Praying and living the Word with Saint Josephine Bakhita

“Encountering Saint Josephine Bakhita means discovering the gift of evangelical ‘smallness,’” writes Ermes Ronchi in the Introduction, and this is precisely what the volume, expertly edited by the Canossian Sister Maria Carla Frison, leads us to. The work opens with a detailed biography highlighting the important stages in Saint Bakhita’s life. It is followed by a rich collection of prayers illuminated by the Word of God. These range from the proper Liturgy of the Saint to the Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer, commented on through her life; from the Holy Rosary, which she recited daily, to the Way of the Cross; from the prayers in Saint Bakhita’s heart, linked to the themes of trafficking and slavery, to novenas intended for both young people and adults. Finally, there are several hymns, a selection of texts from the recent magisterium, and scriptural references for reading Bakhita’s story in the light of the Word. “The prayers presented express the experience of divine love that healed Saint Bakhita from the wounds of body and spirit with the balm of forgiveness. We offer them to those who seek, with her, to discover the path of humble and courageous holiness that unfolds in everyday life, making every drop of pain and love immensely great, and enabling even our thorns to bloom again” (Ermes Ronchi, from the Introduction).