Lily of the Mohawks

On July 14th the Church commemorates Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lilly of the Mohawks. She was born in 1656 to a Mohawk father and a Christian Algonquin mother in the village of Ossernenon in upstate New York.

Growing up, she was greatly influenced by the Jesuit missionaries that were present in that area of upstate New York. The Jesuits were hated by the Native Americans but they but could do nothing to them because a peace treaty with the French required their presence in villages with Christian captives. Hearing the words of the Jesuits about Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith, Kateri converted to the faith, after refusing to be given in marriage to a Mohawk brave. Shortly after her baptism at the age of twenty, she moved to the Saint Francis Xavier mission near Montreal.

Because of her love of God she took a vow of virginity. Central to her life was to be pleasing to God. She had a deep prayer life that centered on love of God, and being pure in His sight.

It took a great deal of courage for Kateri to embrace the Catholic faith. It could have meant death since she was rejecting her heritage as a Mohawk. But she found faith in Jesus Christ and was willing to suffer persecution rather than to turn away from her faith in Christ.

Are we as brave as Kateri in our faith in Jesus Christ and our Catholic faith? Are we willing to share this faith with others, no matter what the cost? Faith in Jesus Christ is more than just a personal relationship with Him. We are called to bring that faith in Jesus Christ to others in our lives. We are to live the gospel of Christ and allow Christ to effect our life in all we do. It's more than just attending Mass on Sunday morning. We are called to live our faith that we profess on Sunday during the week that follows our Sunday worship.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha pray for us!

Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

 

“…above all else it was faith that most characterized the Mother of God – the kind of faith that does not need proof, but accepts a thing as true because God has spoken.” Pope Paul VI
On July 16^th, the Carmelite Community celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Central to Mary’s life was faith in God. She trusted in God’s love for her and was always open to His Will for her, even if she didn’t quite understand what God was asking of her. In Luke we read, after the angel Gabriel approaches Mary, “But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1:29) She was confused by the message from Gabriel that she was to be the Mother of the Savior. But once Gabriel explains that it’ll occur through the power of the Holy Spirit, Mary says, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

Mary was trusting that God will be with her in all the difficult circumstances that will occur because of her saying “Yes” to what God was asking her to do. She was at peace with her response to God and at peace in her relationship with Him.

We are called to be like Mary, putting our full trust in God. After finding out she was to be the mother of the savior, she rushed to her cousin, Elizabeth, in her time of need. When Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith and trust in God, Mary responds, “My soul  proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (Luke 1:46-47). We, too, are called to give praise to God and his greatness, even when things aren’t exactly going our way.

As Carmelites, let us imitate Mary in our trust for God and all he has in store for us. We are to have that relationship with God through prayer and contemplation, and then we are to go, like Mary, to those around us to be of help in their time of need. We are called to bring God’s message of love and salvation to everyone in our lives, whether family, friends or co-workers.

As Pope Paul VI said, “it was faith that most characterized the Mother of God…” Let us have that same faith and share that faith with all those around us.