con'd from previous mail. Sr. Selmi Paul, FCC, is the younger sister of the late Sr. Rani Maria. Both belong to the same congregation. Sr. Selmi started her sharing by saying, her chechi frequently used to reiterate, “I’ll work for the poor till the end. I’ll live for them till the end. Why should I be afraid of anyone?” in her death, Sr. Rani’s desire was fulfilled.
Ever since she learnt of the incident, Sr. Selmi used to pray everyday for the three accused in the case, Samendar Singh, Jeevan Singh, Dharmendar Singh. And she had a petition she made to Jesus, “Lord I want to express my forgiveness to the three of them. I want them to know they are forgiven and that you love them and forgive them. I want to express my forgiveness in a tangible way to them” This was Sisters prayer everyday for quite sometime. Meanwhile, one day a person, with long greyish hair and flowing beard, bare footed and clad in the attire of a swami came to their convent. He introduced himself as Swami Sachidanand, a CMI priest who has an ashram in Narshimapur in Madhya Pradesh. By profession he is a water diviner. During dinner that day at the convent Sr. Selmi was introduced as the younger sister of Sr. Rani Maria. They spoke about many things that happened that day. After dinner Swami Sachidanand bade good night to the sisters and proceeded towards his room for a good nights rest. The sleep he had come for seemed to elude him. A burden crept up in his heart. He suddenly could feel the pain and guilt that Samendar Singh must be going thru. That night his sleep was troubled, he slept little. The next day the first thing in the morning, he asked the Sisters at the convent where Samendar Singh is right now? the sisters said they had no idea. Swami later got in touch with one of the local Jail Superintendents who is a very close friend of his, and asked him if he could trace out this person ‘Samendar Singh’ he gave a bit of the background so he could be traced faster. The superintendent assured him that he’d do his best. Two days later swami received a call from the Jail Superintendent telling him that Samendar Singh was cooling his heels in Indore Jail. Swami asked if the superintendent could give him a letter of introduction so that he could meet Samendar Singh in Indore Jail. With the letter of intro in hand. Swami proceeded to Indore Jail. There he introduced himself as Swami Sachidanand. He said he wanted to meet Samendar Singh. The superintendent there led Swami to where Samendar Singh was. When swami saw him he didn’t say anything, he only removed a photograph of Sr. Rani Maria from his bag and just showed it to him. On seeing the photo, Samendar Singh broke down and started weeping uncontrollably. Swami went up to him gave him a warm embrace and whispered into his ear. “Samendar, you are forgiven. God has forgiven you” On hearing those words, Samendar was shocked, he replied “No! just leave me alone. I am a criminal and have done a terrible crime. I don’t deserve forgiveness, No, not even God can forgive me" Swami went on embracing and uttering words of hope into his hopeless state. On hearing the noise, convicts from other cells started coming. A crowd started gathering. The jail superintendent led them both into a private room where the crowd would not intrude. There in the room, Swami took out from his bag some fruits. He took a banana, peeled it and gave it to Samendar. He would not eat it. The guilt of his sin seemed to be eating away at him. Swami assured him to take it as from the hands of God as a sign of his forgiveness. After sometime Samendar took the banana and ate it. Swami kept on instilling hope into his Spirit. The jail superintendent told swami that his time was up. Swami got up, again embraced Samendar, gave him his address and contact and enquired of him, “is there anything you need?” he went on, “Incase you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me ok. You are my younger brother.” Swami waved goodbye and left the prison. The same desire that Sr. Selmi had, to express forgiveness in a tangible way to Samendar, gripped Swami Sachidanand also. With this intention in mind, he went into a fast and prayer. One day while in prayer an inspiration flashed through his mind. He saw the word ‘Rakhi’ in his mind’s eye. Suddenly an idea came to his mind, “why not Sr. Selmi go and tie ‘Rakhi’ on the hand of Samendar during the festival of ‘rakshabandhan’ that year. ‘rakshabandhan’ is a hindu festival where the sisters tie ‘rakhi’, a sort of string bangle on the hand of their brothers. This is to show that she trusts him to protect her as his sister. Swami got intouch with Sr. Selmi and put forward his proposal to her. Sister was overjoyed. She too confessed that that was a desire of her heart, to express her forgiveness in a tangible way to Samendar. She was waiting for an opportunity to do that. Swami got