By: Ana Perišić, hagioassistant
A Friendly Gift
Today I want to share an experience with you, one that deeply impressed me. The event took place a month ago, immediately after the earthquake in Zagreb. We were all affected by this earthquake, immensely more those who were left without their lifelong property. But the pain because of the ruined city, the wounded churches and everything seen brought tears to the eyes of even the bravest.
At first, I wondered how quickly the people gathered and began to clear the rubble, moreover, to thank God that many were not killed by the disaster. Whether the shock of being alive and the pandemic contributed to that, I don’t know. But those of us who were not there at the time know that anxiety, uncertainty and great sadness reigned in many people in Zagreb…
The next day, after the earthquake, my longtime friend contacted a group of friends and came forward with a clear decision that she would put into action what she set out to do. She demanded that the worst-affected family be found and that we help them immediately, as much as we can now, and that we promise to continue to help. Perhaps it would not be strange if this woman was not an agnostic in the true sense of the word.
I rewinded the film of our lives. She was always the first to act on our needs, buy gifts for our birthdays, always asked about the health of our families, connected us all for years. I do not remember her ever insulting me. And, she always respectfully congratulated our Christian holidays and participated in tradition as much as she knew.
The story spread to many others, mostly practical believers and some who are not, but are well-to-do. After a few days, a (mild) shock followed, individuals like her and a few friends on low incomes responded. However, she commented on the situation in positive words, „Those who had ears to hear and a heart open to love, did according to their abilities, and those who did not, obviously their time has not yet come. We are moving on, we will not give up.“
Dear readers, each of us has something to give. There is a rule: only he who gives has, he receives. No one asks of us to do what we cannot do, but it is important not to have a closed heart. It is hell. We will probably be surprised, one day, whom we find in Heaven, there will be many self-denying, caring people in this new world, those who have been unencumbered by constant calls, here on Earth, that we need to help again and again.
So let us look today at what we can give to someone else, someone next to us or someone completely unknown: a warm word, a gesture of friendship, a piece of clothing from our closet… and let us give it.
The good you can do, no one else can. You are an original, an outstanding being, your gift to another is irreplaceable, it is vital both to him and to you.
This article is free. If you want to support our work, you can become our supporter. Information on how to become our associate or supporter of the Hagiotherapy Foundation Tomislav Ivančić PhD can be found here and thus contribute to the development of hagiotherapy and the realization of our vision.
Born in Split. For many years she worked as a teacher of vocational subjects at the Secondary Agricultural School in Zagreb, for which she previously studied at the Faculty of Agriculture and the Pedagogical Academy, also in Zagreb. After graduating from ITKL in 2004 at the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb, she took over the position of director of the Children’s Home and head of the Center for Rehabilitation and Occupational Therapy of the CZN. She also led the project Psychosocial and spiritual assistance to people in need in CZN. She currently works as a hagioassistant and mentor at the Center for Hagiotherapy – Split, and is one of the members of the editorial board of Hagio.hr.