22 March 2019 - Friday of the 2nd week of Lent - Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A

      We hear the story of Joseph, the beloved son of his father who was betrayed by his brothers out of jealousy and greed. Yet, in the midst of his harsh reality, God uses Joseph as a key player in the founding of the nation of Israel, his chosen people.  

       I can imagine that when Joseph, the youngest son, arrived in the family of his father Israel, it was a big change for all his brothers to deal with.  I remember a quote for the pre-Socratic philosopher Greek philosopher Heraclitus from the 5th century BC that was often quoted by my history professor in seminary, Father Vincent McNally: “Change is the only constant in life.” This same philosopher made the same point about change being always present in our lives by another quote: “No man ever steps into the same river twice.”  The river is always there, but the water in it keeps changing so that from one minute to the next it is really a different river.  

      In the mid-16th century, in the era of King Henery VIII, laws were passed the discriminated against Catholics.  This was a king who at one time was very loyal to the Catholic Church, who defended it against the Protestant denomination.  As I said, the only constant in life is change.  In the midst of this, there was a man named Nicholas Owen.  An architect and a builder, for more than 20 years, he was build hiding places for Catholic lay people and priests.  He would construct subterranean passages and small spaces between walls that were so difficult to detect that even official raiding parties from the government could not detect them. There is no telling how many lives he saved. Nicholas became a brother in the Jesuit order, where he continued his work.  He was arrested twice, the second time resulting in his death from torture in 1606.  Through it also he stayed true to his faith, never denying the Catholic Church.  He never would confess to the governmental authorities as to what he did. Nicholas Owen was canonized in 1970 by Pope Paul VI, part of a group of 40 martyrs from England and Wales during the era of persecution in those countries.  Across the ages, as we commemorate the holy season of Lent, the faith of Nicholas Owen speaks to us today.