In a recent homily Father Brendan McGuire shared this analogy:he was given samples of lavender and fennel oil essence. This oil essence was super concentrated oil, like a whole bunch of lavender was squeezed into tiny little drops with every drop containing a strong aroma of that particular flower or plant.
Like the essence of the flower in the oil drops, we need to be imbued with the spirit of Jesus. That essence of Jesus will compel us to move as disciples. “It is not enough to believe in Jesus,” McGuire said, “we have to follow Jesus. That is the essence of discipleship: to follow Jesus.”
In a later reflection McGuire shared his experience on a mission trip to Nicaragua made by his Holy Spirit parish of San Jose. As they mixed and cemented concrete for a new school, they shared stories with the families there.
A former student, Jaime, shared why the school was so important to him. When he was younger, he had to leave school to work in the field. “I was so small I wasn't able to hold the plow really well. The line would get crooked and my father would beat me hard like he would a mule. I have scars on my back and many of the other workers on the school site have scars on their head and on their faces from being hit by their fathers."
Jaime’s wife Victoria shared a similar story of having to drag water in to wash the clothes and to cook while she was in Grade 3. As we share in the stories and lives of our fellow man, we learn to care.
Henri Nouwen makes a distinction between ‘cure’ and ‘care.’ “Care is what one does from the outset. It is an attitude. It is something that one does and it is not concerned about the necessary change; it is not directed towards change. Its end is in itself, to care for someone.
“Cure can bring about some wonderful change but it has the potential for harm because cure can be done at an accelerated pace… can cause pain. It… can bring about violence because it necessitates an agenda of speed.
“Care… brings about… gentle change… because one recognizes that one is loved. When one is loved, that changes everything!”
Of his Nicaraguan mission, McGuire says, “What we do here is not about bringing a cure to people in Nicaragua. That is not our agenda. Our agenda is simply one thing and that is to love; to care; to treat every single person…as an equal.
“We come to love them where they are, not to bring about a change in our time frame. “We must understand that it would be somewhat absurd to think that we could bring about change in one week. If there is going to be any change, it is going to be because we love them, because we care for them, because we allow the spirit of Christ into our hearts and to work through us.
“Sensitivity is the sign of a maturing soul. We are called to open our eyes; to open our ears; to open our heart to others in need,” said McGuire.
“Jesus is happy to come to us, as truth is happy to be spoken, as life to be lived, as light to be lit, as love to be loved, as joy to be given, as peace to be spread,” said Saint Francis of Assisi.
