By Fr. Justin Fulton
May the Peace of the Risen Jesus Christ be with all of you.
I want to share a story with you that our volunteer coordinator in Lincoln, Jeremy Sousek, writes about today. In it, a homeless man wants something simple from his youth. It also shares about the need to talk with someone, the need for friendship, and the need to be Jesus to one another. I want to thank Jeremy for his tireless work at CSS and for sharing this encounter with Christ in the homeless.
We are very proud of the work our staff and volunteers do at CSS. These encounters hit Satan right in the face, and our employees and volunteers bring Christ to the people we serve every day.
Take it away, Jeremy……
I noticed a homeless man hanging around a bench in the back of the building early in the morning and he looked pretty down. He came in right as we opened to get some bread and ask for a few other things.
However, it became quite clear that he was not in a good mood and he started causing a scene in the lobby.
The whole time he was carrying on an aggressive conversation with himself and it became apparent he would have to step outside. I went over to him with the intention of asking him to leave, but I was not prepared for what followed.
It turned out the man was really hungry, and alone. All he wanted was a box of cereal and a jar of peanut butter (I learned later he used to eat the two foods together as a child) and to have a conversation with somebody. Once he calmed down, he explained that he hadn’t had a conversation with anyone in days, and he recently lost his girlfriend. Even with all the social distancing going on, we allowed him to sit in the lobby to enjoy his snack and we carried on the conversation.
I don’t know who benefited more by the end of the conversation, but it often happens that the Lord has something to say through those most forgotten. And further, as it happened, one of his old high school classmates came through the lobby later that morning to receive food. They were able to talk for a few minutes, the first time since graduation.
The man left in good spirits and able to carry on. I couldn’t help but think how much a parallel his life is to the lives of so many people suffering from the effects of the coronavirus, but also how there is great hope to look forward to.
Thank you for your support of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska. Thank you for living greatly. And thank you for your continued faith in Jesus Christ. May God bless us always!
