FRIDAY
September 9
St. Peter Claver
(1581-1654)
St. Peter Claver
(1581-1654)
A native
of Spain, young Jesuit Peter Claver left his homeland forever in 1610 to be a
missionary in the colonies of the New World. He sailed into Cartagena (now in
Colombia), a rich port city washed by the Caribbean. He was ordained there in
1615.
By this
time the slave trade had been established in the Americas for nearly 100 years,
and Cartagena was a chief center for it. Ten thousand slaves poured into the
port each year after crossing the Atlantic from West Africa under conditions so
foul and inhuman that an estimated one-third of the passengers died in transit.
Although the practice of slave-trading was condemned by Pope Paul III and later
labeled "supreme villainy" by Pius IX, it continued to flourish.
Peter
Claver's predecessor, Jesuit Father Alfonso de Sandoval, had devoted himself to
the service of the slaves for 40 years before Claver arrived to continue his
work, declaring himself "the slave of the Negroes forever."
As soon
as a slave ship entered the port, Peter Claver moved into its infested hold to
minister to the ill-treated and exhausted passengers. After the slaves
were herded out of the ship like chained animals and shut up in nearby yards to
be gazed at by the crowds, Claver plunged in among them with medicines, food,
bread, brandy, lemons and tobacco. With the help of interpreters he gave basic
instructions and assured his brothers and sisters of their human dignity and
God's saving love. During the 40 years of his ministry, Claver instructed and
baptized an estimated 300,000 slaves.
His
apostolate extended beyond his care for slaves. He became a moral force,
indeed, the apostle of Cartagena. He preached in the city square, gave missions
to sailors and traders as well as country missions, during which he avoided,
when possible, the hospitality of the planters and owners and lodged in the
slave quarters instead.
After
four years of sickness which forced the saint to remain inactive and largely
neglected, he died on September 8, 1654. The city magistrates, who had
previously frowned at his solicitude for the black outcasts, ordered that he
should be buried at public expense and with great pomp.
He was
canonized in 1888, and Pope Leo XIII declared him the worldwide patron of
missionary work among black slaves.
Comment:
The Holy Spirit's might and power are manifested in the striking decisions and bold actions of Peter Claver. A decision to leave one's homeland never to return reveals a gigantic act of will difficult for us to imagine. Peter's determination to serve forever the most abused, rejected and lowly of all people is stunningly heroic. When we measure our lives against such a man's, we become aware of our own barely used potential and of our need to open ourselves more to the jolting power of Jesus' Spirit.
The Holy Spirit's might and power are manifested in the striking decisions and bold actions of Peter Claver. A decision to leave one's homeland never to return reveals a gigantic act of will difficult for us to imagine. Peter's determination to serve forever the most abused, rejected and lowly of all people is stunningly heroic. When we measure our lives against such a man's, we become aware of our own barely used potential and of our need to open ourselves more to the jolting power of Jesus' Spirit.
Quote:
Peter Claver understood that concrete service like the distributing of medicine, food or brandy to his black brothers and sisters could be as effective a communication of the word of God as mere verbal preaching. As Peter Claver often said, "We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips."
Peter Claver understood that concrete service like the distributing of medicine, food or brandy to his black brothers and sisters could be as effective a communication of the word of God as mere verbal preaching. As Peter Claver often said, "We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips."
Patron
Saint of:
African-Americans
Colombia
African-Americans
Colombia
First
Reading
1
Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-27
16For if
I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is
laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my
own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a
commission. 18What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may
make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I
might win the more. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I
have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23I do
it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 24Do you
not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the
prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in
all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; 27but I
pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be
disqualified.
Responsorial
Psalm
Psalms
84:3-6, 12
2My soul
longs, yea, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the living God. 3Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for
herself, where she may lay her young, at thy altars, O LORD of hosts, my King
and my God. 4Blessed are those who dwell in thy house, ever singing thy praise!
[Selah] 5Blessed are the men whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the
highways to Zion. 11For the LORD God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and
honor. No good thing does the LORD withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Gospel
Luke
6:39-42
39He also
told them a parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both
fall into a pit? 40A disciple is not above his teacher, but every one when he
is fully taught will be like his teacher. 41Why do you see the speck that is in
your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42Or how
can you say to your brother, `Brother, let me take out the speck that is in
your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
SATURDAY
1
Corinthians 10:14-22
14Therefore,
my beloved, shun the worship of idols. 15I speak as to sensible men; judge for
yourselves what I say. 16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a
participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a
participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are
many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18Consider the people
of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19What
do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is
anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not
to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21You cannot drink the
cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the
Lord and the table of demons. 22Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we
stronger than he?
Responsorial
Psalm
Psalms
116:12-13, 17-18
12What
shall I render to the LORD for all his bounty to me? 13I will lift up the cup
of salvation and call on the name of the LORD, 17I will offer to thee the
sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. 18I will pay my
vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
Gospel
Luke
6:43-49
43"For
no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; 44for
each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorns, nor
are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45The good man out of the good treasure
of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces
evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 46"Why do
you call me `Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? 47Every one who comes to
me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48he is
like a man building a house, who dug deep, and laid the foundation upon rock;
and when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not
shake it, because it had been well built. 49But he who hears and does not do
them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation;
against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that
house was great."
No comments:
Post a Comment