A Story of Peace in War

From Patricia:

Once when I was caring for a frail elderly lady, a Catholic woman of great faith, she told me this story. In World War II her husband had been a platoon leader and his platoon had been dropped behind enemy lines to find and lead other lost soldiers back to safety. The small troop of men, about 10 in all, were hiding in the countryside of France, with German soldiers everywhere. Germany had invaded France; everyone was afraid, and with good reason. He and his men were exhausted and hungry and hoping to find a place where they could safely rest for a time. They came to a small farmhouse at the edge of the woods. As they looked, they saw a woman in the barn, milking a cow, with two small children playing nearby. They knew the woman would be very frightened to see them but they were desperate. They had no idea of her sympathies, whether she would even be willing to give refuge to a group of American soldiers.

When they came haltingly out into the clearing , she jumped up in great fear and grabbed the children. Her eyes were wide with terror as she looked at them. My friend’s husband tried to explain to her that they meant no harm but the woman could not understand them, and no one in the group spoke French. She was frozen with fear. What to do? Suddenly an idea came to him. He reached into his pocket and began to walk very slowly toward her. Terrified, she backed away from him, taking the children with her. 

He held his hand out in front of him and in it was a small rosary that his wife had sent with him to war. The French woman looked down at the rosary, looked up at him and slowly made the sign of the cross. He also made the sign of the cross. She shyly smiled and nodded at him, and motioned him and his men into the barn. The rosary and the silent gesture said everything that needed to be said – they could trust each other. The soldiers hid for two days in the barn and the woman fed them as well as she could until they were ready to go. As my friend told me this story she reverently showed me the rosary. I am  deeply moved by this story. If there is a better example of spiritual community is, I don’t know it.