May 2, 2010 THE UNFINISHED IMAGE
(Some time ago this letter came to me in the mail. I do not know its author.)
The following events are true. They took place in February of 1997 at the Cathedral. It was a cold winter weekday morning. Mass was now over. As I as exiting the church, she quickly approached me. It was as though she was waiting for me. “Sir, can you help me with some change?” she asked. I knew what she wanted, some money. She was a woman of around fifty or so, perhaps one of those ‘bag ladies.’ “No, I cannot, I do not have any change on me,” I replied. Actually, I did not have any money on me, which was unusual. “Thank you, sir,” she responded in a pleasant manner. We then parted company.
About a week later, again I bumped into her after Mass. She approached me and asked for help. All I had on me was a twenty dollar bill. “Sorry, I cannot help you today; I have no change.” We politely parted company.
It was then I realized that I wanted to help this woman. It was then I realized that she needed a few dollars. A few dollars for a small meal on a cold winter day. A few dollars to rekindle her faith in humanity that there are people who are willing to help. A few dollars to encourage her to keep going. It took courage for her to ask. I made up my mind to set aside a few dollars to give to her the next time we met.
It wasn’t long before I saw her in church again. She sat in the pew across from me with her large bags. It was during the ‘exchange of peace’ that she came over. “Peace be with you,” she nicely spoke while shaking my hand. I likewise responded. After Mass she gathered her bags and prepared to leave. I knew she might not approach me for a third time, so I prepared for this moment. I approached her. “Excuse me,” I asked, “are you the one who asked me for some ‘change’ the other day?” “Yes, I am,” she replied. I handed her a couple of dollars saying, “I did not have any change at that time to give to you, but I do now. “ She politely took the money, thanked me, and said “God bless you, _______.” I was surprised for that last word she muttered was my name. We parted company.
I have not seen her since.
Sometimes I think we encounter Christ in the strangest ways.
(A parishioner)