by Joseph Stoutzenberger
Like so many people, I dread watching the local news. Each evening is a litany of murders interspersed with an occasional fire. I recognize that such events are newsworthy since they are such tragedies for the individuals and communities affected, but it’s deflating to say the least. I try to remind myself that murders make the news because they are the exception, not the rule. What isn’t “news” are the many acts of kindness that people do. Philadelphia and its environs are home to a convenience store called Wawa that has taken the city by storm, largely because of the touch screen ordering it pioneered. When I was still teaching, I passed four on my way to work alone. It is customary for Wawa shoppers to hold the door for other customers, especially when the other person is holding a coffee in one hand and a sandwich in the other. That doesn’t make the news. I stopped in a small Indian-food takeout in the Mt. Airy section of the city that had only two small tables for customers to sit at while waiting for their order. While I was waiting, a disheveled man walked in and asked the woman behind the counter, “Can you spare any food?” She immediately came out and ushered him to sit at a table. She brought him a platter brimming with food, got him a drink from the refrigerator, and treated him like welcome royalty. I felt privileged to witness this simple act of kindness that would never make the news. I wanted to make an appointment with my eye doctor but was told he is off for a month working with Doctors without Borders in Sierra Leone—a healer with a heart. He doesn’t do this to make a splash on the evening news.
We are surrounded by saints. How do we recognize them even though we seldom hear about them, and how might we find ourselves in that number when they come marching in? Catholicism lists twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit, based on a passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians. They are a catalogue of saintly qualities. Three of those fruits are love, kindness, and patience. When the Holy Spirit is present in our communities, these three virtues are at work. Catholicism exalts people known for kindness. Some are identified officially as saints; the vast majority are simply doing what they find is called for in their faith. I recall being invited to speak about Catholicism to a class at a state university. One question I was asked left me speechless: Why are so many Catholics involved in working in poor communities and in the world’s trouble spots? I wanted to answer: Because they’re Catholic! If Catholics are not concerned about people in need, they’re missing the entire point of the religion. Most commit to living these qualities in their family and local community, but some Catholics pursue that message so intensely that they get involved where they see the greatest need for love, kindness, and patience. That’s why in Philly, for instance, there are homeless shelters, soup kitchens, meal delivery programs for shut-ins, convalescent homes, schools in poor neighborhoods, and hospitals run by Catholics.
When I switch from local news to national cable news casts, I must admit that there is much mean-spiritedness in our public discourse these days; some of which is voiced by people who identify as Catholics, and even by some people who serve in leadership positions in the church. It’s hard for me to reconcile this spirit with the Holy Spirit. Here are the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit as listed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity’” (#1832). Would that all people would ponder these twelve before speaking about other people, especially Catholics who claim these gifts as an important part of their tradition.
The Hindu woman at her takeout restaurant exhibited kindness and generosity. Holding a door for another customer is an act of patience and simple goodness. Hateful speech is not the language of peace that St. Paul and Catholic tradition calls for. I can think of many members of the communion of saints known for gentleness and charity. I can’t think of any who were demeaning of others. In 2000, to mark the beginning of a new millennium, Pope John Paul II apologized profusely for any hurtful or harmful behavior on the part of Catholics toward certain groups such as indigenous people and women. He knew that such behavior was not of the Spirit. If they are inspired by the communion of saints, those who want to be counted in that number dedicate themselves to creating communities of compassion wherever they are, embodying the fruits instilled in them by the Spirit through their Catholic upbringing.
Joseph Stoutzenberger 