Mary with children in Poland Photo: courtesy Jacek Kotula |
[Originally written on January 22nd, 2015, and translated into Polish for Nasz Dziennik, I present to our readers the original text which Mary graciously and kindly has asked to be published exclusively at Toronto Catholic Witness.]
As I wrote to Jacek Kotula (who is
fighting the good fight for Life in your country [Poland], I want to
thank the many Polish people who have prayed for me and for my
country. It was a great blessing to have visited Poland and it have
met so many faith filled people who are striving to live the Gospel
of Life. Thanks also for all the letters from Poland (certainly,
since my last arrest, more mail is coming from Poland than from any
other country). In some of the letters people tell me that they are
also fighting for the Gospel of Life and this is good to hear.
What I
would like to say to Poles it that our greatest strength – our only
strength – comes from God and that He is our strength, and
He is our “only ideal” as Mother Teresa said: “our only ideal
is Christ”. We seek to love our unborn brothers and sisters because
this is what Christ has commanded us, and we accept hardship and
suffering (with his grace) which is nothing compared to the
suffering babies undergo when they are killed – because Jesus
suffered and died for us and because “a servant is no greater than
his master”. If I were a saint, I would be so happy to suffer
anything, because it is precious and powerful when offered to Jesus.
A truck removing babies like garbage, while Linda Gibbons witnesses on the sidewalk |
I never have thought that the fight for
the life of the unborn is not worth the suffering of being in prison.
Each child is an incredible, unique human being, unrepeatable, from
the moment of conception; the child is made in God's image and
likeness, and Jesus tells us, "whatsoever you do (or fail to do)
for the least of my brothers you do (or fail to do) for me" (Mt.
25:40). Besides, my suffering is so little compared to the babies,
who are treated like garbage, never to see the light of day or grow
to know and love God as he intended.
I would like to say that there has been
a lot of support for me personally and for this particular path –
from various people from all over the world. In particular Cardinal
Oswald Gracias, when he spent a few days in Canada in 2013, took time
to visit Vanier CW and say the first Mass ever said in this jail. I
met Cardinal Gracias in 2012 and he has kept me in his prayers. Fr.
Peter West of H.L.I. Said the second Mass at Vanier, in 2014, while
on pilgrimage with the icon (replica) of Our Lady of Czestochowa.
Why Linda and Mary do what they do |
The recent demonstrations at Canadian
embassies in Berlin, Warsaw and Moscow (and I have heard they are
planned at other sites also ) are a beautiful and strong sign of our
united struggle on behalf of God's littlest ones. Thank-you so much!
I would like to take this chance to say that we must appeal to the
government to give justice to the unborn, first and foremost.
It is very kind to seek my liberty, but if I am free, with God's
grace, I will return to try to protect the babies and as long as the
law does not protect them, I can expect to be arrested again for
“interfering” with the abortion business.
The gift of faith is really our
greatest treasure, and being faithful to Christ is the most important
thing in life, So, coming back to the question of support, I must say
that I am most supported when I learn that others are living their
faith with zeal and authenticity and are discovering pro-life work
more deeply in the light of our relationship with God and with the
Church. We support each other in the deepest sense when we are truly
seeking to love, to live the Life we are called to live through faith
in Christ. This means a life of adoration, of acknowledging God as
the One to whom we owe our complete adoration.
As I learned from the
late Fr. Marie Dominique Phillipe O.P., all the injustices of the
world, (of which abortion is one), stem from the primary injustice:
God is not adored. If we want to build the culture of Life, the
civilization of Love, we will not succeed is we do not put God first, "seek first the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be
given to you".
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Please consider joining others in pledging a Rosary for Mary and Linda Gibbons. Email us at: torontocatholicwitness@rogers.com (write "Rosary Bouquet" in the subject line); or visit here to pledge.
2 comments:
Hello Barona I did say a Rosary for both living martyrs for life on Easter Sunday and I try to remember in my regular daily prayers and Rosary.
Do you know if they need funding for anything, since my local diocese has done nothing for their cause, I am willing to set aside a part of my weekly Sunday offering for them. I am beyond tired and dismayed with the non response from our Shepherds of their great cause, while the Polish Shepherds and people support them.
Thank you Barona for keeping their cause alive.
Luciano, you may contact me at our Witness email regarding funding for Linda and Mary.
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