The Pilgrimage
Illustrated Stories from the Desert Fathers
If you do not see Christ in the beggar, you will not be able to see Him in the chalice.
St. John Chrysostom.
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If you do not see Christ in the beggar, you will not be able to see Him in the chalice.
St. John Chrysostom.
Hey Steve, I wanted to share a story.
When I was kicked out of the monastery, I found myself homeless back home in Southern California. My parish priest gave me a few bucks, just enough for a room for a couple of nights. I was on my way to an AA meeting downtown, sitting on the bus. Around my wrist was a little rubber bracelet that said Christ is Risen in English and Arabic that Father had given to me. It was Pascha season, 2015, and the pain of being separated from the monastery was almost unbearable.
Then I noticed a man on the bus. Somehow, I recognized him as Coptic. I walked over, held out my bracelet, and greeted him joyfully: Al Masih Qam!
When I got off at the next stop, he got off too. He called out, “Sister!” I turned around. His English was broken, but he was asking for help.
So I reached into my envelope, pulled out whatever came out, and handed it to him.
I think what comforted me most was this unexpected encounter—because everything around me seemed to be anything but the Risen Christ. And yet there we were, on the 43 line, sharing Paschal joy.