For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you’ll never walk alone …

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed.

Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands.

One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

- – - – written by Sam Levenson

A little girl walked to and from school daily. Though the weather that morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her daily trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning. The mother of the little girl felt concerned that her daughter would be frightened as she walked home from school and she herself feared that the electrical storm might harm her child.

Following the roar of thunder, lightning, like a flaming sword, would cut through the sky. Full of concern, the mother quickly got into her car and drove along the route to her child’s school. As she did so, she saw her little girl walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look up and smile. Another and another were to follow quickly and with each the little girl would look at the streak of light and smile.

When the mother’s car drove up beside the child she lowered the window and called to her.

“What are you doing? Why do you keep stopping?”

The child answered, “I am trying to look pretty, God keeps taking my picture.”

May God bless you today as you face the storms that come your way. And don’t forget to SMILE then.

Today Father Damien of Molokai is becoming a saint. I learned that many don’t know about Father Damien. Let me try to help you.

As a priest, Joseph was called Father Damien. But to his friends, the people of Molokai, he was Kamiano. He lived a short but incredible life. At that time, all the lepers in Hawaii were sent to an island Molokai in Hawaii. He decided to see these people also as humans and treat them so. He wished to serve them.

Those were the days when the only cure to leprosy was death. Molokai island became the living hell of these diseased ones. The disease and fear of death made the lepers in Molokai just like animals, killing and fighting all the time. Even the dead bodies remained unburied.

It was at this time, that Father Damien’s brother, serving in Hawaii contracted leprosy. So Damien requested to allow him replace his brother and serve in Molokai. His wish was granted by the authorities and that marked the beginning of a revolutionary change in the island.

He found it hard at first even to touch the lepers. But slowly he found joy in applying medicines over the wounds of the lepers and indulging in friendly talks with them. His presence made life more and more comfortable for the diseased there. He taught them how to cultivate and do small scale businesses and live like ordinary men.

The true measure of his nature was his loving service as doctor when medical treatment and facilities were unavailable. He traveled the settlement of Kalaupapa and cleaned and dressed the wounds of the lepers, giving the best care and treatment he could provide. He spoke on behalf of those with leprosy, advocating for their rights as human beings, while the world beyond the shores of Molokai remembered little of the suffering of its people.

He contracted leprosy. But, through the pain and physical deterioration caused by the disease process, Kamiano built churches, homes, orphanages and whatever his family of islanders needed to live in dignity.

Father Damien’s life was one of courage. The romantic journey of a builder who believed all things were possible. He did not preach his journey, he walked it. He did not manage teams of workers. He was the carpenter, builder, ditch digger, pipe layer, and gentle doctor.

His was the spirit of unconditional love.

He died, surrounded by his beloved people, at the age of 49, due to leprosy.  More than a century has passed but he is still Kamiano. He is still with his Molokaii.

#### In a Mass that began at 10 a.m. today in Rome, Pope Benedict recited the formal words of canonization, and in reciting the names of Damien and the four others, made them saints of the Catholic Church.