I saw a dying man yesterday

Yesterday I went to Mass at St. Matthews Cathedral in DC. Right after I sat down I smelled urine. My first thought was that one of the local street people had urinated in the pew and that I was now sitting in it. I looked down and saw nothing. The priest said "let us pray" and I hopped up and looked around. In the pew behind me sat one of the most wretched sights I've ever seen. A man, or at least I think it was a man sat hunched over. I couldn't see the face and the smell was such that I had to turn away or gag. He let out a sigh and fell forward. His head rested on the back of my pew and I saw an emaciated hand reach up and then fall next to his head.

Mass went on and later when it was over and after visiting the Blessed Sacrament I walked back to where I had been sitting earlier. Now the poor creature was slumped completely over with his head touching his knees.

There was nothing glamorous or fascinating about this man. He was hideous to look at, disgusting to smell and when I thought that even he must have been somebody's baby once, I was incedibly sad.

This guy is killing himself with drugs or drink or both and by the looks up him yesterday it won't be long before the end comes.