Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Tuesday 11 December 2018
“..it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost."
The smallest , the most vulnerable of our society nowadays are the lonely elderly people ! I receive phone calls on a daily basis , letters from elderly people left on their own. , that I send somebody, anybody who is willing to help them with the shopping , cooking and cleaning ! From a big city just today an elderly woman rang me , the the festive season is here and the person who normally takes care of her , told her that she wants to go home to her family for the festive seasons , and to look for someone to take care of her during this time ! I listened to her complaints , she has two sons, daughter -in-law , a grandchild but they live far away and they cannot come home….By the way I have been to this nice lady’s home and truly she has a great need for someone, who not only keeps her house tidy but also her spirit ! Even for a young person it is no good to be alone , let alone for a person who can hardly get by.!!
I remember that back in the days as young novices we were regular visitors in the old people’s home operating in Gyulafehérvár ! In the spring just by taking a small bunch of snowdrops and it brought tears of joy in the eyes of many, many elderly women . With time we discovered that not only consoling words were needed, but cutting nails, soaking of corns on their feet, for both the elderly men and women! I took a shaver, some soap and in one afternoon -we novices only had one short hour to go out-I could shave 2-3 elderly men !! At Christmas time we cut off the branches of a big pine tree, and this way in every ward there was a nicely decorated branch , with a few lollies, sparklers and lots and lots of happy laughter, singing! One of the ladies was convinced that I was her son ….she became my guardian angel! Poor soul she did not know much about herself by then , but before every exam I visited her with a small gift , she embraced me and promised that she is going to fix up everything with God, I should just calmly go to do my exam ! Naturally I also studied , but with my heart filled with gratitude I can say, that there were many such years at the seminaries , when practically I received distinction for most subjects , that I right until today I put down to her intercession !
Dear Brethren, without any intention of offending anybody I can say that we spend so much time with a family pet, how great it would be if a lonely elderly man , woman could become my “favourite “ ! How good it would be if daily I could pay a short visit to my lonely brethren in my vicinity , or when I do my own shopping I would also place an extra bread roll or two , a bit of veggies into my basket ! It is possible to free the good will, intention , love in people and direct it towards the lonely elderly , then I believe that all of our lives would change ! Because it is good to be good, it is good to go to a person or more in trouble in the name of God !! Our Creator will generously reward you for every glass of water, good word that we give to the least , God will never be indebted to anyone !
In our child protection homes we always took in granddads , aunties , from many homes the children go out with wheelbarrows carrying food to the elderly ! I continuously ask the colleagues , that following the example of Jesus Christ who visited the elderly mother-in-law of Saint Peter lying sick in bed we should also go to our sick , elderly brethren and help with love !! We Christians often vehemently reject the introduction of euthanasia “ In 2002 Holland became the first country to legalise it . Those who can take advantage of it are the ones who “suffer from uncontrollable pain “ and they have no hope of getting better . According to the laws it is not prerequisite to have a terminal illness . Unfortunately “It seems that more and more patients are asking for euthanasia and more and more doctors are willing to fulfil this request “ -said Agnes van der Heide , from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam a member of the medical board , leader of research .” I am attaching the writing published in the Index to my writing !
At times like the quietness of Advent lets think about that, even though we are not waiting for old age but it will certainly come to us ! We may have savings, , but unfortunately such a world is coming where even for very well paid jobs they will get people wanting to work with a great deal of difficulty! This way if we don’t invest our time , money in children, then it may very easily happen , that we will be left on our own and in our latter years , suffering from illness there won’t be anybody by our side, to take care of us , nurse us,look after us ! In Erdély one of the biggest challenges for our villages, towns Churches is the fate of the elderly left alone !
During the preparation for Advent lets visit lonely, elderly people! Lets turn our faces towards the least, most vulnerable ones , our elderly brethren left on their own !
With love,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.
Matthew 18, 12-14
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Tuesday 11 December 2018