Maximillian of Tebessa was born in northern Africa in what is present-day Algeria in 274 AD. He was conscripted into the Roman army at the age of 21. He was asked to swear allegiance to the Roman Emperor as a soldier. He refused, stating that, as a Christian, he could not serve in the military, leading to his immediate beheading by sword. He is the patron saint of conscientious objectors to military service.
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” Jesus says this in today’s Gospel in response to a healing of a mute who was possessed by a demon. I take this to mean that we are either 100% committed to Jesus, or we are not with him at all. Sometimes even when we want to live out the values of our faith and want to make the right decisions and want to live out the values of God’s kingdom, we can still get off track in our life of faith. As we continue our journey during this 3rd week of Lent, may we think of ways we need conversion and renewal in our lives to completely commit to our faith.
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