophets from Jerusalem were on the ground, among them Barnabas and Paul and in addition many other brethren, the name of Christians first sprang up there, as from a fresh and life-giving fountain.

“And Agabus, one of the prophets who was with them, uttered a prophecy concerning the famine which was about to take place, and Paul and Barnabas were sent to relieve the necessities of the brethren.”

Eusebius (A.D. 263 – 339), considered the “Father of Church History” was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314.

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Something to do when one has too much money but does not necessarily want to give it to the poor!

Eric Pfeiffer from Yahoo! News recently asked the question, “Who in their right mind would pay $450 for a pizza? “

Well obviously a very rich person!

The Steveston Pizza Company in Vancouver eatery has already sold one of the $450 pies and seven other orders for a $120 version.

So what exactly do you indulge in when ordering a $450 pizza? Specifically, the high-end meal known as the "C6" comes topped with a thermidor of lobster and black Alaska cod and a side of Russian osetra caviar.

The $120 version is topped with roasted garlic, Icelandic scampi, smoked steelhead and lobster ratatouille.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most expensive pizza in the world -- before Steveston’s -- was offered by Gordon Ramsey's Maze restaurant for $178. It is topped with onion puree, white truffle paste, fontina cheese, baby mozzarella, pancetta, cepe mushrooms, freshly picked wild mizuna lettuce, and shaved white truffles that run $2,500 a kilo.

The Steveston Pizza Company offers more economical options for the average customer, with a standard pepperoni pizza starting at just $14.

After a little research, this indeed is not the most expensive pizza one can buy.  Margo's Pizzeria in Malta sells an over-the-top decadent pie with white truffles and 24-carat gold leaf for a mere $2,400. Or, there's a $1,000 pizza with caviar. Or, for $8,200, you can get a pizza sprinkled with diamonds.

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Poverty: A Blessing in Disguise

Psalm 49

 Hear this, all you peoples!
    Give ear, all you inhabitants of the world,
    both low and high,
    rich and poor alike!

My mouth shall speak wisdom;

    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
    I will incline my ear to a proverb;
    I will solve my problems with the music of the harp.

 Who should I fear in times of trouble,

    when the iniquity of evil doers surrounds me,
    those who trust in their wealth
    and boast in the abundance of their riches?

 Truly no man can ransom another,

    or give to God the price of his life,
    for the ransom of their life is costly,
    and can never suffice,
    that he should live on forever,
    and never see the pit.

 For he sees that even the wise die;

    the fool and the wise man, both alike must perish
    and leave their wealth to others.
    Their graves are a wide-open grave,
    a dwelling place from age to age,
    though they have lands called by their own name.
    Man in his riches will not remain;
    he is like the beasts that are eternally destroyed.

This is the lot of those who trust in their wealth;

    who have foolish confidence;
    who boast “men will praise me for my success.”
    Yet like sheep they are led to slaughter;
    death will be their shepherd,
    and the upright shall rule over them.
    In the morning, their outward show of wealth vanishes,
    they will be consumed by hell itself.
    But God will ransom my soul from death,
    he will receive me.

Therefore, be not afraid when a man becomes rich,

    when the glory of his house increases.
    For when he dies he will carry nothing with him;
    his glory will not go down to the grave.
    For though, while he lives, he boasts of his success,
    his soul will go down to the grave just like his fathers,
    who will never see the light of day again.
    Man in his riches lacks understanding.
    He is like the beasts that are eternally destroyed.
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Small Annoyances and the Greatest Misfortunes

By Saint Claude de la Colombiere

But as the opportunities for practicing . . . in a big way come rather seldom, we must take advantage of the small ones which occur daily, and which will soon put us in a position to face the greater trials with equanimity when the time comes.  There is no one who does not experience a hundred small annoyances every day, caused either by our own carelessness or inattention, or by the inconsideration or spite of other people, or by pure accident.  Our whole lives are made up on incidents of this kind, occurring ceaselessly from one minute to another, and producing a host of involuntary feelings of dislike and aversion, envy, fear, and impatience to trouble the serenity of our minds.  We let an incautious word slip out and wish we had not said it; someone says something we find offensive; we have to wait a long time to be served when we are in a hurry; we are irritated by a child’s boisterousness; a boring acquaintance buttonholes us in the street; a car splashes us with mud; the weather spoils our outing; our work is not going as well as we would wish; a tool breaks at a critical moment; we get our clothes torn or stained–these are not occasions for practicing heroic virtue but they can be a means of acquiring it if we wish.  If we were careful to offer all these petty annoyances to God and accept them as being ordered by his providence, we would soon be in a position to support the greatest misfortunes that can happen to us, besides at the same time insensibly drawing close to intimate union with God.

