Marifé, Inés and Pilar are three of the many ladies in so many parishes who dedicate their time and energy, with enormous generosity, so that the liturgy may have the dignity it deserves. "Few people praise our work and that is wonderful, because it makes us aware that our effort is only for the glory of God."Marifé, who also dedicates herself to watering all the plants in the parish every day so that they are well preserved, says. "The usual thing after Mass is to praise the beautiful songs that have been played or the priest's beautiful homily, but it is never said that the tablecloths were spotless."Inés, who together with Pilar is in charge of washing and ironing chasubles, albs, tablecloths and other ornaments. "Our illusion is that God sees that in this parish we love Him very much."all three say.
Let us take care only of what is seen, because no one will value the rest. In a society that so often lives in the face of the gallery, it seems a feat to give oneself in the hidden to give glory to Him. Proof of this is that the crowds of faithful who come to Sunday Mass appreciate above all the beautiful flowers, the choir singing in harmony, a good preaching or the clear diction of the lectors. But only the priest and perhaps the acolytes notice the cleanliness of the vestments they wear, the whiteness of the purificators and corporals, the purity of the tablecloths. It is not mania, it is affection. It is not obsession, it is love. Pope Francis expressed it this way: "the beauty of the liturgical is not pure adornment and taste for trappings but the presence of the glory of our God shining in his living and consoled people".. Something great happens and we must receive it with greatness of soul. Greatness that has to do with taking care of things that very few people and sometimes no one will value.
Once a week Marifé devotes herself to clean with care and attention the sacred vessels: patens, chalices, cruets, the basin, the monstrance. "It makes me feel like an intimate friend of Christ, because I am touching objects in which He is going to make Himself present and that often leads me to prayer.". A feeling that he experiences not only when he carries out his quiet work, but especially in the celebration of Mass: "it is precious to feel during the moment of the Consecration, for example, something that no one can appreciate in the church in the same way: Jesus comes back down to earth in the sacrifice of the altar and there, very close by, is our loving and hidden work to receive him as he deserves and make him at ease."she says emotionally. Sometimes some parishioners show them sympathy for how hard they work: "I'm so happy.we try to make them understand that this is not the same as cleaning our house or doing the laundry but a task that seems to us infinitely more important, divine."explains Pilar.
This habit of taking care of the little things for the love of God has been educating them: "...".we already have a special sixth sense, because when we go to Mass in other places for a first communion or a funeral, we realize when things are taken care of and when they are not, and that reveals to us if there is love of God in the concrete or if that love is a bit abandoned".says Inés.
These three women devoted to God and the Church have also seen how spending so much time together in the parish has made them grow in friendship. "On Saturdays after work and other weekdays we go to a bar near the parish to have a drink: every day more and more people join the plan and this helps us to strengthen the bonds of friendship with other parishioners".says Pilar. She summarizes her daily life in the joy of serving in the hidden and thus being very close to God.
