Make It Look Nice

Sister Lise Rose (second from right) and College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University students served low-income families in Colorado during a
CSB Campus Ministry Alternative Break Experience.

"Make it look nice." These words had new meaning for me after I volunteered at a food pantry. The food pantry was for families of low income to come for food every month, and my task was to display the food in an appealing way. Because most of the clients would not have the opportunity to shop in a popular store, this was their store. So, by placing the bread neatly on the shelves and putting similar vegetables together, I was making it easier for the shoppers to find what they wanted. Similarly, keeping items orderly makes it more pleasing to the eye. The more experienced volunteers took their job seriously. More importantly, their actions expressed happiness to any observer, by sharing a smile or a kind greeting.

As I watched the other volunteers, their happiness spread to me. I was happy to be part of their family and volunteer organization, if only for two days. I could feel their joy as together we were serving the people. As Saint Benedict says, “Treat one another if she/he were Christ himself.” This is what I witnessed as I volunteered for two days. I relearned the value “respect for each person” for anyone who walked through the door. Benedictine/Christian values are what we aim to live by each day at Saint Benedict’s Monastery.

If you would like more information about Saint Benedict’s Monastery, please contact Sister Lisa Rose at lrose@csbsju.edu.

Lisa Rose, OSB