MICHELLE MANGIONE

Had another “saintly” experience to share with you all… I was recently at a medical center (you know, one of the HMO kind where getting information is like pulling teeth) and I was lost in a concrete jungle. Buildings everywhere, but no info on where to go. I looked at one map but most of it was so faded, it couldn’t be read. So I wandered aimlessly just hoping I’d end up in the right place. At one point I stopped to look at yet another map, and I heard a voice behimd me saying, “You must be lost.” There she was - my saint - an old woman who was there volunteering for the day. She asked where I wanted to go and walked me almost one full block to my destination across the street. I even got to my appointment on time. What if I could do one thing like that for someone every day. Even every other day - hell even once a week! An old lady helped me across the street the other day. I want to be just like her when I grow up - Guess I’ll start practicing now.

GRACE SLICK

Apart from what the institution may say is a requisite for sainthood, I see everybody I know occasionally exhibit the selflessness that we attribute to all the saints. We have the capacity for good and evil built into our humanity. To what extent we exercise one or the other leads to sainthood or vilification.