Google Earth Pictorial: St. Mary & St. Peter's
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“Hi. I’m David. I don’t know if you remember me.”

“Of course, you’re our angel.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I got in late last night, so I didn’t return your call. We don’t have any volunteers who can stay today, so I’ve been referring to you all morning as our angel. God brought you here today. God always provides.” 

It was an odd morning. I drove to Memphis, Tennessee late in the night and pulled up my van outside of St. Mary’s parish. I parked the van and pulled out my sleeping bag to get some sleep. I’ve done this three times so far, slept in the van because I didn’t have anyone hosting me.  

It reminds me of this crazy guy in college who used to hold overnight prayer services for the homeless. He would abdicate his cozy dorm room and sleep in the cold winter night. (On a side note I just discovered that unbeknown to me, he has subscribed to this blog, even though I haven’t had contact with him for years.) Solidarity with the homeless was his theme. We all thought he was crazy.  

Now I’m doing the same thing, sort of. I wake up in a now subfreezing van and those who truly have no homes are walking the streets trying to stay warm. I haven’t showered for three days, and decline the pleasant enhancement of deodorant because the feel of an ice-cold gelatin block on my armpits seems less than appealing.  Instead I put on a cap, and walk into the Soup Kitchen of St. Mary’s. 

I had been there over the summer. I brought a group of adolescents there to assist the work they do, feeding the poor living on the streets of Memphis. Since I was traveling through Memphis, and the point of this pilgrimage is to promote the Church’s teaching on solidarity, I thought I’d spend the morning working in the Soup Kitchen to lend a hand. Heck, I could use a free meal too.

 The Soup Kitchen is run Ron Bezon, a volunteer who is retired from managing assembly lines. He now works six mornings a week, giving food to 150 of the marginalized and hungry. Being in his presence, you feel like you are talking to saint, but instead, this morning, he is naming me an “angel.” It is very flattering to be considered in such high regard. I shun the compliments and appreciation. “I’m just doing what ought to be done,” I think to myself. “It’s not a big deal.”

A sensation returns to me which I haven’t felt for some time, the feeling that somehow, I belong to what Jesus called the “Reign of God.” If I’m in the presence of angels, it is not because angels rest in palaces of gold, but because they are most at home in the common care and concern for those in need. It strikes me that helping other people out, is what makes angels happy. 

It is easy to smile today. I feel poor. Those who come begging for a meal are no different than me. We all smell. We all had a crappy night sleeping in the cold. We’re hungry. And God, isn’t it great to be alive!   I took some pictures of St. Mary’s parish, but I wanted to get moving to my parent’s home in Collinsville, IL; so I went down the street to St. Peter’s to go to Mass.

This is a glorious church run by the Dominicans. Their daily Mass is held in the Shrine to St. Martin de Porres. A simple and striking chapel. You can see my Google Earth pictorials by clicking here.  Of special note at St. Peter’s was the stained glass window found in the back of the church. The window features soldiers from World War I kneeling before priests and the beatific vision. A similar window appears in my home parish of St. Ignatius parish in Chicago. The two have striking similarities and represent the unique way that World War I veterans responded with thanksgiving to God upon their return. 

So… all in all another blessed day. As I thought about it, I decided that I’m not really satisfied being someone’s angel for one day. I think it is something I want to achieve again, and while I’m at it, I thought I would write down the following instructions to help others who want to be angels too. It is a work in process, so I may amend it later, but here goes. 

HOW TO BE AN ANGEL: 

STEP ONE: Listen to your heart. Find out what concerns weigh upon it. This process takes some time, but listening to your heart is going to tell you a lot about who you are and how you are in relationship to God and others.  

STEP TWO: Don’t let fear determine who you become. It is easy to be swayed by criticism and doubt. The devil’s most simple lie is, “You are not good enough as you are created to be.” Fear is the real enemy. Fear tells us that it is not safe to give yourself to those in need because 1) those in need are dangerous and 2) you won’t have enough to share. 

STEP THREE: Pray, maybe even sing. Actually, yes… sing. I’m always seeing pictures of angels and they are usually singing. Singing while praying is probably best, but you can sing doing other things and in places other than church as well. Whatever. 

STEP FOUR: Smile. It is hard enough to live without other people making it harder. Smiling makes it easier for everyone. It disarms people and reminds them to smile too. 

STEP FIVE: Say “Yes.” You don’t literally have to say “yes.” You can say one of its derivatives. For example, when I was speaking with Jane Pesci-Townsend last week, she uses the words “Of course!”  The point is that there are things we are called to do in this world that are no big deal. It is important to have balance, and sometimes it is important to say “no,” so that you have the energy to be the best version of yourself. But all in all, it wasn’t that hard to say “yes” I can lend a hand today and give out sandwiches and soup. (Secretly, it actually feels really good.) I’m glad I had the opportunity to do some work today. It made me feel less like a tourist and more like a person in solidarity with the work of the Church. I guess it is a question for all of us. Do we really think that Heaven is full of angels who are just watching down on us as from Google Earth, or do we think that angels are walking, laughing, worshiping, talking, and working with us, here on the real Earth?