The Birthday

Devon’s wonderful birthday, his 13th on Friday, September 13, 2013 had ended and he was going to bed, his own bed. Devon thought about how much his life had changed over the summer. Just last June his mother, younger sister and brother and he were evicted from their apartment after his mother lost her part time job and could not pay the rent. They had spent a month or so in a family homeless shelter in downtown Milwaukee. At night they all lived in one room on the family floor and during the day they had to leave the shelter, even on the hottest of days. They would wander with their mother as she looked for a job or just hung out in some cool place like the public library. Since he was the oldest he had to watch his younger brother, 8 and sister, 5 while his mother was seeking a job or looking at a place to live. He had missed his friends from school and from his old neighborhood. Devon was constantly hungry and remembers how glad he was to see volunteers bring some food to the shelter each night.

Finally, his mother with the help of a social worker from the shelter had found a place they could live. Unable to find a job, his mother had entered some kind of program that gave her enough for rent. So in July they moved in. They had not much to move except some clothes and as they entered the new house they found nothing. Their old landlord had provided them with a refrigerator and stove and they had some old mattresses to sleep on. Now there was nothing.

Devon looked down at his own new single bed with pride. Unlike the shelter, his mother and sister and brother had their own bed and with three rooms he could sleep in the same room as his brother leaving his mother and sister with their own rooms. Family members gave them some old furniture and a TV.

Now he was in a new school making new friends that he could invite over to his house after school, like he did today, his birthday. For him and his friends his mother had made some corn muffins, greens and barbecue ribs. She even baked his favorite cake, a chocolate cake. There was plenty of milk and soda to drink. Devon now understood what the minister was talking about on Sunday when he said we are blessed. Devon wondered how his life turned around since last July but was sure grateful it did. He made a mental note to himself to ask his mother tomorrow, Saturday, what had happened.

When he got up Saturday his mother had some blueberry pancakes ready for him. She asked him to watch his sister and brother while she was going to the neighborhood food pantry at the local Catholic Church. Watching his brother and sister was an easy job since they both were watching Saturday morning cartoons on TV.

When his mother came home with some fresh food from the food pantry he helped put it away in the refrigerator and freezer. He knew this food was important to supplement the food stamps they received. When they were done he remembered that he was going to ask his mom what had happened since August that had made their life so much better.

He said to his mother, “Mom, how did we get the beds, stove and refrigerator in August?” His mother sat in a kitchen chair right next to him and smiled. Then she said, “It was like a miracle. I kept calling the information number 211 where I could get some beds, refrigerator and stove so you kids could sleep on a bed and I could make you some real healthy food. They said the only group in town that could help me was a group called St.Vincent De Paul and gave me their number. I tried their number over and over again. When I could get through to a person they would say, ‘We are not serving your area at this time’ or, ‘You do not live in an area we service.’ Since this was a Catholic group and we lived near a Catholic Church I thought this response was strange but I kept trying and trying. One day I called your aunt Marna who lives down the block who told me she had recently called the number and got some beds for her kids after the landlord had finally sprayed the house and the bed bugs were gone.

“So I called again and this time someone answered and they said they would send two people out from the Catholic Church down the block to our house to see what we needed and they did. It was a couple who came and they were so nice and generous. They asked me what I needed and I told them I needed beds for my kids and a stove and refrigerator so I can cook some real food and not go each day to the corner grocery store to purchase some expensive food that was not so healthy. They said that was fine and wrote me vouchers for beds, even one for me and vouchers for a used stove and refrigerator. I was so happy I thanked them over and over again and before they left we prayed together in thanksgiving to God.

“I got Uncle James to take me to their store to get the beds and he drove me over to the used appliance store to pick out a refrigerator and stove. Even the man at the store was so nice, giving me a stove and refrigerator for only $25 over the voucher price of $125 each. They delivered and set up the stove and refrigerator and we all helped put the new beds together. You must remember doing that?” He said, “Yes” but wanted to ask her more though he could see she really did not know more and was glad God blessed her with the help of those Catholics. She then told him he could go out and play with his friends but just to be safe. He gave her a hug and went out to check on his friends.

