3 April 2024 - homily for Wednesday of the Octave of Easter - St Richard of Chichester - Acts 3:1-10

Today, as we commemorate the octave of Easter, we hear from the Acts of the Apostles, about Peter and John curing man who is lame. For the next several days we hear from Acts in our daily Masses, of how Peter and John use this miracle of healing to address the crowds and the Jewish authorities, calling them to repentance. We heard a lot about repentance and conversion during Lent; that same message is still an integral part of what we will hear in the coming weeks of the Easter season, since that theme helps us make sense of the reality of Christ’s resurrection. 

Sometimes it is difficult to try to comprehend the complexities of human history. I think of how the Crusades are difficult to understand in the trajectory of human history. The Crusades and the Muslim invasion of Spain are central events to the pilgrimage of St James that I have experienced in Spain. It is easy in my modern 21st century American mentality to condemn that era of history, or to the other extreme, just to ignore it. It is hard not to judge these events from my modern perspective. I bring this up because Richard of Chichester is the saint we celebrate today. I learned about him when I was assigned to St Richard parish in Jackson. I grew to love St Richard and to appreciate his teachings. Richard was Bishop in Chichester, England in the 13th century in a very challenging time. For most of Richard’s time as bishop, King Henry III denied him access to his cathedral and the revenue due to the Diocese from a dispute between the King and the Church. Richard had to roam his Diocese to find a place to stay, relying on the generosity of the faithful. Pope Innocent IV called on Richard to preach in favor of the Crusades throughout England, which he obediently did. However, in the midst of those journeys, he came down with fever and died at the age of 56. He is buried in Chichester Cathedral in England, which became a popular place of pilgrimage. However, that site was destroyed under King Henry VIII in 1538 when England broke away from the Catholic faith. Richard’s remains and any artifacts that remained in Chichester were destroyed. It is interesting that the composers of the rock musical Godspell chose St Richard’s prayer as the basis of one of their songs: 

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given us, for all the pains and insults which you bore for us. O most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, may we know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly. Day by Day.  St Richard, pray for us.