The Blessing Worth More Than All the Money

by Father Alonzo Cox A few years ago, I had the great privilege of traveling to Italy on pilgrimage with about 50 others. The stops on the pilgrimage were some of the usual destinations: Rome, Assisi, Sienna, Milan, and ending in Venice. It had been a while since I had been to Italy, so I was very much looking forward to getting reacquainted with the cities and having the opportunity to spend some time in prayer at these beautiful churches. One of my favorite cities is Assisi. Having been assigned to the parish of St. Clare as a newly ordained, the city of Assisi took on a special place in my heart. As you may know, the poverty level in Assisi is quite high. As soon as you leave the train station, poor families are out pleading for money. As in most of the cities in Italy, it is heartbreaking to see children in tattered clothes sleeping outside in very cold weather.

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