Encounter with Priest
On the way to his friend James’s house he passed the local Catholic Church where his mom had just gone for food and where the St. Vincent people come from. There was a house next to the Church where he thought the minister must live. On a whim he decided to knock on the door to see if he could discover more about his family’s good fortune. An old man answered and smiled. Devon said, “My name is Devon, can I speak to the minister of the Church please?” The old man said, “I am the minister of the Church and my name is Father Peter. Please come in.” As he walked in his mind was running fast and he was lost for words. After they sat down in a room near the entrance he started asking question after question. “Who is St. Vincent and how come they gave my family beds, stove and a refrigerator? Where did the money come from? Why are they doing this? Are we expected to give back? Are we the only ones who got all this stuff we need to survive?” After awhile the minister gently stopped him and said, “Young man, I will try to answer all your questions with a story, a true story.” The boy sat in silence, wide eyed as the old man told this story.

“St. Vincent De Paul was a holy man who lived a long time ago in Paris, France. He and his followers, men and women, believed in Jesus’ words about treating the poor, the hungry and those who were outcast of the society, as they would treat Jesus. After he died his followers kept doing this work, as priest and sisters, just as we would call them in the Catholic Church. Later on, some Catholic students in the University of Paris were challenged by fellow students that they preached all these nice things but did nothing to implement them. One of the students, named Frederic, gathered his friends around him and decided to do something about it. They got one of the ‘sisters’ of St. Vincent De Paul religious order to take them across town to the poorest section of the city. What they saw and heard, amidst the poorest of the poor, made them come back over and over again, bringing food, blankets or whatever they could bring. After awhile these person to person home visits spread like wildfire amidst Catholics all over Paris, France, Europe and all over the world, like right here in the USA. The movement of personal home visits came to be called the St. Vincent De Paul society, after St. Vincent De Paul.

“In our city of Milwaukee, the St. Vincent De Paul Society has come across hard times in our neighborhoods of North Central Milwaukee. We live in the poorest area of the city, one of the poorest in the USA and we live in the most segregated neighborhood in the most segregated city in the USA. Do you know what segregated means?” “Yes, Father Peter, I think I do. It means when all of us blacks live in a particular area. I just met a new neighbor, a mother of a friend of mine who had just moved in our area who said, she has never seen such a city where blacks and whites were so separated.”

“Yes, my son, you do know,” Father Peter said. “Well in this poor, segregated area there used to be lots of Catholic Churches back a few years. Now there are only a few. When the leaders of our church recently closed down another Catholic Church in this area, our church got over 1 million dollars from its sale and two others that had been closed. The money was deposited in this church. Well, there was a lot of debate of what to do with this money in our church, but our local church leader, called an Archbishop, had the final say. Some wanted to use the money to help out our Catholic school. Some wanted to use the money to fix up our church, some wanted to use the money to establish another outreach agency in the area. One group who did not have much power or say wanted to use the money the way Jesus tells us to act in the story of the Judgment of Kingdom of Nations in Matthew 25. Do you know that story?” Devon said, “I am not sure but isn’t it something to do with Judgment Day?”

“Yes, Devon,” said Father Peter, “on judgment day God, the King, is sorting out the nations and groups of people into two. To the one group of people, He will say, ‘God has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.’ This group of people will say, ‘When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give You clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?” The king will say ‘Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.’” Then the King will say to the other group of people, ‘Get away from me! You are under God’s curse…. I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.’ This group of people will say, ‘Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?’ The King will say to them, ‘Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me’.

