Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs
Today’s readings speak very candidly to us about faith. In the first reading we hear about Abraham and the faith he had to hold on to so that he would become the father of many nations - a reality that seemed to be impossible for many years. We are told that to have faith we must hope against hope - we must believe in something not yet seen and not yet understood. Take this thought to our Gospel, where we are told that the Holy Spirit will be with us, and we must trust this Holy Spirit in all moments. How can the things we hope for come to be? Through the work of the Holy Spirit, working through each of us.
Today is the birthday of two of my children. When I think about parenting, I think a lot about faith. From the moment of conception, there is a belief in something yet to come, that is not seen or understood. We have hope. Then when we take on the task of raising children we are constantly working to teach our children to be good people, to love God, to love one another and to trust the Holy Spirit in their lives. It is important work. It is hard work. And it is a leap of faith. We make daily decisions on how to raise our children, that we hope will lead to their success and more importantly their salvation. Parenting calls us to radical, selfless love - to do this well requires a lot of prayer and a tremendous amount of faith.
Today is also the feast of St. John de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues, martyrs of our church. As a martyr, one must have a deep faith, a deep hope for things not yet realized or even understood. And as the Gospel tells us, a deep trust in the Holy Spirit, to guide your actions. St. John de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues made a choice to follow Christ in a radical, selfless way. To give up your very life for someone is the ultimate example of sacrificial love. While we may not all be called to be physical martyrs for our faith - giving up our lives - I do think we are called to make sacrifices for our faith on a daily basis. Often these sacrifices involve a lot of faith and trust in our Lord. My prayer for myself and for you this day is a simple one - “Lord I believe. Help my unbelief.”
- AJ Grimm