21 June 2017 - Wednesday of the 11th week in Ordinary Time - St Aloysius Gonzaga - 2 Corinthians: 9: 6-11

     If we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly.  If we sow bountifully, we will reap bountifully.  God loves a joyful giver.  Paul gives this advice to the Church at Corinth today as we start the Fortnight for Freedom.  We might ask: What is the Fortnight for Freedom?  Each year dioceses around the country arrange special events to highlight the importance of defending religious freedom as we are called to do by our US Bishops. The Fortnight for Freedom each year is from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day. This year, our Bishops have added, that in a time of increasing polarization in our culture, we as disciples of Christ can contribute to a better understanding of religious freedom in a way that respects all people.  During this period, during my homilies, I will highlight different ways that we can recognize and honor the Fortnight for Freedom in our lives as Catholics. 

      Today, we also celebrate the feast of St Aloysius Gonzaga.  He was born into a wealthy family in Florence Italy in the 16th century in the midst of the Italian Renaissance.   His family wanted him to join the military, but as a child he felt called to the priesthood.  He chose to enter the Jesuits, hearing stories of the great Jesuit missionary who were bringing Christ’s Gospel to the remote corners of the world.   However, Aloysius was a very sickly child and youth, having suffering from kidney disease, skin disease, chronic headaches, insomnia, and other maladies.   Indeed, he died at the young age of 23 in Rome after he contracted the plague while nursing patients.  I remember being in Rome with the St Richard youth choir in 2010, where the choir sang in the Church of St Ignatius of Loyola in that city, where St Aloysius is buried.  I remember being asked by a lady who entered the church where he tomb was located.   Even though Aloysius died at a very young age, his holiness and deep faith continue to inspire many today.  God indeed calls all of us to be missionary in spirit.  He calls all of us to obey God’s law and to practice his justice in his lives.  As we start the Fortnight for Freedom, let us thing about how we can sow the seeds of the Gospel with generosity and love, and in turn, we can be a light of Christ shining in the darkness and shadows of the world.