Love Wins: ‘The Rest Is Nothing’

About a week ago, two Italian missionary nuns, members of the Xaverian Missionaries in Burundi, were brutally raped and murdered. Their bodies were discovered by a fellow sister who a day later was also murdered. Sisters Olga Pulici, Lucia Raschietti and Bernadetta Boggian were 75, 82 and 79, respectively. Martyrs and, heroes and princess warriors of Jesus – may they seem Him face-to-face. What happened next is worth pondering.

At a Mass held for the sisters on Wednesday in Bunjubura, Burundi, other members of the Xaverian Missionaries said a few words. Listen to this:

We are missionaries, we are not politicians or other people who need total security. Our security is Christ and the Gospel that we proclaim: the rest is nothing.

Wow…

… The Cross of Christ is not a cross that we should fear. We should carry it because we know that there is the resurrection.

[The brutal martyrdom of our sisters] does not lead us to leave, but rather encourages us to stay, it means that we still have the need to proclaim the Gospel in this land, because the Gospel still has not reached the heart of many Burundis.

Feeling inspired and convicted? I feel a spear of burning love hit my chest. That’s the big leagues right there. Though the deck always seems stacked against it, love wins.

‘Our security is Christ… the rest is nothing.’ Further up and further in, people!