Our first visit was to an old bus shelter by city hall. Inside the shelter sat a woman in a wheelchair — skin grey and yellow from smoking, her stringy grey hair held back by a rubber band, revealing her yellow-stained eyes, ashen cheeks and a burning cigarette in an empty space between the yellow-brown teeth in her crooked smile. Despite the woman’s frightening appearance, she peacefully smiled at us and took the food with a hoarse “thanks.”

The man we saw next was more exuberant. He too greeted us with a friendly smile and glowing eyes. As he took the food we offered, he began to preach and praise in the name of God. Here was this middle-aged man, poor as ever, with every reason to complain about his life, but the only thing that would come out of his mouth was praise for the Lord. “Jesus is so good,” he said. “And I, I am just a vessel of God to share with His people.”

After that, he began singing a short medley of Jesus songs for us. Though his voice was anything but “star quality,” it pierced into the very bottom of my soul. He called us angels of the Lord and thanked us as we went on. This child-like and innocent but wholehearted faith in God warmed my heart and put a smile on my face. He inspired so many thoughts, so much inspiration and so much courage.

I realized he was the vessel at that moment that gave me the courage I needed to reach out as Jesus did to the poor from then on and to love them like Jesus did. He reminded me that God’s source of power was unconditional love and humility, not strength and dominance.

As I turned the corner onto George Street, I took a deep breath and prayed a quick prayer for the strength of heart to forget fear. Soon, a presence overwhelmed me. It was as though I was wrapped in an invisible cloud of protection, so that I felt safe enough to reach out more fearlessly, share more smiles and spread more love. With each passing person I saw something different — some seemed out of place, like lost sheep. My heart ached for them, and I was only pulled in more. In each person I saw a light, and with each smile my heart was enlightened. Jesus was everywhere. These, truly, were God’s children. With each person I met I could indulge myself more easily in their love, and love them in return.

I knew all the while that this strength came from a man who I called “a vessel,” the one who sang to us and called us angels.

I came to try and change a life, but in the end it had been my life that was changed. I found God at His strongest, in the midst of the humble, lacking in possessions, but certainly not lacking in love.

(Sarmiento is a Grade 11 student at St. Augustine Catholic Secondary School in Brampton, Ont.)