Through Salvador, I encountered the Kingdom of God.
Today, being our ‘free day’, I went to Tena, the closest big
city, to get some personal things done. I had breakfast at this café to get some food that reminds me of home.
While I was there, I began reading this book about Matthew’s
gospel. It is in Spanish, which, praise God, I am understanding better.
Immediately, the book began speaking about why Jesus came to us. “To fulfill
all righteousness” (Mt.3:15), which in
this context in Matthew means: doing the will of God, submitting to the plan of
God for the salvation of all. We are considered just and practice ourselves
this righteousness when we allow and participate with God to realize His plan
in us.
“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be
satisfied.” (Mt.5:6)
After finishing my breakfast, I saw an older man I know from
Ahuano walking by the restaurant. He is 75 years old and his name is Salvador…
awesome name! I had to go talk with him. After some time talking outside, I
asked him if he had eaten breakfast. He said: “No.” I invited him to eat a late breakfast, and I would pay. He accepted. We talked for another hour.
Salvador does not have a lot of money. Usually, he has none
at all. His grand-daughter Josselyn, who is about 9 years old, lives with him. Both
her parents died a few years ago. They receive no help from Salvador’s other
children. They typically have no food in the house. With his age, and bad legs,
he cannot work for money. He cannot work in the field to farm the products they
need to eat. I asked: “What do you do for food?” He said: “When there is food,
we eat. When there is none, we don’t. If there is no food, we drink a cup of
chicha, and that is enough.”
I was so surprised with his lack of worry about not having
food. Not once did he complain. Not once did he curse or murmur against God.
Every Sunday, I see him at mass with his grand-daughter. He is faithful to our
Lord, and is devoted to our Blessed Mother. When you talk with him, you
encounter peace because he is joyful and content.
I must admit I have never experienced this kind of poverty.
I have never been in this type of situation where I must depend totally on God
to provide for me the ‘daily bread’. Unfortunately, I often find myself
thinking about food. For instance, I will be talking to someone and my
attention will stray from them and to the food I plan to have for dinner. Why
is it that when we have things, we just want more of them? We are seeking to
fill a hole, in a vain attempt to satisfy ourselves, and all the while, the
hole is getting bigger. Why do I worry about not having the things which I
already have? Do we realize that we can become enslaved by the things which we
own? St. Teresa of Avila said in The Way of Perfection: “It is when I possess
least that I have the fewest worries and the Lord knows… I am more afflicted
when there is excess of anything than when there is lack of it… I have noticed
that He provides for us immediately.”
Often, we seek what the world offers to alleviate merely the
symptoms of our disease. This is our disease: a desire for the things that we
do not want and that do not provide. Jesus offers more than just alleviating
the symptoms. He cures the disease: destroying
its very source. He gives us the way to be cured:
“…seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you
besides.” (Mt. 6:33)
For me, I have so much more to learn. I am seeking the
wisdom of God, the righteousness of God. I desire to be filled only by Him, not
by the world. God blessed me with this encounter with Salvador, to understand
His love for us, that it goes deeper than a mere morsel of food can satisfy.
And all things of this world give only an instant of satisfaction before we are
back yearning for more. Everything God has blessed us with here on earth are
signs pointing to the One who truly and completely satisfies.
So, if we are hungry, or thirsty, or in need of clothing,
first seek His kingdom and His righteousness, and ‘these things will be given
you’ and you ‘will be satisfied’. Therefore, why worry. If we truly believe he
is our Father, and seek first His kingdom and His will, He will give us the
greatest gift of all: everlasting life and eternal satisfaction. Salvador is
cured! Despite his infirmities and age, and the lack of food, and the lack of
support from his family, he is healed. And the things that have been given to
him, are not an abundance of food and riches. But, what he has received is exactly
what he needs, for He is already living in the Kingdom of God.
