Homily for Monday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time
23 November 2009
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center
Miguel Pro is the man. A 20th Century Saint! A North American Saint! A holy priest! What a beautiful life he lived. By all accounts, as a kid, he was quite a character. Mischievous and daring - knocking himself out with the stunts he would pull. By age 20, courageous enough to forego success in business to answer a heartfelt call to be a priest, even during the onset of the anti-Catholic Mexican revolution. With his seminary forced to close by the new government, Miguel did not abandon his call but escaped to the United States, and from there went to Spain to continue his study with the Jesuits. As he was about to be ordained, he was beset with terrible ulcers, which did not discourage him but purified his faith and love all the more. He had surgeries, made a pilgrimage to Lourdes, and then came back to Mexico, where it was illegal to publicly present yourself as a priest. Miguel, whose relics along with those of the North American Jesuit martyrs are kept in many altars of the Archdiocese, including the newly dedicated altar of St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood, is depicted on the heavenly Jerusalem mural at St. Michael wearing a Mexican business suit. Father Miguel never wore clerics. It was illegal to do so. It's fun when people stand in front of the mural and ask - who is that? I say it's a priest who never wore clerics. An amazing priest at that! Fr. Miguel worked as a priest for two years in an area of Mexico where even the Churches were closed, so he had to build the kingdom of God underground, which he did faithfully. Fr. Miguel received the grace of a martyrdom like that of Christ, a martyrdom he was most ready for. Like Jesus, he ended up being falsely accused, and his execution was a public spectacle that was meant to discourage his followers, but which only strengthened them. Fifty years after his death, the faith for which Fr. Miguel died was firmly re-established. John Paul II visited Mexico, and shortly thereafter celebrated Mass for the largest gathering of people in the history of the world. In the land of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the apostle of Mexico, the life of Blessed Miguel Pro was made perfect in weakness, and bore incomparable fruit. He died out of love for Christ and his people, after having forgiven his persecutors, and proclaiming with his last words - Viva Cristo Rey! Long live Christ the King!
No comments:
Post a Comment