The Catholic Book Club discussion

4. What is Thomas's meaning in the story "The Last Ugly Person"? Did you enjoy this story? Why or why not?

I think this story is a fictionalization of the parable of the sheep and the goats, from Matthew 25:31-46, specially in its negative section:

...whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.

As soon as the world finishes cleaning up the backlog of Ugly, the Ugly returns in everyone. It reminds me of Matthew 26:11, where Jesus says the poor, you’ll always have with you.

Josh’s showing up in the place that was supposed to be closed off in Sal’s moment of desperation, staying with Sal to the end, and especially the fact that the judge and police didn’t seem to know about Josh, made it seem like maybe he represented a guardian angel.

Anna, you struck precisely the inspiration for the story. It came to me while I was mowing the lawn one day, and pondering how our society is increasingly pushing the inconvenient, the expensive - in short, the "Ugly" and embarrassing people - to the sidelines. I considered how Jesus told us (yes, in the parable of the sheep and the goats) how He comes to us in the poor, neglected, forgotten - the Ugly. Thus, a society that drives them from its midst drives Him from its midst.

What if they actually succeeded? Would not the inner ugliness of such a society then be revealed?

I loved this story. At the beginning I wasn't sure I would like it. Josh being with her till the end really touched me. We are never truly alone. God is always with us.

This story really hit me when I first read it. A very powerful piece of writing.