May I ask a question? How do you all feel about a homeless person sleeping in Church whilst the Mass is on and snoring? Someone sleeps in our Church in the winter, this is being frowned upon by some, who want to remove her, and tell her that Church isn't the place for her.. I would be interested in your views on this. Personally, I find it heartbreaking, and I don't see the point in praying to turn around and do this to someone. I think that the Church, sitting before the Blessed Sacrament, keeping warm is the BEST place for her..
I agree Mary's Child I always remember my mum quoting my grannie's favourite saying there go thy for the grace of God I've always had sympathy for homeless people. I used to have a prayer for homeless people but I lost it I must google one people forget that anybody could become homeless there used to be a saying I think yrs ago something like you are only 3 pay packets away from being homeless
I found a prayer for the homeless on the net I will post it tomorrow when I finish work.also St Elizabeth of Hungary is a good Saint to invoke for homeless when I was looking for a prayer
As promised Marys child Prayer for the homeless, migrants & refugees Compassionate God make your loving presence felt to the homeless refugees, torn from home family and everything familiar. Warm especially the hearts of the young, the old and the most vulnerable among them. Help them to know that you accompany them as you accompanied Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in their exile to Egypt. Lead refugees to a new home and a new hope, as you led the Holy Family to their new home in Nazareth. Open our hearts to receive them as our sisters and brothers in whose face we see your son Jesus Father of the poor, God of love you made us all your children ; We praise you and thank you. Fill us with a sense of justice. HelP us in our work, to take the side of the homeless,the struggling, the lowly, to defend the newcomer. To welcome the stranger. Help us now to befriend the friendless, protect the weak children and work for the rights of all. Lord on our journery home, bring us together in peace in justice and in love through Christ Our Lord Amen
I would say, that I am guilty of falling asleep during adoration many many times, and I am not homeless so I cannot judge, but seems to me the Holy Mass is not the place to sleep. A person can go into a library or many other places to sleep, even an airport!
What about being safe, warm and finding comfort in God? And everyone being welcome in God's church, and about Christ coming for these little ones?
I heard someone say once (I don't remember the source) that when the Eucharist is exposed great rays of God's light touch the hearts of those present and that, often unknownst to us, this brings about desirable changes in our hearts. Also, many times I have read people saying that in our sleep we converse with God. I remember some Psalm that says 'even in our sleep He instructs us' or something to that effect. Sorry I need to read more so that I can remember these things! Someone who is homeless has surely endured some very harsh circumstances in their lives. The fact that they feel comfortable to be in a God's House at all suggests that they haven't hardened their hearts against him maybe. Perhaps God can bring about changes in this person's heart to bring about a reverance for Him and allow him/her to come to know Him and it is not our place to interfere with that except to show them His kindness and patience?
Mary'schild i hope this lady's circumstances change soon i've a feeling we are going to have a quite a harsh winter like the two previous ones a couple of years ago. i seen on my bbc iphone app afew days ago that the Spanish red cross were asking for food donations for people who had fallen on hard times a scary reminder how things can change
You know, all this just makes me think of the pharisees keeping the sick out of the temple, then when Christ healed them, they didn't know what to do with them. One of the first reasons that they had for hating Jesus, because he made them look stupid in their eyes. Yet, he just healed. And what do we say to this woman? You are not welcome to sit here, and if you fall asleep or make a nuisance we will call the police, oh, but if you find somewhere to live, do come back and join our parish??? It just doesn't make sense to me, and actually makes me want to cry. It is everything wrong with our world today, the sheer hardness of it, and the real reason why our kids (society's children are our children) no longer pray or attend Mass. They didn't see us live it, they have a great sense of justice at that age. when I was a child, people who didn't live it actually make me want to run. I remember at 7 years old maybe even younger when we were told that Mother Theresa was coming to visit our school, I remember thinking, at last, I am going to meet a true friend of Jesus. I was in a roman catholic school. I thank God for Padre Pio too, saints are God's gift to the world. For me, these two in particular along with St Therese were wonderful graces for me.
Depends. Is this person in the church overnight and still there during Mass? If so, I think someone could ask this person to join in with the Mass. or Does this person comes into the church in the morning because he/she is so cold and tired from a night on the streets? If so, gee, can't blame him/her. Maybe those who don't like it could organise a bed somewhere else.
She comes in in the mornings. Church opens at 6:30. As for finding her a bed somewhere, some think she isn't their problem, and that church isn't the place for her. Just has me wondering why we pray, listen to the readings and the Gospel, listen to sermons and give money to cafod, when we ignore our neighbor?
I carry a bit of guilt over this. The Poor. The homeless. I have a lovely house. Everyone has their own bedroom. (I share with my husband) What do I do? NOTHING. Oh. I give money. HA. Cheap charity. I love the idea of giving part of my home to someone in need. But deep down, I don't want to have someone in my home that isn't like me. I often think about all the empty buildings, even the church halls. Why can't these rooms be opened for the homeless? I am a thinker. But what do I do? Our Lady at Garabandal said. "Your hands are empty, only when your hands are full of good deeds can you go to Heaven." The words were something like that. To answer your question. No. I don't believe we should ask this snoring person to leave the church. But I have an idea. Maybe the church can have a collection so this person can sleep in a hotel.
I can totally understand you not wanting a stranger in your home, that is indeed very risky. A while back, when there was a woman sleeping in the shopping centre, I went back and asked my Church if some parishoners could all pay £5 a week each, so that this person would have somewhere to stay. He went to put his hand in his pocket, when another piped up and said, "If this person can't get a home there is something wrong, must be something funny going on, everyone gets a home. And we can't help everybody." I said, "I know that, but this is our neighbor." A little while later, this priest left and a new priest arrived, understandably he didn't know everyone. At that time, we had a couple who used to lock the Church at night, (we have adoration from 6:30 am until 10:00 pm every day) he was also an altar server, they knew father very well. Anyway, they had a baby, then she became very unwell, so he gave up his job to look after her, thinking he would get another one, as they wouldn't allow him to have a couple of months off. Of course the recession hit bad, and they ended up losing their home. Very few helped them, it was awful having to beg for help, in the middle of winter too. Sometimes they slept in their car. I helped as much as I could, but admittedly my help was limited due to circumstances. But I simply couldn't understand how people would say, "God will provide, then walk past them!" These were people they knew. They reminded me of Joseph and Mary going around looking for a place to stay. We never know how God's visitation will come, and who he will choose to test us all with. I am not saying we should help in case it is a test, we should help for the sake of loving. But, it does make one think...
Mary's Child, that is a sad story. It just isn't right that any person should be without a safe roof over their heads. It is hard to do things on your own. It always needs a group to help. Organized established groups become too politically correct. How is The Lord going to judge us? My family live with all the comforts humans needs, plus. We don't know what it's like to be cold, hungry or homeless. We have got much more than what we need. I often tell my children we are rich. They look at me strangely. But we really are compared to the poor. What can we do to help? I understand money helps. But giving money then walking away is like "cheap charity". How is the Lord going to judge us?
