Faith: by Ven. Fr. Walter Ciszek

[Bailey2]

"Faith is like a dark tunnel: God gives us the Light to take one step at a time. The Light is not given to see the end of the tunnel."
-- Venerable Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J.  

Fr. Ciszek spent 23 yrs. in captivity in Siberia and other parts of the Soviet Union during Communist rule:  15 yrs of solitary confinement, severe torture, and hard labor the rest of the time.  He secretly celebrated mass using a small vodka glass and crushed (stolen) raisons smashed to make wine.  He heard confessions all during that time.  

Look him up.  You will find his website with his words and history.  His cause for Sainthood is being promulgated.  I'll find other of his reflections and words in the future.  I like him because he studied the Byzantine rite so that he could go to Russia to help after 150,000 clergy of the Eastern and Orthodox Churches were murdered.

[Patricia]

Such brave priests! Not all are given this courage. I remember my pastor from my old parish telling us that he could never do something like this. He was content being a parish priest. Imagine 15 years of solitary confinement!!!  How would he have spent that time?  Offering it up for the conversion of sinners and for souls in purgatory , perhaps?