Just two days ago, we celebrated the feast day of St Ignatius of Loyola. Today we celebrate another founding of the Jesuits. Peter Faber was born in 1506 in the Savoy region of Europe in the western Alps mountain range. He tended his father’s flock as a child and youth as a shepherd. He had little formal schooling as a child and youth, since he can from a poor family. He traveled to Paris to study to be a priest, where he met Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. Even though he lacked formal schooling, he had a brilliant mind, and he actually tutored Ignatius of Loyola in Latin during their time in school. With these two friends, Faber was one of the founding members of the Jesuits. He was a very astute spiritual advisor. Ignatius considered Peter Faber the best director of his spiritual exercises. In a time of great tension between Protestants and Catholic during the Reformation, Faber worked toward dialogue and patience. He spent a lot of his ministry in Europe promoting parish missions and Catholic renewal. He died of a fever in 1546 at the young age of 40. Pope Francis was a great admirer of Peter Faber, canonizing him as a saint in 2013.
We hear of the death of John the Baptist in today’s Gospel. We all have our calling from God. John had a specific calling, considered the last of the prophets of the nation of Israel. Peter Faber had a specific calling as well, to help found a religious order and to preach missions throughout Europe. We are thankful for the different prophets and teachers that God sends us.
We unite our prayers with the community of saints today. And we pray for healing as we get ready to celebrate the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.
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