Brought to you by Fr. Bernardino Andrade
(bernardinodandrade@gmail.com)
One the highest moments of my first trip to England (when I was invited by my friends Neil and Dena Spence last year) was my visit to Powis Castle in Wales. It is impossible to believe that place has been a family residence unless someone tries hard to convince you. Now, of course, it is a museum with a fascinating garden. Inside the Castle there are many big things and many little things. But all of them are a symbol of grandiosity and wealth.
One of the things that constantly called my attention were signs located in different places close to different objects that said: «To preserve me don’t touch me».
Every time I saw one of those signs I thought «I wish I could go around the world and put a sign on every person, especially on the poor, on the homeless, on every child and on every unborn child, on every elderly person, on every saint and on every criminal, on every nun and on every prostitute, every farmer and on every politician, on every prisoner no matter the cause of his imprisonment, on every race, colour and religion, on every insignificant human being… but with the opposite message: «If you want to preserve me please touch me».
«If you want to preserve me hug me, let me cry on your shoulder, feed me even if I look dirty, smell bad and look like a bum. Please touch me, alleviate my pain, free me from this horrible misery, walk with me until I am free from my addictions, teach me about God. I know that I am insignificant and you feel embarrassed before your friends if they see you talking with me or having a cup of coffee with me. But… please touch me. Please don’t just say that I am like this because I want. That hurts me and doesn’t help me.
My dream is that one day you will find a person who feels he or she is insignificant and you invite him/her to come to church with you and sit at your side.
I am planning to ask our Bishop permission to say a Sunday Mass, weekly or monthly, especially dedicated to the homeless but open to all people, with this slogan:
«Come as you are».
Yes! No matter how insignificant you feel you are. Just come. If you are wearing the same clothes for one year without taking a shower, just come as you are. If you are smelling like urine or anything else, please come as you are. If you have no shoes and long toenails come as you are. If your hair has not seen a comb for one month or more, come as you are. Come and sing even if you don’t know how to sing, come and pray even if you don’t know how to pray. If you come late or leave early don’t worry, but please come as you are. If you are Catholic, Protestant, Muslim or Hindu or no religious affiliation, just please come as you are.
Love and Peace,
Wonderful words. Really, come as you are