Sometimes one encounter transforms a person's life. This is the story that follows…
A small group entered a deserted cafe near Marseille station. The shop is two steps from the church. The young people sat at the table, talking loudly and passionately.
Sitting on a chair behind the counter, a woman happily watched them discuss morality . A few raised their heads to look at her powdery eyes, then lowered their noses into their beer glasses. She came to listen to them talk for a bit. “We are here with great theological principles, but we cannot bring the Gospel to a prostitute!” Saying that, no one got up to sit next to her. "You come for what? Just being ridiculed…”
Cloak man
A dark figure entered the cafe, Father Cyrille Argenti had just finished his liturgy, he came to meet the group, he was wearing a black leather belt, the special kind of belt worn by orthodox monks. Father had a habit at the shop, when he signaled to the shopkeeper, he turned down the volume of the television so that he could give his blessing.
"A-a, a-a-ya", a sly voice, the woman began to meow. Father Cyrille glanced at her. “- I have to make you cry out in love, right? "That's right, we have to listen to him talk about Jesus Christ again...", she continued mockingly. Father Cyrille replied, “Miss, do you know who Jesus Christ is? I mean, who is that person really? Jesus Christ is the only person you respect here.”
Father did not stop there , he came to sit beside her. The two talked in whispers. The woman's mocking eyes gradually filled with tears.
"- Okay, I think one day I'll talk to Father Cyrille ...", the group of children secretly discussed among themselves.
The messengers of Christ
A few months later, one of the group went to see Father Cyrille at the retreat he had built with his family inheritance. Upon entering the building, a melodious song came from the kitchen. He looked through the doorway and saw the station cafe's prostitute in an apron working in the kitchen.
The soothing song spoke of the new path that opened up before her. Because she met the messenger of Christ, who proclaims a living God, a God who comes to meet the lost. Because through the loving heart of priest Cyrille, who saw in her as a sufferer and not as a despicable object of entertainment, Jesus himself set a loving gaze on her.
Their words are our words, they are not moral teachings.
Christ's messengers do more than just announce to prepare the way for the Lord, "make straight his way" (Mk 1:3). They make us aware of the living presence of the Lord. Through their own lives of deep faith in humility, they manifest the presence of God. They sacrifice themselves so that others may see the One who is stronger than them, their great holiness makes the One they profess to accompany them. Jesus Christ? The Lord was there, near them, and they told each other the Lord was coming, the present presence in their hearts through the action of the Holy Spirit. Their words are ours, but in their mouths they are not moral teachings. These words are words of life.
And here, through them, Christ is in our midst, Emmanuel at our side, so that we may open our hearts to conversion. Thanks to the messengers of Christ, this girl has returned, she is not just a biblical figure, but a reality of the streets of Marseille today.