by Melani Manel Perera

Catholic woman lived in sin because of a "great pain". Her niece had left the family to marry a Buddhist man. "We lived in hatred for eight years, but then we realised that we cannot refuse her husband if we really want to put into practice God’s teachings." The clear voice of the Virgin Mary said, "My daughter, forgive him."

Colombo (AsiaNews) – "I heard a strange voice, saying clear words, 'My daughter, forgive him. This way you will realise my love.' I could not not listen to what I heard, and I forgave. Now I am free and I am full of joy because I can absolve my sin through the love of Mary Rosa Mystica,” said a Catholic woman.

Speaking to AsiaNews on condition of anonymity, the 50-something said, “My name does not matter; spreading the love of Our Lady through her intercession does”.

She agreed to give her first name though, Maria, only because "it is the same as that of the Mother of Jesus". In talking about her life and many years of suffering, she said that she found inner peace because she understood that she had committed a sin, and sought reconciliation with God.

Maria noted that in 2008 she went through "great pain", an event that marked her family for the next eight years, when her niece, her sister’s daughter, met a young Buddhist man.

"My niece was a good Catholic,” she said. “She was going to university and had a job. Her family had always provided her with a good life. She was working for a private company where she began a relationship with a colleague. "

When she told her family about it, her mother opposed it. The latter, Maria’s sister, tried everything to dissuade her, meeting even the young man’s parents.

"Find the right girl, a good girl for your son,” she told them. “We believe in God, and for this reason there are major differences between my daughter and you.” Her daughter however ran off with the man she loved, and got married.

"For us, this was terrible pain,” Maria said. “She could not have thought about doing such a thing by herself; her boyfriend certainly influenced her."

As a result, the young bride cut off all ties with her family and moved to a small town far away from Colombo, where she was born and raised.

"We had no news from her,” Maria explained. “We were desperate. We prayed so much to Jesus and Mother Mary for our daughter’s return.”

Then one day, after five years, she showed up "for a visit. She was pregnant and was looking for her mother's support. We welcomed her, and told her that we would take care of her if she left her husband. We did not want any contact him, he had ruined our lives, our love."

Over the next three years, Maria began to realise that she was living in sin, her heart filled with hatred for her niece’s husband.

"Even if he does not fit in our faith, beliefs and family status, we cannot reject him if we really want to put into practice God’s teachings."

"I'm Catholic,” Maria said, “and I was ashamed of my sin. An inner fight was taking place so that I could forgive the great pain I received.

“I felt inadequate, and for this reason I did not participate for many years in the novena dedicated to Mary Rosa Mystica, which takes place in October at the shrine of Our Lady of Lanka in Tewatta. I always used to go because 13 October is my birthday, and that way I could give thanks to the Lord."

But this year she decided to overcome her fears and participate in the novena. "I wanted to put an end to my shame and forgive my niece’s husband,” she explained.

“I began to pray intensely to Mary Rosa Mystica to confess in order to find courage. then, one morning, I was in my room and I heard that voice. It was a clear voice telling me to forgive." And so she did.

Maria invited her niece’s husband to lunch at her house in a deed of reconciliation that left everyone amazed. "Now I am happy,” she said. “Yesterday, on my birthday, I took part again in the novena to Mary Rosa Mystica."

• sri lanka
• mary rosa mystica
• forgiveness
• voice
• catholic
• sin
• pain