The Gospel in Action

I’m a drug addict!
A young boy approached us, “I’m a drug addict,” he said, “but I want to quit. I need someone to help me to stop taking drugs; I want to be hospitalized. I do not know how I got here. I was on the train … and I fell asleep.” Since there are no institutions in our city for recovering addicts, we invited him to stay with us. While eating the snacks offered to him, he confided that his addiction was serious, so much so that he would do anything to be able to obtain drugs. Through God’s providence, a doctor friend found a way to get him into a hospital. The next day we went to see him, bringing him some sweets. He begged us not to leave him alone. When he left the hospital a few days later he came to stay with us. Meanwhile a place became free for him in a specialized centre. We could see that he was happy when he left, confident that he could still count on us. E. – Argentina

The Gospel in action!
An ex-convict wanted to meet me, but at the same time I had to take some food parcels to several families who were in difficulty and which I knew had an urgent need of support. While trying to figure out what to do, I received a phone call: “Do you need help? I have a car and am willing to take some packets to the families.” I was a bit taken aback when I realised how God is at hand and sees all, hears all. It is true that he sends his angels to help us to do good. So I went to see my friend I had met in prison, while the ‘”angel” went to bring the packages to seven families. That’s how living the Gospel works! A.D.N. – Italy

The seasonal workers
On my building site there are many “seasonal workers”. It was payday, but I didn’t have enough money to pay everyone: the amount available was enough for the permanent workers only; the seasonal workers would have to wait. At the exit, their wives came to meet me. After I tried explaining the situation, they said they would remain there until we paid them, as their children at home were hungry. Back in the office I took some money from my pay packet, and proposed to the other workers who had already been paid to offer 10 bolivianos each, in order to make up the missing money. After a little bit of hesitation, they agreed. Only one did not do it, but just when I was giving the money to the wives, he caught up with me to give me his 10 bolivianos. F.M. – Bolivia

To do something more
With my wife and our two children, we felt a strong desire to do something for our small town, crushed by so many problems: couples breaking up, single mothers, immigrants, poverty and moral destitution. And so our nice apartment has become a listening centre. The people of the village were happy with this initiative; also many relatives and others have become involved in volunteering. So now we have many opportunities to help people in need: the possibility to welcome Sonia, a Slav single mother who was helped before and after the birth of her baby Peter; dinners for the Ukrainian women who worked in the area, a mini-school for parents and collaboration with various young people for the realization of some projects in Africa. The apartment where we live is small, but now houses a small seed of “United World”. TP. – Italy

Source: The Gospel of the day (Supplement to no. 11/2014 of the magazine Citta’ Nuova)