Full of Hot Air Instead of Solid Understanding?

By Saint Augustine

Confess your infirmity, lie there patiently in the presence of the doctor. When you have caught hold of his humility, you start rising up with him. Not as he has to rise, insofar as he is the Word; but it's you, rather, who do so, so that he may be grasped by you more and more. At first your understanding was very shaky and hesitant; later you come to understand with greater certainty and clarity. It's not he who is growing, but you who are making progress, and it's as though he seems to be rising up with you. That's how it is, brothers and sisters. Trust God's instructions, and carry them out, and he will give muscle to your understanding. Don't be presumptuous, and as it were, give knowledge prioirty over God's instructions, or you will remain full of hot air, instead of solid understanding.

Think of a tree; it first seeks out the lowest level, in order to grow upward; it fixes its roots in the lowly soil, in order to stretch out its topmost branches to the sky. Can it reach upward from anywhere except its humble roots? You, though, wish to comprehend the heights without charity; you are challenging the winds without roots. That's the way to come crashing down, not to grow. With Christ dwelling in your hearts through faith, be rooted and grounded in love, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

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Small but Mighty!

The Servants of the Father of Mercy, an Association within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has a little 4-cylinder 2008 KIA Rondo van that just turned 65,000. It may be small, but it's mighty! It has served approximately 10,000 homeless persons in its two years driving under the bridges, alleyways and streets of So Cal. Now it needs TLC to keep it safe, operating and serving another 10,000 homeless. Please join the "$800 team" needed to overhaul the brakes, full tune-up, radiator flush and more. With your support, however great or small - this little van that serves up mighty amounts of food, water, clothing, Bibles and spiritual supplies . . .

Will keep doing this . . .

Help at http://www.servantsofthefather.org/donation_homeless or by posting checks to Servants of the Father of Mercy, P.O. Box 42001, Los Angeles, CA 90042. Thank you for the compassion and hope you give to the nearly 74,000 homeless men, women, teens and children we serve. All donations are tax deductible.
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Sometimes Referred to as "Saint GQ" Blessed Pier Giorgio is also the "Saint of the Poor"

Those who think of saints as shy and reclusive people who disdain this life while pining for the next world will be surprised by Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (photo).

Frassati was a friend to the poor, in whom he saw Christ. And today’s laity, especially young people, who are looking for a role model, find someone to identify with in this strapping young outdoorsman who combined political activism and work for social justice, who lived his short life “to the full”.

Pier Giorgio was born in Turin, Italy on April 6, 1901. His mother, Adelaide Ametis, was a painter. His father Alfredo, an agnostic, was the founder and editor-in-chief of the liberal newspaper “La Stampa”, and was influential in Italian politics as a Senator and as well as Ambassador to Germany.

Pier Giorgio developed a deep spiritual life which he never hesitated to share with his friends. The Holy Eucharist and the Blessed Virgin were the two poles of his world and spiritual life. At the age of 17, in 1918, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and dedicated much of his spare time to serving the sick and the needy, caring for orphans and demobilized servicemen returning from World War I. He decided to become a mining engineer studying at the Royal Polytechnic University of Turin, so he could “serve Christ better among the miners”, as he told a friend.

What little he did have, Pier Giorgio gave to help the poor; even using his bus fare for charity and often running home to be on time for meals. The poor who were without God and those who were suffering were his masters; he was literally their servant, and he considered this a privilege. This charity did not involve just giving something to others but giving of himself completely, a self-giving that was nourished by daily Communion with Christ in the Holy Eucharist and by frequent nocturnal adoration, by recitation of the Rosary, by meditation on St. Paul’s “Hymn on Charity” (I Cor 13). He often sacrificed vacations at the Frassati summer home in Pollone because “If everybody leaves Turin, who will take care of the poor?”

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The next StreetReach days helping the homeless living on our very own American streets are coming the last weekend of January. Please partner with us to sponsor water ($20), van insurance ($50), Bibles ($75), and there is an urgent need for van upkeep - $100. Donate at: http://www.servantsofthefather.org/donation_homeless or post checks to - Servants of the Father of Mercy, Inc., P.O. Box 42001, Los Angeles, CA 90042.

All Donations are Tax Deductible

Henry

Reporter, Jamie Griswold from MyNorthwest.com reports colorful murals are taking the place of graffiti in several neighborhoods around Seattle. Artist Ryan Henry Ward, "Henry," as indicated on his paintings, has set out to complete fifty murals in and around Seattle.

After an injury several months ago Ward decided to move away from his landscaping business and dedicate himself full time to his art. He's pleased that his art's proving to satisfy his needs. "I've been out of work now for about a year, and I've just been doing my art and trying to make a living. And I think I did it."

