Pastor’s Corner 22.09.2024

This Sunday’s gospel starts with the sentence: “After leaving the mountain Jesus and His disciples went on from there…” The words FROM THERE indicate, from Caesarea Philippi. This was the place where Jesus asked the questions “who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?”. It was Peter who really proclaimed that Jesu is the Christ. Jesus used this opportunity to make the disciples aware of the difficult path of suffering, cross and death that He must walk before He enters His glory and that the disciples must also be prepared to face it. Today, as they travel “from there” to Capernaum, they were totally different people. They were entirely immersed in materialistic desires and discussing “who is the greatest among them”. This clearly shows:

  1. They did not fully grasp what Jesus was teaching them. 

  2. They had not understood and accepted the truth about the resurrection yet.

Jesus invites us to accept the truth about His resurrection, which frees us from earthly desires and attachments and look at the things above, Godly and eternal. Praying, being charitable, forgiving etc, everyone does it, even non-Christians. Jesus’ clear message to His disciples and to us is: if you want to be Christians, accept the truth of the resurrection, put on the humility and simplicity of a child and keep away from all the “cravings that are at war within” (Second reading). 

Who do we celebrate this week?

25 September: Sts. Cosmas & Damian, Martyrs

Sts. Cosmas and Damian were brothers, born in Arabia, who had become eminent for their skill in the science of medicine. Being Christians, they were filled with the spirit of charity and never took money for their services. At Egaea in Cilicia, where they lived, they enjoyed the highest esteem of the people. When the persecution under Diocletian broke out, their very prominence rendered them marked objects of persecution. Being apprehended by order of Lysias, governor of Cilicia, they underwent various torments about the year 283. Their feast day is September 26th. They are patron saints of pharmacists. 


26 September: Saints Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf, and Companions, Martyrs, Feast

Isaac Jogues and his companions were the first martyrs of the North American continent officially recognized by the Church. As a young Jesuit, Isaac Jogues, a man of learning and culture, taught literature in France. He gave up that career to work among the Huron Indians in the New World, and in 1636, he and his companions, under the leadership of Jean de Brébeuf, arrived in Quebec. The Hurons were constantly warred upon by the Iroquois, and in a few years Father Jogues was captured by the Iroquois and imprisoned for 13 months. His letters and journals tell how he and his companions were led from village to village, how they were beaten, tortured, and forced to watch as their Huron converts were mangled and killed.

Jean de Brébeuf was a French Jesuit who came to Canada at the age of 32 and labored there for 24 years. He went back to France when the English captured Quebec in 1629 and expelled the Jesuits, but returned to his missions four years later. Although medicine men blamed the Jesuits for a smallpox epidemic among the Hurons, Jean remained with them.

He composed catechisms and a dictionary in Huron, and saw 7,000 converted before his death in 1649. Having been captured by the Iroquois at Sainte Marie, near Georgian Bay, Canada, Father Brébeuf died after four hours of extreme torture.

Gabriel Lalemant had taken a fourth vow—to sacrifice his life for the Native Americans. He was horribly tortured to death along with Father Brébeuf.

Father Charles Garnier was shot to death in 1649 as he baptized children and catechumens during an Iroquois attack.

Father Noel Chabanel also was killed in 1649, before he could answer his recall to France. He had found it exceedingly hard to adapt to mission life. He could not learn the language, and the food and life of the Indians revolted him, plus he suffered spiritual dryness during his whole stay in Canada. Yet he made a vow to remain in his mission until death.

These eight Jesuit martyrs of North America were canonized in 1930.

(Courtesy: Franciscan Media)

27 September St. Vincent de Paul, Priest, Memorial

St. Vincent de Paul was born to a poor peasant family in the French village of Pouy on April 24, 1581. His first formal education was provided by the Franciscans. He did so well, he was hired to tutor the children of a nearby wealthy family. He used the monies he earned teaching to continue his formal studies at the University of Toulose where he studied theology.

He was ordained in 1600 and remained in Toulose for a time. In 1605, while on a ship traveling from Marseilles to Narbone, he was captured, brought to Tunis and sold as a slave. Two years later he and his master managed to escape and both returned to France.

Patron: of charities; horses; hospitals; leprosy; lost articles; Madagascar; prisoners; Richmond, Virginia; spiritual help; Saint Vincent de Paul Societies; Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory; Vincentian Service Corps; volunteers
Beatified: August 13, 1729, Rome, Papal States by Pope Benedict XIII
Canonized: June 16, 1737, Rome, Papal States by Pope Clement XII (Courtesy: Catholic Online)