The face of Christ in the checkout line

Hey, can I subscribe to this column?

This is inspiring, as I have tried to do the same (at least 1, 2, 3, and 5). I admit that I have a hard time watching or listening to the news with a peaceful heart, so I have mostly stopped and get my news for the newspapers. It is easier on my soul to read the news than have it pushed into my face or throbbing in my ears.
I am also working at being more civil in postings on forums like this. Not always easy, because I have had a long history of sarcasm and general snarkiness. Still a work in progress.

I thank you for this most true "soul seeing" piece. I ask for the flooding in peace and love for all those whom I have chosen to rebuke yesterday and today on the NCR pages, and extend my true heart and soul to them. Even though right now I cannot fathom that idividuals expressing anti-Gospel sentiments are doing so in peace, I am also a work in progress, and choose to continue that work every day.

Mike,

Great stuff! I love Nouwen's lesson. I need to hear it over and over again.

Thanks and I'll be looking for regular wisdom from you now via the good folks at NCR.

Joey D.

Hey Mike,

You've been helping me see Christ in unlikely places since July of 1967 (Remember Army, the hitchiking hobo?) and your gift just keeps on giving. Thanks for these practices, which will change everything if I let them, and for the indomitable spirit from which they flow. Glad to see this new blog. The world needs what you have to give. --Tom

Or, Mike, you could register your phone number with donotcall.gov as well.

Thank you for the reminder about what to do about the news. I used to wonder about contemplative nuns, but now older and wiser I can see that praying for the world is a fantastic and needful activity. To wish others peace and myself I had not thought of. I will do that.

Of course one gives to charity, but does feel so powerless and angry when confronted by the torrent of suffering and injustice on the nightly news.

Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Mikey,I've always been in awe of your 'up' spirit so much like St. Francis, whom many considered a madman because he was madly in love with God and saw God in all of nature and in man. If anyone truly comprehended how much God loves us, it could drive is into the 'madness' of Francis. NOTHING can separate us from the love of God for us. what a profound concept. We go thru life not understanding that as an indelible and powerful principle in our lives. If we actually paused and gave it some thought, our lives would be transformed in the love of Jesus. "I love you" are three words that are so overused that it has become meaningless at times. I think one in a miilion actually understand what love really means and when I read your comments on seeing Christ in every soul,even though I've read, in the New Testament, that we are all part of the Mystical Body of Christ,I see real applications of your convictions in day to day life.My thing for the past few years is to make small talk to every person at a checkdout line, to ask them if their feet hurt from standing all day or make a lame joke to get them to laugh and break up the boring routine of doing the same thing for 8 hours a day,5 days a week. They are heroic people working hard to help support their families and have to put up with some cranky customers. That is my way of seeing Christ and a soul in that person and a little kindness goes a long way and breaks up their day a little. I look forward to future columns in the NCR.
I am working on the telemarketers.That's a real calllenge to my patience and it's hard for me to see the face of Christ in the ones who just don't know what the word 'NO' means. Donal

I always find it strange that christians have to have an intermediary (in the case, Jesus) to somehow find others of value or worth our time. To me Jesus Christ or God or whoever does not give people their fundamental importance or value. We all give that to each other. We are all intimately connected with each other in every possible way. We do not need anything or anyone outside of humanity to make this truth more real. It simply is. This is the actual "good news".

Excellent, most excellent article. I have been attempting to do some of this for several years, and this writing is a good encouragement and reminder.

Our local St. Vincent de Paul Society volunteers pray before every session when we give food and clothes to the most needey, and we pray before our quarterly garage sales where we make funds to purchase food. My prayer is generally that we will see the face of Christ in every person who comes through our door, and that the people we serve will leave our facility feeling loved, respected, important, and that we have treated them with dignity.

I will make copies of this article to take to our next SSVDP spirituality meeting. May God bless you.

Dan Pickett

Nice stuff, hope someone--anyone--follows your lead.

THIS is a blog. Hanging essays online to generate free-for-alls is not. I encourage NCR to pursue this model and, especially, to require registration of bloggers.

Mike, I like the way your soul searching has become soul seeing. The seeing follows the searching and throws light on all of our faith journeys. An excellent, practical blog! Seeing the Christ who is here and near opens the door to the God who is far and away. It reminds me of the poster from decades ago which had two parts. One part said: God is Other, People! and the other half said: God is other people! Both are true.

How about the face of Christ in the minds and decision-making of manufacturers and retailers while the amounts on shelf price tags constantly climb rapaciously higher while the incomes of the masses, including the workers of those manufacturers and the retailers continue to decrease?

Mike, you can bet that I'm going to be looking at retail folks differently in the next couple days, thanks to this reminder. I'm happy to know you'll be writing regularly here, and thrilled to be able to peek at more of your work once again. Merry Christmas! :)

Mike,
We subscribe to NCR so thank you for thinking of us.I enjoyed your column.Q

I read "Why Stay Catholic?" as soon as it came out. Then in the Spring I had a run-in with our new conservative bishop about what I was teaching my high school juniors about the Church and gays--right out of the Catechism. The neo-cons let him know I had used Joel Burns' U-Tube posting "It Gets Better". Anyway, we had a staff in-service and I gave several teachers copies of "Why Stay Catholic?" I learned that at least one of them bought copies to give as Christmas presents.
Thanks for your chapters on Tom Kaminski (I never knew he did all those great things) and, of course, Andrew Greeley. Keep up the good work--we can't let them take our Church.

What a small world it is!! Imagine meeting you here. Now I know why you've been missing from PFO! God Speed!

Thanks for a great blog that reminds me what I should be about. It's easy to forget and make myself the center of the universe. I look forward to reading more from you. Happy New Year.

Great column Mike. Wish I could see the face of Christ in those Republican relatives of mine... (LOL).

Seriously, this brings to mind a sociologist who was challenged in his Intro to Sociology class as an undergrad by his prof with this question: "Do you know the name of the person who cleans the bathroom in your building? Remember, everyone is important and worthy of respect." He never forgot that and teaches such attention and awareness to his students today.

The practice of Seeing Christ in everyone... a new/old spiritual practice for the 21st century!

I came across this article through dotMagis - Ignatian Spirituality which I subscribe to. This is just what I needed to read!
It brought home to me what our faith leads us to do on a daily basis, it can seem like an insurmountable mountain but step b step we will reach that summit. Thank you for your insights.