Inspiring stories of unsung heroes

The Commander of a plane “splashes down” in the Hudson River with its engines off, and Hollywood makes a movie about the nerve-steeling hero who saved the lives of hundreds of passengers and perhaps thousands of New Yorkers. And it's not bad. A ship is robbed by Somali pirates, and they also make another film, about how a man can be critical to avoid catastrophes. The unsung heroes are incredibly inspiring. Ordinary people, doing their everyday work, who suddenly stand out for daring, brave, risky acts, or for making a difference in the world. Hollywood knows that, and for this reason, there are many films of ordinary people who, placed in extraordinary situations, react in an extraordinary way.

And one of the ways of holiness is that: being able to make a difference in the crisis, being the person who "saves the day", being there when others need it, being an example of some virtue to a heroic degree. There are many, many heroes, many people who, when put to the test, by a very special grace of God, acted "as God intended." Here are some examples 😉

1. The virtue of forgiveness: Immaculée Ilibagiza

Immaculé was the daughter of a marriage of teachers in Rwanda in 1994. Her life passed peacefully between her university studies and her family, when the horror unfolds: the president dies in a plane crash, and the Hutus (a tribal division) decide attack the Tutsis accusing them of the crime. Over the next few days, around 1,300,000 people die, including Immaculée's entire family. To save herself from her she remained hidden for 91 days,in a narrow dark space. During his confinement Immaculée he prayed the Rosary every day, but when he got to “how we forgive those who offend us”, he couldn't pray. She asked God for strength to be able to forgive those who were killing her tribe and wanted to kill her, and God granted it. Some time after coming out of her hiding place, she met one of her family's killers and forgave him.

2. Ignacio Echevarría: defending life

Ignacio was a bank employee originally from Spain who worked in London. On the way to his house, she witnessed terrorists stabbing a woman next to Borough Market. Without a second 's hesitation, he ran to the woman's defense with the only weapon he had at hand: her skateboard. He attacked the terrorists by hitting him on the head, but he didn't realize that the others came from behind and attacked him. In this way, the woman and many other people were able to escape and notify the authorities. Ignacio died in the attack, but thanks to the two-minute struggle with the terrorists, the police were able to intervene and save many people.

3. Anas Al Basha: joy amid the bombs

Anás was a young man who worked in a foundation that brought relief to hospitalized children in Aleppo, Syria. At 24 years old, he decided to stay, despite the resurgence of attacks by ISIS militias, to bring joy to the little ones hospitalized by the attacks. His whole family had already left Aleppo and he walked the deserted streets, even at the risk of his own life, to get to the hospital, dress up as a clown and bring a moment of joy to the little hospitalized. Anás the clown died during a bombing on December 1, 2016.

4. Soledad Cullen: giving life for others

Soledad was the mother of 3 children and was visiting her sister's house to celebrate her mother's first birthday after being widowed. The house caught fire while they were sleeping. The fire was very strong, there was practically nothing left to rescue from the house where it occurred. When reconstructing the events, it was learned that Soledad was in the still safe part of the burning house, next to her children, whom she urged to jump out the window. But she didn't jump. Her six-year-old godson had been left behind in the flames and she couldn't get out. She went looking for him. She was unable to save him and they both died in the fire. They found them embracing, the little boy did not have any marks because Soledad had him covered with her body.

5. Arnaud Beltrame: doing duty for love

Heroes, 5 inspiring stories of anonymous heroes who gave their lives for othersArnaud Beltrame was a lieutenant colonel of the French Gendarmerie who died in an attack after having exchanged his life for that of a hostage in a supermarket in Trebes. A man entered the supermarket and killed two people, a customer and a store employee, before taking several people hostage. It was at this point that the 45-year-old gendarme volunteered to take the hostage's place, leaving his mobile phone on a table with an open line so the police could monitor the situation. When police heard gunshots, a tactical team entered the supermarket. The attacker was killed and the gendarme Arnaud Beltrame was seriously injured and later died.

Pope Benedict XVI said:

«PBut the question remains: how can we walk the path of holiness, respond to this call? Can I do it with my strength? The answer is clear: a holy life is not primarily the fruit of our effort, of our actions, because it is God, the thrice holy (cf. Is 6, 3) who makes us holy; it is the action of the Holy Spirit that animates us from within; it is the very life of the Risen Christ that is communicated to us and that transforms us. To say it once again with the Second Vatican Council: “The followers of Christ have been called by God and justified in the Lord Jesus, not by their own merits, but by his gracious plan. Baptism and faith have made them truly children of God, they participate in the divine nature and are, therefore, truly holy. That is why they must, with the grace of God,

These everyday heroes, these saints not yet canonized, are the ones who make the difference in great crises. They are called by God to serve at a critical moment, in courageous witness, and they respond generously, at the risk of their own lives, with enormous trust in God. His testimony of life, and especially his testimony at the moment of offering life or forgiveness inspire us to continue trusting that God's plans are always better than ours, even when we cannot see it.