This is a situation that I
experienced many times in my life as a priest. A story happened in Germany
where a new priest assigned to a new parish saw a man taking a picture of his
wife and their son. The priest volunteered to take the picture so that the man
would also be in the photo. The couple thanked the priest and while talking
they told him that their son was not baptized yet. Within a few days the boy
was baptized and the couple invited the priest for dinner. While talking, they
told the priest that they have not been married in the church, and after all
the preparations, they were married in a private ceremony. Within a few months
the family became involved heart and soul in the parish, and it all started
with a simple photo. It was a simple gesture, but was done with good intentions
and in a timely manner. If the priest had ignored that couple, nothing of what
happened would have transpired, and the family would probably not even be in
church. The little things in life are frequently the most important things. The
little things sometimes can change a person’s life, and also entire families.
Our life is like a tapestry made of little patches or segments, which together
embellish our lives and give it precious value.
Just yesterday, a couple came
into the office of our local parish, when I was helping the pastor, and asked
for permission to baptize their newborn baby. Noticing my American accent the husband
wanted to know about my experience in the USA, and then asked for my e-mail
address to continue contacting me about my perspective about the church, the
Bible and other life issues. Having three other children which they introduced to me, they seemed very much involved
in their church community, and want to do even more, especially as they raise
their children in a challenging society. But what a simple photo meant to the
other couple, my American accent touched another nice couple. Never
underestimate the little things and small unprepared acts of kindness and courtesy.
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