Sunday, October 14, 2012

10/19/2012 – Friday – Luke 12:1-7 - Memorial of Saint John de Brébeuf, Saint Isaac Jogues, and Companions -


         After rebuking the Pharisees, Jesus turns to his disciples, issuing a stern warning to them, telling them that they should not be led astray by the Pharisees, who live by double standards.  The Pharisees are concerned with the outward appearance of being holy, but they neglect their inner spiritual lives & judge others harshly by these same outward standards.  The Pharisees may look holy through their outward practices & their elegant robes, but the appearance of things can be deceiving.  The disciples may have been confused by these comments; they may not have yet seen the Pharisees for who they really were.
         When we were preparing for the arrival of the new translation of the Roman Missal in English, which we received at the beginning of Advent last year, we discussed the importance of liturgy connecting to our lives and the importance of our liturgy reflecting the truths of God which we profess.  In other words, our liturgy and our lives should dialogue with one another and should reflect what is going on in our interior spiritual lives.  Our liturgy should not be an empty, hollow outward gesture. 
         Those who have given up their lives for our faith know what it really means to live the Gospel and to give meaning to it.  Throughout history, many men and women have given up their lives for the faith, willing to be enduring witnesses to the values and teachings of Jesus.  Today we celebrate the memorial of Jean de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues, two Jesuit priests from France who were among the first to bring the Gospel to North America in the 17th century in present-day Quebec and New York state.  Both men suffered great violence in their ministry to the Mohawk and Huron tribes.  Isaac Jogues even had to get special dispensation from the pope in order to continue to celebrate mass, since he lost many fingers from the torture he endured, and under the old rules of canon law, a priest had to be able to pick up the host with his thumb & forefinger.  Eventually, both died very violent, painful deaths for the faith.  Yet, they came to America with a heart for the missions, knowing the dangers that were present.  Even though Jean de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues lived many centuries ago, their witness of faith still speaks so strongly today across time and space; their belief in the resurrection and the new life they have in Christ allowed them to have no fear of death.  These men certainly did not go through the hollow motions of the faith – the faith really stood for something for them.  
         May we pray that our outward gestures and worship of God be a reflection of our faith and a reflection of the way we live our lives.  May we stay away from hypocrisy and double standards.  May our hearts always reach out to God in sincerity and humbleness. 

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