Day 3, February 8th, 2008

Let's get 'lost!'

‘Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.’  Matthew 6:1

Every time I come across this particular verse, I am reminded of the nuns that cared for me while I was in my second orphanage in Saigon, Vietnam.  They spoke often of hiding one’s faith.  They reminded me of never showing to the world that I was a Christian.  They told me Uncle Ho would not appreciate me being a Christian.  I never understood why that was until I became older and understood the anti-religious sentiment of the Communist regime in Vietnam. 

These nuns never wore habits or any garments that made them stand out.  You never saw a crucifix necklace or Bible anywhere near them in public.  Instead they went about their lives very quietly.  In fact, they were ‘lost’ to society.  They were hardly noticed and kept it that way.

Every day, they came to the orphanage and cared for me and the hundreds of other abandoned children.  They nursed us, cared for us, comforted us and watched over us like a mother over her own child. 

At times caring for these children was a losing cause and a hopeless proposition as a lot of them died from malnutrition and deformities.  Others were mentally handicapped and some were fried from their mother’s drug abuse and alcoholism during the pregnancies.  Yet, these nuns quietly went about their charitable acts quietly and almost anonymously to the neighbors around them.

I have reflected often on what these nuns did for me and for the countless other children through the years and what I have realized is that they understood to a great degree that one can be a vessel of Christ’s love and grace simply by doing the Works of Christ.  

What I find in today’s text is more about action than show.  It is about active love and not useless acts.  It is about outward focus and not self aggrandizement.  These nuns showed us that life is all about the unknown, the unseen acts of faith and love that does more for humanity than the ones society notices.  Anyway, our society is a very selfish society noticing only things that matters to each individual, not for the larger society.

As we journey back to Christ during this season of reflection, renewal and re-commitment to our Lord, let Christ give you inspiration, wisdom and courage to act out in faith known only to Christ.

Prayer: “Dear Lord, continue to mold us into the disciple that cares for your ‘lost sheep’ and cares not for the world’s opinion of our love and grace. Amen.”

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