Today while I was driving, I saw a homeless man sitting alone on the steps of a Catholic church, staring off into the distance. I pulled my car around, parked, and walked up to him. I invited him to have lunch with me, and I took him to a restaurant near by. The conversation flowed, as he was eager to share stories of his life, and the wisdom he gained from his experiences. 
“I’m an old man, I don’t have many years left, so I hope that some of the things I say will benefit you” he said. 
Then he asked me “do you believe God answers prayer?” I nodded and smiled. Then he said “right before I saw you, I was feeling really lonely, and I prayed to God to send me someone to talk to. And he answered my prayer by sending you.”
As I was going home, I thought about the importance of having loving, affirming relationships in our lives. How important it is to our well-being. I remember reading somewhere that loneliness has a more adverse effect on our health than even smoking. And reminded me of what Mother Teresa said that “loneliness is the greatest poverty.”