intouch with the superiors and they were very supportive. He told the local bishop of his plan. The bishop too extended his wholehearted support. Next swami went to Indore Jail again and met Samendar. He told him that the younger sister of Sr. Rani Maria wanted to meet him to be a sister to him. she wanted to tie ‘rakhi’ on his hand. Samendar cried and kept on saying that he doesn’t deserve this kind of kindness. Death is the fitting reward for a crime like his. Swami kept on assuring him that Jesus has already forgiven him and he need not to carry this unnecessary guilt. He finally relented and agreed to have ‘rakhi’ tied on his hand by Sr. Selmi. The day before ‘rakshabandhan’ Swami took Sr. Selmi, their provincial and team to the indore prison. Samendar had asked Swami for a bottle of Coconut oil. That was brought for him as well. When Samendar saw Sister Selmi, he started weeping uncontrollably and saying that he doesn’t deserve their love at all. They were in his company for sometime, after that they bade good bye and took leave. ‘Rakshabandhan’ day came. Swami and the sisters returned to the prison, loaded with sweets, fruits and other eatables. Samendar was crying and Sister Selmi went on and tied the ‘rakhi’ on his hand. And assured him that she has forgiven him, Jesus also has forgiven him. In her own words she said, “I lost one sister, but God has given me three brothers” Samendar Singh’s judgement has been pronounced. He is sentenced to Life imprisonment. Today, the love of Jesus that he receives from his Sister Selmi, Swami and other people of God, is changing him. Sister told us that they are trying their best to ensure his release at the earliest. Do keep that intention in your prayers too ok. Sister Selmi has yet another desire. She wants to tie ‘rakhi’ on the hands of the other accused, Jeevan Singh and Dharmendar Singh. Do keep her in your prayers that this too will happen. Swami’s desire to take the healing and forgiveness of Jesus, didn’t stop with Samendar Singh alone. Swami got Samendars home address and went into a very interior village in M.P. to meet Samendars family. He reached Samendars home. There he introduced himself as Swami Sachidanand. Samendar’s father enquired as to what brought him there. Swami said, he met Samendar and he is doing ok in Indore Jail. The father replied, “that is not my son! I have disowned him! He has brought disgrace to my entire household. He is not mine at all.” Samendar’s daddy went on to elaborate how the family has been going thru a terrible crisis after the crime. Samendars wife left the house and re married. Samendars sister was married with two children, her husband kicked her out with the kids and he too remarried someone else. She is now in her fathers house. Samendar’s younger brother was married, his wife left him for another home. And the whole village has ostracized this family. The village children are not allowed to play with the kids of this home. The ladies don’t associate with a ‘khooni ka ghar walle’ (murderer’s house hold) The men folk in the village call Samendars father as the father of a murderer. With all this, Samendar’s father is embittered, he said. “let that boy suffer. He deserves it. Even God won’t forgive his grave sin” Swami started weeping, and beseeched them. “I don’t know you all, and you don’t know me. But I come here because God has sent me, and he has sent me to tell you that God has forgiven Samendar, if God has forgiven him, who are we to condemn him?” After much time, swami convinced them to accept Samendar back into the family. The whole family wept together. They prepared food for swami, and today the reconciliation and healing of Jesus is sweeping across that home. Dear friends, after yesterday evening I feel terribly small. Honestly I find it difficult to forgive even petty things. Am I really a follower of Jesus? I really wonder at my own hypocrisy, double standards and hollow gong spirituality! The lines of this song come to my mind, “take my healing to the nations, bind their broken hearts with love…” Know that you are forgiven and loved today. Let us take that healing and forgiveness out into our broken world that is being swept with a famine. A famine for LOVE. In the unconditional forgiveness of Jesus our Lord, Josun Jose/New Delhi/India. ----------------------------------------- This email was sent using FREE Catholic Online Webmail. Please tell your family, friends and children about COL Webmail! http://webmail.catholic.org/ During the Lenten Season, please help support the mission of Catholic Online by purchasing goods and services from our sponsors at http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent =============================================================================== This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. 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