Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, priest
Today’s readings are certainly among the most challenging that we encounter in our Scripture. Somewhat surprisingly, they are challenging precisely because they deal with love. Normally we think of love as warm and fuzzy, a sort of emotional contentment. What’s so challenging about that? But when we hear love described as it is in today’s reading, we find ourselves confronted with demands on our very lives.
In the first reading from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul discusses the eating of meat sacrificed to idols. On the one hand, it doesn’t really matter. Paul seems to indicate that we know there is no God but God, and so there is no difference in meat sacrificed to idols than any other normal meat. On the other hand, Paul also points out that there may be some people who have been idolatrous in the past and still associate eating this meat with idolatry. Though technically there is nothing wrong with eating the meat, it “defiles the conscience” of these people and immerses them in sin. And here comes the challenge: Paul tells them that if they are aware of such a struggle within the faith lives of their brothers, they ought also to abstain from eating this meat. In other words, even though they know there is nothing really wrong with eating the meat, and they personally do NOT struggle with this sin, they still are called upon to deny themselves this pleasure. In so doing, they keep their brother from sinning. And here we see the Christian community as one where its members support one another, lovingly making sacrifices that—if it were not for the concern of their brothers—they would not need to make.
So far the message is challenging, but not impossible. After all, a crucial aspect of being part of the Church is a willingness to make sacrifices for others within the Church body. The gospel reading, however, takes us beyond this challenge to the difficulty of dealing with people that are NOT members of our Church. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Lk 6:27-28). Everything that could be difficult…or even nearly impossible, seems to be in this gospel passage from Luke. Jesus tells his disciples that they are supposed to give without expecting anything back, to stop judging, and to stop condemning, and to engage in forgiveness. Jesus is clear that these directions are meant to extend beyond relations with those that you already know and like. The “love” that Jesus describes here is not easy. It demands sacrifice from us inasmuch as it requires us to relate lovingly to people that we do not like and certainly do not love.
In the Church’s calendar, today is also the Feast of St. Peter Claver. The message of today’s reading is just a part of the normal Christian understanding of what it means to be Christian—to love so fully that it sometimes requires sacrifice, especially in relating to others. St. Peter Claver, a Jesuit who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries, is a great model of true Christian love. This saint spent the bulk of his ministry – 33 years – ministering to African slaves arriving in what is now Columbia. He greeted them in the hold of the slave ships with whatever refreshments he could find, and he continued to minister to them on the shore and on the plantations where they were sent to work. He protested the slave trade as best he could, and always regarded the slaves as persons with human dignity. As such, St. Peter Claver not only ministered to their physical needs, but also their spiritual needs. He catechized many of the slaves and introduced them to the sacraments of the Church.
Although we likely will not live out Christian love in the same way as Peter Claver, we can still recognize in his life an inspiration. When Jesus said to do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you, give without expecting back, stop judging, stop condemning, and start forgiving, he was not talking about some warm, fuzzy emotional love like one has for a puppy. Rather we are called to put into action our ideal of Christian love, even when it involves people who are different from us. Although at the national level we may have very little say on how our enemies are treated, in our personal lives we have the opportunity to live lives of love, especially as we encounter people with whom we disagree or even dislike.
Today, take some time to think about one person that you have a hard time being nice to. How can you act lovingly toward this person? One step is to pray for this person whenever you get the chance. Let us pray that we might all become more loving, more sacrificing, more forgiving people, worthy to be called followers of Jesus the Christ, as was St. Peter Claver.
- Maria Morrow