[In the Dioceses of the United States]
536A
From the Common of Virgins, #731-736 or the Common of Holy Men and Women: For Religious, #737-742
 |
| St. Katherine Drexel, artist and date not cited |
Biographical information about St. Katherine Drexel [1]
Authors reading selections: [2]
Reading 1: (From the Common of Holy Men and Women)
5. For Religious
1 Kings 19:4-9a, 11-15a
Elijah went a day's journey into the desert,
until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath
it.
He prayed for death saying:
"This is enough, O LORD!
Take my life, for I am no better than my
fathers."
He lay down and fell asleep under the broom
tree,
but then an angel touched him and ordered him to
get up and eat.
He looked and there at his head was a hearth
cake
and a jug of water.
After he ate and drank, he lay down again,
but the angel of the LORD came back a second
time,
touched him, and ordered,
"Get up and eat, else the journey will be
too long for you!"
He got up, ate, and drank;
then strengthened by that food,
he walked forty days and forty nights to the
mountain of God, Horeb.
There he came to a cave, where he took shelter.
Then the LORD said to him,
"Go outside and stand on the mountain
before the LORD;
the LORD will be passing by."
A strong and heavy wind was rending the
mountains
and crushing rocks before the LORD--
but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake—
but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake there was fire—
but the LORD was not in the fire.
After the fire there was a tiny whispering
sound.
When he heard this,
Elijah hid his face in his cloak
and went and stood at the entrance of the cave.
A voice said to him, "Elijah, why are you
here?"
He replied, "I have been most zealous for
the LORD, the God of hosts.
But the children of Israel have forsaken your
covenant,
torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the
sword.
I alone am left, and they seek to take my
life."
The LORD said to him,
"Go, take the road back to the desert near
Damascus."
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Commentary on 1 Kgs 19:4-9a, 11-15a
This episode from the tale of Elijah finds the
prophet fleeing from Jezebel who was the ruler of Beer-sheba. Elijah, in order
to demonstrate the superiority of God over the false god Baal, had defeated and
slain the priests of Baal and was under sentence of death (see 1 Kings 19:2). He flees
into the desert believing he had failed God and, in frustration, gives up,
asking God to take his life. Exhausted he falls asleep under the broom tree
(really more of a desert shrub than a tree but often used by Bedouins for
protection from the wind). The Lord sends a messenger to him and commands him
to eat the bread he offered and drink the water he provided. The messenger then
leads Elijah to “the mountain of God, Horeb.” There is great symbolism in
leading Elijah to that place. It is considered to be the same mountain upon
which Moses received the Law (referred to by a different name as Mount Sinai).
His forty days and forty nights journey represents a spiritual journey as well
as distance.
Unsuccessful in bringing the people back to
authentic worship of God, Elijah the prophet flees to the same holy mountain
where Moses was given the Law.
“Though various phenomena, such as wind, storms,
earthquakes, fire (Exodus 19:18-19),
herald the divine presence, they do not constitute the presence itself which,
like the tiny whispering sound, is imperceptible and bespeaks the spirituality
of God. It was fitting that Elijah, whose mission it was to re-establish the
covenant and restore the pure faith, should have returned to Horeb where the
covenant was revealed to Moses and through him to the Israelite people (Exodus 3:1-4, 17; 33:18-34:9). Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ at the time of his transfiguration
(Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:1-7; Luke 9:28-36).” [3]
Following God’s revelation, Elijah is sent
toward Damascus where he will be instrumental in bringing Israel back to God by appointing (anointing) new leaders, including his own successor Elisha.
CCC: 1 Kg 19:1-14 2583; 1 Kg 19:5 332
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Responsorial Psalm: (From the Common of Holy Men and Women)
3. Psalm 16:1-2ab and 5, 7-8, 11
R.
(see 5a) You are my inheritance, O Lord.
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, "My Lord are you."
O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even at night my heart exhorts me.
I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be
disturbed.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
R. You are my inheritance, O Lord.
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Commentary on Ps 16:1-2ab and 5, 7-8, 11
Psalm 16 is an individual hymn of praise.
The psalmist prays that God will shield the faithful from harm and expresses
confidence in the Lord’s salvation. The passage closes with praise for God’s
loving mercy. This selection is structured to support the Pauline ideal
of placing God first in the life of the faithful. Their greatest possession is
being loved by God and loving God in return.
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Gospel: (From the Common of Holy Men and Women)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to
him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for
righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake
of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and
persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely
because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
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Commentary on Mt 5:1-12a
This section of the Sermon on the Mount begins the first of five
great discourses in St. Matthew’s Gospel. He begins using a formula common in
the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament with “Blessed are the poor in
spirit.”(Job 5:17; Proverbs
3:13; Sirach 25:8-9) This
designation identifies those without material resources, completely dependent
upon God. (This distinction is for the devout poor.) The discourse continues
blessing those who mourn, who are meek, who “hunger” for righteousness (to
adopt the Lord’s law of love in their hearts), the merciful, the clean of heart
(those who are reconciled to God), the peacemakers, the persecuted, and finally
those who will be reviled because they profess faith in Christ.
The litany of praises for those to be blessed by the Lord has an
overarching theme. It holds up the spiritual strength of complete dependence on
God for life, health, and prosperity. St. Matthew captures the strength in that
dependence and God’s promise of salvation through the words of the Savior.
It is noteworthy that the word “blessed” [μακάριοι (makάrios) in Greek and Beati in Latin] is translated “happy” in many Old Testament texts. The idea of happiness or peace as a blessing from God is an important understanding about the intent of this discourse.
CCC: Mt 5:1 581; Mt 5:3-12 1716; Mt 5:3 544, 2546; Mt 5-7 2763; Mt 5-6 764; Mt 5:8 1720, 2518; Mt 5:9 2305, 2330; Mt 5:11-12 520
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Reflection:
On this feast day for St. Katherine Drexel [1858-1955] we reflect upon her answer to God’s call. We see, in the reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah that the Lord’s voice comes in unexpected ways. In the case of St. Katherine, she was asking Pope Leo XIII to send more missionaries to the Native Americans who responded, to her surprise, “Why don’t you become a missionary?”
After a series of discussions with her friend Bishop James O’Connor of Wyoming, she did just that and better. Coming from an affluent background and having personal wealth that made her a millionaire, she turned her back on that lifestyle and, after years of training, founded a religious order dedicated to the plight of Native Americans and people of color. She first opened a boarding school in Santa Fe. “A string of foundations followed. By 1942, she had a system of black Catholic schools in 13 states, plus 40 mission centers and 23 rural schools. Segregationists harassed her work, even burning a school in Pennsylvania. In all, she established 50 missions for Indians in 16 states.”
St. Katherine was a great example for all of us in how to follow the “new decalogue,” the Beatitudes from the Gospel of St. Matthew. She did what the “rich young man” from Matthew 19:21 could not, she gave up her extensive possessions and followed the Lord. What she did during her life paints the picture for all of us as to what the term “heroic virtue” means. She served the poor with her actions and when in her 70’s she was forced to step back from active ministry, she spent another 20 years in prayer and solitude, working for God’s people spiritually when she could no longer do so physically.
As we reflect on her life and legacy today, we ask for her intercession. We ask for her prayers that we too might answer the Lord wholeheartedly and selflessly follow in her footsteps in our dedication to those less fortunate.
Pax
[1] Portrait of St. Katherine Drexel,
artist and date not cited.
[2] The readings are taken from the
New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm and its response which were
developed by the International Committee for English in Liturgy (ICEL). This
republication is not authorized by USCCB and is for private use only.
[3] NAB footnote on 1 Kings 19:16ff
