The woman who became known as Saint Josephine Bakhita died the year before I was born (1947). I say “known as” because she had been kidnapped and sold as a slave from Darfur in the Sudan as a young child and had been so terrified that she forgot her own name. “Bakhita” means “fortunate” and hearing of the trials of her early life one might wonder how the name fit. Later, however, having been sold several times – once to an Italian consul in Khartoum – she was brought to Italy and given to a friend. She subsequently became babysitter to a catechumen whom she accompanied to catechism classes. It was there that she was drawn to the Catholic faith, was baptized and confirmed and given the name Josephine. Having won her freedom from slavery, she became a religious Sister.
Josephine’s story is somewhat miraculous if considered as a path to sainthood. Although she suffered severely as a slave and was a “menial” laborer in her convent life, it was her devotion to God that is instructive of what makes a saint. Not unlike Saint Andre Bessette (“Brother Andre of Montreal”) she spent her days as doorkeeper to the convent where she lived and was known for her love to everyone who appeared before her for welcome.
These two saints can teach us that anyone can be a saint if love is the hallmark and motivation of their everyday life. Even you…even me…
(Learn more about St. Josephine Bahkita at http://www.franciscanmedia.org)
I just spent a half hour reading a synopsis of the theological history of the feast that we celebrate today. It is called the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Mother of God, and is perhaps the most misunderstood feast in the entire Church year. Many people think that it has to do with the moment Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb but it is, rather, the belief that Mary, herself, was conceived without original sin -that “stain” that accompanies all of us into the world – not to be confused with “personal sin” for which we alone are responsible. It is comforting for me to know that the great theologians (Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, Bonaventure, Duns Scotus and others) disagreed about the meaning and validity of this doctrine. It is clearly a matter of faith, a tenet that arose from the sensus fidelium (the sense of the faithful) among people who look to Mary as a model of love of God and mother to all people. There can be no scientific proof for this doctrine; we must – as with many religious practices – “take it on faith.”
Often when speaking of a very good person, someone will say, “S/he’s a saint!” but when we’re talking about saints in a specific way, we generally look to people who lived in the early days of Christianity or the Middle Ages. Almost everyone knows about St. Francis of Assisi, St. Benedict and (finally!) St. Mary Magdalene, as well as mystics Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. Lately, we Catholics in the United States have been gratified with the canonization (official recognition) of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint, and Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American saint. Now there are also “regular people” who have lived a good and holy life who are coming to the notice of people in high places or those whose diligence pleads their case successfully with the Vatican to have them recognized in this special way. One such heroic holy person is Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan friar who volunteered to take the place of a Jewish man in the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. A prisoner had escaped and, in retribution, the commandant announced that ten men would die. Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek was married with a family and lived to tell the tale of the holy man who took his place in the group of ten executed on this day in 1941. Fr. Kolbe was canonized in 1982.
Well, it seems that best-laid plans only work if the planner follows through. The set of quotes I promised you is sitting in my computer at my sister’s house, ready and willing to be sent to Mary Pat – had I but remembered to send them on their way!
St Francis de Sales, whose feast is celebrated today, was born into an educated and political family in France in 1567. After studying law in Padua and receiving a doctorate, he returned to France and in time convinced his father that he was called to priesthood rather than government service. It was his gentleness in interactions with all people that was the hallmark of his life. This morning’s short commentary at 
Today’s Scripture readings are filled with warnings about the dangers of riches and power. From the first (the prophet Amos) to the last (Luke’s gospel) we hear chilling words about those who seek worldly wealth and power and the consequences of being unaware of the needs of others. It is only in the reading from the first letter to Timothy (6: 11-16) that I find some advice for escaping the pitfalls recounted in these texts. It is the first sentence that calls out to our best selves where he names us people of God and tells us to pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness. That’s a big order but certain to keep us on the right path. As I think of those words, I see the central two (faith and love) strengthened by the practice of the first two (righteousness and devotion) and flowering in the last two (patience and gentleness). That may sound a bit contrived but it seems to work for me as a plan so today, I’ll think on that pattern and hope for the best!
I have lots of people whose birthdays I remember and I celebrate them at least in my mind if not with a card, a call, or (these days) with an e-mail. Today Eastern and Western Catholic Churches celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – a birthday I always mark with a smile and/or a prayer of gratitude for her role in our life. This morning I wondered who came up with this date as probably no birth certificate exists to prove her arrival and most of what we know from that time is less than an exact science. What I found was that the first written mention of Mary’s birth was in the apocryphal text called the Protoevangelium of James, a document probably in its final written form in the early second century. It speaks of her parents, Joachim – a wealthy member of one of the tribes of Israel – and Anna, but is not clear about where or when she was born. Some accounts speak of Nazareth as her birthplace and some say it was a house near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. The date for commemoration of her birth was logically set, but not until the sixth century, as nine months after the celebratory date of the Immaculate Conception.
