Serving the Sick in
Assisi
I spent the
month of July at the Sacro Convento in Assisi living with brothers in need of
care. It was an intense experience that helped me to discover the value of
caring for the sick. In a recent admonition given to all health workers, Pope
Benedict XVI said that, yes, professional competence is necessary, but that
this must also be accompanied by much humanity, in other words, love. Our
elderly brothers give us the possibility to be “reserves of love.” I feel that
this statement sums up well my own experience.
In caring
for the sick, I can say that I give very little compared to that which I
receive by listening to their experiences of religious life, lived out as a
complete offering of themselves to their brothers. For me this is a treasure
that I guard jealously, a treasure that enriches my experience of faith.
Our great
saint Maximilian Kolbe said: “only love creates.” I can experience this love
through my work at the front desk of the friary, receiving people who need the
chance to talk, opening their hearts in asking the brothers to pray for a wide
range of personal situations. It’s an important service that helps me become
more grounded in vocation and at the same time makes me aware that the vocation
is not a personal gift only for myself, but a gift to be placed at the service
of my brothers. In this spirit and with certain faith in the help of God, I
continue my life journey.
Peace and
all good.
Friar Nicola Solente
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