Missionaries in and out of home
October 1. St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux died at a very young age and never having gone to missions. Yet, together with St. Francis Xavier, she is the universal patron of missions. It was from her convent, in the midst of her suffering and illnesses, where St. Therese gave everything for the missionaries and for the expansion of God’s kingdom.
Her sister, Pauline and Marie, had entered the Carmelite and Therese wanted to do the same, but she was too young. During a family trip to Italy she dared to ask Pope Leo XIII for his consent. She was just 15 years old when she entered the Carmelite. Soon she contracted a serious illness, which put her faith through a strong test. The young woman was writing all her spiritual and prayer experiences in what is called “the little way” or spiritual childhood, which is a path toward simplicity, abandonment to God, and doing little things right throughout the day.
Therese died on September 30, 1897 saying, “My God, I love you.” Her spiritual inheritance has touched thousands of people throughout the world.
Your turn
Do you believe things you do on a daily basis will take you on the way toward sainthood or holiness? How do you react during difficult time or moments of pain?
Prayer
God, through the intercession of St. Therese, grant us the light to see that our daily tasks, trusting your love above everything else, and facing our difficulties and pains with love and patience, can have a great force in the world’s salvation. Give us the humbleness to speak to you as our father and good friend. Amen.
October 4. St. Francis of Assisi
One of the most recognized saints of the church is the humble St. Francis of Assisi, a young man of the 12th
century born in a family of well-off merchants. In his youth, Francis struggled, fought in wars and went to prison. Soon, he began feeling an internal call to prayer and to serve the poor. He began selling everything he had and it created conflicts with his father. Francis left everything behind and went to San Damiano where he had felt the call to rebuild the church. Soon new companions arrived and Francis put together brief rules based on the gospel. The friars minors journeyed everywhere pleading for the poor and preaching the gospel.
Francis journeyed to may places throughout Europe and Africa spreading his message of poverty and evangelical simplicity.
There were later grave conflicts, even within the Order, due to the diverse interpretation of the rules.
St. Francis died on October 3, 1226 in Assisi. His spirituality continues attracting thousands of people to his simple life and profound peace.
Your turn
What attracts you to the life of St. Francis? Does his advice of total poverty and humbleness seem impossible to you?
Prayer
God of peace and love, grant us, through the intercession of St. Francis to ability live simply in your life, in peace and in harmony with creation and one another. Allow us to experiment the joy that comes only by being in you. Amen.
October 15. St Teresa of Avila
A passionate and dedicated woman, who once she saw the way toward conversion to God and heard the call to reform life at the Carmelite, she did not allow anything to stop her, trusting completely in God. Teresa de Cepeda y Ahumada went to the Carmelite Convent seeking in a certain way a tranquil and comfortable life. But once there, she converted radically to God. She founded new convents with revised rules that were more in accordance with the demands of following Christ. She wrote about her own experiences with prayer. Her books, particularly The Way to Perfection and Interior Castles, are profound studies of spirituality and have become classics of Catholic mysticism. She was persecuted and questioned, suffered disillusionments and economic deficiencies, but she never gave up, remaining faithful to what she knew was God’s will for her.
Teresa has had tremendous influence in the Spanish language and in the spirituality of many generations. Her works have been translated to many languages. Together with Catherine of Sienna and Therese of Lisieux, she is a doctor of the church.
Your turn
Do you have as an objective to live a comfortable life without complications? What do you think God has prepared for you? How is your life of prayer? Do you remain true to your commitments?
Prayer
Guide us, Lord, through the gentle and profound way of prayer until I reach a true union with you, the author of life and light. We know that only through you we will truly be happy, although we may lack material things and face many difficulties. Grant us, Lord, the assurance that you are always with us. Amen.
October 19. Jean de Brebuef, St. Isaac Jogues and companions
On this day we honor the Jesuit missionaries who were martyred between 1642 and 1649. These missionaries were sent to evangelize the Indian tribes which inhabited what is today the frontier between the United States and Canada. The first arrived in Quebec in 1625. As they spread the faith among the Hurons, the Jesuits began building settlements. Among the first was St. Mary’s, where 27 priests and 39 French laborers worked. There was also a church, warehouses, a hospital and housing for the Indians who visited the mission. But the hostile tribes became a serious threat and in 1642 they captured and murdered Rene Goupil and Isaac Jogues. In 1648 several villages of the Hurons were destroyed. In 1649, Jean de Brebeuf and Gabriel Lalemant were apprehended, tortured and killed. Additional priests were subsequently martyred. They gave, from the beginning, testimony of their faith in these lands, sprinkling them with their blood. These are the roots of our faith in this country.
Your turn
Are you willing to leave your country to preach the gospel in other places? Do you think God is calling you to be a missionary?
Prayer
God of love, grant us a generous spirit to go where you call us to give testimony of you and your word. Fill us with your spirit and strength to face any obstacle and difficulty in our life, if through it, we can serve you and your people and construct a kingdom of justice and peace. Grant us the faith to follow you always. Amen.
October 24. St. Anthony Mary Claret
Early on, Anthony was a weaver like his father and took care of the family business. But he soon realized this was not the life for him and entered the seminary in Vich, Spain in 1829. He became parish priest in his hometown. Anthony was intent on being a Jesuits, but his poor health didn’t allow it. He returned to parish work where he engaged in missionary work and preaching throughout the rural areas, organized conferences for priests, wrote pamphlets and books to divulge the Catholic devotion and doctrine. Due to the opposition of many who envied his success as a preacher he departed to the Canary Islands, where he continued his apostolic work. The following year he returned to his homeland and brought together five priests and founded the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (known today as the Claretians). In 1850 he was appointed Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba. During the following seven years, he preached against slavery, helped organized laborers, founded savings boxes, and continued writing and preaching. His life was threatened on several occasions and one occasion he was wounded by an assailant who attempted to kill him. In 1857, he was called back to Spain to become the queen’s confessor. He worked in the foundation of ecclesial study centers and for recognition for the Religious Orders in Spain. He followed Queen Isabella II to France in exile where he died in 1870.
Your turn
What do you dedicate your energies and enthusiasm? What is your principal passion? What would you do if God called you, just like Anthony Claret, to dedicate yourself completely to Him?
Prayer
God of love, who sent St. Anthony Claret where the need was greatest, send us where you want us to proclaim your word and where it is needed the most and is urgent. Fill us with love and fire so we never grow weary and remain faithful in the mission you send us on. Amen.
