Reflection for July 14, 2014 (Monday) Taken from Sabbath 2014 ST. KATERI TEKAKWITHA Today’s saint, St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), was known as the Lily of the Mohawks, after the Native American tribe where she belonged. She was canonized, together with St. Pedro Calungsod and five others, by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012. In a way, St. Kateri exemplifies the family breakdown foretold by Jesus on account of Him. In fact, she actually experienced it firsthand: that is, the “sword” which Jesus came to bring, tearing apart the family indeed, because of His radical demands. In her case, she was first orphaned by a smallpox epidemic and raised by relatives. The young girl was attracted to Christianity, but her family was hostile to it. She asked to be baptized but suffered cruel treatment from her family after her conversion. This forced her to move to a Christian village in Canada, where she dedicated the rest of her life to deep prayer, penitential practices, and the care of the sick and the aged. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to the Crucified Christ. Here again, our saint incarnated what our Lord Jesus said in the latter part of our Gospel regarding the recompense allotted for those who carry out even the simplest or smallest of good deeds for the Lord’s disciples. God has truly rewarded St. Kateri for her endurance, generosity and commitment to Him. Our Gospel passage concludes with an editorial note, stating that when Jesus finished instructing the Twelve, “He went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.” By now Jesus’ preaching has spread far across the globe, all over the world. We implore St. Kateri Tekakwitha’s intercession in the opening prayer of today’s Holy Mass: “May all peoples of every tribe, tongue and nation proclaim God’s greatness in one song of praise.” ~Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB REFLECTION QUESTION: What among St. Kateri’s qualities strikes you the most? Perhaps it’s saying something to you. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of St. Kateri in the Catholic Church.
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 05:00:00 +0000
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