Spiritual Reflection

I’m thinking today about people who really live what they preach, much like Jesus.  And today the liturgy highlights these kind of people in remembering the Jesuit missionaries who ministered to Native American tribes in North America.  St. John de Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues and their companions evangelized Native Americans but found themselves in the midst of Native American tribal wars and suffered martyrdom at the hands of some warring tribes.  Knowing of the problems and the dangers did not stop the priests from serving.  The witness of missionaries like these inspires people to stand up for what they believe and encourages us to live what we believe.  Sometimes that is not easy or readily accepted.  We won’t suffer death like these missionaries but we may suffer for our witnessing.

Let us always appreciate people who stand up for what they believe and be grateful there are these kind of witnesses in our world.  We beg God to give us courage to be what He wants us to be!