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A Few Good Sponsors Wanted!

The Servants of the Father of Mercy, the authors of Homeless In America blog is a 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit, tax-exempt organization and a Private Association of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  Our mission is to serve the poor homeless, about 90,000 in the So Cal region with food, fresh fruit, water, jeans, shoes, socks, blankets, sleeping bags, t-shirts, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, prayer cards, rosaries, hugs and more.  From time to time, the food and water delivered to a homeless person living under area bridges, in alleyways and on river bottoms has arrived just in time to prevent dehydration, hyperthermia and even death.

Today, the homeless we serve needs a person just like you to help sponsor dozens of plastic point-of-sale (POS) donation boxes that will collect spare change from Los Angeles area customers checking out of shops, cafes and restaurants.  Each donation box is a plastic cylinder 8 inches tall and 5 inches wide  (see picture).

In the month of May, the POS cans were launched in the Ventura, California area and have been very successful in generating change that now helps increase supplies and even medical basics like rash ointments, hand sanitizer, Neosporin and more for the homeless.

To make the POS cans a year around fundraiser, we invite your sponsorship.  Our custom signage wrap (professionally made by FastSigns) will proudly display your organization’s name on the canister providing 1,000s of name advertisements per month in 60 on-going locations around downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) or you may wish to remain anonymous – it is your choice.  We suggest a sponsorship donation of $80 - $100 to help jump start this project and make it a reality in 60 new locations in DTLA. Your gift is tax deductible.  Join a caring and compassionate team of sponsors.  Here are just a few who have volunteered to help out with a sponsorship donation:

1. Orlando’s Art House

2. VDB Productions, AFHV
3. Red Brick Pizza
4. Coast Office Supply
5. Urbane Café
6. Remax
7. BLUECANVAS Magazine
8. Sky Dive Taft
9. Mai's Cafe

Your sponsorship donation can be made easily on line with a credit card by clicking on this link and scrolling down to the “PayPal Buy Now” button.  http://servantsofthefather.org/donate_2_homeless Next, enter quantity “8” if you would like to make a $80 donation, or enter quantity “10” if you would like to make a $100 donation, etc..

Consider talking to a few friends and asking each to put in a small donation to complete one sponsorship for $80 or $100.

 
You may also mail sponsorship donations to the Servants of the Father of Mercy, P. O. Box 42001, Los Angeles, CA 90042.  Make checks payable to Servants of the Father of Mercy.  Thank you for your kindness, help and compassion for our homeless family in So Cal.
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The Word for the Wealthy

Now someone approached him and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”  He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?  There is only One who is good.  If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”  He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother’; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.  Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”   Matthew 9: 16-24

"You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."  Revelation 3:17

"Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes.  Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.  Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you." James 5: 1-6
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"What is more humbling than to be called a fool, to be in need of things, and to believe oneself the most unworthy of all?

By Alphonsus de Liguori

"Humility," says Saint Bernard, "is the foundation and guardian of the virtues." He is right, for without it no other virtue can exist in the soul. Were a soul to possess all the virtues, all would disappear were humility to go. But, on the other hand, as Saint Francis de Sales wrote to Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, "God loves humility so much, that whenever he sees it, he immediately goes there." This beautiful and necessary virtue was unknown in the world in early days. But the Son of God came on earth to teach it by his example, and he willed that we should endeavor to imitate him in that virtue particularly: Learn of me, because I am meek and humble or heart (Mt 11:29). Since Mary was the first and most perfect disciple of Jesus in the practice of the virtues, she naturally excelled in the practice of humility. For this reason, she deserved to be exalted above all other creatures. It was revealed to Saint Matilda that it was humility in which the Blessed Mother particularly excelled, even from her very childhood.

The first effect of humility of heart is a lowly opinion of oneself. Mary always had such a humble opinion of herself that, as was revealed to the same Saint Matilda, although she saw herself enriched with more graces than all other people, she never put herself ahead of anyone. Abbot Rupert, commenting on the passage of the sacred Canticles: You have wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse...with one hair of your neck (Cant 4:9), says that the humble opinion Mary had of herself was the hair with which she wounded the heart of God. Not that Mary considered herself a sinner. Humility is truth, as Saint Teresa remarks, and Mary knew that she had never offended God. She also knew that she had received more graces from God than all other creatures. A humble heart always acknowledges the special favors of the Lord in order to humble itself all the more. But the Blessed Mother, because of the greater light which made her aware of the infinite greatness and goodness of God, was also aware of her own nothingness. That is why she humbled herself more than everybody else, saying with the sacred Spouse: Do not stare at me because I am swarthy, because the sun has burned me (Cant 1:5). That is, as Saint Bernard explains it: "When I approach him, I find myself black." This is true, says Saint Bernardine, because the Blessed Virgin was always vividly conscious of the majesty of God and her own nothingness. When a beggar is given a costly gift, he does not show off with it in the presence of the donor. He receives it humbly and remains conscious of his own poverty. So when Mary saw herself enriched with grace, she humbled herself; reminding herself that it was all God's gift. That is why she told Saint Elizabeth of Hungary that she looked upon herself as a worthless creature and unworthy of the grace of God. And that is why Saint Bernardine says that "after the Son of God, no one in the whole world was ever so exalted as Mary, because no one ever humbled himself to the extent that she did."

