THE GRASS IN THE OTHER SIDE IS GREEN

A few months ago one of my priest friends asked me to pray for his ailing father who is suffering from Cancer. He is diagnosed from that sickness a couple of years ago. Back to back, I had a sudden call from home. My dad was seriously ill due to severe breathing problem and Asthma. When I went home another news was awaiting me. One of my childhood friends who is now a priest, told me that he lost his father due to cancer a couple of days ago and yet his grandfather who is 98 years old is still strong and healthy.  

These incidents do not stop here. I started to think about priests and religious who have sacrificed willingly to the service of God. How God is awarding them the sweetness of the Cross. All the priests who are serving in the near and far away places have some similar story to tell. One has his mother ailing, the other has his father bedridden, the other suffering from unknown disease, one has lost his parent in the early age, one is suffering himself due to some miserable accident and so on and so forth.

This is not the only case with priests. Ditto is found among the women religious too. Though at times see ‘all is well’ there is something miserable underneath. One of my nun friends told me that she is unable to pray and do her work when she thinks about her parents. She wanted to be at home to take care of the parents. Another nun too has a similar story to tell who has lost her both parents. Her only brother who is the backbone of the family, is now seriously sick and has no one to take care.

I was happy to see my brother taking care of my bedridden father. Once he told me this, “if there is a priest or a nun in any family, one of the family members will be seriously in need of care and service especially the parents.” For me these are the prophetic words and they are very much true. Only a deep religious person can utter those words. By that service they raise their mind and heart to God. Their sacrifice and service to the ailing person is itself a prayer and devotion to the creator.

At times, the sickness, loss of our parents, is a divine providence. They happen for the greater good. There is nothing in the world happen without the knowledge God, so much so, a leaf does not fall from the tree without a silent approval from the Creator. So too with us, who have willingly sacrificed ourselves to the divine Call. Every action of ours, every inch of suffering we undergo, every torment we face will not go futile without having yielded its fruit. Everything happens for the good.

A young, professed religious nun once came to me sobbing who had lost her mother in the near past asked this question, “why did God take away my mother?” I told her, “God took away your mother, so that you can be a good mother for the motherless thousands of children. By losing your mother you are experiencing a tremendous pain. God is allowing you to experience this. Much more is the pain of those children who have not even seen their mother. You need to be a mother for them, a sister for them, a teacher for them and a guide for them.” The same is true with the sickness and other problems. A devout and selfless person will experience more crosses and hurdles in one’s life directly or indirectly. This is a fact.

There is a greater trauma in one’s life especially when one is far away from home. At times, I feel very much this, “in spite of having worked selflessly for the Kingdom of God for which God has called me, why is he allowing me to undergo such tension?” When I hear that my dad is sick or my mom weeping over the phone telling me the difficulties they are facing at home, I have no words to console them. I feel emotional. Find difficult to answer. Even, I feel that my study of philosophy, theology, MA or MPh or diplomas and degrees are useless badges. What have they taught? Rut, rut and rut. Which words should I use to console them?

The only solace is the Word of God. A deep conviction and faith in Christ. I assure them that their difficulties will be blessed. They would see the bright sunlight one day. Everything will be alright. As a priest, I remember them all, take all the sufferings put into the Chalice and Paten at the Eucharistic table and say, “Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life. Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual drink.” I believe and is my conviction, that God takes care of the rest.

As a Vocation Promoter, I find difficult to promote the young hearts. Often I hear from the young people I meet, that many Promoters come and show them good pictures, assure bright future, luxury life in religious life and thus recruit for their congregation and they are able to get some candidates. Should I tell the reality or create a false reality and convince them? Vocation is a Gift of God and so too are the difficulties. The first thing when a person approaches me to become a priest or a nun, I tell them is, “It is not easy. The grass in the other side is green. If you are able to face the current you are most welcome.” During the course of formation, some withstand the pressure and some succumb to it. When those who feel that ‘this is not their way of life’ and go back, often their parents ask the question, “What was wrong in the Seminary? Why did they send my son back?” Who has to answer – the vocation promoter, the rector or the seminarian? This kind of questioning is more common among the women than the men.

How often, we realize the truth that a priest or a religious is suffering silently? Though they do not shed their tears in front of others, always eager to help, seen smiling 24x7x365 days this is the reality one faces. Those who cannot read the hidden lines, priest is, ‘always late, lazy, boring sermons, no depth, crazy, modern, luxurious, unavailable….” No doubt, there are such ones but not all. If there are sinners there are also saints. May the life of good of priests and religious inspire all to take the challenges / difficulties of life and make the life palatable and worth living.

Raju Felix Crasta 

image source: http://th06.deviantart.net/fs70/200H/i/2010/340/1/1/winter_song_by_kirahero-d34cy6m.jpg