Today is the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita who was canonized in 2000 by Pope John Paul II. This remarkable woman was captured and enslaved in the Sudan as a little girl and spent years being maltreated by one master after another. A particularly cruel woman even had a pattern carved into her back and rubbed it with salt to make it permanent.
By the grace of God, when she was in her early 20s, Bakhita was sold to an Italian with business dealings in Africa. When he returned to his native land, she begged him to take her with him and he agreed. There she was sold several more times, but came to know Christ and entered the convent.
Rather than making her bitter and angry, Josephine suffered with patience, always believing in God, but not knowing Who He was. She later described how blessed she was by being enslaved because it became the portal to her knowledge of Jesus Christ. She said if she met her masters she would kneel at their feet and thank them. Her example of patience is a model for all who suffer injustice and oppression.
Ignatius Press has an inspiring film about Bakhita. While much of it is historical fiction, it nevertheless gives insight into the life of this saint for our times. Who knows what persecution is coming to each of us as the administration introduces legislation that attacks religious freedom? We need to prepare spiritually and remember the Gospel admonition to "Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you." That represents a shortcut to sanctity.
As an aside, the film's denouement is a courtroom scene where her "owner" tries to force Bakhita, as his property, to leave the convent and return to his service. Interesting timing, eh, with the impeachment show trial beginning tomorrow.
I'm asking Bakhita for her intercession for President Trump and his defenders. Won't you join me?
St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us.
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