He stopped the truck and I looked around trying to see a church. “Here it is!” What was before me was a structure completely made of wooden pallets nailed together to form walls. There was no roof and no foundation, only a dirt floor. Silently I followed him down the incline. As I waited for him to untie the single rusty wire that held the crude door shut, I read the sign someone had painted in shaky calligraphy: “Chapel of St. Antony Mary Claret” with the times for Mass underneath. The icy December wind whipped around us, and I shivered thinking how cold it must be to attend services here, sitting on the rough wooden benches, with nothing to keep out the elements. Sadness filled my heart at how little these people have and the great struggles they face.
But as soon as I crossed the threshold into the little church I was flooded with a strong sense of the presence of God. I looked at the plywood covered pallets that made the floor where the priest stands, and saw the wooden plank propped up on plastic milk crates that formed the altar, and I knew that God was in this place. The Lord chose to be born in humble surroundings like this chapel I was standing in. “Emmanuel — God with us!” And He hears the cry of the poor.
Suddenly my heart was filled again with joy and hope as I listened to my friend tell of our plans to put a roof on the church and to someday help build a more permanent structure to serve the needs of these faith-filled people.
Thank you for making it possible for us to continue reaching out to our brothers and sisters in need. May the Lord bless you with a happy, healthy New Year!