In a big hospital, which was looked
after by nuns as well as doctors and nurses in the countryside, the day was
very busy. It was Christmas Eve and the nuns were going round making sure the
patients were all right and the hospital was kept clean. The patients were
having their families visit for christmas tomorrow, except one.
This patient was an old woman named Grace.
Grace had no family to come and see her; she lost her parents to an illness
when she was a child, and once she grew up she got married and had children but
they both died to a plague. She did get married a second time and had a child
with her second husband, but she lost them to an illness too. Grace never did
marry and start a new family after that ever again; she had her heart broken so
many times in her life that she feared that it would only hurt her if she ever
married again. After becoming widowed and childless for the second time, Grace
spent the rest of her life in a nunnery. She decided that being a nun was the
only way for her to not have her heart broken again. Over the years she worked
hard in the nunnery, helping out with teaching children and caring for other
people in the hospital. But now she was old and not in the best of health, so
she was now a patient being cared for by the nuns, doctors and nurses.
That day on Christmas Eve, Grace was
reading a bible and sitting comfortably in bed. Just then she heard someone
calling out for a nurse or nun. It was an elderly man named William. Seeing
that there was no nurse or nun about, Grace got out of bed and asked William
what was wrong. “Oh Grace,” said William “I am very thirsty but my water jug is
empty”. “I’ll get your water William” said Grace, grabbing the jug. “Thank you
Grace, you’re an angel” said William. After fetching water for William, Grace
went back into bed to read her bible.
An hour later another patient called
out for a nurse or nun. This time it was a woman named Martha and Grace asked
her what was wrong. “Oh Grace my left leg feels very itchy” said Martha. Grace
took a look at Martha’s leg. “It seems you have a rash,” she said “wait one
moment and I’ll go and get the ointment to put on your leg”. “Thank you Grace”
said Martha. Grace got the ointment and placed some on Martha’s leg at once to
stop the itching.
At that moment another patient called
out; this patient was a woman named Mary. “Is something wrong Mary?” asked
Grace, walking over to her. “Nothing important,” answered Mary “but no one has
set up a nativity set in here, and I don’t feel at ease without a nativity set
in here”. A nativity set was always placed in the hospital wards at Christmas
time; it always made the patients feel that the Virgin Mary was watching over
them while they were in hospital. “We can’t have that, I’ll sort this out now”
said Grace. She found a nurse and told her that a nativity set hadn’t been set
up in the ward she was in. In no time at all a nativity set was set up in the
ward and Mary felt at ease at last.
That evening a doctor was talking to
Grace. “I’ve heard that you helped the patients in this ward all day today
Grace” he said. “I may be a patient doctor,” said Grace “but I haven’t
forgotten my times as a nun on how to help out the patients”. “I’m sure that
God will bless you for your kindness Grace,” said the doctor “but you should
get some rest now”. “Yes I do feel tired after today” said Grace. “You have a
nice rest and someone will check up on you later” said the doctor. Grace
silently did a prayer to God, made herself comfortable in bed and went to
sleep.
Unfortunately Grace didn’t wake up
the next day on Christmas Day; she had died in her sleep. So that Christmas Day
was Grace’s funeral day. Nuns, nurses and doctors mourned for her while she was
buried. Lots of the patients from the hospital were sad for Grace too. “She was
a good nun at the nunnery” said a nun. “Yes and she was also a great help at
our hospital too” said a nurse. “But now she has left to be with God in heaven”
said another nun.
Even though it was a sad day, Grace
had happily joined her parents, two husbands and children in heaven. She was
never to experience sadness and loneliness ever again, and would live a happy
life with her family in heaven forever.
