One of my most frequent truisms is that I am no Saint, and I am not wishing to be a Saint, and I would make the most dreadful candidate for Sainthood, aside from my many character flaws and the not-so-insignificant the fact that I’m not a Christian.

One of my most important discoveries over the past few years is that I don’t need to be a Saint to do good, I can be difficult, obstinate, mean-spirited and angry at times. These are not traits I wish to give up or could give up if I wanted to.

I am just beginning to like being me.

So I was surprised and a bit tickled to get a letter from Jenny in South Dakota – it was one in a good-sized pile of letters from all over the country offering small donations for Kevin Reiss and his wife as they struggled to raise $8,000 to bury their son Milan.

Between the gofundme page (still ongoing) and the contributions to me, we raised the money we needed to get the funeral home to agree to the funeral, which is taking place on Monday. Thanks to you.

(If anyone has any money left, the Reiss family has a lot of medical pills and some rent to pay. You can send it directly to the gofundme page or to me directly via Paypal, [email protected] or by check,  Milan Burial Fund, P.O. Box 205, Cambridge, N.Y., 12186.)

All contributions of any size go directly to Kevin and his family.

I thank you for supporting one of the most powerful efforts we have yet undertaken on behalf of Bishop Maginn High School or people who are vulnerable and in need.

We are closing in on the fund, as of Saturday morning it was at $7,314. So great. I suspect we’ll get past $8,000 before we’re done, perhaps today.

One thing I noticed about this campaign was the number of small donations – $5, $10, $20, $25 that came to me from all over the country. People without a lot of money, people who tell me they don’t get the chance to do good or feel they have enough money to do good.

Those small donations add up, and they are sacred to me, nourishing and uplifting.

“That’s why I call you “St. Jon The Blogger,” Jenny wrote, “the Army of Good is doing as much or more good than many saints, and I am a proud Catholic. I am so grateful that you let me know that my $5 – all I can afford – matters and is appreciated. That is a gift to me in ways you probably can’t know.”

I know Jenny isn’t serious about my being a saint, and I am quite sure many saints have done much more than I could imagine doing.

I know I am no saint -the very idea is chilling – but I did laugh out loud and run to show it to Maria, I can’t say my ego is small or shy. I had a fleeting thought of what a nice tombstone inscription that would make for me, if I weren’t wanting to be cremated.

I see the real saints every time I go into Albany – people like Kevin Reiss, Sue Silverstein, Mike Tolan, and the teachers at Bishop Maginn – who devote their lives to reaching out to needy and struggling children,  refugees and impoverished kids.

They are in the thick of it, seven days a week, day and night.

I am very grateful we have been able to help this family. Kevin is a loved school teacher and community activist and a very good man. “Hey,” I shouted out to Maria as I was reading the mail. “Someone in South Dakota says I’m St. Jon The Blogger!”

I heard a laugh from the kitchen. “Don’t get any ideas,” she said, “she doesn’t live with you.”

Enough said. Thanks for supporting this effort to bury a good man’s very sick child.