I would like to share a true story that took place more than 40 years ago. I was making my weekly visits at the Menominee County Jail when I met an inmate who was a junior in high school. He asked if I could visit him again the following week. He had release time to go to school, so I made my visit in late afternoon. He asked if at the next visit if I would hear his confession. I told him I would be happy to do so.

So the next week he made his confession and I noticed a yellow pad of paper in his cell. So I told him as a penance, I wanted him to write down five things about him that God liked. I didn’t ask to see it.

The following week, he was troubled about something and told me why.

He said, “You will have to change my penance, because I can’t think of five things God likes about me, I can only think of two.”

I responded, “That is why you are here!” I asked him try to come up with the other three.

The next week he was no longer there and I was told he was released early. This was in early May. I never saw the young man again.

About August, I received an envelope, addressed “Fr. Joe, Menominee, Michigan.” No return address. I opened it and there was a yellow sheet of paper. On it was written, “Five things God likes about me” The first two were previously written in pencil … the next three were written in ink! I was very pleased and inspired by what he wrote.

In December, I noticed in the Menominee paper this young man’s picture for student of the month at Menominee High School and story about how great he was doing. I think he now believed in the good that God saw in him! Can you think of five things God likes about you?

God bless.