Fr. Richard Ho Lung - Diary Of A Ghetto Priest RAP! RAP! Rap! "Please make me come in, mi is a blind man, mi can't see!" Hearing the noise at the gate, Bro. Rolando left his work in the garden and ran to the gate. There was an old man knocking at the gate of Good Shepherd, our home for the homeless, at 59-61 Tower St. He was blind, his hair was long and dirty, his clothes torn and his toes were swollen.
"Good morning daddy, please come in!" Bro. Rolando said. "Thank you. Mi name is Oscar Sawyers and mi blind and mi na have no home" the man said. Bro. Rolando then told the man: "This is your home. We are going to cut your hair first, shave your beard, give you a bath, and then you will have your lunch".
Right after lunch Mr. Sawyer was filled with energy; his appearance was brighter. Although he was suffering from cataracts it was as if he had seen a great light. He was such a prayerful old man. He was 76 years old. Every day he prayed quoting Bartimaeus in the Scriptures. "Lord Jesus," he said, "have mercy on me. I am blind, I cannot see, please make me see!" "You is an old man, your eyes cannot be cured any more. Just accept God's will for you," said Bro. Rolando. "What you mean? Jesus will make me see! Lawd Jesus, mi eyes a burn me man!" "Here is an eye drop daddy", said Brother Kiran.
The next day Brother Kiran approached Bro. Rolando and said to him, "I know an eye doctor working at Medical Asso-ciates. He is willing to do an eye surgery for our residents. Do you want to send Mr. Sawyers there?" "I don't think anything can be done for his cataracts at this age, but we will still send him because there is nothing impossible with God" was the response of Bro. Rolando. The next morning, Brother Jacob who was the driver for the day took Mr. Sawyers and Bro.
Kiran to the clinic for the eye surgery. They came back in the afternoon of that very same day. Mr. Sawyers' eyes were covered with gauze. After three days Bro. Kiran took the gauze off his eyes. Then all of a sudden Mr. Sawyers shouted, " I thank you Lord! I can now see! I can see you Bredda; mi never know say oono have chinee eye". He was filled with joy indeed, Christ has made him see again.
From then on Mr. Sawyers was always willing to do anything for the Brothers, he would dance and sing spontaneous melodies with words of gratefulness. Even at the age of 75, Mr. Sawyers, was always filled with life and energy. His old and wrinkled face is now dominated by a mysterious smile. It is Mr. Sawyer's joy to play with our boys who are also abandoned. He leads the prayers for meals. He cleans the table and helps serve the food around. "How are you Mr. Sawyers?" is Bro. Kiran's greeting. "Bredda, I thank God every day. I am so happy for I was blind but now I see, I was homeless but now I have found a home. My family abandoned me and I have found a new family. I thank God for you Brothers everyday."
Mr. Sawyers is one of the many who have come and found Christ in our homes. This encounter with Christ brings about a transformation in their souls. And they in turn become a source of sanctity for all of us. How many of our old people are just being pushed aside by our society at large because of their senility? Do we realise that they too are made in the image and likeness of God? Do we realise that they too are chosen by Christ to be His representative on earth?
Once they come to our home, they live with us until they die. Their existence reminds us of the love of God for man. Their sufferings and agony reveal the crucified Christ. And their death reminds us of our death as well as the hope that one day we too will rise with Christ if we live and die only for Him. While they are alive, they live with dignity as sons and daughters of God. The Brothers' love and care for the poor elevate them to a level of dignity: no longer abandoned, no longer forsaken, no longer blind - but they become like children who are made in the image and likeness of God. Like all of us, they too are called to share in the life of God. They too are human beings in need of love and proper treatment. Because we are made in the image and likeness of God, we are called to reveal this image in our daily lives. In other words, this is the meaning of our calling, namely, that we are called to make Christ "incarnate" in our every day lives.
Like Christ, we too must offer love and service to others even we if we have a cross to carry. Christ has shown us an example, when, at the last supper, knowing that His time of crucifixion had come, Jesus got up and washed His disciples' feet. Similarly, even as He carries the cross to Mt. Calvary He comforts the women, and offers His Holy face to Veronica. And finally, He promises eternal life to the thief.
The poor are not excluded from this calling. They too are called to be Christ to all of us. When the brothers pour out their lives in the service of the poor, they lay down their lives for Christ. Yes, when we offer them love and service, then we are rewarded with a tremendous sense of joy and peace which the world does not offer. Each time we encounter Christ in the poor we are spiritually transformed. We are invigorated and strengthened in faith. Like doubting Thomas whose faith was restored by touching the wounds in the side of Christ, we too can say, "I believe it is the Lord". Come! You are most welcome to experience Christ in the poor! Your lives too will be transformed and you will be raised to a deeper level of Christianity.
Father Ho Lung is Founder and Superior General of the Brothers of the Poor.
