MARTYRS OF NORTH AMERICA
Revelation,
Chapter 11, Verse 18
The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to recompense your servants, the prophets, and the holy ones and those who FEAR your name, the small and the great alike, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
This verse
refers to the blowing of the seventh trumpet which proclaims the coming of
God’s reign after the victory over diabolical powers. End of time prophesies
can be very frightening and confusing. Yet, we need not fear all we need do is seek the shelter of Christ’s church and to
do what we can to do His Holy will. Pope Francis recently commented that
humankind will bring about the end of the world unless we rein in our rapacious
greed. You might want to peruse Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter
Laudato Si’ Of The Holy Father Francis On Care
For Our Common Home.
Amoris Lætitia[1] Love in Marriage Love forgives (105-108)
Once
we allow ill will to take root in our hearts, it leads to deep resentment. The
opposite of resentment is forgiveness, which is rooted in a positive attitude
that seeks to understand other people’s weaknesses and to excuse them. Yet we
keep looking for more and more faults, imagining greater evils, presuming all
kinds of bad intentions, and so resentment grows and deepens.
Thus,
every mistake or lapse on the part of a spouse can harm the bond of love and
the stability of the family. Something is wrong when we see every problem as
equally serious; in this way, we risk being unduly harsh with the failings of
others. When we have been offended or let down, forgiveness is possible and
desirable, but no one can say that it is easy. The truth is that “family communion
can only be preserved and perfected through a great spirit of sacrifice.
Today
we recognize that being able to forgive others implies the liberating
experience of understanding and forgiving ourselves. Often our mistakes, or
criticism we have received from loved ones, can lead to a loss of self-esteem.
We become distant from others, avoiding affection and fearful in our
interpersonal relationships. Blaming others becomes falsely reassuring. We need
to learn to pray over our past history, to accept ourselves, to learn how to
live with our limitations, and even to forgive ourselves, in order to have this
same attitude towards others. All this assumes that we ourselves have had the
experience of being forgiven by God, justified by his grace and not by our own
merits. We have known a love that is prior to any of our own efforts, a love
that constantly opens doors, promotes and encourages. If we accept that God’s
love is unconditional, that the Father’s love cannot be bought or sold, then we
will become capable of showing boundless love and forgiving others even if they
have wronged us. Otherwise, our family life will no longer be a place of understanding,
support and encouragement, but rather one of constant tension and mutual
criticism.
Martyrs in North America[2]
Today in the dioceses of the United States the Church celebrates the optional memorial of Sts. Issac Jogues and John de Brébeuf (priests and martyrs) and their companions (martyrs). They were Jesuit missionaries who died as martyrs in North America where they preached the Gospel.
·
Pray
to the Holy Spirit to renew the evangelization of distant countries as well as
the re-evangelization of our own nation.
·
More
Christians have been martyred in the 20th century than in the previous nineteen
centuries combined. For example, pastors are being arrested and sometimes shot
in China and Cuba. Believers are forbidden to buy goods or own property in
Somalia. Christians who testify to their faith in Iran or Saudi Arabia may be
put to death for blasphemy. Mobs have wiped out whole villages of Christians in
Pakistan. Pray for courageous and zealous missionaries in these countries where
the Church is persecuted.
·
Support
the Indian Missions in the USA.
·
Visit
the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York. This site
offers a wonderful gallery of pictures of the shrine.
·
Learn more
about each of the martyrs. You might also like to read this definitive
scholarly biography, Saint Among Savages: The Life of St.
Isaac Jogues, by
Francis Talbot, S.J.
· Learn for Christmas the Indian Christmas Carol, the first American Christmas carol John de Brébeuf wrote to teach the Christmas story to the Huron Indians.
1173 When the Church keeps the memorials of martyrs and other saints during the annual cycle, she proclaims the Paschal mystery in those "who have suffered and have been glorified with Christ. She proposes them to the faithful as examples who draw all men to the Father through Christ, and through their merits she begs for God's favors."
Daily Devotions
·
Eat waffles and Pray for the assistance
of the Angels
·
Monday:
Litany of Humility
·
Rosary
[1] Pope Francis, Encyclical on
Love.
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