June 23, 2024
My dear Friends,
I recently went for a day-long retreat given by Immaculee Ilibagiza, a best-selling Rwandan-American Catholic author and motivational speaker about the Rwandan genocide in 1994. She narrated her life story from childhood until a young adult when her entire family was killed by the Tutsi tribe who believed that the mass murder of the Hutus was the answer to ethnic cleansing. Read her story and perhaps invite her to give a talk at your parish.
What did I learn from the retreat? A lot!
First, a disordered feeling of anger that begins to fester in the human heart can develop into a “monster” that can lead a person to commit unspeakable crimes. That monster is called “hatred”. When someone hates another person, the mind gets clouded and is ultimately blind to reason. The clouded mind dulls the intellect and becomes convinced that the only solution to the problem is to get rid of that person by annihilation. That is what happened in Rwanda.
Second, the power of prayer is underestimated by most people. This is why we seldom take prayer seriously. We are either lazy to pray or we do not pray as we ought. We often resort to prayer only when we encounter a life-threatening situation that makes us get on our knees and beg God for help.
Third, God answers our prayers. Not sometimes but always! When we truly present our petitions to God and pray from the heart, as long as it is for something good, God will hear us. He will answer our prayers whether we get what we asked for or not. He knows what is best for us.
Fourth, the Mother of God is our mother! The Blessed Virgin Mary was given to us by Jesus from the Cross. If we turn to her for help, she will intercede for us. She is a Mother who will do anything for her child. Never underestimate the power that God has given to Our Lady. We must run to her as a child runs to his mother. Yes, the Mother of God is our mother! What more can we ask for?
Fifth, the Rosary is an instrument of grace that flows from the hands of the Blessed Mother. The twenty mysteries tell the story of the Word Made Flesh, Jesus Christ. By recalling each story of the Life of Our Lord, we join ourselves to Him by meditating on each mystery. The Rosary is a powerful weapon against evil and we must always have it handy in our pockets or in our bags. When we pray the Rosary daily, it brings about miracles in our lives. There are countless stories about miracles of the Holy Rosary.
Sixth – Forgive from the heart. When an injustice occurs in our life or an injury is inflicted on us, we must forgive. That is what God commanded us to do - to forgive seventy times seven times. Is that even possible? Absolutely! Only by the grace of God can we forgive a wrongdoing over and over again. It does not mean we must forget. It means we must want only the good of the other person who inflicted the injustice or injury.
Seventh – We must trust in God and the Blessed Mother. God is almighty so He can do anything for you and for me, as long as it is united to His Will. The Mother of God is our advocate and she is the surest and quickest way to her son, Jesus. How can we not trust such Power!
How do we tie this all in? We must avoid disordered anger because it leads to hatred. We need to learn to love and forgive others who have hurt us. We must will it! Even if we do not feel it. And when we fall, we must run to the confessional or if it becomes a chronic problem, we must seek professional help. Developing a good prayer life according to our state in life is very important. Setting aside time for daily prayer and meditation, going to daily Mass, if possible and availing yourself of the Sacraments are the main ingredients to attaining heaven.
God knows our deepest longings in the pit of our souls and in the recesses of our hearts. The Mother of God hears our prayers too. We must trust Them! Last but not least, let us say the Rosary daily, make little acts of faith, pray for our enemies, do little sacrifices to help a troubled soul or for the conversion of a loved one. We are soldiers in the battlefield, the Church militant. Our armor is the grace of God through Our Lady and our weapon is her Rosary!
Be holy and strive for heaven!
CL