We thank everyone who has stepped forward to plan, donate supplies, and volunteer to help during our Mcrest Week, August 18-25. Mcrest Week requires many volunteers.
“Sheltering the Homeless” is one the Corporal Works of Mercy. Yet, it is difficult to do that on our own. Most of us are not in the position to allow a homeless person or family to come and live with us. Yet, this is something we can do as a church community. In addition to giving shelter to those who need it, Mcrest is an opportunity for our parish to grow in hospitality.
I think that our past history of hosting Mcrest is one reason we are a very hospitable community: many of us working together to serve our guests. Welcoming them, preparing Meals, helping with laundry, driving them to places they need to be, etc., etc. We learn to do the Corporal Works of Mercy the same way we learn to drive a car: by doing it. And spending time with our guests and getting to know them will help us to overcome some prejudgments we have regarding homeless people. For the most part, they are people just like us who are facing a crisis or emergency in their lives.
I love the Polish saying: “When a guest is in our house, God is in your house.”
