Doughnut Day

Perhaps you didn’t realize it, but June 2nd was National Doughnut Day!  We may find it funny to celebrate such a thing, but now really, who doesn’t enjoy a good doughnut!  I came across an interesting story of a tradition that began in Chicago in 1938 to finance the Salvation Army’s charitable efforts during the Great Depression and to honor the “doughnut girls” of World War 1.  The Salvation Army became synonymous with doughnuts during World War 1 when they served the baked goods to American soldiers in France.  Unable to find the necessary ingredients for cakes or pies, the women’s auxiliary at the Salvation Army canteens along the front lines improvised and came up with the doughnut.  At one point, they served nearly 9,000 doughnuts a day, sometimes cooking in military steel helmets on a stove.  The ladies were soon dubbed “doughnut girls.”  Today, donations on Doughnut Day help support the Salvation Army’s food pantries, as well as food programs for senior citizens and children (The Little White Book).

This act of kindness must have taken a lot of courage from these women.  They were truly walking in the footsteps of the Lord as they brought a little bit of cheer to the soldiers.  The obstacles and threats along the way were probably quite dramatic, and there were surely a lot of risks involved.  In our lives whether the challenges are great or small, it still takes courage to become the people we want to be, the people who were created in the image of Christ.  The early Christian communities were probably afraid, but the stories of Jesus and the letters from leaders like St. Paul gave them a source of courage to accomplish what they needed to do and to be in the world of their own time.

There are a lot of things that we know we really ought to accomplish in our lives today. It’s not a question of trying to figure out what we need to do, we know that.  Sometimes we hold back, we hesitate, we are afraid of the risks involved.  Life takes courage; it involves risks.  But we are not alone – the Lord is pulling for us and will be ready to come to our aid if we ask that of him.  

At Mass, we come together with other people who share our commitment to the Lord. We will receive then and, hopefully, be ready to give to others.  Courage and encouragement are part of what we need in order to walk with the Lord.  Sometimes transitions in life are challenging – even good ones.  There are no guarantees that we won’t be hurt or disappointed, but the Lord is steadfast and graces us with the courage to move forward, even when the next steps may be not be easy.

We can never repay God for the immeasurable gift that is life.  But we can do whatever is within our means to take steps to value the life God has given us, to nurture it, to share it with others.  We are called to open our eyes and our hearts, just like the “doughnut girls” did for all those soldiers. So the next time you are enjoying one of those yummy doughnuts, remember the courage it took for those ladies to be Christ in their way to the soldiers.  Find the courage you need to be God’s light to others.  Make every day a “doughnut day!”