Sister Meena: Crushed by evil, I clung to the love of God and Mary
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "We are aware of the existence of evil, and yet we go ahead to meet the future with confidence and hope”, says Sister Meena Barwa, a religious sister from Kandhamal (Orissa), speaking to AsiaNews.
With the approach of the feast of the Assumption, the nun of the Servite Order speaks about her "personal passion": the brutal rape she suffered during the anti-Christian pogrom of 2008. "I was crushed by the evil that was inflicted on me, but I clung to the truth, the good, the dignity of my person and my vocation". And in the "long periods of darkness and loneliness that followed my trauma," she adds, "Mary at the foot of the cross was my source of care and serenity." Here below, please find Sr. Barwa's reflection.
The guarantee of God’s love and strengthened by the Mother of Christ at the foot of the Cross sustained me through my own passion. Through Mary, we women have been endowed with gifts of fortitude and tenacity, sensitivity and compassion; intuition and self-sacrifice.
Upon my heart is the Seal of our Father’s love and nothing could separate me from this love.
I was crushed by the evil that was inflicted on me, but I clung on to truth and good and the dignity of my person and vocation.
While I do not understand, why the incident was allowed to happen, I know, I was violated because I was a religious sister, the Spouse of Christ.
During the long periods of darkness and loneliness following my trauma, Mary beneath the Cross was the source of my healing and tranquillity. Prayerfully reflecting on Mary’s passion at the foot of the Cross, I contemplated Mary - the most broken and helpless Mother- she was the mother of a criminal, a mother of a stripped and dishonoured person, the mother of a shamed and despised man, the mother of a victim of brute force and inhuman cruelty. Yet Mary trusting in God’s love remained steadfast and faithful. The Passion of Mary was the beginning of my healing, peace and fortitude.
I belong to the Congregation of the ‘Handmaids of Mary’, Mary’s life was that of serving God as his handmaid. She offered her life as a gift of herself to God and humanity. On the Feast of the Assumption, with grace I too say, “I am the handmaid of the Lord and Mary”.
I am a religious sister, the Spouse of Christ, and it was the Divine Motherhood, which carried me through. Mary is the sign of the victory of love, of the victory of goodness, of the victory of truth, of the victory of God. Trusting in the One that loves me, Mary showed me the way to find happiness.
This Feast of the Assumption is a great feast day for me personally and for our religious congregation and for all the women of the universe. Mary’s Assumption directs our gaze towards Heaven- –we are conscious of the existence of evil, yet we go ahead to meet the future with confidence and hope - Christianity is a religion of hope. Through Mary, we are bearers of hope.”
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