Persecuted Priests Praying

Have you read Priestblock 25487, by Jean Bernard?  It's a memoir of a priest, Jean Bernard, in Dachau.  The horrors of the concentration weren't only perpetrated on the Jews.  Anti-Nazi Catholics were persecuted, also, in particular, priests.  In watching this video of priests praying in Dachau, I couldn't help but think of Fr. Bernard.  Look at the faces in prayer.  Watch the fingers praying the Rosary.

Look in their eyes.

Faith

I'm reading Priestblock 25487. It's about the priests that were in Dachau. Many things in the book gave me pause. One of my favorites is the conversation Fr. Bernard had with one of his "capo's".

"Once I had a guard who had obviously received some education, and I managed to get the better of him completely. I explained to him how, if God has created man with free will, He has to leave a back door open for unbelief despite all His revelations of Himself. For if He showed Himself to us too clearly, He would force us to believe and thus, having given us freedom with one hand, take it away with the other.

Another time I did something most unwise. After we had spoken for a whole morning about religious matters, the capo said, 'I'm not changing my mind--I still don't believe in God!' Unable to resist the temptation, I responded, 'Why do you talk about Him so much then?'

That put an abrupt end to our theological conversations."

p. 115-6, Priestblock 25487, Bernard Jean, Zaccheus Press, 2008

Why is the door the Good Lord leaves open for me the barn door?