Making Sense of the Senseless

Fr. James Martin, S.J. published a heartfelt reflection on the tragic school shooting in Newtown last week.  He writes,

Jesus understands what sorrow is. Jesus understands pain. Jesus, I believe, weeps with us. Our God is not an intellectual abstraction or a philosophical theory, ours is a God who has lived a human life. This helps me during times of sadness. Jesus is with us in our pain, not standing far off.

 “The God who weeps with us also promises us eternal life,” Fr. Martin wrote. Let us remember this as we continue to pray for the children, their families, and the gunman himself. 

Long Live Christ the King!

Today the Church celebrates the feast of Blessed Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest martyred in 1927, during a time of intense religious persecution in Mexico. Dubbed the “undercover priest,” he was ultimately arrested and executed for administering the Sacraments.

Videos and photos of his execution are very moving. Catholic News Agency provides a telling account:

As Fr. Pro walked from his cell to the prison courtyard, he blessed the firing squad and then knelt and prayed silently for a few moments. Refusing a blindfold, he stood, faced the firing squad, and with a crucifix in one hand and a rosary in the other, he held his arms outstretched in the form of a cross and in a loud, clear voice cried out, "May God have mercy on you! May God bless you! Lord, Thou knowest that I am innocent! With all my heart I forgive my enemies!" As the soldiers lifted their rifles, he exclaimed in a loud voice, "Viva Cristo Rey!" - "Long live Christ the King!"

Miguel Pro, who was beatified by Blessed John Paul II in 1988, stood for the Church until the day he died, and his whole life was a lesson in love and truth.

Blessed Miguel Pro, pray for us today, that we may stand with the Lord in the face of our daily trials and in the bigger ones to come. 

We Want You - to be a missionary in America

Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola. St. Ignatius is very well-known—his legacy provided renewal for the Church when She was in need and it still lives on in many ways today. His conversion, his Spiritual Exercises, and of course, the Society of Jesus are precious gifts that we remember him for.

Among his many accomplishments is the part St. Ignatius played in the conversion of St. Francis Xavier. The two were roommates while studying at the University of Paris, and during that time St. Ignatius’ example had a life-changing impact on St. Francis’ life.

St. Ignatius was on the path to fame and glory as a soldier when he experienced a radical conversion. Injured in battle, he spent his recovery time reading about Christ and the lives of the Saints. He was touched by these stories, and as he healed, he committed to a new life for God and for others. After a period of quiet prayer and pilgrimage, St. Ignatius began his priestly studies at an older age than most. The timing was perfect, though, because he met the first Jesuits: his fellow students who learned from his radical decision to abandon everything to the will of God.

St. Francis Xavier was slow to come around. He was a devout man, but he already had a very specific idea of how he wanted to serve the Kingdom of God. For six years he resisted his roommate’s influence, because giving in would mean giving up the life he wanted—to be a Church scholar. St. Ignatius still kept a close relationship with St. Francis, and eventually his witness to the Truth and abandonment led to St. Francis’ conversion. St. Francis opened his heart to God’s will, and as a member of the Society of Jesus, he set off on Far East missions, bringing Christ to pagan territories that were desperately in need of His light.