The Unique Necessary

Saint Rafqa knew very well that Jesus deserved that she leaves everything to follow him and earn eternal life in his name, that is why she left everything that had to do with this life with her own will and spirit. She often said:”Lord, no one nor anything in this world can separate me from you”, her call was beyond any worldly influence.

A general view of the town of Bikfaya where Saint Rafqa spent
her first years of Novitiate.

According to her testimony in 1912, Saint Rafqa said:”When my father realized that I left home to join the monastery, he came along with his wife to ask for me back from my superior and to bring me back home. The novices’ mistress informed me of his arrival saying: your father and mother are here at the convent to bring you back home. I answered her: I would prefer that my mother takes me rather than leaving the convent. The mistress was surprised with my words and said: how is that? I told her: my mother has died and the woman with my father is his wife, and I urged her to relieve me from seeing them. She accepted and they left saddened. Since then, I never saw them again during my religious life.”

Rafqa’s heart was oriented towards the true life and the real treasure. Divine love has consumed all links that attached her to this world and which made her leave her paternal home. All her life she lived in this detachment.

This Divine election has made the ultimate joy and contentment for Boutrossiyé, and they were unalterable. She was developing a deep attachment to the Most High. Since her admission to the convent she was obsessed by the thought: He wanted me for Him.

She shared with Saint Bernard his saying:” I am dead with regards to everything; I only live for the matters of Jesus Christ and can only act according to them.” It was the final goodbye to her parents and to this world, her divine desire was filling her heart and soul. Rafqa knew that there was need of only one thing, she has chosen the better part, and it was never taken away from her.