SIX PEACEFUL GRAVES

A reflection on the one year remembrance of six beloved brothers in Nigeria. In my last visit to the Vincentian Community in Ikot-Ekpene for a mission, I called at the graveyard in the evening for a moment of prayer.

Among other peaceful graves in the graveyard were six graves adorned with beautiful flowers close to each other. At the graveyard on that faithful evening, the memory of the interment of our six beloved brothers was on me for a brief moment; the mourning, weeping, sobbing crowd and the sand heap on which some people stood on that day.

Gentle breeze blew that evening while the little birds on the trees in the graveyard sang their beautiful quiet songs which opened the eyes of my mind to the level ground, the absence of crowd, the quiet of the graveyard and peace of the six graves before which I stood.

It’s a year today that the one who gave our six brothers to us received them back into His unending love. I see peace in their graves and consider their exit glorious and not painful anymore.

May their gentle souls continually rest in the peace of Christ the Lord (Amen).

Love.

–Fr Abiagom Augustine cm