When Faith Matters

No matter what century the pillars of faith lived, there is a common thread which holds universally true and defies the limits of time. A young Mohawk girl, Kateri Tekakwitha, born in 1656 near Auriesville, NY, heard the "blackrobes" speak and was converted as a teenager. She had been disfigured by small pox as a four year old, and was forced into a life of seclusion, being raised by an aunt and uncle because her own mother had died of small pox. To openly become a Catholic at that time meant further ostracism, even punishment. She bravely continued a life of prayer and penance, seeking the courage to be baptized, and ever growing in her love of Jesus. She was baptized at the age of twenty, and as she suspected all along, could not continue to live in her village, but made an arduous trek to a Catholic village near Montreal. She loved Mass so much that she would arrive at the church at 4:30 am to prepare for it, and when she finally made her first communion, the walk to Mass meant even more to her. Her life of charity toward the sick and elderly won the admiration and love of the people. Her exemplary life ended at the age of twenty-four, the same age as St. Theresa of Lisieux. To both these women, the life of faith is what really mattered to them and they lived it to the full in their short lives, both receiving recognition by the Church for their sanctity. Miraculously, Kateri's pock-marked face was totally cleared up when she died. She was made Blessed in 1980, and is the object of hope and prayer that she become the first Native American saint. Struggle, hardship, rejection and great love strengthen faith, when it is seen as a precious gift and something not to be taken for granted.
May Blessed Kateri help us in our lukewarmness, in our busyness, in our distractedness to learn that faith is what really matters.
Bro. Rene