A woman kidnapped at a young age who bore 144 scars inflicted by others once said, “I am definitively loved and whatever happens to me, I am awaited by the Love. And so my life is good.” Saint Josephine Bakhita reflects a remarkable pillar of hope for each of us.
The excerpt about Saint Josephine Bakhita came right out of Pope Benedict XVI’s Encyclical Spe Salve, which means, in hope we are saved. Saint Josephine experienced unimaginable physical and emotional pain and still she continued to search for hope and healing, which she found in God’s encompassing love.
God has given each of us unique blessings in our lives. Nurturing these gifts, even through times of trouble, helps us to know Him and receive hope! Talk to your family about situations where it was a struggle to depend completely on faith and not lose hope. What or who helped you during these difficult times?
My prayers are with you and your families. God bless.
Additional Reading: Learn more about the religious order Saint Bakhita joined, the Canossian Daughters of Charity.