“Devon, do you know the Our Father?” “Yes, I do Father Peter. We say it every Sunday in Church and I learned the prayer in Sunday school.” “Good,” said Father Peter, “what do you think the line ‘Thy Kingdom come …on earth as it is in heaven’ means?” Devon said: “I am not so sure.” Father Peter said, “I will let you think about this while I tell you the rest of the story how your mom got those beds, stove and refrigerator.”

“The battle raged on about how to use the 1.1 million dollars from the sale of the three Catholic Churches in the area. The group that wanted to use the money for corporal and spiritual works of mercy, like feeding the poor, providing clothes, visiting the prisoners and doing stuff like the St. Vincent De Paul Society, was very persistent. They begged continually for the use of the money for those in need and segregated, like your family, till one day our church and our Catholic leaders heard them through the Cry of the Poor and suggested the money be used this way in the neighborhoods it came from. So this is how our St. Vincent De Paul Society got the money for beds, used refrigerators and stoves for your family and many, many other families in the area.”

This sounded wonderful to Devon who told Fr Peter, “This is making some real changes in so many of our lives. Going to school with a warm breakfast and coming home to a homemade meal certainly helps me study harder in school. And going to bed in my own bed makes me think I am an important person. But what happens when the money runs out?”

Father Peter replied, “That is a very good question and I have a surprising answer for you about how this money is being multiplied, but before I answer it I need to ask you if you had lunch yet?” Devon replied, “No I was hoping to get some food at my friend’s house since his mother also got a refrigerator and stove.” Father Peter said, “If you eat lunch with me I can answer your question. Will you stay for lunch?” Devon said, “Yes I will stay. I would like to hear about this multiplication of millions.”

Multiplication of Millions

As they walked toward the kitchen, Devon was impressed how neat and orderly everything was in the house. He thought his mom would enjoy this place since she was always running behind him and his sister and brother to clean up. The kitchen was large and Devon wondered how many persons lived in the house, but did not dare to ask. Once in the kitchen, Father Peter asked him to sit at the table and then proceeded to pull out of the refrigerator all kinds of cold cuts, cheese, mayonnaise and mustard. He took a variety of breads off the shelf and motioned to Devon to make his own sandwich. Devon did and as they started to eat Father Peter said, “Now I will answer your question of what happens when the money runs out. First, there is not much chance of that for awhile since lots of beds and used refrigerators and stoves can be purchased for a million dollars. However, that question was asked by parish members and the leaders of the Catholic Church. Jesus simply said to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, visit the prisoners, etc. but did not deal with running out of funds. I imagine He thought that if enough people followed His way there would be an endless amount of resources of money and people to achieve His main mission: to serve those in need and marginalized.

“However, something did happen to make the money last a long time. Once word got out in the city and neighborhoods that the Catholic Church was establishing a one million dollar fund to supply beds, stoves and refrigerators to those in need in our area, other people, regular people, small businesses and big corporations started to follow our example. A ‘not for profit fund’ was established with the million dollars and other contributions started to flow in. Some started their own funds for beds, refrigerators and stoves but many gave to our fund. We called it the Human Dignity Fund since a basic principle of almost all religions is to serve those most in need and treat all with respect and human dignity. Persons receiving vouchers for beds, stoves and refrigerators, as you just told me, started feeling good about themselves. It is too early to see all the results but professionals tell us that when children come to school well fed and go home to a good meal and sleep in their own bed they do better in school.”

“Wow,” Devon said, “this sounds like a miracle. Jesus multiplied bread and fishes and you are multiplying beds, stoves and refrigerators. They teach us in Sunday school to pass on good deeds and the Catholic Church certainly has done that.”

The rest of the lunch they just made small talk about sports, news and weather. Father Peter did mention an open gym and basketball team for youth like him which sounded appealing for the winter months when he could not play basketball outside. When lunch was over and Devon left he went straight home instead of to his friend’s house. He felt good and wanted to share his good feelings with his family. He thought, maybe he would even show his sister how to ride the bike she had been bugging him about.

