I’m His Brother

On a recent Sunday I was participating in the Palm Sunday liturgy at the parish nearby, and I sat behind a young man with an intellectually disability.  At the Our Father, he turned around and joined hands with the folks between him and me as he faced me.  He said, “Are you new here?”  And the lady next to me said, “That’s Br. Bob.”  He smiled as we prayed the Lord’s Prayer.  Then at the sign of peace, he kissed my hand and said to me: “Jesus loves his ministers of the word.”  I replied, “Jesus loves you too.”  And he then said to me: “I hope so, I’m his brother.”  I smiled, and so did he—and, I’m sure Jesus did too.

Author: Br. Bob Malloy
Capuchin Soup Kitchen Pastoral Director