3 April 2025 - St Richard of Chichester - Thursday of the 4th week of Lent - John 5:31-47

Back in the summer of 2008, my first assignment as a priest was at the parish of St Richard of Chichester in Jackson. At the time, I really did not know a lot about the saint for whom the parish was named.  He is not a very well known saint and there are not a lot of churches named after him in the United States. However, when St Richard parish was established in Jackson, Richard Gerow was the Bishop of the Diocese, so the parish was named after the Bishop and his patron saint. St Richard was born in the late 12th century in the Midlands in England; he was orphaned at a young age. After studying in continental Europe, he served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Oxford and studied in a Cistercian abbey in France. He was ordained Bishop of Chichester, England in 1245. Richard was known for the strict discipline he demanded of his priests, his charity toward the poor, and his denouncement of corruption and vices of the Church and the royal government. He died in 1254 and he was canonized soon after in 1265. His tomb in Chichester, England became a popular place of pilgrimage until it was destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII when the Church of England was established.  

St Richard faced a lot of obstacles and challenges in his life. King Henry III of England wanted someone else as bishop, so there was a lot of struggle and turmoil before Richard was finally approved as bishop and was able to take his post. 

Jesus talks about the testimony that is given on his behalf in the Gospel today.  He says that John was sent as a light in the world to testify for him, but he was not believed and was put to death. The testimony that God the Father gives on behalf of the son in not believed as well, because of the ways the people have turned away from God and for the ways they have rejected God's word. So often we turn away from what God sends us, or do not recognize his presence amongst us. 

Lent is not only a good time for us to renew our faith, but it is also a good time for us to seek out the way the presence of the Lord is with us in different ways.