By Sr. Caroline M. Granil, FMDM
“Let the little children come to Me...
for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of Gods belongs .” (Luke 18:16-17)
I am Sister Caroline M. Granil, a native of Cardona Tarlac. I belong to an International congregation and we are known as Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood. I joined this Congregation in 1972 after I finished my Nursing training in London. I was sent to Amman Jordan in 1981 where we administer an Out-Patient Clinic of Mothers and Babies and General Patients. We serve both the Jordanians and Palestinians, Moslems and Christian Alike. Ninety percent however of attendances are Palestinians refugees from nearby Palestinian Camps, who fled Palestine in 1948 and 1967.
Our Clinic is closed on Sunday and so I go to Mother Teresa’s Sisters to volunteer my services with the handicapped babies and children. While the Sisters are at Mass I stay with the children, play simple games with them, attend to their basic needs, massage wasted limbs, help some to walk. When the Mass is over, I help the sistes feed the children; after which we put them back to their individual cots for afternoon siesta.
I find all this fulfilling but initially I found relating with the children very difficult let alone learning to hold then in my arms and to understand what they were trying to communicate to me. But I gave priority in my life and eventually I was able to overcome the odd feeling within me. “Let the little children come to me...”says Jesus. With time I came to know each one with their individual peculiarities and livableness. Each one became a special person! And amazing how their handicaps became less obvious to me!