Moreover, it is characteristic of humility to conceal heavenly gifts. Mary wished to conceal from Saint Joseph the favor which made her the Mother of God. At the same time it seemed necessary to reveal the secret to him, if only to remove from his mind any suspicions as to her virtue which he might have entertained on seeing her pregnant. Saint Joseph, on the one hand, did not wish to doubt Mary's chastity; and yet on the other hand, being unaware of the mystery, he was minded to have her put away privately (Mt 1:19). And he would have done so had the angel not revealed to him that his spouse was pregnant by the operation of the Holy Spirit.

Again, a soul that is truly humble does not allow herself to be praised. And if praises are showered on her, she refers them all to God. Mary was disturbed at hearing herself praised by Saint Gabriel. She was also disturbed when Elizabeth said: Blessed are you among women....And how have I deserved that the mother of my Lord should come to me?...Blessed is she who has believed (Lk 1:42,43,45). Mary referred everything to God, and replied in the humble words of her canticle: My soul magnifies the Lord (Lk 1:46). This was the same as saying: "You praise me, Elizabeth, but I praise the Lord, to whom alone all honor is due. You wonder why I have come to visit you, while I wonder at the divine goodness that has come to me. And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Lk 1:47). You praise me because I have believed; but I praise my God, because he has exalted my nothingness. He has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid (Lk 1:48)." Our Lady said to Saint Bridget: "I humbled myself so much, and have merited so much grace, because I knew that of myself I possessed nothing. That is why I did not want to be praised. I desired only that praise be given to the Creator and Giver of all things." Referring to the humility of Mary, an ancient author says: "O truly blessed humility, which has given God to men, opened heaven, and delivered souls from hell!"

It is also characteristic of humility to serve others. Mary did not hesitate to go and help Elizabeth for three months. Saint Bernard aptly remarks: "Elizabeth wondered why Mary had come to visit her; but - what is still more remarkable - that she came not to be ministered to, but to minister."

Humble persons are usually retiring and choose the least honorable places for themselves. Therefore, as Saint Bernard remarks, "when Jesus was preaching in a house (as we learn in Saint Matthew), Mary, wishing to speak to him, would not enter of her own accord but remained outside, and did not avail herself of her maternal right to interrupt him." And when she was with the Apostles waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit, she chose the lowest place, as Saint Luke relates: All these with one mind continued steadfastly in prayer with the women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14). Saint Luke was not ignorant of the Blessed Mother's merits, which should have caused him to name her first. However, Mary had taken the last place among the Apostles and the women. And therefore he described them, as an author remarks, in the order in which they were. Saint Bernard says: "The last has rightly become the first, because being the first of all she became the last."

Finally, people who are sincerely humble do not look for favor. In fact, they love to be despised. That is why we note that Mary did not show herself in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when the people received Jesus with so much honor. On the other hand, at his death, she did not hesitate to appear on Calvary. She was undeterred by fear of the ridicule she would incur when it became known that she was the mother of the criminal. On one occasion, Mary said to Saint Bridget: "What is more humbling than to be called a fool, to be in need of things, and to believe oneself the most unworthy of all? Such was my humility, O daughter. It was my constant joy and desire to please my son in this way as much as I could."

Venerable Sister Paola of Foligno was privileged to see in an ecstasy how great the humility of the Blessed Virgin was. Giving an account of it to her confessor, she was so filled with astonishment that she could only say: "Father, you can never understand how great the humility of the Blessed Virgin was! There is no humility in the world comparable to the humility of Mary." On another occasion, Our Lord showed Saint Bridget two women. The one was all glamour and vanity. "She is pride," he said, "but the other one whom you see with her head bowed, courteous to all, devoted to God alone, and considering herself as a nobody, is humility, and her name is Mary." God chose that way of letting us know that Mary is the personification of humility.

There can be no doubt, observes Saint Gregory of Nyssa, that of all the virtues there is perhaps none more difficult for our nature to practice, tainted as it is by sin, than humility. At the same time, we cannot evade this truth: We can be true children of Mary only if we are humble. "If you cannot imitate the virginity of the Blessed Virgin," says Saint Bernard, "imitate her humility."
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