John of Sahagún was born into a prominent family in the kingdom of León in Spain in the early 14th century. He was ordained a diocesan priest, but later joined the Augustinian order. He was twice elected as prior of the local Augustinian monastery in Salamanca. John was known for his wisdom and prudence. He was able to reconcile feuding families. He championed the rights of workers. And he was a man of prayer who was very devoted to the Eucharist. He also reached out to the widows, the orphans, the needy, and the sick. Salamanca was a very divided city. Due to John's repeated attempts to reconcile the community, the opposing nobles of Salamanca signed a peace treaty in 1476. He died in 1479 and was canonized in 1690.
Our psalm today states: “Keep me safe O God, you are my hope.” The psalmist speaks of finding refuge in the Lord, of the Lord showing him the path of life. As John of Sahagún faced a community where the was a lot of division and violence, he came to them as a man of peace, a man of God, who would lead them to healing and reconciliation. We live in a world where peace is often hard to come by. May we see the Lord as our hope. May we turn to the Lord in times of turmoil and struggle.
No comments:
Post a Comment