July 14 2021 - St. Kateri Tekakwitha - The blossoming of real holiness

 Kateri Tekakwitha was born at Auriesville, New York in 1656, near the place where the Jesuits St. Isaac Jogues and John de Brebeuf had been martyred—tomahawked by Iroquois warriors just nine years before. 

Kateri’s mother was an Algonquin who had been baptized, but she was taken captive by the Iroquois and given as a wife to the chief of the Mohawk tribe.   Two children were born of this marriage, but only Kateri survived; her parents and her brother died in a smallpox epidemic when Kateri was 4 years old.  Kateri’s own face was permanently disfigured and her eyesight was impaired because of the disease.  

New Jesuit missionaries were granted permission by the new chief of the Mohawks to minister to the Christians, most of them Iroquois captives like Kateri’s mother. And Since her mother was Catholic, Kateri was allowed to study the catechism with the Jesuits.  She was baptized on Easter Sunday at the age of 19.

At 23, she took a vow of virginity, consecrating herself to the Lord. But the celibate life was not held in high regard among the Mohawks, and Kateri was subject to constant abuse and insults.  She was ridiculed for keeping Holy the Sabbath and for praying the Rosary. 

On the advice of a priest, she fled the abuse and walked two hundred miles to an Indian Mission village near Montreal.  There she devoted herself to prayer and works of charity and penance and her sanctity blossomed.  She is known as the Lily of the Mohawks.  

Kateri herself said: “I am not my own; I have given myself to Jesus.  He must be my only love.”  She was beatified by Pope St John Paul II in 1980 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

At her canonization, Pope Benedict said, “Her greatest wish was to know and to do what pleased God. She lived a life radiant with faith and purity.  Kateri impresses us by the action of grace in her life in spite of the absence of external help…”

Kateri repeats the example of so many saints before her: Holiness thrives on the cross, it blossoms on the cross. Faith grows when its tested. Charity grows when it costs something. Holiness is like a muscle that grows through resistance training: it only gets stronger as it’s strained. 

St. Kateri had to face quite difficult circumstances, hostility, open hostility by those closest to her for loving Jesus. She is a model for all those who are rejected by their own because of their fidelity to Christ. 

May Kateri, Lily of the Mohawks, help us all to endure our crosses faithfully and to blossom in holiness for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That every nation, tribe, and tongue may be gathered into the Church of Christ and magnify Him through works of praise.

That all those persecuted for their faith may know the strengthening grace of the Lord and come to receive the reward of the saints for their perseverance.

For the consecrated virgins of the Church, that as Christ as their spouse, they may inspire us to seek Him above all things. 

For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for deceased priests and religious, for those who have fought and died for our freedom, we pray to the Lord.

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy. Through Christ our Lord.

October 19 2017 - St. Isaac Jogues and Companions - First Martyrs of North America

Saint Isaac Jogues, St. John de Brebeuf and their 6 french Jesuit companions were the first martyrs of North America to be canonized.  In 1636 the Jesuit Priest Isaac Jogues traveled to Quebec to preach the Gospel to the Huron Indians.  The Hurons were a pretty peaceful group, and many Hurons converted to Christianity through Father Isaac and companions missionary activity.  However, the Hurons were constantly attacked by the Iroquois, and during one attack, Father Isaac and his companions were captured by the Iroquois and imprisoned for 13 months.  They were led from village to village, beaten, tortured, and forced to watch as the Huron Christian converts were mangled and killed by the Iroquois.

Fr. Isaac was able to escape from imprisonment and returned to France. And, he had to receive special permission from the Pope to continue to celebrate Mass because several of his fingers had been cut, chewed, or burnt off. 

Fr. Isaac could have stayed in Europe to live safely and die peacefully. But he burned with zeal for the Gospel. In 1646, the Iroquois signed a peace treaty with the Hurons, and Fr. Isaac thought it a good opportunity to begin preaching now to the Iroquois.  However, on his way to evangelize the Iroquois he was captured by a war party of Mohawk Indians, and on October 18, 1646, Father Isaac was tomahawked and beheaded.  His companions were killed the next day.

Many Iroquois saw his courageous faith as proof of the authenticity and power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Many Iroquois converted to Christianity and welcomed missionaries with open arms.  Moreover, the faith began to grow amongst the Mohawks as well.  Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks, could trace her faith to the preaching of Isaac Jogues.

St. Isaac wrote a letter before his death.  He wrote: “Our single endeavor should be to give ourselves to the work of the spread of the Gospel and faithfulness to God, and to not let our own desires get in the way of doing God’s work.”

Have we given ourselves to the work of the spread of the Gospel? For the Saints, spreading the Gospel was not to sit idly by, hoping that people approached them with questions.

Remember, last month, Pope Francis’ prayer was that parishes be animated by the missionary spirit. The missionary is sent out, they go out actively pursuing the salvation of souls, actively striving to bring others to Christ. May the courage of our own North American Martyrs fill us with zeal in spreading the Gospel for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That religious indifference in our country and around the world may be transformed to radical commitment to the Gospel of Christ.

For the transformation of all attitudes which lead to war, violence, racial hatred, and religious persecution.

For the conversion of Atheists, hardened sinners, the religiously indifferent, lapsed Catholics, and the conversion of all hearts.

“That our parishes, animated by a missionary spirit, may be places where faith is communicated and charity is seen.”

That the love of Christ, the divine physician, may bring healing to the sick and comfort to all the suffering.

For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.