Coming to Christ at a Garbage Corner

By Rebecca, on mission in Peru

We had scheduled to pray the Rosary with our friend John outside of his house. On our way to his house, we met him with four other friends. They were sitting outside on a street corner where the garbage is typically collected. We talked to them there for a few minutes and then decided to pray the Rosary with all five of them. It was an interesting set up: five guys and two volunteers praying the Rosary on a street corner that had wonderful, refreshing shade and a mountain of garbage.

Throughout the entire prayer, people were coming and throwing out their garbage. Another dear friend of ours, Señora Mira, came to the street corner to throw out her garbage, noticed us praying the rosary, and decided to join us. This moment really touched me.

In the middle of this filth and stink, there we were praying to our Mother and imploring for her assistance. I think sometimes we have the idea we can only pray in a perfectly ordered environment. We want the situation to be fit for a King, and so to honour Him we try to be clean. Although this is important, sometimes Christ comes to us in the form of poverty, disorder, and chaos and asks us to meet Him there. And so, we come. Whether it be on a garbage corner, the stink of a friend’s stale-smelling house, or surrounded by smiling children with dirty hands, feet, faces, and clothes. For it is there that we are serving our King.