THE EMPTY TOMB

There is a Spanish expression, “Me fui para servir. Salí siendo servido.” ~ I went to serve; I left having been served. So was my mission in Jamaica – an Island Paradise of lush vegetation, beautiful vistas, and myriad trees and leaves, fruits and flowers, fragrances and colors. I also saw for the first time in my life a manatee and a mongoose. But the greatest masterpiece was the beauty of the people, many struggling but still always smiling, and their warm and gracious hospitality…open arms and open hearts aplenty. One can learn much about encountering God and following Christ in this ministry of loving hospitality.

I was blessed to help out at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in St. Ann’s Bay, and Our Lady of Fatima in Ocho Rios. There is a great need in the Diocese of Montego Bay, where there are merely 12 priests – only one native Jamaican, the others “borrowed” from Belize, Tonga, Samoa, Poland, the Philippines, and other nations. The Catholic population is about two per cent. The cry for help is not only from the starving poor, but also from the hungry in the pews, who thirst for spiritual knowledge, and for leadership in evangelizing to a populace that more and more experiences the disaster of broken families.

In celebrating the Easter Pasch, the symbol of new life that seemed most appropriate (given the reality that I discovered in Jamaica) was the empty tomb…the growing realization that He is not there…He is in us! The first disciples wrestled with this, and despite their encounter with the Risen Christ they didn’t know what to do at first. They went back to the life they knew…fishing. Only after it truly sank in did they go out and begin to bring Him to life…by doing what Jesus taught them…what he himself did.

We, too, can look and pray for a “savior” to lead us out of our doldrums and misery. We might even put Christ back in the tomb, such as the tabernacle, and forget that He came to “pitch His tent” in us. Only as we more and more discover this holy presence in us do we begin to experience our resurrection…and His joy and resurrection becomes complete. And to help us connect with God, I shared the story of a disciple who asks, “O holy one, give me the question that will renew my soul, and make me feel resurrected.” The Master said, “The question is, ‘What do they need?’”

I met many good people who truly gave life to me. I hesitate to name them as there are too many, and some might be left out. But one experience I must share was an encounter with some “Good Samaritans”, from whom I received this e-mail:

”We feel very blessed to have met you. Sometimes life reserves the most amazing encounters when least expected. Well, for the first time in years, you have opened my eyes as how to ‘better connect with God’. I have understood how the hand of God can reach those in need through the mercy of others. Why did we meet William [a blind man sleeping on a piece of cardboard on a sidewalk, to whom the Samaritans brought food and water, and fresh clothes] in those days when we were about to meet you? I think because it was God's way to open my eyes with the help of William and with your help. We managed to take him to the bus station and help him reach his destination. We tried to contact the church of his village but nobody was there to answer the phone. We will try again. The day we took him to the bus station I understood that we are all equal. It has been a very strong experience. I helped him wash and get dressed and I felt joy and fulfillment in doing it. At the beginning I had to overcome the stupid barrier of touching somebody who hadn't had a bath in weeks or months. Within a few minutes I experienced this wonderful feeling of peace and harmony grow in me. I felt I was doing something important. We are all instruments of God and I understood my role. I wish it could always be so simple, but thanks to you it became more understandable.”

Thank you, Andrea and Christine, Pam and Paul, Tony and Rosanna, and so many more...for revealing the Risen Christ.