A Family that faced
starvation
"We must act as if everything depends on us and
Wait as if everything depends on God"
Such was the faith that moved mountains
The three nuns who called, all members of the same large family, told me this story of their late parent's profound faith in the promises of the Lord, which richly deserves to be shared.
It illustrates so well what is meant by St. Paul's words in ( Phil. 4 .I9 ). "And it is He who will take care of all your needs." It also happens to be my favourite reflection, because it has enabled me to experience deep and lasting peace since I had the good fortune to "see" it more than 45 years ago. So, I welcome any opportunity to expatiate on the subject.
During the later days of the last World War when the people of Malta were near to starvation, a convent in one of the main towns was desperate for food and sent an urgent message to the homestead of John and Theresa at the other end of the island, imploring their help. Here, where they managed a farm of their own, they were down to their last sack of corn, which was more precious than gold .
Theresa, despite her large brood, gave unsparingly of her time and talents to every member of the neighbourhood and also shared her food. That day, placing her full trust in the providence of God, she told John to get the donkey ready and with the sackful of corn tied to its back he set forth on the I4 mile walk to St. Julians. Theresa embarked on her day's work without a thought for the morrow, so deep was her trust in her Lord knowing "that He is able to give exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us."
( EPHESIANS 3:I6-2I).
John jogged along without a hitch until he came to Mosta where a heavy air raid was taking place and leaving donkey and corn on the street was forced to dive for shelter. To his relief, both donkey and sack were still safe and sound when he emerged.
That night, tired and worn-out when he got home, one of his children ( now one of these three nuns ) was asked to go to the barn to collect a bundle of hay for the donkey. In so doing, she tripped over a huge , pristine-clean sack of golden corn which was lying under the hay. The whole family rushed out to examine the sack which, had it lain there all night, would have been burrowed into by a rat.
Theresa exclaimed: " The work of God, praise His Holy Name!" Their joy and happiness knew no bounds and the parents repeated their usual prayer: " We must act as if everything depends on us and wait as if everything depends on God!"
Such was the faith that moved mountains. In the words of that lovely Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran:
"Faith is an oasis in the heart / which can never be reached/ by the caravan of thinking."
A day at a time.
God provided a mysterious food called Manna for the Israelites during their time in the desert. However, they were told not to stockpile the manna, but to gather only what they needed for one day. Jesus told his disciples not to worry about tomorrow. He said: when you pray to your Heavenly Father, you are to say: 'Give us this day our daily bread.' No matter how difficult life may be, to those who trust in God and who live a day at a time the manna falls every day.
Anita Kilbride - Jones,
Saint Paul's Bay, Malta.
