I dedicated my walk and prayers this day to being in solidarity with the poor. As we walked the Camino, Sr. Leota shared with me stories about the poor in her parish community and some of the struggles they face each day. Sr. Leota and I spoke about how often the poor have to walk everywhere (to church, to work, to buy groceries, to visit a doctor, etc.) because they can't afford the expense of owning a vehicle or the cost of paying for a Taxi. Most of us complain about having to walk somewhere, especially in extreme temperatures, without ever giving it a thought that many poor people have no option but to walk. I know that the Camino has opened my eyes to this reality after having to walk in the cold, hot, rain, mud, animal droppings. My feet hurt at the end of the day but when this pilgrimage has ended I will go back to the States and resume
My good friend Sr. Bonnie once shared with me that religious and priests, especially in the USA, will never know what it's like to be poor because we will always have a roof over our heads and food on our table, not to mention all the other perks such as health insurance, transportation, pension, etc. She's so right! We live a very comfortable life like many others in our communities. However, we can't forget about those who aren't so comfortable. We need to be a sign of Christ to them. We are called to love our neighbor, to help those who struggle everyday to make ends meet. The community at Our Lady Star of the Sea has a charity offering taken up every month to do just that, to help people in need. I'm very grateful for their generosity and for the gift to be able to help some of the most needy members of our community by providing food for them through the community food bank, or by helping them by paying a portion of their utility bills or medicines, etc.
