ten pesos

I hadn’t had a job since February 2008. I could arise most days whenever I desired. I had no boss, no time cards to stamp or punch, no work schedule, no commute… Now I have worked two weeks in Panama City Rescue Mission as a ‘resource connector,’ helping homeless persons, including just-released prisoners, who seek employment, shelter, state vocation rehabilitation, Social Security benefits, Medicaid, food stamps (not stamps anymore), veteran medical-care enrollment, veteran disability compensation, etcetera.

Lord, hear our prayers for women and men, boys and girls who are homeless, for those sleeping under bridges, on benches, in alleys, in bus stations and under trees.

Lord, inspire us to help our brethren who suffer nights of fitful sleep in places unsecure, who wander in the day, looking for work and hoping for housing.

Lord, help us to mend families that are split because rent could not be paid on time and relatives could not take in everyone. »→