Ali: “I had lost my job and we didn’t know if we would be able to purchase a ram, as tradition requires, for the Festival of the Sacrifice.”

Zohour: “In the meantime we had received a sum of money from one of the families of the Focolare community in Orano, Algeria, for the purchase of a washing machine; because they noticed how tiring it was for me to wash the linens with two small children. A store in Tangeri (Morocco) had some washing machines at a good price.

Thinking about the Festival of the Sacrifice, I proposed to Ali that we use the monies received for the washing machine to purchase the lamb. But on second thought we said that we should respect the intentions of the people who had given us the monies.

.We went together to the store where they sold the washing machines at the best price and bought one. As we were leaving the store we were invited to take part in a drawing among the paying customers. When we returned home, we felt glad for the decision we had come to together. As far as the animal was concerned, we placed ourselves in God’s hands.”

Ali: “The store telephoned that very afternoon informing us that we had won the drawing, and we were now the owners of a ram! Thus, three days later at the religious feast we were able to joyfully sacrifice a ram out of respect for tradition.

For us this experience was a sign of God’s greatness. It was another sign of his love each time we love one another and are united in his name, prepared to give our lives one for the other. That same week I found a job!”