Seen By God

Chelsea likes gummi bears and apple juice, Ariel Good & Plenty’s and fruit slices, Marcela honey dijon Kettle chips and gummi sharks, Sam the original Tim Tam’s and a variety of teas from his tiny tin cup.

So were you to join us for a debrief after street ministry, you might encounter the coffee table in the parish library with some of these favorites, or with some freshly baked cookies (a gluten-full, dairy-full option and a gluten-free, dairy-free option), either the hot water dispenser with a variety of tea bags, or some seltzer waters and apple juice.  It’s a way to say to our Mercy Missionaries that they are seen, that someone is paying attention to their preferences, and that they deserve, after an afternoon of street ministry, to be celebrated. 

Most of what they do is unseen by anyone except by God.  No one is walking with them when they walk for a long time looking for a friend whose camp just got swept.  No one is watching them as they pray for Larry or Olivia.  No one counts the number of times they go back to look for a friend to bring him or her to an evening Mass.  No one watches them prepare the carafes of coffee with just the right amount of cream and sugar.  No one keeps track of the number of rosaries and holy hours they offer for their friends on the streets.  No one sees the small gestures of love that go into each encounter every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. 

In a very real way, in their day-to-day ministry, the Mercy Missionaries enter into the experience of their friends on the streets. Just as those living on the streets are unseen and ignored by most of society, so are the Mercy Missionaries as they minister to them.  Just as those living on the streets face uncertainty about how their lives will look tomorrow, the Mercy Missionaries face uncertainty about the impact of their visits.  Just as those living on the streets experience a deep spiritual darkness, so the Mercy Missionaries confront that darkness every time they pray or speak the name of Jesus. 

And just like those living on the streets are seen by God, who has every hair of their heads numbered, who knows every wound and desire of their hearts, so the Mercy Missionaries are seen by God, who knows every detail about them, and who wants to remind them each day that they are seen and known, even if in small and not so important ways, like a special candy or chip, so that they can again take that message out to the darkness and believe it for each of their friends.

Sister Teresa