On Easter Sunday, Philly Gets A Modern-Day Miracle

A man who was disheveled, and possibly homeless, walked into my Catholic church on Easter Sunday. Quite frankly, I cringed because I was afraid someone -  who harbored inner fears of people who look a bit different - might approach him and ask him to leave. You could smell the liquor quite a distance from him.

I watched as the man stood quietly on the side of the aisles. He waited until the ushers came by with their baskets - seeking support for the church. Our visitor walked over to the usher and dropped a small coin in the basket. It was received with gratitude.

Wow.

Incidents like these serve as a reminder that no one can take our faith from us. Even if we had no place to worship, and no church leader to follow, we still can live our faith, and practice our religion. We can feed the poor. Help the homeless. Support equal access to fairness and opportunity. 

Lately, there has been a lot of concern that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs are falling by the wayside. I am not worried. No one can take our beliefs from us, or stop us from putting them into practice. In fact, the more we demonstrate our commitment to DEI, the faster we win this battle.

The most effective leaders are those who lead by example - not those who tear others down.

Our Sunday service guide contained a simple message for parishioners: If a homeless person walks over and asks for help, please direct the individual to one of the priests so they may assist them.

The most effective congregations are those who open the door wide to miracles - like the one I witnessed on Easter Sunday.