On
the last day of our parish mission, we hear a wonderful Gospel about Jesus
choosing his 12 apostles. A
great crowd came to hear Jesus speak and to receive healing from him. How
are we carrying out that same mission?
That is one of the messages that Pope Francis and Father Burke have been
challenging us with these last few days. How
are we being fed in our faith, and how, in turn, are we going out and making
disciples ourselves?
The
saint we celebrate today really lived out today's Gospel message in the reality
of his life. And, I will be honest, he
is a saint whom I admire tremendously. In
the age of the explorers & the Spanish conquistadors, many young men were
leaving Europe for Asia, Africa, and the Americas in order to seek out a
fortune and to become rich in a very material way. Peter
Claver, a young Jesuit priest, arrived in Cartegena, a port city in the county
of Columbia, in the early 17th century in order to minister to the slaves who
were brought there to work in the fields and the mines. When
the slave ships entered the port, Peter Claver would go aboard in order to
minister to the slaves who were exhausted and who had been ill-treated on the
long journey from Africa. After
they were herded out of the ships and shut up in nearby yards for buyers to
inspect them for purchase, Peter Claver would bring them medicines, food,
bread, and other items that would help them survive in this new land. With
the help of interpreters, he gave the slaves basic instructions in the faith;
he assured them of their human dignity and the salvation that awaited them in
God's kingdom. Although
its hard to imagine, during the 40 years of his ministry in Columbia, it is
estimated that Claver baptized more 300,000 slaves. Peter
also preached missions to many in Cartegena, including the sailors, the
tradesmen, and those living in the countryside, being a witness for social
justice & the values of the Gospel.
What
a great example we have in Peter Claver in being an evangelizer and being on
fire for the Gospel message. What
a great message we have heard from Father Burke these past few days. May we
hear the Lord calling us to bring the joy of the Gospel to others.
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