This past week and this week we are listening to readings from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in our daily masses. What wonderful reading these are. Today, Paul is telling the Corinthians that he sees himself and his fellow missionaries as servants and stewards of the word of God and the mysteries of God that has been entrusted to them, not as lords or masters. By mysteries, they are truths that we can only begin to comprehend in our human understanding of things only by the grace and help of God. Paul aspires to be trustworthy, reliable, and conscientious, but he knows that he has his critics, that they are ready to pounce on him and criticize him every chance that they get. We know the reality of our current society, of how missionaries and the saints are being criticized and attacked for things that are not even close to being the truth. St Damien is being accused by a member of Congress for being a symbol of white supremacy. His reputation is being attacked in this way, but in truth, he chose to voluntarily live as a priest amongst and minister to the lepers living in isolation in Hawaii, taking on this ministry when he knew the risks and dangers, and dying as a leper himself. We are in a world today where missionaries and saints have to be defended, that they are assumed to be bad and to have their ulterior motives by many in our secular world. Paul and his companions were very courageous evangelizers of the faith. They took risks and gave their lives for the Good News of Christ’s Good News. May we open our hearts to the message that Christ is bringing us today.
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