Rev. Fr. Richard Ho Lung, Contributor

The shrine to Missionaries of the Poor brothers Suresh Barwa, aged 22, from India, and Marco Candelario Laspura, 31, from the Philippines, at the mission's Hanover Street residence. - Photo by Ross Sheil

Brothers Suresh Barwa and Marco Laspura fell victims to a bullet and died serving the Lord on October 27, 2005. A year later, today, just as it was on that day of their death, we celebrate what death could not steal from the two brothers - LIFE.

There were tears in the brothers' eyes, there was a pool of blood on the floor of the Corpus Christi kitchen, there was the bullet, there was evil thick and dark around us, there was intense fear and raging anger in our hearts, there were the corpses, there was death, but there was no defeat, nor negativity. Life triumphs in our draining of the Cup of Christ and His sufferings. Christ has triumphed. The brothers have triumphed. LOVE has triumphed. Evil did not have the last word; the murderers did not have the power to destroy our Christ-like love for the poor. Love has triumphed over hatred and sin. Love has covered a multitude of sins.

Associates of the Missionaries of the Poor, our closest of friends and Jamaicans from all walks of life, came in their hundreds to express their strong support on that day of our brothers' triumphant death. Thousands grieved at the news of the brothers' death but also honoured these two brothers who came as missionaries to Jamaica but lived and died as heroes for their Lord. Their oneness with the suffering of our brothers was consoling. However, they did not come to see 'dead bodies' and offer condolence; they came to give witness to innocent blood spilled and mingled with the blood of Jesus.

Many Jamaicans were enraged at the terrible tragedy that men who come to give their lives and work among the poor were violated in our island. While it is a sad situation and strategic efforts are to be made both by the Ministry of National Security and sectors that work for peace to curb violence, we see there is no point in being angry at the evil. As Fr. Ambrose mentioned to a reporter at the time of the incident last year, "There is no point in being angry, the gunmen are just being used by evil forces; we need to remove evil from their hearts, not just guns. This comes from a deeper force."

Let there be peace

Feeling angry at the present situation of violence will not solve the problem. The nation needs to call upon God and respond to God's mandated mission of a brotherhood built upon 'peace'. Do not question how to arrive at peace. Come and visit our homes where more than 500 homeless people are permanently cared by young, dynamic missionaries from various parts of the world; come and see how the homeless poor, victims of negligence and indifference, are sheltered in our homes and live peacefully. Come and volunteer with our brothers in violence-stricken ghettoes.

The brothers who live in areas of poverty and with the poor are happy and cheerful, generously caring for the sick, the victims of AIDS and the downtrodden. We ourselves live in a community of brotherhood, trying to live out the life in peace. There is no individualism here; all things are shared as we seek only to serve. Brothers Suresh and Marco who died did not hesitate to give their lives to Christ, and died for love of the Jamaican people, especially the poor. They died with smiles on their faces. Their blood is poured on Jamaican soil, they are buried in Jamaica; they are Jamaicans!

- Rev. Fr. Richard Ho Lung, Missionaries of the Poor