Fr. Jacques Hamel who has all the years preached the message of love and peace was martyred by being stabbed by evil hands demonstrating Satanic intentions that target pious people.
July 26, 2022 marks the 6th anniversary of the martyrdom of Fr. Jacques Hamel who was brutally slain while celebrating Holy Mass and pointing his testimony for Lord Jesus when two armed men stormed the church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy. In the attack Fr. Hamel’s throat was slit and the attackers were identified as extremists.
Fr. Hamel was martyred in cold blood while he was holding the Holy Communion. He was martyred while he was praying for global peace, harmony, and common living. After he was struck by the knife, Fr. Hamel tried to push away the assailants with his feet. He said, "Go away, Satan". He repeatedly said this but never waived his trust in the Lord. His martyrdom indicates that terrorism should not impart fear nor wreak havoc since the Almighty Lord never fails the believers. Lord Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John: 16:33)
There is a term that is repeatedly said that "violence breeds violence." But in Christianity it is the other way round. It is " violence breeds mercy."
Those who commit such acts needs mercy, or rather the merciful Lord's care to show them the right path in life. In this respect Lord Jesus Christ said, “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. (Matthew 26:52)
On 29 May 2017, His holiness Pope Francis explained the meaning of martyrdom. He said that "Christians who decide to live their faith coherently should take into account Lord Jesus' words: 'There will be persecutions'."
On this sad anniversary, postulator for the priest’s cause of beatification, Fr. Paul Vigouroux, told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), "The martyrdom of Fr. Jacques Hamel has been proven." He adds, "this was a violent and premeditated death, caused by hatred."
With reports that the Vatican is analyzing the cause for his beatification, further reports indicate that several miracles and cures have already been attributed to the him. “One example is a person who claims to have been healed after placing his paralyzed hands on Father Hamel’s grave. We have the paperwork from his doctor. There are definitely supernatural elements that have encouraged us to keep up our work,” according to Fr. Vigouroux.
Jacques Hamel was born on November 30, 1930, in Darnétal, in the industrial outskirts of Rouen, Normandy. He had been a priest for 58 years when he was murdered. He spent his life in service of others, celebrating weddings, baptisms and accompanying the sick. He was active in ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, including with the Muslim and Jewish communities, whom he visited frequently.
May the souls of the martyrs, who sacrificed their lives on the altar of love for humanity and peace for the entire world, serve a beacon leading humanity towards common living, equality, and harmony.
