The real highlight of my recent trip into New York City for a glimpse of the Pope was when my stepson, Benjamin, took me to his place of work. LOL! shall i confess that having stood in one spot for over four hours, i was in dire need of a bathroom!? And who has a nicer bathroom than Tiffany’s? Except maybe the neighbor, Mr. Trump.
Yes, my Benny works, among other places, at the famous tower of jewels! i had a funny feeling all throughout the day that he was eager to take me there, to show me the treasures, though he knows me well, he knows that i have zero interest in polished stones, other than how nice they look. But my precious stepson had no interest or plan to show off the Tiffanic jewels in all of the glass cases. He was eager to introduce me to REAL TREASURES of Tiffany, to JOSEPHINE and SELENA, to MARK and SUSAN and GIOVANNA and JACKIE, to name just a few of his twinkling, sparkling, truly BEAUTIFUL co-workers. And OH, HOW impressed i was!!! The Glow of God in Josephine’s eyes is worth more than any stone in that giant tower! HECK, it’s worth more than the WHOLE TOWER!!!!
Having lived in and around NYC for much of my life, never once did i have an inkling or desire to enter that building which i have strolled by hundreds of times, but THANK YOU, GOD, thank you for my son, who highlighted my latest trip to the Big Apple by bringing me to the TREASURE there.
Isn’t this what Pope Francis’ visit to America has been all about? And isn’t this what his very papacy since that glorious, lucky day of 3/13/13 has been all about, telling us that the treasures of the earth are not the jewels we wear on our fingers or ankles or around our necks. Yes, they are lovely, for sure, but the treasures are what we hold within, our faith, our love, our HOPE! That night at the Vatican, when he first stepped out on the balcony with the new name which immediately told what a different different Pope he would be – FRANCIS!!!! – he passed on the traditional First Blessing of the masses in the Piazza San Pietro. Instead he bowed to the beauty, or what he calls “the Transcendent Dignity of Each Human Being,” and he ASKED THEM TO BLESS HIM. Unthinkable, unimaginable…but true!
OH, HOW THEY SPARKLED BEFORE HIM!!!!
All throughout his visit to the great megalopolis these past few days his message has been consistent, simple and clear. The REAL TREASURES of the Earth are the poor, the homeless, those who want to work but cannot find sufficient work to feed their families and are caught up in a great and terrible spiral downward. The Real Jewels of society also are those who do find work and go about their business hour after hour, day after day, trying to make ends meet, while a relatively small few become richer and richer, more and more powerful, forgetful of their beginnings and of what GIFTS they have received…for the sharing.
(i love Beyonce, modern day queen. i know that behind her incredible voice (and gorgeous body, lol) lies a deep and powerful Faith in God and a Heart of true Gold Love. When i heard recently that she bought a pair of shoes for $300,000, it broke my heart. It could have fed whole cities of children who will starve this week. What got into the poor Queen’s mind?) i love her, because i always think of her as the little girl singing in church about Jesus. Before money became a factor. Our HOPE lies in the CHILDREN we once WERE – and still ARE inside, if we can only learn the famous “striptease” of St. Francis of Assisi, get rid of the trappings, take off the “fake jewelry,” get back to WHAT IS REAL.
i am so grateful for my journey to the Heart of New York – to gaze upon the sparkling white diamond of a People’s Pope. i am so grateful for precious time with the most wonderful stepson a man could ever have, my Benjamin – who KNOWS where TRUE VALUE lies. i am so grateful that he introduced me to the “jewels” he cherishes. i pray that Tiffany’s TREASURES them, as Ben and i do. They are far more PRECIOUS than all of the diamonds in their vaults.
MercySoup.com 
Yes, the most beautiful “jewels” at Tiffany’s are the people who work there. Nice to hear about a young man not dazzled by diamonds and sapphires, but by the beauty of his friends, their beautiful eyes, upon which no price can be put.
How like Pope Francis to transform New York City into a huge Tiffany’s crowded with the real jewels of the world, its people, Christian and non-Christian.
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YES, my friend! i hope that my PRIDE in my Benny came shining through!!! He’s GOT IT!!! He and i talked there in the Park about Faith and its practice. He admits that he is not much of a church-goer, as he has felt repelled by much of the “practice of” his Catholicism. He knows that “Catholic” means “Everybody!” and he feels much more comfortable out in the fields and mountains and concrete jungles with his fellowmen. One of the dearest, wisest, gentlest priests i ever knew used to cry out, “I love the Church. It’s Church people I can’t stand!” When we read any Life of St. Francis of Assisi, we can’t help but notice how in the entire book there might be one or two scenes, one or two paragraphs, which place him in a Church structure. He is generally in the Great Cathedral of Nature or marveling over a jewel of humanity, particular a leper or someone as poor as he. The Muslims who were so hated by his Church he called his “brothers.” We sure do see the man of Assisi in the man of Philadelphia,New York and Washington! the NEW FRANCIS!
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Michael,
Your thoughts and sentiments are so right on and eloquent. Like you, I could care less about precious gems and stones but a shocking number of people want those things badly. A mystery to me.
Pope Francis clearly is not only the Pope for Roman Catholics but for all people. He makes me proud to be a Roman Catholic. I hope the Cardinals, Bishops, Deacons and seminarians were listening because the Church is loaded with clerics and clerics to be with attitudes of entitlement and judgement.
God Bless you in your writing.
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Anthony, i remember when i was a little kid, how i used to wonder who declared diamonds and gold the “valuable things???” Imagine if they had decided on cow dung or goose poop instead?! i mean, what’s the difference really. They are all “things!” How’d ya like some goosedung around your neck??? If that had been the standard, people would be walking up to you saying, “Oh, I LOVE YOUR BEAUTIFUL DUNG!!!”
HaHa, i must’ve been a weird little kid. Maybe that’s why everyone called me knucklehead!?
Thanks for reading my blog, friend.
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