"There is one more thing I want you to do," said Ann, when the
people had left the church, "There is a lady here who lost her only
son of sixteen years last month. His name was Walter, She wants
you to go to the cemetery with her, pray with her, and bless the
grave." I found the woman sitting on a bench in the village square.
As I touched her, she started to cry bitterly. It was a sad story. Last
month, Walter went to Cochabamba with a truck loaded with pro-
duce and people. As usual, the younger boys were standing on the
running board of the truck holding onto the door. At one point,
Walter lost his balance and fell from the truck without the driver
noticing. He fell beneath the wheels and was crushed by the back
tires of the truck. They took him in the truck in the hope of reach-
ing Cochabamba in time, but he died on the way.
Ann and I drove with Walter's mother in the jeep to the small
cemetery behind the hospital. There we found the little niche
where Walter's body was laid. We prayed and I sprinkled the place
with holy water and we cried. "He was my only son, and he was
such a good boy," his mother said with tears in her eyes. Ann told
me how helpful Walter had been in the parish and how everyone
was shocked by his death.
I couldn't keep my eyes from the woman's face, a gentle and
deep face that had known much suffering. She had given birth to
eight children: seven girls and Walter. When I stood in front of the
grave I had a feeling of powerlessness and a strong desire to call
Walter back to life. "Why can't I give Walter back to his mother?"
I asked myself. But then I realized that my ministry lay more in
powerlessness than in power; I could give her only my tears.
Who is Henry Nouwen? Nouwen, January 24, 1932 to September
21, 1996 was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and write who authored
40 books on the spiritual life. Nouwen's books are widely read by
both Protestants and Catholics.
To visit the Lenten Meditations site, click here.
To visit The Practical Disciple, click here.
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