Pause + Pray

A Place to Live

Cabin in the woods

Reflect

Basic human dignity should entitle us each to have shelter from the elements and a place on earth to call our own. Housing should be a simple human right, and yet many people around the world do not have a home to return to. The least we can do is remember them and pray for future justice.


Pray

Dear God, your Scriptures tell us we can hide in the shelter of your wings.
And so today, I pray for such comfort for my fellow human beings
who are without the safety of a home.
Protect them. Watch over them. Keep them safe from harm and despair.
I pray for policy changes that might make the future a more just one for all people.
I pray for a future where every human being could have a place to call home.
Until that day comes, show me what more I could do to hasten it,
and fill me with compassion for those who still wait.
Amen.


Act

Contact the nearest temporary housing shelter and ask what they need that you might be able to donate. Even small contributions add up, and your dollars may go farther than you think.


Pause and Pray
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email

1 thought on “A Place to Live”

  1. Yesterday I was driving home from a Chinese restaurant where I celebrated Christmas with my sister in memory of our mom and her favorite dish. Of course, I went to Christmas Mass first. But nevertheless, on my way home I noticed some debris in the entrance to one of the businesses in town, and I had heard that the owner allows a particular homeless guy to find shelter there. I still don’t know the homeless person or even know what he looks like. I figured it is the local social workers’ problem to help that fellow. That’s their job after all. But I couldn’t help but wonder as to what that homeless person’s problem is. Is he suffering from some kind of substance abuse issue or is it mental illness? I just don’t know. Well, in a few hours from now, I’ll be volunteering at the local food bank doing my allotted chore for an hour or two. We supply those desperate folks with what they need. Thank God we live in an area where the weather is mild for those folks who are living outdoors. I have to wonder what that must be like. In one respect it must be awful. In another respect, it must be somewhat liberating. Regardless, I’m going to continue to count my own blessings and be thankful for what I have for as long as it lasts. My own life is in God’s hands. My sister mentioned how during this time of the year one of my siblings down there in California likes to visit San Francisco. I asked isn’t that city becoming a sewer? She said that the entire city is not like that. I guess all I know is what I see on TV. You definitely won’t catch me traveling to any big American city, that’s for sure. Who do you think I am, a Franciscan? Do you think I’m that stupid? Yeah, yeah, I can hear the Franciscans saying already, “Stupid for Jesus.”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign Up for Our Daily Newsletter

Includes Saint of the Day, Minute Meditations, and Pause + Pray.

Skip to content