Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
In today’s first reading we are presented with a discussion around faith and works. In this reading St. Paul speaks of the value of faith and the importance of being justified by faith. Faith is rooted in belief – belief in God, even though we do not have facts to prove his existence. We as Catholics have faith that the God we know is a God of mercy, of justice and of love. It is this faith, this belief in a higher power, that then guides our works and our actions. We should be living our lives differently because we have faith. How is your life different because of your faith?
For St. John de Brebeuf, a martyr whose death we celebrate today, his deep faith directed his actions. It was because of his faith that he accomplished the works he did. He spent much of his life evangelizing to the Huron Indians – sharing his faith with them. Before he could share his faith, he had to prove that he could be trusted through his actions, his works. He demonstrated to the Huron people that he was a man of mercy, justice, integrity and love. Because of his faith, his life was changed. And because of his faith he was killed. Refusing to leave the Huron people when they were attacked by the Iroquis, he was captured and tortured and martyred. His faith directed his life.
I pray that when I reflect on my life, I can say the same. John de Brebeuf poured his life into the Huron people, evangelizing to them and teaching them of God’s goodness. As a mother and wife I try to do the same. I am not always successful but I try to allow my faith to direct my actions, my choices, my decisions, especially as a parent.
Today is the birthday for two of my sons. They were born exactly 2 years apart. They are turning 6 and 4. They are feisty, energetic, spunky, wicked smart and lots of fun. Their birthdays always give me pause and cause me to reflect – how did they get so old? I look at how much they have grown and how much we have all grown as a family in these past 6 years. Raising them has challenged me to put my faith in action in new and challenging ways. I have had to become less selfish, more patient (way more patient), more intentional in how I spend my time, more prayerful, more merciful and more firm in my faith. I pray everyday that this faith guides my actions and helps me to love these children as they need to be loved. And I work to teach them this same faith, so that they too may one day go out and change the world.
Amen
- AJ Grimm