One Colorado man's dream of seeing the pope was fulfilled when a good Samaritan stepped in — on orders from God.
Saul Mejia, of Denver, Colorado, was waiting in line in New York City since 3 a.m. Thursday with the hope of getting a ticket to see Pope Francis during his first trip to the United States.
"My dream was to see the pope and I was just standing there hoping that someone might sell me a ticket or something," Mejia, 24, said.
“I literally, I threw all my money away just to come here,” he said.
Then Mejia’s prayers were answered when a stranger saw him waiting on a New York City street — the woman gave him her ticket to see the pope.
"I have one for me, and then God told me, 'No, no, give it to him'," the woman told NBC News.
The two shared an emotional moment, with Mejia saying through tears that a chance to see the pope meant "the world" to him.
"It means the world. When I was 14, I was trying to raise money to see (the pope) at the Vatican and it was impossible," he said. "I didn't have enough money. And now that he was coming to the U.S. It's like, I thought this was a perfect time."
The woman said she heard Mejia had been waiting for a ticket since 3 a.m. and felt compelled to give him her ticket.
Pope Francis landed in the United States on Tuesday, beginning his six-day trip in Washington. On Friday, in New York City, the pontiff will speak at the United Nations and celebrate Mass at Madison Square garden before heading to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families conference.
"Just to see him, to see him pass by it's worth this trip," Mejia said. "It's worth every penny."
