TIQTI SUD ALTAR
I think just like your lives in the U.S., life here is filled with ordinary moments. There are also moments of of inspiration, fear, joy, and difficulty. I am trying to find a balance in telling these different types of moments, and to not dwell in one group or another, remembering that when I tell about a joyful moment you may be mourning something. Or when I tell you of another difficult moment in the lives of the people here, you may be struggling to find light in a world that paints darkness with each news cast.
I always felt that news shows should produce more stories of the inspiring things people do each day. If we could see the wonderful things that people do around the country and around the world, we may be inspired to do more.
Fr Joe Nangle ofm was here for a week to accompany the missioners in their work and be with the group for part of our annual retreat. I asked him to say mass at my center in Tiqti Sud, because we usually don't have mass, we have a service, with prayers, the readings, and distribution of the Eucharist.
At the end of mass he shared one more story, I think to inspire folks to mission or good works wherever they are in life. First I will say that my neighborhood is a mix of poor and middle class. Though the middle class here might be considered poor in the U.S., they just have a whole lot more than the poor here.
Fr Joe's story was from when he was a missioner in Peru. A few of the other Friars had gone up into the mountainside to say masses at various locations for the weekend. They stopped at small local eatery on their way home for lunch. As they were finishing, an older obviously poor woman came in asking for their leftovers on their plates. The Friars called the owner over and asked him to prepare a plate for the woman and put it on their tab.
She received a nice plate of food, chicken, rice and potatoes, and she sat herself down in the doorway to eat. Shortly after, along came another poor woman. The first woman sat her down and split her meal with her. The Friars had thought she would say, "There are some rich gringos inside, who gave me this plate of food, you should go in and ask for some food too!"
For the Friars it was an amazing example of sharing, communion and love. Here they had been celebrating the Eucharist all weekend long and this was so concrete to them. Fr Joe shared how this event effected the Friars 40 years ago, you can still see how it effects Fr. Joe today! I think he told it to the people of my congregation to let them know no matter how poor we are there is always an opportunity to share what you have.
He didn't know this story of this past Christmas. I was heading into the city, late Christmas afternoon, to meet the two other missioners. As I headed down the hill, Evelyn, one of the girls in the after school program came running up to me with a handful of cookies. I thought she was offering me one, but she was offering the whole handful! Though honestly I did not want them, I accepted, because she was so excited to share with me one of her Christmas gifts! I put them in my pocket! I was glad to have them because when I neared the missioner's apartment, two families were sitting on the sidewalk begging. I was glad not only to give them alms, but to be able to pull out the cookies for the small children!! So Evelyn made more people happy then she realized!
Below Fr. Joe blessing a worker at a clinic in Sacaba, Bolivia.
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Beautiful and poignant story, Catherine. You have highlighted the importance and richness of communion in our lives -- and how we are called to both give and receive it. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the Fr Joe story & your story = )
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