I had the privilege of spending some time in New York City this week. I always enjoy the energy and excitement of this amazing city. Monday was a particularly rainy day and people were scurrying around, both tourist,workers and residents searching for a place to stay dry. At one point we chose St. Patrick’s Cathedral, shaking our soaked umbrellas out and slipping inside for well….sanctuary from the storm. The humidity hung in the air, a maintenace worker was busy inside the doors carrying out the futile and thankless job of mopping the wet floor. We stood still for a moment and were bathed in the beauty and the comfort of the stone, stained glass, the sounds of many languages being whispered.  An organist practiced, people prayed quietly in pews, a few others slept with their worldly belongings beside them on the floor.

I began to make my way around the outer wings of the church looking at the various statues that surrounded the main sanctuary. St. Jude, St. Andrew, St. Brigid(a favorite of mine) and of course, St. Patrick. Candles glowed, tokens of flowers, pictures, pieces of paper had been left by the faithful. But my eyes fell upon this sign above a small wooden box affixed to the wall: Alive & Well Offering: One Dollar.

I looked around for an explanation but saw none. Alive & Well Offering…….perhaps it is the place to give thanks for answered prayer. Alive & Well Offering…….perhaps it is simply the box where offerings are made because, at this point in someone’s life, they just realize they are…alive and well, that is.

There are very few, if any, ‘charmed’ lives. We all have tragedy, sorrow, loss, grief, disappointment, at some point in our lives. Sometimes it seems as if these negatives are all that exist. If we look around our world, we see countless human beings who may have only known the difficult way, the way of hopelessness, despair.  May our prayers surround them.

Today, I am alive and well…….how about you? I pray it is so for you as well. Alive & Well Offering? One dollar? Seems like quite a deal!