The fullness of our faith held in one hand

A German bishop, Cardinal Meisner (1933-2017), Archbishop of Cologne, once received a group of Germans who had been living for 35 years in Siberia, and had been thus been deprived of all contact with the Church during all those years. He recalled the conversation he had with them:

"They said to me: ‘We miss the Church so much! What truth of faith must we pass on to our children so that they may obtain eternal life?’ I answered them: ‘I will give you a catechism and a New Testament. If you give them to your children, they will obtain eternal life.’

Unfortunately, 15 years ago no one could take books to Russia. When they told me this, I said, ‘What about a rosary? Surely you could take one with you?’

They replied, ‘Yes, we can put it around our necks, like a necklace. No one at the checkpoint will say anything.’ But they added, ‘What does the rosary have to do with our question: what can we pass on to our children so that they may obtain eternal life?’

I showed them the cross hanging from the rosary:

‘This is where we recite the Creed, the doctrine of our faith. And, like St Thomas Aquinas said, the Cross is a never-ending book. Then you have the 3 beads recalling faith, hope and charity. They represent the doctrine of life. And after that, as in a chain, comes the whole New Testament: the mystery of the Incarnation of God in the joyful mysteries; the mystery of Redemption in the sorrowful mysteries; and finally the mysteries of our fulfillment, which are the glorious mysteries.’

I will never forget what one of the pilgrims said to me after he took the rosary I gave him: ‘So you mean that I am holding the Catholic faith in my hand?" Yes, he did indeed hold the fullness of our faith in one hand!"

Cardinal Meisner, Archbishop of Cologne from 1988-2014. Quoted in the magazine "N’ayez pas peur " n. 8 - Oct. 1992