"Your Reward Will Be Great in Heaven” by Colleen O’Sullivan

 "Your Reward Will Be Great in Heaven” by Colleen O’Sullivan

 Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest

I tell you, brothers, the time is running out… for the world in its present form is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29a, 31b)

Raising his eyes toward his disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. (Luke 6:20-23a)

Piety

Lord, grant us hearts as kind and compassionate as that of St. Peter Claver, SJ.

Study

There are alternate lectionary readings specific to the Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, but today’s readings fit perfectly with the life and work of this Jesuit saint. Today he is known as the patron saint of African missions and interracial justice. Born in Spain in 1581, Peter Claver earned his first academic degree in Barcelona. In his subsequent studies in Mallorca, his path crossed with that of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, SJ, the famous porter or doorkeeper at that school. St. Alphonsus urged him to go to the missions in the Americas. In 1610, Claver moved to Colombia, where he studied in Bogotá. Ordained in the seaport city of Cartagena, he spent the next 34 years there ministering to the approximately 10,000 slaves who were shipped through the city annually on their way to labor on plantations and in silver mines.

According to ignatianspirituality.com: When a ship arrived, Peter first begged for fruits, biscuits, or sweets to bring to the slaves. He then went on board with translators to offer his gifts. He also provided his skills as a doctor and teacher. This saint entered the holds of the ships and would not leave until every person received a measure of care. Peter gave short instruction in the Catholic faith and baptized as many as he could. In this way, he could prevail on the slave owners to provide humane treatment to fellow Christians. Peter Claver baptized more than 300,000 slaves by 1651 when he was sickened by the plague.

St. Peter Claver ministered to the poorest of the poor, to people 100% dependent on others for daily sustenance, to those who had much to weep about, to those who were denigrated and ill-treated in the extreme, the very people Jesus speaks about in Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. During this saint’s final days, the Jesuit order hired a former slave to take care of him. Ironically, this “caregiver” failed to see to Claver’s basic needs for hygiene or food. Sometimes this Jesuit who had met every slave ship with all the food and spiritual care at his fingertips went for days with nothing to eat. His response was to maintain that this must be what he deserved.

Action

In today’s first reading, Paul is addressing questions arising from the belief that Christ’s return in glory was imminent. Today’s verses explain what people should do concerning their marital status. Should single people remain single? Should married persons stay that way or separate? Paul responds that he had had no specific word from the Lord on the subject, and, therefore, recommends that every individual maintain the marital status they already had. It seems like a topic specific to a community in another century. But what the Apostle says in the last verses is relevant to any time and place: “time is running out…, for the world in its present form is passing away.” Those words are valid at any time or place. We are all on a journey that will take us from this world to the next.

As more and more of this life is behind us, I imagine we all sometimes reflect on how we’ve spent our days. St. Peter Claver may have thought he hadn’t done much, but I can only wish I were so full of kindness and caring for the least of my brothers and sisters, those Jesus called “blessed.”

When praying today, spend some time looking back over your life. If you feel you need to change anything as we advance, this is a good day on which to seek God’s help in doing so.

 

Image Credit: St. Peter Claver, interior stained glass, St. Aloysius Church, Carthagena, OH, Creative Commons Lic., Wikimedia Commons