Generosity in a time of tragedy
We forget, I think, that all of life is a testing ground for the kinds of human beings we choose to be before God. And we forget how Jesus frequently pointed to the poor in spirit to show us a hopeful way forward.
Last month I was in Puerto Rico on a Catholic Extension mission trip, visiting communities that have had a steady diet of tragedy since even before Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit in summer of 2017. In the midst of financial crisis, natural disasters, unemployment, and periods of loss of electricity and potable water, many on the island have demonstrated a profound capacity to care for their neighbors. I have no doubt that their resilience will continue to generate stories of generosity and hope in the face of the awful pandemic that has wrought so much fear across our nation and world.
I think of the two priests whom I met who have taken no salary for many months. Their poor parishes in San Juan can scarcely meet their own budgetary needs, and yet the parishioners I encountered were nevertheless convinced that the Lord was calling them on a mission to serve the people around them.
We visited two sisters who lived in a small home with plywood walls. Members of one of the parishes — including a number of young people — had spent time and energy cutting back the overgrowth around the home, and installed (for the first time in years) a door that allowed the women to lock themselves in safely. One of the sisters expressed profound gratitude for the ability to feel safe in her own home.
It would be very easy, I think, for the priest and parishioners of this parish to worry about themselves. Yet what I witnessed was not worry, but generosity of spirit. I was mindful of Jesus’ counsel to a father whose daughter had died: “don’t be afraid; just have faith.” He then raised the girl from the dead.
The message I took away from this experience has new resonance for me as I contemplate the many responses to the pandemic, ranging from fear to panic to hope to self-giving. We are all feeling these things. What I saw in Puerto Rico (and have seen in many ways over the years) has become a compass point for me even as my family and I navigate the challenges of upended lives: generosity drives out fear, even in times of tragedy.
