Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen in one of his inspiring talks tells us that ‘on the Judgment Day, Jesus will say to each of us: “Show Me your hands and feet. Where are your scars of victory? Show me your hands. Do they have scars from giving? Show me your feet. Are they wounded in service? Show me your heart. Have you left a place for divine love?” … But woe to us who come down from the Calvary of this earthly pilgrimage with hands unscarred and white! When Jesus asks us, “Will you accept my cross and my crown of thorns?” or “Are you willing to suffer to give me to souls?” How do we answer Him? When He asks us to show Him our hands and our feet, will we have any scars to show Him?’
Men and women down the ages have like our Lord been wounded as a result of their lives being poured out in merciful love. They have even braved death rather than preserve their lives.
It is said that one Irena Sandler registered herself as a nurse when the Nazis overran Poland and walled the Jews into ghettos. She supplied food and medicine and managed to transport 2500 children hidden in sacks to safety. The Nazis discovered her act, tortured her and broke both her legs. Undaunted, when the war was over, Irena devoted herself to reuniting the children with their families.
Sister Rani Maria’s acts of mercy resulted in her body being ridden with bullets; her life was shattered apparently putting an end to her merciful acts, but her sister, Sister Selmy and her parents glorified her scars and wounds by forgiving the murderer and accepting him into their family.
The hands and feet of Mother Teresa of Kolkata, nay her entire frail body bears testimony of the love and mercy of Jesus to men, women and children, not the affluent ones, but the scum of the society, those covered with filth and shame and in despair.
Our dear Mother Earth is not spared of deep wounds and scars. Why? Because she gives and gives till it hurts like her Creator and Master ‘like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us’. God gave her to humankind – fresh, verdant and rich to satisfy our every need. So Pope Francis rightly hails, “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with coloured flowers and herbs.” (Laudato Si)
But our need turned to greed – we use more than we need and selfishly store lest we lack in future years, as though God will stop providing for us! This greed and avarice has left the Earth poorer, bereft of all the riches she was blessed with. We have bruised and wounded her in all possible ways.
‘This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail”’ (Laudato Si), but still she continues to give and give.
Looking into our own lives, we realize that being filled with His love and mercy, our lives too will lead us on to paths unknown, rugged ways, steep climbing’s and lonely roads opening new ventures to break our comfortable atmosphere.
Even in death, acts of mercy can continue in pledging our organs for other lives leaving scars or wounds on our bodies or empty spaces when kidneys, eyes, liver, etc are taken to save someone’s life.
Jesus will glorify the scarred or broken bodies. May He not find our hands too soft and tender with taking care only of ourselves and needs and not roughened with toiling for others, comforting those in pain and distress, sharing our resources with others, not just giving out of our surplus but giving till we feel the pinch.
May He not find our feet too smooth and safe in our footwear without braving rough weather, walking an extra mile for others, not coarse through our visits to those in loneliness and despair, to the sick and in prison and standing in solidarity with the deprived.
May Jesus find our hearts open to be filled with His divine love and mercy for we cannot give unless we possess. We need to sit at His feet each morning to get our reservoirs filled; for which they have to be empty of all garbage collected and preserved through the years, blocking our being channels of mercy and love. We let go of them with the strength of His Spirit and plead with Him to keep us open to let the ocean of His mercy fill our hearts and entire being.
May He also give us the courage to live the prayer of St. Ignatius:
Teach us, good Lord, to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do your will.
Sister Nirmala Francis A.C.
Provincial House, Mangaluru
