Daily Devotion by Molly Kavanaugh

For many years we lived in a rural community and I did not encounter homeless men and women on nearby street corners begging for money.  I volunteered at a homeless shelter but residents did not ask for money – I suspect it was one of many rules at the shelter. 

Soon after we moved to Cincinnati a homeless man approached my car window as I was backing out of a parking spot on Court Street. I rolled down the window, smiled, handed him what I considered a generous donation and was greeted with “Don’t you have any more money?”

I drove away, angry at him but almost at myself. What did I expect? 

So in time I basically decided to turn away from the faces and handmade signs of men and women on street corners, whether I was driving or walking. No surprise, I was still angry at myself.  

But God did not turn away from me.

Several months ago as I headed inside a downtown restaurant with my friend Marcia she handed a homeless man money with a smile and “God Bless You.” Her behavior was so casual and natural that I knew she must do this all the time. Just the other night, downtown with my friend Mel, I watched him do the same thing. 

And now, thanks to Good Shepherd’s adult forum on visionary lives,  I am learning about other ways to “gaze, consider, contemplate, imitate” (Clare of Assisi) and how to be a witness and advocate for poor men and women (Dorothy Day).  

So many Dorothy Day quotes to consider: 

“Don’t worry about being effective. Just concentrate on being faithful to the truth.”

“Think what the world could look like if we took care of the poor even half as well as we do our Bibles!”

“There is plenty to do, for each one of us, working on our own hearts, changing our own attitudes, in our own neighborhoods.”

Marcia, Mel and probably many of you already know what God is calling you to do when face-to-face with the poor and homeless men and women in our city, whether it’s a kind word, money, a silent prayer or pledge to reach out to an organization that helps the homeless. I’m still searching for my response, but I now know I must start by not turning away.