Therese of the Child Jesus

Thursday, 02 October 2008 15:21 Fr. Robert Reyes

26^th Week in Ordinary Time

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, a man said to him, “ I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Lk 9:57-62

26th Week in Ordinary time Cora and Lulu (not their real names) both work for one employer. This afternoon, the employer told Cora that Lulu must go home right away. She can no longer allow her to stay with them. The employer will buy her a ticket back to the Philippines and make sure that she leaves Hong Kong right away.

Lulu had an emotional breakdown and needed to be confined. Cora called me up today to inform me about her employer’s decision to send Lulu back to the Philippines. I advised Cora to get in touch with her family and make arrangements with the nearest hospital with a psychiatric unit to attend to her sister as soon as she gets home.

Lulu arrived in Hong Kong one year and ten months ago. She had a mental breakdown only last Sunday. Two months shy of completing her contract she is being sent home.

Today is the feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. When Therese entered Carmel as a young lady, she suffered from some form of psychological condition. Contemplative life is difficult and demanding. The cloister is not exactly a place for anyone with psycho-emotional problems. Yet it was in Carmel that Therese was healed and more, encountered Jesus in a very real way.

Hong Kong may be a place where thousands of OFWs land to earn even a little to send back home, but it is no place to get sick. Could we, like Lulu, however, choose where to get sick? When Lulu left the Philippines, getting sick was the farthest thing from her mind. Her resolve was firm. She would go to Hong Kong, work and earn enough to help her family. It is partly courage but in most cases, it is faith in God.

So many OFWs risk much to come to Hong Kong. Some have relative success but quite a few suffer rather serious losses and setbacks. These losses and setbacks lead to miracles, some small and others quite big. As I end this little reflection, Cora informs me that “prayer warriors” from their church have come to pray over Lulu. I was able to speak to Lulu whose voice was calm and happy.

Jesus’ life was not easy. It was a life surrounded by plotters and enemies. It was a vulnerable life, full of risk and danger. This did not weaken and discourage Jesus. For as long as Jesus knew His Father’s vision and remained faithful to His Father’s mission, he was at peace and unfazed. Before adversity and difficulty, Jesus could sing, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Jesus, friend of the vulnerable and the poor, bring light to Lulu’s mind, rest to her body and peace to her soul. Teach us to trust completely in you. Thus, we can begin to un-clutter our distracted and confused lives. Amen.

Photo “St. Therese of Lisieux” by scottbroadway on flickr; licensed under Creative Commons License By-NC-ND-2.0.

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