Soul Food in the Soup Kitchen

Casa Soup Kitchen

Casa Soup Kitchen

Working at the soup kitchen at the Casa of Dom Ignacio had more meaning than I thought it would. As soon as I asked to volunteer, Griselda, a woman with a tender smile quickly opened the door for me to come in. As soon as I was given a hair net and apron, I was quickly put to work rinsing off any soup residue that was left on the dishes before going into the dish washer. Very soon I realized that the soup kitchen was run by a family and I hit it off with Natasha, who is Griselda’s niece. I was curious to see what she thought of John of God and how the Casa operated. I also expressed my skepticism of entities, spiritual surgeries, and the herbs prescribed by the entity. Surprisingly she looked at me and said that the whole point of the Casa was to heal people’s hearts. It did not matter whether you believed in entities or not. “Love is what drives the Casa, the entities are merely a symbolic force representing that love.”

Author, Luli, in the soup kitchen

Author, Luli, in the soup kitchen

As the line for the sacred soup started to get bigger and the dishes started coming in by the piles, I thought about what she said and profoundly humbled me. In fact, I found myself looking around at the other workers in the kitchen and became emotionally overwhelmed. I tried my best to fight back tears as I realized what a privilege it was to be there at that very moment. I was grateful for the camaraderie that was taking place between perfect strangers. The objective was nothing more than to serve others and to reinforce the communal bond that was prevalent amongst the people there. Natasha was right about the strange energy at the Casa. I felt something special as I saw all the pilgrims coming up for their soup. It was revitalizing, in a sense, soul food.

As the crowd of people began to subside, Natasha informed me that I didn’t have to stay any longer. I was disappointed and could have stayed for another few hours. I was not ready to come down from the high that I just experienced. As I started to take my apron off, the older gentlemen serving the soup gave me a big hug and said, “God bless you for your unconditional love, may God always be with you.” As he kissed my forehead and sent me on my way, Natasha stopped me and offered me lunch that the soup workers enjoy after all the hard work in the kitchen.  I decided to decline the gracious offer, not because I did not want to join them but because I just wanted to be alone and reflect on the three hours I spent serving this community. It was not until that day that I truly felt the “magic” that took place at the Casa. I now understood what others were saying about this little gem nestled in Abadiania. In a sense, it was a sacred moment that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

 

By Lourdes Garcia

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