Many of you may have heard the White House burned Saturday?

No, President Trump and his family is ok.  And Yes, Madonna’s prophetic wish to destroy the White House was fulfilled, only her target was off by 2,662.7 miles, give or take a foot.  When the aging music goddess prays next time to her mayhem god, she needs to be a bit more specific.  After all, the Anaheim White House is just as much an icon as the DC version, just for different reasons.

Don’t believe the ungrateful zombie anarchists roaming the streets of Hollywood and MainUniversityStreet USA since election night, especially the tongue wagging, potty mouth starlets: America IS a generous place to be a part of and serve the world.

The only real divide is in each of our hearts and evidenced by what we see: a great land ready to help the needy, or a needy land ready to help the great.  I believe the former while too many of my anarchist brothers and sisters can’t see past their private parts long enough to realize FAMILY is spelled: “Forget About Me: I Love You!”

There is no better example of the greatness of this covenant land than an immigrant, now citizen who came here with $200 in his pocket.  Bruno Serato.

Bruno is proof this country of citizens welcomes the challenges of helping the less fortunate, including the world’s emigres who wish us no harm.  Sadly, even though about 200 OC homeless died last year, the homeless riverbed encampment known as Obamaville of Ana’s Home sees many outreaches to help up, not just help, the unsheltered.  Further proof America loves to help those who need it and ask for aid; some for a very short time.

Thinking only of others, Bruno’s first reaction to the fire was the need to feed his 2000 kids, a work that began modestly 12 years previously when Bruno’s mom, Caterina asked him to supplement 9 year old Bill Saldana’s potato chip dinner with pasta.  Like a famous Jewish carpenter, this Italian Catholic chef responded immediately by cooking up spagetti for a child who never tasted it before.  Caterina’s Club was formed, and one million kid meals have been the results of Bruno & Friends’ generosity.

Speaking of meals, there was this Middle Eastern wedding meal a few years back, part of a reception, where the wine had run out.  At the time in Cana, Israel, weddings lasted more than one day and the lack of wine was an embarrassment to the host.  Normally, they serve the best wines first and the less palatable to later in the reception.

One of the Cana wedding guests, a typical, knowing Jewish mom, like typical moms do, saw the need and looked for the simplest solution.  Caterina Bruno simply asked her son, Bruno, to cook a meal. The Virgin Mary asked her 30 year old millennial kid, Jesus, to help out at the bar.  What is it about moms?  The Assumptive Mary told the servants to “do whatever He tells you”, which turned out to be about 180 gallons of the most heavenly wine possible.  Water became wine; Bruno’s pasta becomes nourishment and hope.

To Bill Saldana, that pasta main course after the potato chips appetizer, was heaven as well.

Now, I only have 11 and realize that, in itself, is a chore.  But, 2000? Knowing Bruno, the work will continue, the 1909 building will be repaired, the 30th anniversary will be celebrated.  Bruno, in honor of his saintly Mater Caterina, will continue to turn little donations, like the pasta we bring to Bill Handel days, into big meals for kids.

Truly a man of faith, he did not ask for anything directly after the fire, but something that honors a mother, he and his mother is devoted to: rosary beads given him by Pope Francis.

An Irony:  In WWII, some odd shaped beads survived the war; they are called “bread crumb rosaries”. I saw one in a museum in Jasna Gora, Poland, attached to the shrine of Our Lady of Czestokowa.  To the world, it would be worth less than a penny; to the former owners/renters, it was priceless.

Concentration camp prisoners would secret small portions of their already meager “pasta” portions, roll them into balls and attach them to string to form a rosary; there IS power in prayer.  These makeshift religious devices were passed from prisoner to prisoner, carefully guarded by those facing death every day, giving them consolation and hope during Hitler’s reign.  The one thing the despots of the world cannot kill is the spirit, both the Holy One above and that of those who can see even a glimmer of hope and potential when things seem most tragic.

I call on our mayor, Tom Tait, to spearhead an effort at the next council meeting, if not before, to make sure this Italian Phoenix rises from the ashes.   Others are beginning, but a city that can be generous to our hoteliers, certainly can help the least among us through an iconic man of love. Knowing Tom, he’s already got it in the works; but it isn’t Ana’s Home’s responsibility, it is all of ours to do charity locally.  Charity NEVER should have become the wholly owned subsidiary of the federal government, for numerous reasons; especially, how it debilitates the human initiative to help oneself and one’s family.  But there are truly needy among the ignorant, the basement dwellers and the lazy.  If we must err, let’s err on the side of those who can’t help themselves.  It’s a part of that obscure “Law of Infinite Returns.”

Madonna’s recent prophetic words about destroying the white house were off a bit; maybe even Hollywood’s millionaire ungrateful can see the light of Christ in Bruno’s work and put action where their endless words tend to stir hatred not relief, for the hungry.  The poor.  The blind. The needy.  But before you or I point fingers at the Tongue (Miley Cyrus), the Mouth (Madonna) or the Meryl, always remember three digits point agonizingly back at me.  What am i DOING to help others?  Do i perform a daily “good turn” or what I call the ROCK, Random Opportunity for Catholic Kindness.  Yes, sub in your faith or org for the C, but follow Yoda’s lead:  “Do, or do not, there is no try!”  

