“Let love be genuine;hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:9-10
Yesterday I had a good lunch. I have been known to say many times that if you have a good lunch, you can get through almost anything a day has to offer. This statement, of course, needs to be tempered with a certain amount of perspective. I often say it on a day that will be full of meetings. Meetings in which any sense of moving forward or productivity may be fleeting. And so to have the image of that lunch that awaits can be a comfort….and a nice distraction.
But yesterday’s lunch was not one I had packed myself. It was one I had in a Finnish cafe and bakery. I had planned my morning around arriving there at lunchtime, before I attended a meeting in the sweet, little St. Paul neighborhood where both church and cafe make their home. It is a haven of Scandinavian looking people and food…..open faced sandwiches, colorful, spare salads, desserts flavored with almond and butter. Really,what more could you want? As I enjoyed my lunch, I picked up the St. Paul Pioneer Press to read an article about a woman who would be turning 100 years old this week.
Sister Mary Mark Mahoney, a sister of St. Joseph of Carondolet, smiled gently from the paper’s page. When any of us encounter someone who has walked the earth this long, we often want to know the ‘secret’ of their long life. We also want to seek advice. The reporter for this article was no exception. Asking what we as humans need more of or to do, Sister Mary Mark replied that we need more common sense, more kindness, more showing of love, and caring for one another. She added that “We have a lot to do.”
When asked what we needed less of, she replied simply, “hate.”
Way to go Sister! In a week that has been fraught with hate, it seemed a welcome message. A little common sense and an ounce of kindness can carry us a long way. It certainly has done so for this sister centenarian. The article goes on to tell of the work she has done in her retirement which has now lasted more than 20 years. She has written letters to those in prison who live on death row. I can imagine her correspondence in longhand, precise cursive letters, to these people who are perhaps rightfully feared and shut away. I can also imagine that her letters may be some of the only kind and caring words these inmates experience or may have ever experienced.
Having finished my lovely tomato basil soup, I bit into the Finnish kringler I had been eyeing since entering this little establishment. The sweet, almond, buttery concoction began melting in my mouth. Bathed in such sweetness, I continued to think about Sister Mary Mark and all those like her who, every day, rise from their beds to do good work in the world. I thought of the nuns like her who have lived a life of faithfulness for decade after decade. I thought of others in faith communities, those in hospitals and nursing homes, those in schools and day care centers, who each day perform countless acts of kindness. I thought of the parents and grandparents and those who care for children and others who are vulnerable. Those who tie shoes, wipe noses and dish out encouraging words and common sense over and over and over. I thought of those who staff homeless shelters across our country, those who daily hold out dignity and hope to those who have little.
These are people we rarely hear about. Instead our newspapers and televisions share with us all the stories of people who have behaved otherwise. But make no mistake about it, they are out there, these bearers of kindness and caring and common sense. We know it is true because we have met them and they have offered their gifts to us. And sometimes, sometimes, we even find that we are behaving just like them. And it feels good. Very, very good.
My good lunch provided me with more than most lunches. In addition to a lovely meal full of nutrients and a little treat on the side, it also served up a dose of faith in the essential goodness of humanity. For the Sister Mary Marks of the world, I celebrate your birth and your life. Lives that continue to bring good news, gospel news to the world.