Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 19, 2022
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
Then Peter said,
“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”
And the Lord replied,
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
‘My master is delayed in coming,’
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant’s master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master’s will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”
The crux of today’s gospel message is to whom much is given, much will be required. But what is Jesus asking of us? Perhaps an example can be found in the liturgical calendar for today.
On this date, our church commemorates the North American Martyrs—eight Jesuit missionaries killed by the Mohawks during the mid-seventeenth century in what is now southern Ontario and upstate New York.
Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930, these saints died because they had the courage and fortitude to live and evangelize their Catholic faith. They serve as examples of a frequent phrase found throughout sacred Scriptures: “Be not afraid!”
I have been blessed on several occasions to visit the Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York, about forty miles west of Albany. On those holy grounds, three of the eight saints—Isaac Jogues, René Goupil, and John Lalande—laid down their lives.
The Shrine is also where Kateri Tekakwitha was born when it was a Mohawk village during the mid-seventeenth century. Pope Benedict XVI canonized her in 2012 as the first Native American saint. The chapel in Welsh Family Hall bears her name on the Notre Dame campus.
In today’s world, we are not likely to face martyrdom, but we must remember that much will be required to whom much is given. Whether clergy or laity, we are called to witness and defend our Christian values and faith through personal prayer and in the public square.
North American Martyrs and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, pray for us!
Prayer
Taking you for granted, dear Father, is as dangerous as taking any of our important relationships for granted. There’s too much at stake, and Jesus has promised that there will be repercussions for those who are lackadaisical—not just towards you, but to everyone who depends on us. We are honored that you would entrust so much to us, yet we are aware of our weaknesses and fears. We need your help and that of your Spirit so that we can fulfill your needs and desires. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Isaac Jogues is the first American saint—he was martyred with two other missionaries near the Mohawk river in New York state in 1646.
Isaac was born in 1607 in Orleans, France, to a middle-class family. He received a good education, and at the age of 17 entered the Jesuit community. As he continued his education in theology, he was influenced by superiors and teachers who had served as missionaries among the indigenous people of New France—what is now Canada.
Jogues was allowed to shorten his studies to pursue his interest in becoming a missionary himself. He was ordained a priest in January of 1636 and was immediately sent to New France to live among the Huron and Algonquian tribes. He landed at a settlement on the shores of Lake Huron that fall, but fell sick along with many from the tribe. The people of the village blamed the missionaries for the sickness and threatened to kill them, but the illness subsided before they acted.
After several years at that outpost, Jogues and several others made forays deeper into the wilderness to reach other native tribes. During one of these journeys in 1642, a group of Mohawk warriors captured Jogues, two other missionaries, and a number of Christian Hurons who were accompanying them. They brought the Christians to a village on the Mohawk river, about 40 miles west of present-day Albany, New York. There they tortured and beat the missionaries, and did worse to the Hurons. Jogues had his two index fingers severed, but survived.
Jogues was kept as a slave for some time until some Dutch traders found him and purchased his freedom. He made his way back to France where he visited his family, but his heart was still with the native people of New France. Within a few months, he was traveling back to resume missionary work there.
After a treaty brought peace with the Mohawks, Jogues went to live with them, but they were suspicious of the missionaries. When another epidemic broke out, the Mohawks blamed the newcomers—they killed Jogues and attacked his two companions on the next day.
Jogues and his companions were canonized in 1930 as the North American Martyrs—they included the two who died with him and four others who were killed during that general time. In Canada, their feast day falls on Sept. 26, and in America they are honored on Oct. 19.
St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born about ten years after Jogues died, in the same village where he gave his life for the faith.
St. Isaac Jogues and companions, as martyrs you planted the seeds of faith in North America—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Isaac Jogues is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 4, 2024.