"The Lord will take care of me. The best thing for us is not what we consider best, but what the Lord wants of us." "Seeing the sun, the moon and the stars, I said to myself: 'Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?' And I felt a great desire to see Him, to know Him and to pay Him homage."
What the world was like
Josephine was born in Africa, but was brought to Italy when she was young. At this time, Italy had just become a unified country. Shortly thereafter, Rome became the capital of Italy. Sometime later, Benito Mussolini became the dictator of Italy and took total control of the country. He took away the Italian people's freedom.
During Josephine's lifetime, the Olympic games were revived in Athens, Greece. The Panama Canal was built by the United States, the Great Depression occurred, World Wars I and II were fought, and the United Nations was established. The ocean liner Titanic hit an iceberg and sank on its first voyage. Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean without stopping.
Some of the new inventions that were developed during Josephine's lifetime included the telephone, light bulb, phonograph, zipper, and toaster. Penicillin and insulin were discovered. Motion pictures, ragtime music, and crossword puzzles were popular.
Who she was
Josephine was born in Africa. When she was seven years old she was kidnapped and sold into slavery. During her youth, she went through many terrible experiences as a slave and was resold many times. She was finally sold to the Italian Consul who treated her with kindness. He gave her to a friend in Italy.
Josephine became the nanny to this friend's daughter, Mimmina. When Mimmina's parents had to travel on business to another land, they left Mimmina and Josephine in the care of the Canossian Sisters. While living with these nuns, Josephine learned about God. She was baptized and confirmed in 1890. She chose to remain with the Canossian Sisters and was no longer considered a slave. She became a Canossian Sister in 1896.
As a sister, Josephine was sent to live in Schio, in Northern Italy. Here she had several jobs including sewing, cooking, embroidering, and answering the door. She was very gentle, had a calming voice, and always smiled. The people of Schio loved her humility and kindness. The Sisters in her community appreciated her sweet nature, her goodness, and her great desire to tell others about God.
At the end of her life, she became ill and suffered greatly. But through it all, she remained cheerful and kept her smile.
What this saint means to us today
Josephine Bakhita lived a very simple and humble life. One of her greatest gifts was her smile. Even when she was suffering, Josephine continued to share the gift of her smile with others. Josephine considered each stage of her life as part of God's special plan for her and she accepted each willingly. Josephine Bakhita is the patron saint of the Sudan and holds a special meaning to those who suffer and are oppressed in any way.
