LESSON TO LEARN FROM SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES, RAMON ZUBIETA AND THE 4 MARTYR SISTERS
An anthill is a small subway city. It consists of rooms and galleries. Ants live in colonies. An anthill can house up to 50,000 ants. Ants are fascinating insects. By admiring them, they teach and inspire us these virtues: social organization, perseverance, adaptation, and they play an important role in ecology.
In this article, we explore these different qualities of ants, attributing them to this month’s chosen ones: Ramon Zubieta, St. Martin de Porres and our four Martyr Sisters. These characters are important life models for us, Missionary Dominican Sisters of the Rosary.
Ants are known for their incredibly complex organization and their ability to work as a team. Each ant has a specific role in the colony, depending on its age and abilities.
- Ramon Zubieta
The organization and teamwork of the ants reminds us of Ramón Zubieta, missionary in Peru. Because of the magnitude of the work, he values the female contribution to the mission. This is what he says: “I was deeply moved by the plight of women in the jungle. From that moment on, the idea of remedying so much villainy remained in my mind and in my heart, and I saw no other way than to introduce the collaboration of women religious in the apostolate of the Mountain.”
Ramon realized the decisive role of women in the evangelization and formation of women in the jungle, only the missionaries could reach them. That is why he went to Huesca to look for nuns for this daring project. Presence of missionary sisters in the jungle that will assume the difficult conditions to enter and live there. This social organization inspires us in our professional and personal life. By working as a team and assigning specific roles to each member, we achieve our goals more quickly and efficiently.
Ants are very persistent animals. They can carry objects 10 to 50 times heavier than their own weight over long distances. They are also capable of walking through obstacles such as leaves or branches, dodging them or carrying these with them. Ants demonstrate great adaptability depending on the environment, allowing them to survive in adverse conditions.
- Our Four Martyr Sisters
They remained at their posts, refusing to abandon the mission. They were shot during the SIMBA rebellion. The same shows the thought of JUSTA, one of the Martyrs, who said to her mother: “Everything that happens to me or will happen to me, I offer it to God for the blacks I take care of. Don’t worry mom, I’m happy.”
These qualities of perseverance and adaptability are important virtues that we adopt in our daily lives. By showing determination and adapting our behavior to the environment, we overcome obstacles and succeed in our projects.
Therefore, the presence of ants in our environment is beneficial to us humans. They help maintain a healthy and balanced ecosystem, which is essential for our own well-being.
- Martin de Porres
He inspires us to commit ourselves to the protection of Creation and the promotion of life in all its forms. His kindness was immense, he distributed many alms to the poor and cared for them. The demand was so great that she had to open a kind of dispensary in her sister’s house. She also took care of the animals; she spoke to them and educated them so that they would not do harm to men. His love for all Creation was enormous.
Finally, ants are amazing insects that have much to teach us. Their social organization, perseverance and adaptability are qualities that we can adopt in our daily lives. Moreover, their ecological importance cannot be underestimated.
By taking the time to observe and understand our lives, our giving, our missions, and our vocations, we can enrich ourselves and contribute to a more balanced world.
May our elected representatives of this month will be re-lived… for a living and meaningful witness.
Véronique MASUKU, Likasi – R.D. Congo
