Freedom From Slavery

As God sent his Son, Jesus, to free the world from the slavery of sin and death, so does he in every generation, it seems, raise up someone to continue that work...actually, the work of all who follow Jesus. St. Peter Claver, whom we remember today, stands out as an extraordinary example of one who took this mission to heart, spending his life among the African slaves who were brought to Columbia by the Spanish slave traders in the first half of the 17th century. He was not able to set them free from their masters, but his loving presence and care enabled them to find freedom in the knowledge and love of Jesus. St. Marcellin, in different circumstances, sought to free young people from the slavery of ignorance, a mission which continues today in 80 countries around the world. St. Peter Claver vowed to be the "slave of the African for ever" and was named the patron of the Missions to the Africans by Pope Leo XIII in 1896. The Church in Africa is thriving, youthful, and abounding in energy, as a people released from bondage. Today, the Church in Chicago, under the leadership of Cardinal George will celebrate the efforts of Marists for the past 50 years to educate its young people. It is a day for all of us to renew our baptismal promises to thwart the efforts of Satan, and to take up the call to live in the freedom of the children of God. Thus will the efforts to Sts. Peter Claver and Marcellin continue to bear fruit.
Bro. Rene