How I pray: Sister Angela Meaney lsp speaks with The Record’s Debbie Warrier.
As a Little Sister of the Poor, my times of prayer are woven like a thread throughout the day, giving it rhythm and a sense of peace. They support my service of the elderly and I find that my service draws me to a deeper relationship with Christ through prayer. The love of Christ in prayer overflows into my mission lived out in direct care of the elderly.
Accompanying the elderly is like walking with God. As a Little Sister, I am following in the footsteps of Saint Jeanne Jugan who was canonised on 11 October 2009. She is known as the patron saint of the elderly.
Care of the aged is our one and only apostolate. We focus on the elderly who are on the lower income bracket and without many resources. The charism of Jeanne Jugan is the spirit of littleness. Little Sisters are taught to love God, love others and forget self.
As a community, our day begins with meditation and Morning Prayer. We come together at the end of the morning to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the residents and others who wish to join us. During the day we pray the Rosary and Midday Prayer. We seek the Lord in Lectio Divina and in another half hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Evening Prayer is sung at the end of the afternoon and the residents may pray this with us. The final prayer of the day is Night Prayer, prayed together. It’s lovely to relish the Psalms which speak of daily life; whether it be joys or sorrows, the psalms console and strengthen you.
Jeanne wanted our communities and homes to reflect the love, unity and peace of the Holy Family. She had a strong devotion to St Joseph to whom she would present the needs of those under her care. St Joseph continues his care of our homes through our many friends and benefactors.
One of the privileges of the Little Sisters is the happy death of our residents. Extra time is spent with those on palliative care, attending to their spiritual and physical needs. The service of the Aged Poor is our heritage received from our Mother Foundress. This requires of us diligence in the exercise of the Corporal works of mercy which open the way to the benefits of the spiritual works of mercy.
It is a great grace to keep vigil with the dying. Through our faith, we know that this person is preparing to meet God. Being with the dying has enriched my life journey. Sometimes I might think that it is me helping them but on the whole it is them helping me.
Some of the elderly have never believed in any religion and yet they have been very good people and led good lives. When death is approaching, most elderly realise that there must be something more in life than this world we are living in.
Once I looked after a man who was an agnostic. However, when he was dying he asked to see a priest because he wanted to be “…with the little man on the cross.” When people are dying you have to let them know of the great love and mercy of God for each one, no matter what challenges they have been through in life.