Responsorial Psalm
"God himself is my help."
REFLECTION
St Peter Claver was a Jesuit priest who served the slaves in Cartagena (now Columbia). Cartagena was the primary market place for slave trading in the 1600's in South America.
Ten thousand African slaves arrived yearly. St Peter Claver was there to meet them in their needs, caring for their physical needs first and in so doing showing God's love. He met them in the hull of the ship, in their stench and in foul conditions. Some of the slaves died in transit.
Through his actions he showed them and talked to them about God and His mercy. Over 300,000 slaves were baptized over a 30 year time span.
St Peter Claver died in 1654.
PAPA prays for priests who work in distant lands and who live far away from immediate family.
We donate food at our PAPA retreats and conferences for the poor malnourished children of God in Venezuela.
We feel good. We are at peace doing our part; however, someone else is doing the "hand service".
Unfortunately, if we don't see the problem in front of us, we can forget that many are in need of help. It is sad that sometimes we no longer sense that ability to involve ourselves personally in compassion and the suffering of others.
What can we do? Pray for that influx of grace to love one another: Continue to donate monies for humanitarian needs, for example, the Ukrainian refugees (see our website), volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate our time feeding the poor, pray with the sick and the dying and be kind to all we encounter. And if we have special talents share them with those who don't have them.
We can do so much personally. Life is not all about personal work, vacations, lunches, hanging out with friends. It is about honoring and pleasing God, endearing ourselves to God and serving Him through His creation. Pray that we have that grace of self giving. How else can we thank Him?
Ask God for the mind of reason, to be able to see what others need and for the grace to be in our hearts to do what is needed. And that is where we will meet Him--in our hearts, in our spirit.
Are we ready to risk our lives or suffer with the other person in order to help them--just like St Peter Claver?
God bless you
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