At home his Mom was just coming back from the laundromat and was surprised to see him. He told her that he had stopped at the minister’s home at the Catholic Church and had a good talk while eating lunch there. She said, “That’s nice. What did you two talk about?” He told her the story of where the money had come from to purchase the beds, used refrigerators and stoves for their family and many others in the neighborhood. He told her about the miracle of the multiplication of millions that the Human Dignity Fund had sparked. He said to her that he might even give the few dollars he got from his birthday to the fund. His mother just smiled at him and said, “Son, you are blessed! Here, help me with this laundry.”

Thy Kingdom Come

The next day was Sunday. Devon arose late to the sound of the hustle and bustle of his mother getting his brother and sister dressed for church. She was in his and his brother’s room helping his younger brother pick out some nice clean clothes for church. Seeing that Devon was awake she said to him, “Get up, Devon, and get ready for church.” For Devon, church was okay but as he grew older it started to become tedious and was way too long. He liked the music but sometimes the preacher went on and on and he had a hard time trying to stay awake. But still feeling some of the glow from his experience with Father Peter, he got up and started putting on his Sunday best.

The custom on Sunday was to grab a light breakfast, maybe a bowl of cereal, and after church come home and make a big home cooked meal. Sometimes his aunts and uncles and cousins would come over or his family would go over to one of their houses for the Sunday meal. He knew that today everyone was coming to his house for he had seen his mom preparing some food on Saturday for the Sunday family feast. He knew his grandma would be there and he was anxious to tell her his story about the Catholic priest. She was wise, he thought, and would understand.

In church, after Sunday school, all the youth went upstairs to join the adults in prayer. After some singing and prayer there was a moment when each person had a chance to thank God for something. At the end of the thanksgiving they would all refrain, “Thank you Lord.” He liked this part because it was sort of an update of the good things happening in the community. Today, one young boy he knew, about his own age, got up and said, “Thank you Lord for helping my mom get beds for us kids and a refrigerator to replace our broken one. The congregation said, “Thank you Lord” and Devon quietly smiled since he knew the source of these blessings.

Near the end of the service the minister called on everyone to hold hands and say the Lord’s Prayer. When they got to the part of, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” he remembered that Father Peter had asked him what this meant and to think about it. He had forgotten to ask Father Peter what he thought it meant. But now suddenly it did not matter. He knew exactly what, “Thy kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven” meant. It meant families getting beds, stoves and refrigerators due to the generosity of others and passing their blessings on to others. It meant sharing and helping to create a healthier environment and that this would catch on like fire and multiply, like the bread or the millions, until someday God’s Kingdom on Earth, would be more clearly apparent to all. After the Lord’s Prayer, the choir sang out a big “Alleluia” and he joined in with the people praising the Lord.

When he got home he discovered his mother had been baking a ham in the oven during church and had made some greens and sweet potatoes. Soon his aunt and family came over with some good looking fried chicken and another aunt brought over salad greens. But the most awaited food was his grandmother’s pecan and sweet potato pies. They were for desert, so one had to save some room for them.

After everyone was present, Uncle Joseph, the eldest in the family besides grandma stood up to say a prayer before the meal. He thanked God for the family and food and said how blessed they were for grandma and everyone in the family. Then, as was his custom, he turned to one of the children present asking to lead the rest in prayer. The child would lead them in some prayer or song they had learned in Sunday school. Today he turned to Devon, and said, “Devon, last Friday was your birthday, could you lead us in prayer?” Devon stood up and all eyes turned toward him. Devon said, “Let us pray together the Lord’s Prayer” and then he began “Our Father…” and everyone joined in with him. When they came to the part of “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is Heaven,” Devon looked over the family gathered around the table and again smiled for now he knew the answer to the question posed by Father Peter on the meaning of “Thy Kingdom Come… on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

Written by Bob Graf and Joe Radoszewski with technical assistance by Dave Kruschke.

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