By Sr Lini Sheeja MSC
Many poverty-stricken children leave home in search of good fortune and end up in prisons after committing a series of crimes. On account of poverty and hunger Ravi (name changed) ran away from home one day in search of a fortune. He wandered along the streets and landed among street boys. He learned soon to adjust to the life of children on the street and he picked up every type of bad action of the children there. He learned to be totally on his own and earned his living from the street and became totally a child of the street. His friends took him to their masters who were professional pickpockets. He was apprenticed to them and eventually excelled in the nefarious art of pickpocketing. The money that was picked was usually squandered in liquor shops and other places. He thrived in the business for about twenty-two years and finally came back to his home as a renewed man and lived with his mother as he had lost his father by then.
Although he wanted to lead a life with a bright future, his terrible past didn’t open a way for it. One day Ravi went to steal in a mentally challenged elderly woman’s house as she had a big gold chain on her neck. It was a day of power-cut and Ravi finished the job successfully. All the villagers were in search of the thief but he could not be identified. Ravi was interrogated but he denied involvement in the theft. Pieces of broken glass had been fixed on the walls of the woman’s house in order to keep away thieves at night. A fresh scar seen on Ravi’s hand betrayed him and when he was asked about the theft he banged his head against the walls and threatened to kill himself. Pickpockets usually swallow what they steal and so he was taken to the hospital. When his stomach was exposed to x-rays the films revealed the gold chain in his stomach. The chain was extracted safely and returned to the owner.
Ravi was arrested. His mother spend hours before the crucifix and pleaded for the mercy of the living Lord on Ravi. Ravi’s mother was a devout woman who led a life of prayer and served in a Retreat Centre. Her incessant prayers slowly began to work on him. His mother spent her time in reading the Word of God and praying over it. She believed strongly that the God who formed Ravi in her womb had the power to redeem him from the clutches of evil. Gradually, Ravi started being receptive to the promptings of the Spirit experienced a thirst for the Word of God.
He repented for all his wrongdoings and decided to work hard. He recalled his early childhood, the love of his parents and cried bitterly, asked pardon from the Lord for rejecting the love and care of his parents who wished nothing for him except good. Once he had thought that money and material things would make him feel that he was better than others, but now he realized those cravings made him the poorest of the poor. Ravi who longed for earthly freedom became a renewed person and yearned after the love of the Lord by participating in spiritual activities. Ravi said that it was the Word of God that had released him from his evil ways. Soon he was released from prison and began to lead a meaningful life.
“God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). God loves the sinner but hates the sin. God came down because He wanted everyone to be saved. Jesus called Matthew the tax gatherer, because He knew that this sinner would have a future. Jesus went in search of the one lost sheep, because He knew that the lost sheep would have its future. Jesus forgave the woman who was caught in adultery and blessed her, for He knew that she too would have her future. Yes, every saint has a past and the sinner a future! Never give up in life, for we have a God who is never tired of forgiving. Embrace life with hope, for we have a God who restores, renews, reinstates and recreates every broken being! Jesus remarked about sinful people to righteous people. Although prisons are filled with hard-core criminals, terrorists, rapists, hired-killers, thieves, grace too flows there in abundance. Who can stop the flow of the mercy of God?
Sr Lini Sheeja MSC belongs to the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. She had authored book Redeemed Prisoner in which the life stories of the people who were redeemed by God from the dark cells of prisons are depicted. Having redeemed, having experienced His personal love these brethren of ours spreads His message of love and redemption.