Thanksgiving Day 2008.

You just wouldn't believe what a sight it was.


Sunday Nov. 23rd. was my first Catholic Ceremony. Four days before the yearly Thanksgiving Holiday. The time of year where people gather to give thanks and appreciate all the wonderful things they have; to give recognition to the things we have and be mindful of their importance. It is not our material goods that are of most value. It is our hearts and the share of laughter that keeps us living each day to it's fullest. Knowing that each day is special and our smiles are our hope that every day to come is going to be brighter than the last one.
I woke up Sunday morning at 7:00 am. I had many things to accomplish that day. God was calling me and it was time for the Right of Welcome Ceremony and Catholic Initiation. I was standing in a line of class members. We were gathered inside near the front entrance of the church, and it was time to announce to the several hundred people seated in the church that we accept the Catholic Religion and we were ready to be welcome to this immaculate Church. I stood in an isle where my sponsor and I followed the directions of Father Bauer the one and only Priest of the Basilica of St. Mary. Father Bauer then led the ceremony by blessing all of which would be part of this new journey. Our hearts and our hands, our eyes and our ears, and from the top of heads right down to the foot of our soles; he blessed the altar so it was welcome to receive us.
It was a very unusual day. I hardly had time to recognize what happened.
The next item on my agenda for the day was to make it to the Inner City Church of Minneapolis on Park ave. and 18th st. in a very risky part of town. This area in particular is well known for it's crime and chronic drug issues. I used to live near this place and it was a constant struggle to keep safe. I stood in a line of 309 people for a free Thanksgiving Day Turkey advertised by my local food shelf. I did not expect to be invited inside. There was a choir singing and a free meal at the door. I had no idea I would be sitting there for the next two hours. There were two speakers that day. One who was thankful he had come forward from a very difficult situation and he was no longer using drugs. He was a member of a church and that was a positive influence for him. The next speaker was a woman with long blond hair. She started her hour long speech by first announcing to the crowd that she was arrested by the very young age of 10. She moved on to tell a story of her and a friend sitting at a cafe` . Her friend started beating on the window; she had noticed a group of Catholic school girls outside and wanted to start a fight. The Catholic girls drew closer and the speaker recalled the best thing she claims her friend ever did for her. Her friend turned her head and was punched in the face on account it could have been her. After I had heard the speaker tell these awful stories I became very angry and extremely offended. I had just been Initiated Catholic nearly one hour ago. I stood up in the crowd still wearing the necklace I had gotten from my ceremony. I shouted "what the **** is wrong with you". The speaker just went on and on. Her next story was about her Crack-cocaine addiction and illegal prostitution; it moved right into her gang involvement and intentions to kill a member of the community. I was screaming. I just came here for a free turkey. I wondered off to find staff and ask them "am I in the right place, are you handing out turkey?" He responded to me in a half hour. I was scared out of my mind. I wanted to rip this woman off the stage. She started screaming "black people need to stand up" "the president is a black man, the president is a black man." We need to fight...We need to fight." Finally they let me out the back door standing in line of roughly 150 people ; as nearly 150 people had walked right out. I got my turkey and ran like hell.
I knew the rest of the day was not going to get any better. I had four tickets to the Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I suddenly was getting phone calls from the people I invited. I'm sorry I have to work. I'm sorry I have the flu. I went to the show alone that night sitting in the middle of three empty seats. The only person in the front row with a seat that big. The theme of this Christmas Carol started to unravel. " Christmas...a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys." A "Guthrie" posting. " God Bless Us Every One!" I learned to be selfless but never to extend my good works so far it would leave me empty. I thought to myself, as I crossed the street to come home. "God Initiated me today". "I don't need to stoop that low to extend my hand for something that was intended to offend me; not for something so unkind it was like I dug it out of my own grave." Reaching out to people through the volunteer network at the Basilica has been hard this holiday season. It had been hard for me because I had nothing. I learned to starve for faith like Gandhi; but I would never...I would never treat a person like that if they had come to me. The act of faith and selflessness is not always easy, but I believe you should always keep your mind on the difference your making in the lives around you. Be thankful if you're there to help someone; because they're not suffering.

All your wings have fallen down