“Do not cast me aside in my old age; as my strength fails, do not forsake me” (Psalm 71 :9)
Last summer, during my vacation in Nigeria, I met Okeke. This elderly man in the village lived by himself in a ramshackle cottage, which was in such a poor condition that one would fear that it would fall on him in a matter of minutes. Age and poverty had taken a heavy toll on Okeke. Obviously, he didn’t have much support that he needed from family or friends. His only son left home for years and never returned to see his father.
Okeke’s home
Okeke’s neighbors themselves lived in a horrible poverty; they did not have enough food for their own families, much less sharing it with someone else. However, once in a while, someone would generously bring a small bowl of food for Okeke. Having no source of income, no social security, no pension, and no savings, Okeke’s livelihood depended on the economic trees which he planted around his home. When he had no money to buy food, he had to bear the pang of hunger until his palm fruits or some other fruits were ripe for harvesting and selling. I gave Okeke the little money that I had in my pocket; and that meant the world to him. He didn’t stop thanking and blessing me until I said goodbye to him. A few weeks after returning to the States, I got word that Okeke had died. This news brought great sadness as my heart always aches with compassion whenever I remember his miserable living condition.
In that poor village, we discovered many aging members of the communities and those living with severe disability, who are poor, lonely, starving, and living in slums. They live without any support system; they suffer alone and die alone, departing this life lonely and hungry. I have prayed for a “miracle of love,” that God may send generous people, who, moved by mercy, would be willing to share their resources to provide a care facility for such underserved elderly and those living with severe disability in that impoverished part of the world.
How wonderful it is that because of your generous support, they will spend the remaining days of their lives with someone to care for them, with someone to give them food to eat and water to drink, with someone to listen to their stories, smile at them, laugh with them, weep with them, give them a comforting hug and make them feel loved and supported. When they come to the end of their lives in this world, they will say “good night” in peace and with dignity that they deserve as children of God. Ask the Spirit of the Lord to open your heart to love your neighbor; to open your ears to hear their groans, to open your eyes to see them; to open your mind to understand the nature of their needs; to open your hands to help and support them.
Father Martin