Today, we celebrate the feast day of a saint whose great work and enthusiasm as a priest in the state of Hawaii is remembered more than 135 years after his death. The date of a saint’s entry into enteral life is usually used for his feast day, but in this saint’s case, the date of his feast day which chosen for a different reason. On May 10, 1873, Father Damien De Veuster, a Belgian priest with the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, arrived on the island of Molokai in the Hawaiian islands to begin his ministry at the leper colony there. Damien had been born to a very poor family in Belgium. He had left school at the age of 13 to help out at the family farm. With so little formal education, it was thought that he was not suited for the priesthood. Yet, while in the formation period to become a priest, Damian offered to serve as a missionary in Hawaii, taking his brother’s place, since his brother was unable to go because of an illness. Damien volunteered to serve the lepers in Molokai after he served in different mission churches in Hawaii. He served in Molokai from 1873 until his own death in 1889 at the age of 49, which came about after he himself contracted the disease from the lepers. Even in the midst of his illness, Damien was able to proclaim: “I consider myself the happiest missionary in the world.” Damien could have a combative and stubborn personality, which sometimes caused conflict with his companions and superiors, but his desire to proclaim the Gospel to others, and his love for those who suffer at the margins of society, speak so loudly to many in our world, both in the religious and the humanitarian sense. The joy that Damien felt was a joy that came from his faith. Even Gandhi proclaimed: “The world can boast of very few heroes who can compare with Father Damien of Molokai.” Father Damien’s holy life inspired countless priests and many members of the faithful, leading to his canonization in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI.
In the first reading from Acts today, we hear about St Paul’s missionary activity in Corinth. Time and again in Acts, we hear how those opposed to Paul’s preaching turn him in to the civil authorities. Yet, the Lord encourages him to persevere in a vision that Paul has. Paul continues to preach the Gospel message and develops the early church in Corinth.
Both Damien and Paul served the Lord out of love and fidelity. They both live and died serving the Lord with great joy in their hearts. May their example inspire us on our own journeys of faith.
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