Fr. Richard Ho Lung - Diary Of A Ghetto Priest WHEN WE look around us we see evil and darkness enveloping us. It seems that we have reached a dead-end without any hope of seeing goodness or light. There is truth to this, but we are to be a people of hope. As a Jamaican people we have seen many good Christians who have helped to form and shape our youth.
The Jesuits, for example, have done a marvellous job in educating young men who today play vital roles in maintaining the stability of our nation. The generosity of the Jesuits as well as the discipline and quality of the education they have provided to our people have contributed to the betterment of our society. There is hope. We are all called to make Jamaica a country filled with optimism and faith.
One of the characteristics of a people who live in hope is generosity. Looking at the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke's Gospel (chapter 10) teaches us how to live in hope and how to bring hope into others' lives. The good Samaritan - a poor man, went out of his way to help someone who was in greater need than he. Rather than looking at his own poverty, he sought a way to help another. His act of generosity flowed out of his spirit of "hope". This spirit is not something too remote from us, but it can be found in the nature of Jamaicans. From my personal experience, I say with great delight and pride that I have never encountered a people as generous as Jamaicans.
SAMARITAN
"Brothers! Brothers!", Paula Graham called out to two of our brothers. "I have been searching for a priest or any religious who can help me by signing this paper. We have a homeless, mentally-challenged young man here. He was stabbed very badly and needs an operation right now. He has no family or relatives to sign this paper giving consent. Can you help us? He is critical and needs an operation desperately. I assure you, you will not be liable for anything. I just need somebody to sign this paper so that the doctors can go ahead and save this man's life. I want to help this young man." We see the spirit of the good Samaritan in her.
Bro. Rolando and Bro. Steven were hesitant to agree because it is our rule to check with our Superior in matters like this. Then Brother Rolando confidently stepped forward and said, "I will sign it. Please do all that you can to save this young man." "Thank you very much Brother," Ms Graham exclaimed, "God bless you!"
As a nation we have the responsibility to be good Samaritans to each other, particularly to those who have fallen by the wayside. Let us not fall into the category of the priest and the Levite who turned their faces away from the dying man on the street. The homeless and destitute are our brothers and sisters. The Missionaries of the Poor give witness to this truth by offering homes and shelter to the least of our brother and sisters in Jamaica and all over the world. Our brothers have come from all corners of the world. They could have stayed in their own countries, but they have made a tremendous sacrifice by leaving homeland, families and everything in order to show God's love to poor and the broken ones.
The poor live with little or no hope. As Christians we must give them the hope that comes from our faith in God. The measure of our maturity as a nation lies not in our per capita income but in our willingness to care for and serve the least of our brothers and sisters. So let us lift up the poor and the weak for this is the work of God. At a time when evil and violence are rampant and the very moral fibre of our country is threatened, we Christians must spread the works of God all over our nation. We must make Christ present in our island. Let Christ walk in all corners of Jamaica, for He alone can bring about the peace, love and hope that the world cannot give.
Fr. Richard Ho Lung is Founder and Superior-General of The Missionaries of The Poor.
