the sniper 

I got a call from a Catholic volunteer in jail. She said: “Father Antonio, today I met a veteran in jail. He said he had been in Lebanon for months in the 80’s. I told him about you and that you are a Lebanese priest. I think you can help him a lot. He felt afraid when I said you are from Lebanon. He must have had some bad experiences over there. Would you like to meet him? His name is Jeffrey.

- Ok, I said. I’ll try to meet him during the week.

So I went to visit the jail. I asked the officers to bring Jeffrey to see him.

He came and sat down in front of me.

- So, have you been to Lebanon?

- Yes, I’ve been there in the 80’s

- Did you fight with the Marines?

- Yes

- What was your task?

- I was a sniper of the snipers

- Wow, so how many did you kill?

- 91 confirmed dead

- O Lord.

Then he told me stories of how they came down to Beirut in the parachutes at nights and how he was laying down to earth when a Palestinian stepped over him and tried to kill him with a knife. But Jeffrey’s friend helped him at the last moment killing the Palestinian.

- So, you had a lot of horrible experiences over there.

- Yes

- How was your relationship to God?

- Father, I was the only one who did not believe. My Marines friends used to read Bible and pray, but I didn’t. I was in Lebanon without God.

My mother used to tell me constantly: “One day you will understand, you will feel Him (God).” But I didn’t believe her. Instead I ridiculed her saying: “Religion is for the stupid. Religion is nothing but a drug.”

Now, Jeffrey experienced in Jail the Presence of the Lord in the Eucharist. For the first time, he believed there is God. Something powerful happened with him. He began to read the Bible and attend our services.

Finally, one day I was visiting him, he said: “Father, I called my mother and told her, mom I found him. You were right when you said to me that one day I will meet him and understand. God exists.”

His mother cried for joy because her son was lost and he was found. Her son finally found God. After a few months, Jeffrey was baptized.