All Visible Things

Zvonko Busic chose many great philosophers as companions on his long journey of 11,639 days of imprisonment. He read and absorbed their thoughts; he was a faithful student of their tenets. He was on a quest for wisdom, and the wisdom he obtained is his legacy to us all. It declares that there is no burden that cannot be overcome and that there is no exhaustion so debilitating as to induce us to betray our ideals. The concept of freedom lies at the heart of Zvonko's philosophy and all the precepts thereof. He teaches us that freedom is a spiritual need and that the 'despair of the vanquished reverberates through history'. Freedom is a necessity, a right; freedom is the essence of human existence. Freedom transcends the physical realm. Only free souls create and make their mark, and only great souls embrace ideas. Zvonko's example confirms William James' maxim that ''the greatest use of a life is to spend it on something that will outlast it''. For, after everything is said and done, if we do not inspire other people on our travels down the dusty paths of this world, we will have traveled in vain. If we do not make our fellow creatures pause for reflection, do good, correct their ignorance, then our lives mean nothing. Zvonko continues to inspire many people to do good deeds, to cherish and fight for freedom, to be selfless and loving, and to embrace those ideals that create history and teach us how to devote our lives to the benefit of all. Father Joe Grbes, Custos of the Croatian Franciscans of the United States and Canada, of the Croatian Franciscan Custody of the Holy Family