He Developed a Curriculum of Survival while in Prison—Father Placid

"Communism set out to destroy me, but Communism is gone, and I am still here!” ~ Father Placid 

In the early 2000s, I met Father Placid, a ninety-five-year-old Hungarian priest. 

I was immediately captured by his cheerful countenance, animated gestures, and frequent laughter. You’d never guess that this happy, gentle man had spent ten years of his life beaten, starved, and forced into hard labor in an inhumane Siberian prison camp (a "gulag").*

His crime: outspoken love for God and man.

When Father Placid realized God wanted him to encourage his fellow prisoners, he developed a "Curriculum of Survival":

1. Don't complain—it makes things worse (Philippians 2:14-16).

2. Find reasons to rejoice, e.g., an extra piece of potato in your thin soup or a guard who doesn’t make you remove your hat in the icy wind (Philippians 4:4-9).

Father Placid inspired the prisoners to have contests to see who could think of the most positive things that had happened to them during the day.

3. Remember you're able to be strong and do hard things in the Lord (2 Corinthians 12:10; Philippians 4:13).

4. Show the guards you're different because of your faith (Matthew 5:16).

These principles can help us think and act like Christians whatever our circumstances, freeing us from all types of "prisons."

Thank you, Father Placid! 

💙💙💙

Note: I'm not Catholic, and Father Placid and I would have disagreed on doctrinal issues, but I believe Father Placid genuinely loved the Lord and did his best to serve Him faithfully. If you would like to have a more detailed explanation of why I believe Father Placid was a true believer, please read Do Protestants Think Catholics Are Saved?

In 2017, Father Placid met the Lord face-to-face. He was one hundred years old.  See Father Placid Turns 100.

The article above shares Father Placid's "curriculum for survival" slightly different from what I've shared, but I got my list from a personal interview with Father Placid. He may have highlighted various aspects of these four points when he spoke to different people, and/or the author may have written about them from his perspective. 

You might also like reading this one-minute devotion: Why Good People Suffer.

* Gulags were instituted in 1919 and they were used for hardened criminals, political prisoners, and Christians who refused to convert to atheism (source). Father Placid was in the gulag 1946-1956. ~~ "Most prisoners labored under the threat of starvation or execution if they refused. It is estimated that the combination of very long working hours, harsh climatic and other working conditions, inadequate food, and summary executions killed tens of thousands of prisoners each year. Western scholarly estimates of the total number of deaths in the Gulag in the period from 1918 to 1956 ranged from 1.2 to 1.7 million" (Britannica). 

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. Find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon.

 

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