"In an Easter reflection earlier this year, Fr Jacques said that Jesus 'went to the end of love' by dying, and quoted John 15:13: 'Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'" [1]
Fr. Jacques' final act of love began after the attackers forced Fr. Jacques to his knees. "A nun, who identified herself as Sister Danielle, said she was in the church at the time. They forced [Fr Hamel] to his knees. He wanted to defend himself, and that's when the tragedy happened [(they slit his throat [2])]," she told French media." [3]
Self-defense is an instinct, not an act of love. After Fr. Hamel was forced to his knees by the attackers, one of them 19 years old [4], the 85-year old priest [5] knew he was overpowered, if he did not already know when the struggle began. In the first moment of the unexpected attack, Fr. Jacques did want to defend himself, as the nun correctly observed, as anyone naturally would. However, as soon the attackers applied additional force upon him, Fr. Jacques knew his fate. Yet, he continued to fend off his attackers. That he did not do thinking that he would be successful in defending himself; he had done so out of love, to distract his attackers to allow those still in the church time to leave safely. One of them was Sister Danielle. "She said she managed to flee as they were preparing to kill him." [6]
Out of love, Fr. Jacques said Mass on his last day to save souls, and out of love, he saved lives with every last bit of strength he could muster to struggle against his attackers as he was being killed, allowing time for those who attended his last Mass to escape unharmed. [7]
[1] http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2016/07/27/do-not-think-holiness-is-not-for-us-a-profile-of-fr-jacques-hamel/
[2] http://www.kake.com/story/32539425/isis-attackers-cut-priests-throat-in-french-church
[3] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36892785
[4] http://www.kake.com/story/32539425/isis-attackers-cut-priests-throat-in-french-church
[5] http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2016/07/27/do-not-think-holiness-is-not-for-us-a-profile-of-fr-jacques-hamel/
[6] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36892785
[7] There is one other person who was injured during the attack. That person is no longer in life-threatening condition. See http://www.kake.com/story/32539425/isis-attackers-cut-priests-throat-in-french-church
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