GOLDEN RULE
GOLDEN RULE
Dearest friends,
Peace and God bless.
At around 5:00AM, in the coldness of the morning, I had my bath already and prepared myself for my personal silence in our small chapel.
I then sat down, fixing my eyes on the cross when I thought of scanning the readings of my breviary. Then I encountered Tob. 4:16-17, 19-20, which kept my attention for so long, and it says: “Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Give bread to those who are hungry and clothes to those who are naked….”
It hit me completely reflecting our attitudes and behaviors, and also, seeing the violence in the world today. There is so much expression of envy, greed and pride, and the ones who suffer (as our common refrain) are the innocent victims. It is such a pity to see our world so wounded. When are we going to stop these violence and killings, and instead, start healing the wounds of the world?
I look back in particular my little mission, which is actually a very vast one. I am in such a remote place in the diocese of Chipata, Eastern Province of Zambia. I see very much the simplicity and poverty of people, yet generosity is overflowing from their hearts. There is so much peace and serenity, never heard of rebels and liberation armies. Wherever we are, we are safe, well attended and well respected.
The Golden Rule is practiced in many little and positive ways, because what I receive from them are constant care and affection, gestures of village people who are leaving in grass thatched mud houses. They will always give the little they have, which is the best that they could afford.
I realized that poverty is not a hindrance so that we can reciprocate goodness. There is no poor person who cannot share something. They always have something. In the interior part of the villages, I sleep on the ground as they do, on mats made of grass, no electricity, and no candles at times. We sit around the fire for dinner and chatting on so many different topics and crazy jokes. We hold a little meeting and say the rosary together. Then we sing and dance as in traditional practice.
Goodness is always reciprocated! I have considered this one as God’s providence to my soul. I have learned to practice patience and humility, for people are truly evangelizing me in their actions. In fact, they are doing greater things to my soul, and I am so thankful to the Lord for this experience. If you sow kindness and generosity, you will also harvest the same, at times, a hundredfold.
“Give food to those who are hungry and clothes to the naked.” This part is really provoking me a lot because I have to admit, I am a very pain person. I always move with all my vanities, and yet, in front of me are dirty children ( as if they are not changing clothes for weeks, and not bathed especially in cold season), hungry mouths and sick people who are always begging for medicine, at least paracetamol, even for malaria because of severe headache.
Some parts of my mission doesn’t have schools, clinics and shops, so they have to make mats to barter for soap, salt and second-hand clothes. They have to walk for days to reach the nearest clinic, so that many of them just die on the road. There are still such kind of poverty existing, in other parts of the world; throwing away clothes and food are normal practices. What an extreme of lifestyle!
At times, I ask myself if this is really fair, people living in such difficulty and hardships and extreme poverty, while others are in so much comfort and abundance. I didn’t receive that divine answer yet, but one thing that I reflected is that: The Lord created such extreme and polarities so that the rich ones should have to reach out and help the least ones. They should express their generosity and share their abundance. The rich ones has rich problems and at times, great scandals. They need help also in many special ways. There is no such rich person who doesn’t need help. We all need help.
So then, the Golden Rule is not just created for paper’s sake, it should provoke and compel people to be good and generous, to be attentive to the signs of the times, to have visions in order to build a world of love, sharing, peace and equality, not of greed and envy.
I don’t want to reach to the point that people will be hating me because of my bad behavior or selfishness; or people cursing me for my indifference. It is now time to make a change. We only have to live in this world once. I want that if I die or move away, people will say that I have lived my life with generosity and simplicity- a happy and cheerful missionary.
People are teaching me the art of goodness and simplicity. Their poverty is a school itself for humility and kindness, sharing and unity. It is in this school that I have learned sharing of the little of we have.
I pray to the Lord for my people in the mission, especially courage in facing difficulties in life, for firm faith and dedication in our church. May the Good Lord will always be their model of real offering.
Fr. Raul
Dearest friends,
Peace and God bless.
At around 5:00AM, in the coldness of the morning, I had my bath already and prepared myself for my personal silence in our small chapel.
I then sat down, fixing my eyes on the cross when I thought of scanning the readings of my breviary. Then I encountered Tob. 4:16-17, 19-20, which kept my attention for so long, and it says: “Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Give bread to those who are hungry and clothes to those who are naked….”
It hit me completely reflecting our attitudes and behaviors, and also, seeing the violence in the world today. There is so much expression of envy, greed and pride, and the ones who suffer (as our common refrain) are the innocent victims. It is such a pity to see our world so wounded. When are we going to stop these violence and killings, and instead, start healing the wounds of the world?
I look back in particular my little mission, which is actually a very vast one. I am in such a remote place in the diocese of Chipata, Eastern Province of Zambia. I see very much the simplicity and poverty of people, yet generosity is overflowing from their hearts. There is so much peace and serenity, never heard of rebels and liberation armies. Wherever we are, we are safe, well attended and well respected.
The Golden Rule is practiced in many little and positive ways, because what I receive from them are constant care and affection, gestures of village people who are leaving in grass thatched mud houses. They will always give the little they have, which is the best that they could afford.
I realized that poverty is not a hindrance so that we can reciprocate goodness. There is no poor person who cannot share something. They always have something. In the interior part of the villages, I sleep on the ground as they do, on mats made of grass, no electricity, and no candles at times. We sit around the fire for dinner and chatting on so many different topics and crazy jokes. We hold a little meeting and say the rosary together. Then we sing and dance as in traditional practice.
Goodness is always reciprocated! I have considered this one as God’s providence to my soul. I have learned to practice patience and humility, for people are truly evangelizing me in their actions. In fact, they are doing greater things to my soul, and I am so thankful to the Lord for this experience. If you sow kindness and generosity, you will also harvest the same, at times, a hundredfold.
“Give food to those who are hungry and clothes to the naked.” This part is really provoking me a lot because I have to admit, I am a very pain person. I always move with all my vanities, and yet, in front of me are dirty children ( as if they are not changing clothes for weeks, and not bathed especially in cold season), hungry mouths and sick people who are always begging for medicine, at least paracetamol, even for malaria because of severe headache.
Some parts of my mission doesn’t have schools, clinics and shops, so they have to make mats to barter for soap, salt and second-hand clothes. They have to walk for days to reach the nearest clinic, so that many of them just die on the road. There are still such kind of poverty existing, in other parts of the world; throwing away clothes and food are normal practices. What an extreme of lifestyle!
At times, I ask myself if this is really fair, people living in such difficulty and hardships and extreme poverty, while others are in so much comfort and abundance. I didn’t receive that divine answer yet, but one thing that I reflected is that: The Lord created such extreme and polarities so that the rich ones should have to reach out and help the least ones. They should express their generosity and share their abundance. The rich ones has rich problems and at times, great scandals. They need help also in many special ways. There is no such rich person who doesn’t need help. We all need help.
So then, the Golden Rule is not just created for paper’s sake, it should provoke and compel people to be good and generous, to be attentive to the signs of the times, to have visions in order to build a world of love, sharing, peace and equality, not of greed and envy.
I don’t want to reach to the point that people will be hating me because of my bad behavior or selfishness; or people cursing me for my indifference. It is now time to make a change. We only have to live in this world once. I want that if I die or move away, people will say that I have lived my life with generosity and simplicity- a happy and cheerful missionary.
People are teaching me the art of goodness and simplicity. Their poverty is a school itself for humility and kindness, sharing and unity. It is in this school that I have learned sharing of the little of we have.
I pray to the Lord for my people in the mission, especially courage in facing difficulties in life, for firm faith and dedication in our church. May the Good Lord will always be their model of real offering.
Fr. Raul
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