Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

Reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 13:44-52

Dear Friends in Christ,

There’s a man on Main Street, the kind we all know — suit, tie, briefcase, stuck in the morning rush. Every day, he passes the same coffee shop and, sitting on the sidewalk outside, an older woman bundled in layers, her hair tangled, hands stained with city grime. She’s there in every season, always looking a bit invisible to the world. Most people cross to the other side, but one chilly morning, something stirs in the man’s heart. He stops. He asks if she’d like a coffee and a donut. She smiles, surprised, and accepts. They sit together, and he listens as she speaks about her life, her struggles, but mostly about her deep love for God and for people — even those who walk right past her. She quotes the Gospels, talks about forgiveness, and shares stories of kindness she’s both received and given.

The man, who hasn’t been to church in years, feels something awaken in him, something he thought he’d lost. In the weeks that follow, he keeps coming back. The old woman becomes his friend, his teacher. Her words echo in his mind: “You find Jesus in the ones you least expect.” Moved and changed, the man returns to church, to prayer, and to the Lord who had been waiting for him all along.

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