Of course, the means Ward requires to support his lifestyle is less than most. "I'm not the kind of person that's, you know . . . in this for the money. I live in my van, I'm homeless . . ."

Seattle isn't the only town showcasing Ward's art. "I went down to the Dominican Republic last year with a group...and I painted four murals in two impoverished neighborhoods."

Ward has no shortage of orders for his current outdoor works which he's offering free of charge while working toward his goal. "I've got some big projects coming up the next few weeks. They're going to keep coming. I think I should be done with fifty . . ."

Once Ward covers the bare walls in Seattle, he has ambitions of taking his efforts global. "I kind of wanted to travel around the world painting murals, film a documentary, and raise awareness on global issues like poverty."

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Human Beings Like Power

"You see, I believe that we are all very broken in our capacity to relate. Human beings like power and to be admired and to be brilliant. When you start living with people with disabilities, you begin to discover a whole lot of things about yourself. Some are easy to live with, but others can make you climb the wall. Others can make you touch your own brokenness, your own poverty, your own violence and so on. I have lived experiences when I have sensed incredible violence inside of myself. Maybe being in community I didn't hurt anyone, but I discovered who I was. I discovered also that the truth will set me free, and so there's the gradual realization about what it means to be human. To be human is that capacity to love which is the phenomenal reality that we can give life to people; we can transform people by our attentiveness, by our love, and they can transform us. It is a whole question of giving life and receiving life, but also to discover how broken we are." Jean Vanier

Acclaimed as the 'Canadian who inspires the world' (Maclean's Magazine) and 'Nation Builder of the Year' (The Globe and Mail, 2008), Jean Vanier is the founder of the international movement of L'Arche communities, where people who have developmental disabilities and the friends who assist them create homes and share life together. Jean Vanier has become a leader in consciousness-raising about the suffering of all who are marginalised. He is internationally recognised for his compelling vision of what it means to live a fully human life and for his social and spiritual leadership in building a compassionate society. He has written a number of best selling books. He resides in the original L'Arche community in France, when he is not travelling and speaking.

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Our Daily Lives must Manifest Him in Whom we have Believed

Jesus is the fulfillment, the embodiment of good news to the poor. Stunningly enough, He says it in His own words . . .

[Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:16-21

If we believe that Jesus Christ came as a poor child, homeless, in a barn and then fleeing to Egypt as a refugee, then we in turn must love the poor, the homeless and the migrant around us. Our daily lives must manifest Him in whom we have believed.

Psalm 146

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,

The Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free,

The LORD gives sight to the blind,
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down,
the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the migrant
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

The LORD reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD.
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The next StreetReach days helping the homeless living on our very own American streets are coming the last weekend of January. Please partner with us to sponsor water ($20), van insurance ($50), Bibles ($75), and there is an urgent need for van upkeep - $100. Donate at: http://www.servantsofthefather.org/donation_homeless or post checks to - Servants of the Father of Mercy, Inc., P.O. Box 42001, Los Angeles, CA 90042.

All Donations are Tax Deductible

Sick and Tired!

On Monday, January 2nd, the Ventura County Star reports on the reality that ailing homeless – those being released from hospitals, clinics and urgent care have few places to turn for help. In Ventura, the Rescue Mission is about their only option. Historically, the Mission has taken in those being treated for broken limbs, heart, liver, kidney and psychiatric ailments.

The life of an ailing homeless person is consumed with trying to recover from a severe illness while making the rounds to missions and soup kitchens to maintain nourishment and hydration. In most cases, this is almost and impossible task.

One individual has moved to sunny So Cal’s Ventura County some weeks ago after having slept outside in a Minnesota snow storm. His toes were amputated because of frost burn and now he finds it difficult to walk due to continuous problems with his feet.
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The next StreetReach days helping the homeless living on our very own American streets are coming the last weekend of January. Please partner with us to sponsor water ($20), van insurance ($50), Bibles ($75), and there is an urgent need for van upkeep - $100. Donate at: http://www.servantsofthefather.org/donation_homeless or post checks to - Servants of the Father of Mercy, Inc., P.O. Box 42001, Los Angeles, CA 90042.

