These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.
Have among yourselves the same attitude
that is also yours in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave . . . .
(Phil 2:5-7)
Martin de Porres (1579-1639) was the son of a Spanish conquistador and an African slave. He was born in Lima, Peru. In 1603, he made his solemn profession in the Dominican Convent of Our Lady of the Rosary, where he served as the infirmarian. He was called “Martin of the poor” and “Compassionate Father of the afflicted” because of his mercy towards the needy. My mom worked at Blessed Martin de Porres Hospital in Mobile, Alabama. When he was canonized in 1962, the Sisters of Mercy changed “Blessed” to “Saint.” The new letters were brighter than the rest that had weathered . . . so “SAINT” really stood out! Martin de Porres is the patron saint of Social Justice, of mixed-race people, barbers, innkeepers, public health workers, and all those seeking racial harmony.
Today’s photo is of the Hospital with Archbishop Thomas Toolen of Mobile, and Bishop Joseph Bowers of Ghana.
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.
Let them rest from their labors,
for their good deeds go with them.
(Rev 14:13)
Give rest, O Christ, to thy servants with thy saints, where sorrow and pain are no more; neither sighing, but life everlasting.
Thou only art immortal, the Creator and Maker of man; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return; for so thou didst ordain when thou createdst me, saying: 'Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.' All we go down to the dust, and, weeping o'er the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Give rest, O Christ,
to thy servants with thy saints,
where sorrow and pain are no more;
neither sighing, but life everlasting.
(Russian Kontakion for the Departed, Orthodox Liturgy)
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. And may their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
(Rev 7:9-12)
Today’s Feast of All Saints and tomorrow’s Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed form two moments of one feast—remembering and celebrating all the faithful ones who have gone before us and handed on the faith to us. Happy Feast Day to them and to all of us! May we follow them walking in the footsteps Jesus.
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.
As the deer longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
R. My soul is thirsting for the living God.
(Psalm 42)
We have all been invited to the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb. The Eucharist is the foretaste and the promise of the banquet of God's children where every hunger is satisfied, every thirst quenched. Today's photo is from a parish in Medellín on Holy Thursday.
Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus,
to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,
praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you,
because of your partnership for the Gospel
from the first day until now.
I am confident of this,
that the one who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of Christ Jesus.
(Phil 1:1-6)
The community of Philippi brought great joy to Saint Paul. He considered them partners for the Gospel. The rite of ordination concludes with a reference to this passage: “May the one who began this good work in you bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.”
Today's photo shows the ancient theater of Philippi, Greece.
