As I write this, Easter is just a week away. During the Easter Vigil you’ll see the Easter candle standing tall and majestic near the altar. But in the church you’ll see – if you care to see them – hundreds of little candles in the hands of men, women and children. They are small and so they are not seen as much as the Easter candle. But they, too, in their own little way, drive the darkness away and spread their light.
Most often, we keep looking at people who are famous, who have won awards and recognitions. But there are thousands of ‘little’ people – quietly illuminating their own little area, wherever they may live.
I think of a Little Brother of Jesus, called Marc, whose sharing I read in their newsletter three years ago. Using only their first names and hiding their second names, I guess, is their way to remain hidden – as Jesus of Nazareth did as long as he was in Nazareth.
Marc lives with another Brother, Regis, in Lille-Sud, in Northern France. He talks of the ways in which he tries to bring God’s love to people. First, he helps them fill in their administrative papers, as it requires a computer and they don’t have one. He understands that more than this service they need attention and friendship, as we humans need someone to listen to us, someone who would see us without judging us, someone who would love and respect us unconditionally. He tries, therefore, to bond with people and build trust, so that they feel free to share their struggles, their stories. He sees his efforts are fruitful, when a young man who recently went into rehab for alcoholism, trusts him enough to say he has started drinking again.
Fr M A Joe Antony SJ
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