The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary in Canada today are for the Feast of St. John de Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, and Companions. We ponder the perseverance and sacrifice of these Jesuit missionaries among the First Nations of Canada in the 17th century.
Journey to full life
The reading from the Book of Revelation declares triumph of the Elect.
* [7:1–17] An interlude of two visions precedes the breaking of the seventh seal,... The second vision (Rev 7:9–17) portrays the faithful Christians before God’s throne to encourage those on earth to persevere to the end, even to death.1
The reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians shares the paradox of the Ministry.
* [4:10–11] Both the negative and the positive sides of the experience are grounded christologically. The logic is similar to that of 2 Cor 1:3–11. His sufferings are connected with Christ’s, and his deliverance is a sign that he is to share in Jesus’ resurrection. * [4:12–15] His experience does not terminate in himself, but in others (12, 15; cf. 2 Cor 1:4–5). Ultimately, everything is ordered even beyond the community, toward God (2 Cor 4:15; cf. 2 Cor 1:11).2
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus explains the conditions of discipleship.
* [9:23] Daily: this is a Lucan addition to a saying of Jesus, removing the saying from a context that envisioned the imminent suffering and death of the disciple of Jesus (as does the saying in Mk 8:34–35) to one that focuses on the demands of daily Christian existence.3
Kevin Spinale, S.J., a student of theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, and the moderator of the Catholic Book Club, comments on the book The Death and Afterlife of the North American Martyrs by Emma Anderson. She questions the “logic,” the “alchemy” and the “rhetoric” of martyrdom.
What is martyrdom? What is the difference between martyrdom and recklessness motivated by a desire to gain heaven? Does Tertullian’s claim, “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church,” inspire violence and the rash absorption of violence? Is evangelization, particularly the evangelization of a cultural minority, essentially a violent enterprise? Do the notions of martyrdom and sainthood sometimes succumb to racial and gender bias? That is, why are these individuals deemed martyrs and not those?4
The Women for Faith & Family web site shares the history of North American Martyrs. The North American Martyrs were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930. Their feast day is celebrated on October 19th in the United States.
In March 1649, the Iroquois captured Fathers Jean de Brebeuf and Gabriel Lalemant about three miles from Sainte Marie, and took the priests to Saint Ignace where they tortured and killed them. By May 1649, fifteen Huron villages had been destroyed. The survivors fled to Sainte Marie or to neighboring tribes. The Jesuits, realizing that Sainte Marie could not withstand an attack from the Iriquois, burned the settlement sought safety on Saint Joseph Island with the remaining Christian Indians. There they endured a winter plagued by starvation and disease. In December 1649, two more priests, Fathers Charles Garnier and Noel Chabanel, were martyred. In the summer of 1650, the surviving priests with about three-hundred Indians left Huronia. After a forty-nine day journey, they found sanctuary in Quebec.5
The website of Canadian Jesuits offers some insight into Jesuits and epidemics in New France.
On the other, many Wendat became more open to the physical and spiritual care offered by the Jesuits. Many among them considered baptism to be a healing ceremony, which the missionaries would complain about elsewhere. The Wendat also added several Jesuit remedies to their own practices, such as sugar or the infamous bloodletting. According to the writings of missionaries, sharing their medicine brought a certain sympathy from the Wendat, as well as the care and attention they charitably gave to the sick. The Wendat were not the only ones to fall ill during the epidemics, nor to accept “exotic” remedies. For example, in 1637 the missionaries caught the flu and to heal themselves accepted the remedies (but not the ritual sweat lodge) proposed by the shaman Tonneraouanont. Three days later, they were healed, as the shaman had predicted, but they never gave him credit.6
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Anthony de Mello (1931–1987), an East Indian Jesuit priest, psychotherapist, writer, and public speaker. He was beloved for his ability to use stories to teach the spiritual truths of both the East and West. De Mello invites us to cultivate an awareness of our breathing as a way to deepen our connection to the divine.
Close your eyes and practice the awareness of body sensations for a while . . . Then come to the awareness of your breathing . . . and stay with this awareness for a few minutes . . . I want you to reflect now that this air that you are breathing in is charged with the power and the presence of God . . . Think of the air as an immense ocean that surrounds you . . . an ocean heavily colored with God’s presence and God’s being . . . While you draw the air into your lungs you are drawing God in . . . Be aware that you are drawing in the power and presence of God each time you breathe in . . . Stay in this awareness as long as you can . . . Notice what you feel when you become conscious that you are drawing God in with each breath you take . . .7
Our increasing awareness of rich culture and spirituality in communities that we have historically disrespected allows us to seek reconciliation and renewal of our practice of Love as Christians.
References
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