Mission Magazine Autumn 2023

28
the choir—at least a third of those in attendance—sang anthems of praise, as a
group of young dancers praised to the rhythm of the music that had everyone
glorifying the Lord, it was easy to forget that this incredible spiritual experience
was taking place in a poorly ventilated church, with no fans on the roofs, much
less air conditioning.
And just when I thought the experience couldn’t be more moving, the climax:
a young boy held high on the shoulders of an older man, lifting the Holy Book,
came marching down the church’s center aisle. This procession of the Holy
Word of God visible from all the corners of Saint Mary’s spoke volumes: “God
is with us in His Word, listen.”
During this extraordinary, beautiful Mass, I couldn’t help but feel like
the great fathers of the Church, Moses and Elijah, must have felt during the
Transfiguration when Jesus was presented to them as the Son of God. In this
parish church in Kenya, I felt all three figures were alive, well, and present.
The contrast between these two experiences—the suffering, helplessness,
and seeming despair of Michael’s situation and the glorious hope, joy, and
deep faith during Mass at Saint Mary’s—poses many questions. One can easily
understand how the Eucharist can be such a life-transforming experience.
But as I was there, and even to this day, I struggled not to question how it is
possible that so many people in the world live in the conditions Michael does.
Why can’t we fix it?
And yes, even “where is God amidst this much suffering and injustice?”
Three out of five Catholics in the world live in hardship: families barely
have one meal a day; there’s no
water to quench their thirst or
clean their bodies, and more often
than not, when there is, they have
to walk miles to retrieve it and
neither you nor I would be able to
stomach drinking it. Corrugated
tin, dirt, and cardboard shelter
them from the elements, and
children often have to drop out
of school before they have even
Michele Meiers during her mission visit to Kenya.
learned to read and write.