Surprise and celebrate someone today, just because they are a child of God. Don’t do it for the raise or the praise, do it because you ARE blessed, and better off, no matter if you are looking for a job or a promotion, even on a sick bed, because there is ALWAYS someone worse off…and better off. than you.

God designed the environment so that a quintessential critical gas, carbon dioxide, would be essential to the making of pasta. Ever realize without CO2 and photosynthesis, we got no food. And pasta makes a good meal, something that humans need to spend more time enjoying each other’s company around.

God could easily designed humans only needing MREs that we absorb through our pores, but He is a Smart God: He knew we needed each other to learn how to be the best that we can be.  To be “the light of the world like the Light of the World told us”; to be the salt of the earth, yet another thing resident in a solid Northern Italian tomato pasta sauce.

Jesus began His Church sharing Pasta, the unleavened kind, at His Last Supper that became His Body.  Bruno’s last supper was not Friday night for the kids; it just needs a little remodeling after the hellfire the 1909 building experienced.

And the one thing I totally disagree with Bruno on, is his dream to “cook pasta for Jesus” and His mom.  The question came up, “who in Biblical History would he like to cook for?”

Too late, Bruno.  To carefully paraphrase Jesus, whose sandal i am not fit to clean: “Whosoever cooks pasta for the least of my brothers or sisters, cooks pasta for Me”.

Yes, I don’t read or write Aramaic, but you get the drift.  Today, Sunday Feb 5, 2017, throughout the world, the teaching about “You are the light of the world” and “you are the salt of the earth” will be proclaimed and NOT as part of the Godspell musical, though the story is the same.  Jesus left us to preach the Gospel to a needy world, and as St. Francis d’ Assisi’s followers put it: “…use words if necessary.”  Bruno uses pasta.

Bruno, you’ve already cooked pasta for your Savior a million times.

Every one of those million meals marched into Boys and Girl’s club kid’s stomachs over the last 12 years, has left a foretaste AND aftertaste in the mouth of mother Mary’s offspring, Jesus.

Just as those noble Anaheim firefighters dug around on their hands and knees and found Bruno’s beloved and valued rosary, like Auschwitz victims decades before preserved their rosaries despite all odds, the iconic Western White House must serve pasta again as soon as possible.

 I’m sure Bishop Kevin or Tim will be happy to rebless the blessing the Western White House has been to so many,  a Catholic charity that feeds all faiths and ages.

Since we ARE in America, in the million points of light city, other kitchens have already volunteered to help the “C-A-T    E-R-I    N-A CLuB” (sung to the Mickey Mouse Club tune) keep feeding 2000 pasta Kid Meals per diem in the shadow of Mickey Mouse’s House.  Trust me, Jesus tastes the sauce of every one, with just the right amount of salt and seasoning, including the love.  Whatsoever you do for the least….

We just passed the double dip “year of the rooster” second new years day.  A proposal.

So, I have a few $2 bills I will invest tomorrow in that grand re-opening slated for later this year, anticipating my next meal at the White House on Ana’s Home Boulevard;  but if you have a few spare $2 bills to give Bruno, for his employees and his kids, do it today or sooner.

Insurance won’t cover all the costs and his employees need to eat too.  Give generously.  50 employees are jobless due to an accidental if not arson fueled fire.  As usual, God will turn a basket of lemons into tasty lemonade, no matter how or who is responsible.

The $2 bill is a good analogy: each of Bruno’s Kid’s Meals probably costs less than a two bill.  It’s the only bill with the pictured declaration of a free and covenant nation dedicated to freedom of religion, speech, (and the press!); respect for life, liberty, property and the ‘pursuit of happiness’.  And $2 will make a difference in someone’s life but won’t kill you to give up a few of them for a noble cause.

Rumor has it there is only ONE human race, just a lot of cultures, colors,  countries, sizes, shapes and locations of God’s children on planet earth .  

Soon, the need to kill kids and harvest their scalps, brains, heads, hearts and livers will pass and be a terrible but diminishing memory, once we realize we are killing kids that Bruno is equipped to feed.  Apparently, we didn’t learn the lesson that “Auschwitz Warns” so well.  No human is property, nor should be treated as a slave, or as is happening today, being the harvest.

Abortion, like Apathy, has a solution.  It is pictured in Bruno’s favorite person who hangs on a cross, dangling from his fave  59 beaded item that was miraculously resurrected from the ruins by diligent public servants last Saturday.

The solution is also pictured in Caterina’s obedient son, Bruno, whose greatest love is his Boss and His mother, his ever changing 2000 kids he serves and the pasta he loves to serve to all of us.

Doing charity starts with doing your ‘good turn’ today; you don’t need to wait on the assistant to the assistant associate director of the department of US domestic charitable operations.  We the people ARE the government, we the people have the power to serve others.  The solution is not in HollyWoodstock or DC; it is right in front of you, in the mirror…

Got Two Bucks you can spare?  Bruno could use a few of them right now.  

Note: there is a GoFundMe account at:

http://www.anaheimwhitehouse.com.

This man would appreciate what you can do.  And Bruno makes every charitable two dollars go farther then most.

Len Beckman