I'm on tour in Guatemala with Food For the Poor, seeing our work. The group is mostly priests and deacons of various denominations who go out every week and invite people to share what they have with those who have not. This morning the first stop was the San Raymundo Community, an educational program for women at an old Catholic church. Women are taught how to sew, how to cook, how to care for their children and themselves, and they are given food to help their families in hard times.
Many women who are helped by this program came in today to greet us and thank us for helping them to help their families. Some had to walk an hour to get here. Their words were moving, short but eloquent, telling us how their families would not be able to make it without our help. Even now they are struggling to get by. When asked about what their typical day was like, they spoke of getting up at four in the morning to work for their family. They described the constant struggle to find food for their families, and of trying to make just a little bit of money so that they could buy things that they are unable to grow.
Their lives are such a struggle. I thought of how easy mine was in comparison. But I was struck more by how truly heroic these women were in their single-minded dedication to their families and community. We came to help them by sharing our blessings, and that was good and right, and we did help them. But today, we were the real recipients
Robin Mahfood, the president of Food for the Poor, sensing the profound holiness of these women, asked them to bless us. Instead of one of them speaking the prayer for all, they all prayed out loud. They prayed from their hearts simultaneously, calling God's blessing down upon those who have helped their families. They prayed that we would continue our ministry.
Amongst the clamor of heartfelt prayers, I suddenly had the feeling that this must be what prayers sound like to God? all of them, at once. With all of these prayers for us hurling towards heaven, I suddenly realized that we were the real recipients of blessings today. I was overwhelmed with the certain knowledge that the prayers of these holy women would carry us not only today, but within our ministry for a long time to come.