Sunday Gospel Reflection

Years ago a missionary in South America told me about a village high in the mountains. No priest had been there in months. When he finally arrived, the people handed him a folded paper. It was a list. Not a grocery list. A list of names. María’s husband drinks and beats her. Pedro lost his son to the river. Ana hasn’t spoken since her baby died. The old man Juan sleeps in the chapel because his family won’t take him. Page after page of wounds. At the bottom it said, Padre, please, we are tired and nobody sees us.