REFLECTION FOR THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER, THURSDAY
Feast of St. Catherine of Siena.
TODAY'S WORD
By
Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore
John: 13:19 " I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He."
TODAY'S REFLECTION
In the gospel, Jesus after He had washed the feet of His disciples, said to them:
"I tell you most solemnly, no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him."
Jesus is telling His disciples that they must follow His example in serving others, and that is to serve with humility,
So even though Jesus is Master, He served with love and humility, and this was expressed in washing the feet of His disciples.
As a representative of Christ, we must also feel the obligation within us to bring others to the faith in Jesus and make His message of love and holiness to spread to all.
The spiritual growth of the other ought to become a genuine concern for me!
St Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians echoes this call and invite of the Lord, to be His Ambassadors. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Cor 5:18-20).
We read in the Acts of the Apostles of St Paul along with other companions giving a public witness to Jesus and thus becoming His ambassador! (Acts 13:14 ff)
May we also be firm and joyful in being an “Ambassador for Christ and His Kingdom!”
SAINT OF THE DAY
ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA
Catherine was a truly extraordinary woman. She was born into tumultuous times (1347-1380).
The Black Death prowled the land; armies fought each other on behalf of their client-cities; the Pope had left Rome for Avignon.
She came from a prosperous family and her parents wanted her to marry well.
However, she felt strongly called to live as the bride of Christ.
She lived a life of solitary prayer for three years before re-joining her family and working with the sick, the poor, prisoners and plague victims.
After a powerful, ecstatic experience of Christ in 1374, she commenced her public role, mediating in an armed conflict between the city of Florence and the Avignon-based papacy.
She travelled to Avignon to Pope Gregory XI insisting that he return to Rome.
Her mission was a surprising success. However, shortly after his return to Rome, Gregory died.
The College of Cardinals elected Urban VI who turned out disastrously.
The cardinals, regretting their choice, elected another Pope, but failed to persuade Urban to retire.
The church now had two rival Popes. Catherine remained loyal to Urban, judging that for all his faults he had been validly elected.
Shortly before her death she had a vision in which it seemed as if the church like a mighty ship was being placed on her back.
She died at the age of thirty three. Catherine was both a mystic and a woman of the world, who served those in greatest need and involved herself in the great issues of church and state of the day.
The gospel reading is very suited to her feast. Jesus speaks both as a mystic and as one who serves those who are overburdened.
He blesses God his Father, as one who knows the Father in a way no one else does, just as his Father knows him as no one else does.
Catherine, like Jesus, was a mystic in action. We are all called to be mystics in action, people who are called into an intimate relationship with God and his Son and then sent to live out of that relationship by bringing God’s rest and loving presence to all who are in need of it.
We also seek the intercession today, of St Catherine of Siena – the patron saint of Europe and the first woman along with St Teresa of Avila, to be declared as Doctor of the Church – on her feast day.
Her words are an inspiration to us, especially, when we are invited to be “ambassadors of faith” in this time of the pandemic: “Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man… God does nothing without this goal in mind!”
RESOLUTION
Let's resolve to serve, following our Master and Lord Jesus, and serve with love and humility. Knowing
that we are always servants to one another and master of none.
HAVE A BEAUTIFUL THURSDAY
MAY THE DAY BE FILLED WITH THE AMAZING PRESENCE OF GOD.
HAPPY FEAST OF ST. CATHERINE OF SIENA