Some people turned away from a ragged vagrant on the sidewalk, but the narrator was moved by memories of his pastor preaching to help the sick, hungry, and naked. Following an inner urge, the narrator reached out to help the vagrant, forgetting that he and his wife were late for Mass. The narrator implies that reaching out to help came at a cost, as he does not think he will be attending Mass for a couple weeks.

1. Side-effects of a Catholic Upbringing

2. As I walked down the busy sidewalk with my wife, knowing we were late for Mass,
my eyes fell upon one of those unfortunate ragged vagabonds that are found in every
city these days. Some people turned to stare. Others quickly looked away as if the
sight might somehow contaminate them.
Recalling how my old pastor, Father Micheal, always preached for us to "care for the
sick, to feed the hungry, and to clothe the naked", I was moved by some powerful
inner urge to reach out to this unfortunate person, who was wearing something that
can only be described as rags and who was carrying her worldly possessions in two
plastic bags.
My heart was touched by this person's condition. Yes, where some people saw
only rags, I saw a hidden inner beauty, a spiritual purity.
Father Micheal was right. A small voice inside my head called out, "Reach out...,
reach out and touch this person!"

4. I did...........

6. ........Now, I don't think I'll be
attending Mass for a couple of
weeks.