Jan. 10, 2012 Tuesday: 1st Week in Ordinary Time (B)

(In the next posts for the coming week, I would like to introduce you to Emanuel Segatashya, one of the visionaries from the the apparition of Our Lady of Kibeho (1981-1989). Unlike the rest of the visionaries from Kibeho where the primary apparition was that of Blessed Mother, Segatshya's apparition was that of Jesus. Recently, Immaculee Ilibagiza published a book called, "The Boy Who Met Jesus: Segatashya of Kibeho,"  about him and his apparition. -Fr. Paul)

His name was Segatashya. He was a shepherd born into a penniless and illiterate pagan family in the most remote region of Rwanda. He never attended school, never saw a bible, and never set foot in a church. Then one summer day in 1982 while the 15-year-old was resting beneath a shade tree, Jesus Christ paid him a visit. Jesus asked the startled young man if he’d be willing to go on a mission to remind mankind how to live a life that leads to heaven.
     Segatashya accepted the assignment on one condition: that Jesus answer all his questions—and all the questions of those he met on his travels—about faith, religion, the purpose of life, and the nature of heaven and hell. Jesus agreed to the boy’s terms, and Segatashya set off on what would become one of the most miraculous journeys in modern history.
     Although he was often accused of being a charlatan and beaten as a result, Segatashya’s innocent heart and powerful spiritual wisdom quickly won over even the most cynical of critics. Soon, this teenage boy who had never learned to read or write was discussing theology with leading biblical scholars and advising pastors and priests of all denominations. He became so famous in Rwanda that the Catholic Church investigated his story. The doctors and psychiatrists who examined Segatashya all agreed that they were witnessing a miracle. His words and simple truths converted thousands of hearts and souls wherever he went.
     Before his death during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Segatashya continued his travels and conversations with Jesus for eight years, asking Him what we all want to know: Why were we created? Why must we suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people? When will the world end? Is there life after death? How do we get to Heaven?
     The answers to these and many other momentous, life-changing questions are revealed in the book, "The Boy Who Met Jesus: Segatashya of Kibeho," which is the first full account of Segatashya’s remarkable life story, written by Immaculée Ilibagiza, Segatashya’s close friend and a survivor of the Rwandan holocaust herself.