“Always do good to all!” ~
Luke 10:29-37
Thato wasn’t
prepared for what she saw when she entered the acute care hospital. This was the end of the voyage for men with
AIDS; where diseased bodies were fed, bathed and held . . . until death brought
them peace.
"Please help me," the pained
voice of a teenager called out.
"Would you kindly put some lotion on my legs? They hurt so badly." Thato grabbed the cream from his dresser and
gently rubbed some on his bony legs. "God
bless you," Monana whispered.
Next, a loud crash echoed from the
kitchen. A disheveled man was throwing
dishes on the floor! He needed something
– apparently that was his way of making sure someone responded. Thato wondered what she might do in the same
situation. Being part of a loving family
makes it all too easy to forget those who aren’t.
She gazed at the bedridden children,
all certain to be dead within the next few months. Thato felt powerless to do anything but rely
on God’s mercy. Otherwise, she wouldn’t
have the courage to return tomorrow; the suffering was far too great here.
When Thato arrived the next morning, she
saw that Monana’s bedside was illuminated by candlelight. Homeless at 17, he’d died overnight of AIDS. She glanced at the legs she’d rubbed cream on just
yesterday. Pain-free now, Monana returned
home to God, no longer suffering the twin horrors of disease or abandonment.
She overheard siblings of a man who
died last week asking if he’d left any money.
Unimaginable, except when one considers that the poorest of the poor
only think about surviving until their next meal. Their brother would gladly have given them
any money left over.
Before leaving for the day, Thato again
watched Sister trying to dignify the bitter old man in his final days. Despite her compassionate gestures, he remained
angry, demoralized, radically ungrateful.
Nearby, two other nuns prayed for him. He wasn't expected to make it through the
night. Unfazed by his rudeness, Sister
dressed him in fresh clothes and spooned broth to his lips. He tried weakly to swat her hand away, refusing
her kindness. Until . . .
frightened, knowing these were his
final breaths, he leaned into her arms and begged: “Please tell me . . . that
your God is like you?”
His humble gratitude sent a thrill through Thato’s
veins. If heaven can be felt on earth,
it’s here, where the unwanted experience the grace of dying in the arms of
angels.
Loving God, we cling to the cross of your
Son. If it’s Your will, please take
away this suffering, restore those with AIDS to health and lead us to trust
Your powerful healing spirit. And bless
who love and nurse Your sick ones. Amen