All Donations are Tax Deductible

Our Personal Poverty

"We cannot be compassionate unless we are aware of our own shortcomings - our poverty. We cannot enter into the suffering of another if we have not accepted our own suffering and the fact that we too are on the road to death. This is the reality of our common creatureliness and dependence. Only when we discover that God forgives our sin and rebellion can we begin to forgive the sin and rebellion of others. If we remain unaware of our sinfulness and therefore unaware of the mercy of God, we are in danger of going to the poor as a 'have' doing good to the 'have nots'. The recipient of our 'generosity' may be grateful for any help and advice, but will not feel that he or she has been deeply understood. We cannot approach the suffering of others unless we have suffered ourselves." Excerpt from 'A Door of Hope' by Jean Vanier

Acclaimed as the 'Canadian who inspires the world' (Maclean's Magazine) and 'Nation Builder of the Year' (The Globe and Mail, 2008), Jean Vanier is the founder of the international movement of L'Arche communities, where people who have developmental disabilities and the friends who assist them create homes and share life together. Jean Vanier has become a leader in consciousness-raising about the suffering of all who are marginalised. He is internationally recognised for his compelling vision of what it means to live a fully human life and for his social and spiritual leadership in building a compassionate society. He has written a number of best selling books. He resides in the original L'Arche community in France, when he is not travelling and speaking. A spokesperson for all who are marginalised, Jean Vanier has received many humanitarian awards.
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In Order to be of Service to Others we have to Die to Them

By Henri Nouwen

If you would ask the Desert Fathers why solitude gives birth to compassion they would say “because it makes us die to our neighbor.” At first, this answer seem quite disturbing to a modern mind. But when we give it a closer look we can see that in order to be of service to others we have to die to them; that is we have to give up measuring our meaning and value with the yardstick of others. To die to our neighbors means to stop judging them, to stop evaluating them and thus become free to be compassionate. Compassion can never coexist with judgment . . . (The Way of the Heart, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Ballantine Books, New York, 1981, pg. 25.)
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The next StreetReach days helping the homeless living on our very own American streets are coming the last weekend of January. Please partner with us to sponsor water ($20), van insurance ($50), Bibles ($75), and there is an urgent need for van upkeep - $100. Donate at: http://www.servantsofthefather.org/donation_homeless or post checks to - Servants of the Father of Mercy, Inc., P.O. Box 42001, Los Angeles, CA 90042.

All Donations are Tax Deductible

From Christmas Cookies to Clothing - Some So Cal Homeless got it all!

In today's blog, the pictures speak for themselves, but there is a brief "commercial" announcement! Many thanks to the teens at St. Joseph's in Carpinteria who on Youth Night made more than 100 hand-crafted Holiday cards that were delivered to the homeless today. Much appreciation goes to Jackie from Saint Mary Magdalen parish in Camarillo, a mom who made 100s of holiday cookies and organized decorating them by the teens for the homeless at a festive Christmastime Youth Night at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Santa Paula. More than 1,000 pieces of clean - fresh clothing made their way to the homeless today because of the generosity and concerted effort of the pastors, administrators and parishioners of Saint Sebastian's in Santa Paula, Sacred Heart in Ventura and Corpus Christi in Pacific Palisades.

Fresh-picked oranges were a welcomed sight too! They were brought all the way to the streets and alleyways because of the the kindness of the Sunkist packing house in Fillmore. Not to mention the ultimate comfort food, the International Bible Society "Story of God" Gospel of John booklets sponsored in each sack lunch by Charlie of Saint Paul the Apostle parish in Westwood. Last but not least, Noah's Bagels of Ventura consistently donates each week 100s of fresh-made gourmet bagels to the homeless we serve. Henry and Angela and family from Our Lady of Guadalupe in Santa Paula made more than 200 PBJs as part of their New Years Day labor of love for today's delivery. Thanks to YLI Santa Paula and the many others who sponsored a giveaway of Christmas Cookies and SUBWAY FOOTLONG gift cards in Ventura last week. Many thanks to Rosie and Tom from St. Vincent de Paul for the many lunch bag snacks and "stuffers" that were provided for this Homeless In America StreetReach.

Pray for "Homeless Mike" who lives under one of the bridges for years and was MIA and said to be in an area hospital today. Pray for "Homeless Greg" who has lived on the same stretch of pavement for more than a decade and for want of nothing, yet suffers greatly. Many thanks to today's StreetReach team for all their dedication and hard work - Henry, Angela, Frances, Jenny, Melanie and Ezequiel.

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The next StreetReach days helping the homeless living on our very own American streets are coming very soon, the last weekend of January in fact. Please partner with us today to sponsor cases of water ($20), van insurance ($50), Bibles ($75), and we are in urgent need of van upkeep sponsors - $100. Donate at: http://www.servantsofthefather.org/donation_homeless or post checks to - Servants of the Father of Mercy, Inc., P.O. Box 42001, Los Angeles, CA 90042.

All Donations are Tax Deductible