February 8, 2003 St. Josephine Bakhita (c. 1868-1947) LIFE: The woman thought to be the first African slave to be canonized by the Church was born in 1868 at Oglassa, Darfur, Sudan. At about age 10 she was snatched by slave-traders and given the name "Bakhita," or "the lucky one," by her kidnappers. Sold and resold more than once in the markets of El Obeid and Khartoum, young Bakhita experienced all the spiritual, psychological and physical sufferings of slavery. When she was finally sold to Callisto Legnani, the Italian consul who ultimately planned to free her, her life did indeed take a fortunate turn. When he had to return to Italy for political reasons, Bakhita asked the consul for permission to accompany him and his family. Though she subsequently went to work for another family as a nanny, Bakhita's experiences in Italy were happy ones. She was treated with kindness and respect. She also made the acquaintance of the Canossian Daughters of Charity in Venice; it was they who spoke to her of the God she had instinctively been drawn to throughout her life. After several months of preparation she received the sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation,on 9 january 1890.She was given the new name of Josephine as a symbol of her new life in Christ. Several years later Josephine entered the Institute of Canossian Daughters of Charity in Venice. For the next 50 years she served as a Canossian Sister and was known for her piety and good works. Throughout her religious life she was engaged in simple but important tasks for her community—cooking, sewing, attending to the door of the convent in Schio, near Padua. Her gentle presence and her warm, amiable voice were a comfort to the poor and suffering people who came to the door for help. Though age brought poor health and suffering, Josephine Bakhita remained a witness of goodness and hope. In her final days and hours, she seemed to be reliving some of the terrible days of her slavery. She was heard to beg the nurse caring for her, "Please loosen the chains…they are heavy!" It was blessed Mary who freed her from pain.Her last words were "Our Lady!! ,Our Lady..!",and her final smile testified her encounter with the Lord`s Mother. She died on 8th of february 1947. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1992. The following year, when the Holy Father made an apostolic pilgrimage to Africa, the mother general of the Canossian Sisters presented the pope with a bust containing Josephine Bakhita's relics. In his homily, the pope said, "Rejoice, all of Africa! Bakhita has come back to you: the daughter of the Sudan, sold into slavery as a living piece of merchandise, and yet still free: free with the freedom of the saints." She was canonized on 1 October 2000 by Pope John Paul II.
Comment: Josephine knew extreme hardship in her early life. Perhaps that is why the needy folks who came to her convent door were immediately put at ease by the warmth in her voice. She knew from painful experience how welcome something as simple as a sincere smile could mean. We are surrounded every day by people who need just such a simple gesture. How much warmth might we spread? REFLECTION: "Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself, 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' I felt a great desire to see him, to know him and to pay him homage" **BE GOOD ,LOVE THE LORD, PRAY FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW HIM.WHAT A GRACE IT IS TO KNOW GOD**(St.Josephine Bakhita) --------------------------------- With Yahoo! Mail you can get a bigger mailbox -- choose a size that fits your needs =============================================================================== This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. For more info on the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet To unsubscribe from the list send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the list visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet/join In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ===============================================================================
