Come. Have breakfast. Pre- COVID, St Francis parish hosted 16 people each night. There were cots for their sleeping bags; there were 16 spaces on the patio of the Parish Center. Each morning, two volunteers prepared a simple breakfast. Coffee, juice, cereal, yogurt, boiled eggs, toast. Once everything was set out, the guests were invited to come in. Many of the guests had been coming for many days; they had their usual place at one of the tables, their favorite coffee cup Some guests quietly visited; others savored the early morning quiet. By 7AM they were gone, off to face another day as homeless people, a day that might bring discomfort, challenges, unexpected kindnesses. Both guests and volunteers knew that these brief moments were graced moments. Although we did not set a place for the Christ, there was a Presence that flavored everything.
