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Often missionaries face the difficulties of language and culture. Saints Cyril and Methodius were no exceptions. But they faced the difficulties by writing the foreign language in a new alphabet and translating the liturgy for the local people.
Jesus doesn’t force anyone to believe his teaching or accept the worth of what he promises. He gives us enough evidence to accept what he is all about and leaves the decision of faith and commitment to us.
Simple, humble persons can sometimes be powerful in their effect on and work with the people of God. Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph was such a man. Giles Mary was loved on the streets of Naples for his goodness born of prayer.
You may never have heard of Sister Euphrasia of the Sacred Heart (1877-1952), and that’s likely the way this Indian saint wanted it.
Saint Apollonia is the patron saint of dentists because her teeth were knocked out by an angry mob. Hardly the way we would wish a dentist to extract our teeth, but Saint Apollonia certainly evidenced great courage in her defiance of those who were attacking Christians.
In the midst of the wilderness Jesus provides his people with more abundant nourishment than they can handle. We know that the Lord’s gifts to us are abundant too. And we know that we owe him our thanks.
It is striking to me that in all Marian apparitions, the people Our Lady chooses to appear to are often children—simple and humble.
“You’re in my thoughts and prayers.” “I’ll be praying for you.” How many times have we heard people say those words or said them ourselves? We often say them as a way to bring comfort to someone in need when there is nothing else we can do to help or fix something.
The narratives from today’s Gospel teach us that Jesus took care of all kinds of people and that his interventions took place in all sorts of ways.
How do we move beyond our busyness and listen to God’s voice?
