Good deeds?

Even I am not THAT stupid!

Coming out of Vatican Radio yesterday, a man in a dark blue saloon car stopped beside me. He needed to find the church of St. Mary Major's. Not too difficult, although as I tried to describe the route he should take, I wondered why he had a problem when he was holding a map in his hand. I also noticed his credit card stuck into a peculiar place (for a credit card) in his dashboard.

During the course of the conversation, the man informed me that he works for Pierre Cardin and that he has two brothers in Rome who are priests, that he is from Mexico and that he speaks no Italian. He showed me his business card. Every other word was one of gratitude for my kindness in explaining his route to St. Mary Major's. He called down all sorts of blessings upon me for doing the sort of helpful deed that anybody living in Rome is called upon to perform time and again.

The man was apparently so grateful that he gave me a leather jacket (Pierre Cardin) to show his thankfulness. I was very taken aback because there had been no difficulty in my good deed.

There was a catch...he'd had his credit card stolen the day before. Could I please give him 10 Euros for fuel? I've heard man stories like that, so I refused. Well, if I couldn't give him 10 Euros, could I make it £10?

No? The jacket was grabbed back from my hands and another conman sudenly found that his car was working after all as he sped off down the road!

Didn't Jesus say something about having to have the same sort of savvy as 'the children of this world'?

God bless,
Sr. Janet