Signs of Human Generosity

Everyone is welcome at St. Paul the Apostle Parish

in Pismo Beach, California

The human heart responds with generosity during times of need. Friar Victor Abegg – pastor of the Conventual Franciscan St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Pismo Beach, California – recently noticed this when after the heartbreaking earthquake in Haiti many of his parishioners began contributing funds to help the citizens of that country. They heard of people in need and immediately took action. This was truly a Christian gesture - helping a person in need. Jesus taught us to behave this way, to have compassion for the other, no matter how different he or she might be than us. Francis of Assisi imitated Jesus in this behavior and every other.

Haiti

All of us obviously know that during our lives, we often come up short in the way we interact with other people and the rest of creation. Yet, we must remember that during the breadth of our time here on Earth, we have many chances to start afresh, to ask God for forgiveness with genuine remorse and try to improve the world once again.

People helping people

Our efforts to affect positive change do not necessarily have to be epic in scope. Back at St. Paul the Apostle in Pismo Beach, the Oliveri family noticed that the St. Francis statue standing in front of the rectory showed signs of wear and tear. Wanting to change this, the Oliveris refurbished Francis for their faith community; now the statue stands in its grotto welcoming one and all for some quiet reflection.

(Sources of related photos on webpage and homepae: www.stpaulspismobeach.com, www.cia.gov, sites.google.com/site/vbcert, and US Coast Guard Auxiliary's photostream on flickr.com.)