By Sam Aitchison
Church is Alive!
In our daily lives, we interact with many people in a variety of settings — in the car, on the phone, at the store, at work or within our parish communities. These encounters range from brief exchanges to more meaningful conversations. However, certain interactions leave a lasting impression on me and I find myself replaying them in my head hours, days and sometimes weeks later.
To this day, I still remember my interaction with Leonard, the janitor in my sophomore year dorm. Leonard was an older man who had a pronounced limp and apparent health struggles as well. He regularly took breaks from taking out trash or doing other tasks. The cart he pushed around seemed to hold him up with every step he took. Yet, he always had a huge smile on his face, greeted every resident enthusiastically and remembered our names.
When parting with Leonard, whether from a brief interaction or a longer conversation, he always said to me, “God bless you.” The absolute sincerity and joy that Leonard conveyed in his life inspired me and many other students. These encounters left me with a sense of wonder and I often found myself thinking, “What is it about him?” in the most positive, admiring way. I wanted to convey the same joy he did and I wondered how he did that amidst obvious physical struggles.
For me, my interactions with Leonard seemed to touch on something much deeper — something at the heart of evangelization, encounter. During my time at Saint Louis University, I feel blessed to have taken many courses in Theology and Catholic Studies that have developed my intellectual knowledge and spiritual journey. Moments such as speaking with Leonard just might stick with me a bit more. He showed Christ’s love, care and attention to everyone he met while working a difficult and often dirty job. He encountered all of us who crossed his path with genuineness and love. He showed me the importance, reverence and holiness of the person in front of us at any given moment.
Leonard never asked me about my faith or gave me advice, but he taught me more than he might ever know. His contagious, love-infused joy helped me to experience Christ. In our secular society, it is imperative that we as Christians be so loving toward others that their sense of wonder inspires them to do the same.
My hope in this Jubilee Year of Hope is that all of us will share the love of Christ with the people we encounter in our lives in gratitude for the love that Christ shows us. Let’s think about how we can share Gospel joy through all of our daily interactions.
(Sam Aitchison is a junior at Saint Louis University. Contact him at samaitchison6@ gmail.com).
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