Last night, I was blessed to hear Immaculée Ilibagiza speak at our church.
If you don’t know her story, Immaculeé survived the Rwandan genocide in 1994 by hiding in a tiny bathroom with seven other women for 91 days.
It was so powerful to hear the spiritual journey she went through in that bathroom. She struggled to manage feelings of intense anger and thoughts of revenge, but through a lot of conversations with God she found her way to true forgiveness and a profound understanding of how suffering is sanctifying.
Immaculeé lost most of her family to the genocide, as well as, friends, neighbors, and her home. Amazingly, years after the genocide, she visited the man in prison who killed members of her family and offered him forgiveness.
She said many things that struck me, but at one point she said, “You either live like you want Heaven or you live like you want Hell.”
Most of us wouldn’t ever say that we want Hell, but our actions can aim in that direction. She said, “You cannot have hatred for others and Jesus in your heart at the same time. It doesn’t work.”
If you struggle with bitterness, searing anger, hatred of others, an inability to forgive, or resentment, you will need God’s help to overcome these things. The first step is to ask Him for help, He will not deny you the graces you need.
If you ever get the chance to hear Immaculeé speak, do. I can’t wait to dive into her book and learn even more.
Have a blessed Thursday, Catholic Pilgrims.
