The Samaritan Woman of the Barrio

The Immaculata has sanctified all who have made recourse to Her. The lack of devotion to Her is a bad sign. -St. Maximilian Kolbe

I had been in Argentina only six months, and did not yet speak Spanish well, but there was an urgent need to "work" visiting families house to house in a very poor barrio outside of Olavarria. This work of penetration and getting to know the environment was facilitated by daily meetings with the children of the barrio. Yes, the children, even in the squalor of poverty, they never lost that transparency of purity and sincerity that is befitting their innocence.

It is in this apostolic setting that a case of extreme need was brought to my attention (and here the cases of people living at the limits of human survival are really many and often). It involved a young woman, about thirty-five years old, who spent months in hospital near the barrio I was visiting. She had a tumor in the intestine and her days were numbered...

They told me that the lady was unapproachable: screaming day and night, and mistreating anyone who came near to her, including doctors and nurses. Therefore, there was no shortage of recommendations to be cautious and prudent.

I thought, I prayed for a while, and then in agreement with my community, I went to the hospital. In the waiting room they marveled when i asked to see the lady, but I said that had an important message and that I absolutely must go to her. A nurse graciously accompanied me. In the hall my heart began to beat strongly.... always more strongly.

In short time, I was in front of the lady: gaunt face, pale, gloomy expression, furious, and scrutinizing.

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"Buenas Dias." Good Morning. I introduced myself and asked pardon for my imperfect Spanish. But she was always silent. I gathered all the courage I could muster, and with gentleness, I inquired about the sate of her health. 

Finally, she responded to me: "I am sick, and nothing more than a dog." I asked if I could return the next day, and she said yes, because she had no one in the world. "Yes, tomorrow I will come back, but I leave you a gift: take this Medal of the Madonna. Our Lady promised graces and blessings to whom carried it with faith." The lady looked a long time at the Medal. In her face there was an expression of fear and diffidence. Then, I took her hand, kissed it, and left. 

The days passed. As I promised I went everyday to her sickbed to be near her, help her to eat and dress, to get to know her and to respond to her concerned lament: "I have no one in the world, not even a dog comes to see me."

Without knowing it, she thirsted for love, understanding, and the warmth of family. 

In a short time I was able to establish a good, friendly relationship with her, and thus get to know better her situation... not unlike the Samaritan woman. She had had many men, but no husband. (In fact, this wasn't the case, as all of the neighbors knew.) During this time, I also met a man who seemed good and upright, who loved the lady. But she procrastinated on a date and did not want to get married.  

One day I was calmly eating lunch with the other missionaries, when I received a phone call from the hospital  asking me to come immediately because the lady was in critical condition - she was dying. 

to be continued....