Welcome, and thanks for reading! I thought for a first post I would ease myself in, but still trying to bring something meaningful to the table. The following is a reflection I shared on the topic of the service trip I recently attended:
This past Spring Break I went on my first Alternate Spring Break trip with the Newman Community. I went with a group of 10 to an elderly home opened and run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. What a beautiful place. The joy of happy elderly and faithful, prayerful sisters filled the halls. We found ourselves to be in a paradigm for elderly care. Never did I see patience nor cheer ever found wanting in these sisters and their devoted helpers. The love and dedication of this home to its interned was immaculate and pure.
As a youth, zealous and devoted in the Pro-Life movement, I witnessed the greatest love for the sick and infirm, an unadulterated love for the human person, at one of its most vulnerable times in life. The striking contrast between what I observed here and the horror stories that are heard of regarding the care of the elderly ushered mixed feelings, love for this place, but a sad revelation that all were not so wonderful. What sadness must exist for those who are treated in homes, not with affection and individual attention, but as a number, a burden, a temporary challenge that cannot pass soon enough.
Let us not be the ones, lethargic in our care for others, for the youngest or the oldest of our fellow human beings. Let us not be the apathetic who will be condemned in times to come. Let us not be the ones who knew of the suffering, but were to preoccupied with ourselves. Let us be the ones Christ beckons at the end of time saying "Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me... Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."(Mt 25:34b-37, 40)
When will we as society come to recognize the beauty of life, from the oldest and wisest of the world, too the youngest most defenseless potential for our future? This duty belongs firstly to none other that those who carry the honorable banner of Christ and His Holy Catholic Church, in unison with all of our Christian brethren and all people of good will.
May Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Mother, Mary Immaculate keep you safe and joyful in this Easter season.
too*
ReplyDeleteI was doing a puppet show at a retirement home on Maunday Thursday, and share many of your thoughts. The caretakers there were Southern Baptist (culturally) and not all are in Christ. It was clear to me that some of the caretakers saw these people as the imago Dei, but other caretakers saw them as a burden and a difficulty.
So many also suffer from dementia and Alzheimer's. It is painful to see the vulnerability at that age.
The purpose of our visit was to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ resurrected. I was reminded of the parable that Jesus shared to demonstrate that anyone can come to his Kingdom, no matter how old they are.
Matthew 20
For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' And when evening came the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ' Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
It was my prayer, and what I shared with these people on Thursday, that they would come to Christ now. It doesn't matter how long they have lived apart from him. Now is the hour of salvation. The Master will give us his reward with abundant grace, no matter our age.
Hi there, Zach! Miss Rondon here (former Latin/French teacher at JP). I've very much enjoyed reading your first blog post! I'm convicted by your exhortation that we "not be the ones who knew of the suffering, but were too preoccupied with ourselves." Amen. Looking forward to your future posts! Christ's Peace be with you today and every day. - Miss Rondon
ReplyDelete