قصة المسيح داخل السجن

كنت أزور المساجين في تشرين الثاني 2002 في الولايات المتحدة الأميركية، حين جاء أحد المتطوعين الكاثوليك قلقاً.
سألته: "ما بك؟"
قال: "هناك قس إنجيلي عظيم يجذب المساجين. يبدو أنه موهوب".
قلت: "هذا أمر جيّد. دعه يعمل".
قال: "أبونا، ماذا نستطيع أن نعمل ككاثوليك للمساجين؟"
قلت: "لست شخصاً كاريزماتيكياً. واللغة الإنكليزية هي لغتي الثانية". صمت برهة ثم قلت: "لماذا لا نأتي بالربّ الى السجن؟"
قال: "عمّ تتحدّث أبونا؟"
قلت: "إذا كان ذلك القس الإنجيلي يصنع العجائب في السجن، فلماذا لا نأتي بسيد العجائب؟"

قال: "كيف يكون ذلك؟"
قلت: "نأتي بالقربان المقدّس. سترى كيف أن الرب الحاضر في القربان أقوى من مئات القسوس".

في 22 كانون الأول 2002، دخل القربان المقدّس لأول مرة الى السجن. كان الرب حاضراً والأبواب موصدة. تجمّع المساجين، رجالاً ونساء، معظمهم غير كاثوليك وغير معمّدين، وجلسوا في حضور القربان المقدّس. حضور الرب فرض جوّاً مختلفاً لم يختبره المساجين من قبل. شعروا بسلام عميق وباتحاد مع بعضهم البعض. إختبر الجميع أنهم خطأة واستطاعوا رؤية أخطائهم فبكى العديد منهم في حضور القربان المقدّس وشعروا بدافع قوي للإعتراف عند الكاهن. إختبروا أمراً لم يعهدوه من قبل: إنهم خطأة ولكن محبوبون جداً. إختبروا التواضع والإنسحاق والقدرة على الإقرار بالخطايا.

منذ تلك الليلة المباركة، عشرات من المساجين طلبوا دخول الكنيسة الكاثوليكية. وحدي عمّدت خمسين شخصاً إختبروا حضور المسيح الحيّ في القربان المقدّس. وكان المساجين يرددون: "لقد كان الربّ حاضراً فعلاً". 

JESUS WAS THERE

  

It was a cold night in December 2002, when a warm presence was experienced by many desperate inmates in one of the Michigan jails.

 It was night. I went to the jail and met many inmates in a one-on-one visit. I tried to do my best by listening to their problems, comforting them with the Word of Life, and praying with them. I was going to call the last inmate on my list, when a Catholic volunteer rushed into my room, looking a little bit anxious.

 - What’s going on Bob?

 - Fr. Antonio! There is a powerful Protestant minister in this jail who is attracting many inmates. He seems to be very charismatic.

 - That’s fine. Leave him. Let him do his work.

 - Father, what can we do as Catholics for the inmates?

 - Bob, listen. I am not a powerful charismatic person. I do not speak in tongues or walk on waters. You know that English is my second language while Lebanese is my first. You know... (a moment of silence) why don’t we bring the Lord Himself to the inmates?

 - What are you talking about, Father?

 - If this powerful charismatic minister is performing miracles in jail, we can bring the Lord of miracles, the Lord Himself, the Eucharist!

 - How can we do this?

 - First, we ask permission to have a service in jail on Sunday nights. Second, we bring the Eucharist into the Jail. We prepare Readings from the Bible along with pertinent meditations. The inmates can then pray spontaneously. They can also go to Confession. 

   At the end, I can give them a Blessing with the Eucharist. You will see how the Lord in the Eucharist is more powerful than hundreds of charismatic Protestant or Catholics ministers! 

 December 22, 2002 was a most incredible day for this prison. It was the first time, in the history of this jail, when Jesus the Eucharist entered that place. The doors were locked. Inside there were 35 inmates (men & women) sitting on chairs in one room. Most of them were non-Catholics or not even baptized. I tried to explain to them about the presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. Now, there was one inmate called Jeffrey (never baptized- his grandfathers were Baptists) who missed the previous teaching about the Eucharist. He came late, but he still participated. He sat down and something (Someone) captivated him.

  

 In the presence of Jesus, most inmates wept & cried. Many of them experienced humility & peace, while many others felt convicted & confessed. It was a very powerful night and there was experienced a tremendous sense of peace. That was a sign of the Messiah’s Presence.

  

 A few days later, I visited the jail, calling Jeffrey to meet him one-on-one. He came and sat down on his chair, looked at me and said:

 - Fr. Antonio! You know... That evening was very powerful! I was sure that Jesus was there.

 - What?

 - Yes, I was sure that Jesus was there. I have no doubt about it!

 - What do you mean by this? Can you explain?

 - I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt the Presence of Jesus. It was the first time I ever felt His Presence that way.

 We talked for about twenty minutes and then Jeffrey asked me:

 - Father! I have a question for you! What was that thing (the Eucharist) you were bringing out of that other golden thing (the Monstrance)? I didn’t tell Jeffrey that this “thing” was the Lord Himself which he felt that night. I knew he could not bear it at that moment. I told him it was the Consecrated Body of Jesus that I brought from the Church.

 Jeffrey absolutely knew that Jesus was there, but he didn’t know that this Jesus was in the Eucharist in a mysterious way. He felt the Presence of the Lord, although he didn’t know that the Blessed Sacrament was the Source of this Presence.

 Jeffrey, who had never been baptized, decided then to become a Catholic. He went through the Catechism Classes as a preparation for Baptism. I Baptized and Confirmed him in April 26, 2003. On that day, Jeffrey was able to received the Body of Christ. 

 In 2003 alone, I Baptized & Confirmed 31 inmates: thanks to God’s Grace, the Eucharist, and the effort of the Catholic volunteers who prepared all of them through the Catechism Classes.