It was Thursday, and there was all-day Adoration in St Finian’s church. I popped in a short while around midday on my way to visit Sarah in the nursing home across the road from the church. Before the Blessed Sacrament I asked Jesus for a big blessing to take with me for Sarah as she lay bed-ridden and close to death.
Weak and very jaundiced, Sarah struggled to take any food or liquids, and was sustained mostly through a drip. The loving and patient carers persevered and brought her tea and liquidised food, but seldom anything passed her lips – until that day.
That afternoon a bowl of custard and milk was left on the portable table that stretched across Sarah’s bed. It lay there as she slept. She must have sensed someone was in the room and opened her eyes, not even recognising her own son.
“Try this, Sarah, you’ll like it,” I said, and started slowly spoon-feeding my mother. It must have taken 15 minutes or more but Sarah finished the whole dish. My heart was full of joy and I couldn’t help think of the many times she must have done the same for me as a child. But now the roles were reversed and it was me doing the cajoling and giving encouragement with every spoonful she accepted.
It was a real effort for Sarah and it wasn’t long before her eyes closed again in sleep. But the joy remained with me and I suddenly remembered about the blessing I had asked Jesus for earlier in the day. He had responded big-time.
I needed to talk with him again, to say thank you. I rushed back across the street to the church. The Blessed Sacrament was still exposed.
And when I thanked and told Jesus of of the joy in my heart I heard these words: “Now you know the joy and delight I have in feeding and nourishing my Father’s children!”
It was a revelation to discover Jesus could experience joy and delight in feeding us with his own body and blood. And in Jesus we see the Father wanting so much to care for our every need.
Feed my sheep….
Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, or they might collapse on the way.” Matthew, 15 : 32
Dear children, the Father has not left you to yourselves. Immeasurable is his love, the love that is bringing me to you, to help you to come to know him, so that, through my Son, all of you can call him ‘Father’ with the fullness of heart; that you can be one people in God’s family. part Medjugorje message, April 2, 2011
