Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin
There is an old riddle that asks, “Can God make a rock so big that God can’t move it?” While there may be no easy answer, the question submits that God is the only one with the power to do such a thing. After all it was on God’s authority that the universe came into existence.
The readings today prompt us to fully appreciate God’s authority and power. They challenge us to recognize that healing and all blessings come from the Lord. In return, we are to worship the Lord with the worship that God desires. As Catholics, this worship is the Sunday Eucharist. How are we recognizing the Lord blessings and turning to the Lord in appreciation? Are we at Mass on Sunday, or are we playing, busy getting our weekend to do list completed? Completing this to do list is the wisdom of the world. When we do not worship the Lord regularly as a community, on some level we are shifting God’s power and authority to ourselves. God alone deserves worship not us.
As a culture, we seem to be moving away from fear (awe) of the Lord. A talk which I attended yesterday, suggested as much. The speaker pointed out that children who have had a death in the family are more likely to be picked on, especially when it is a parent or sibling that dies. She stated this happens even at Catholic schools grades 1 – 12. Here again, the wisdom of the world suggests that bullying the weak is the way we should act. However, the readings tell us otherwise. Even the psalm for today challenges us to defend the lowly and the fatherless.
Are we prepared to defend the lowly, the poor, and the abandoned? When we are faced with the choice to protect the defenseless or cast the first stone, which will we choose?
For Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini the choice was clear. She defended the poor and abandoned with her whole being. In the process, she founded a religious order and 67 other institutions dedicated to carrying for the poor, the uneducated and the sick. Even when people tried to bully Mother Cabrini into something, she removed the rock from her path and stayed true to doing the Lord’s work.
My prayer for us today, is that when we are confronted with an opportunity to serve the Lord our response is holy and faithful like that of Mother Cabrini.
- Michael Montgomery