Today’s readings bring to light a theme that is pretty far from a good
Mother’s Day theme: christian persecution. While Paul
& Barnabas are harassed by the faithful Jews in Antioch (just a small dose
of the terrible persecutions to come for them), John has a vision of the
faithful martyrs in heaven wearing white robes with palm branches. While their
earthly lives may be destroyed, this vision proves Jesus’ words that “No one
can take them out of my hand.”
Martyrdom is not a thing of the past. Bombing in
Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Two years
ago similar bombing in Egypt killing many Coptic Christians. In fact, it
would take way too long to try to form a complete list for us all, as
Christians are the most commonly persecuted faith in our world. Last century
in fact, more Christians suffered and died for the Lord Jesus than any other
century prior. If
anything, martyrdom is a thing of the present, not the past.
The courage of the martyrs is a model for us all. The martyrs,
like trained artists, studied their subject intensely, looking at it again and
again, sometimes for extended periods of time, and noticing all the little
components of it. They
teach themselves to see things that we normally wouldn’t see, because they are
looking so closely and paying such perfect attention to patter, detail,
relationship, proportion, shape, light, etc. etc. This is how the artist can
truly represent the world before them which they are trying to draw or paint or
sculpt.
It is that depth of study that allows the martyrs to be
martyrs. They
have studied the Lord Jesus, and His Paschal mystery, with such a similar
tendency as an artist. Instead
of studying to represent it on canvas or sculpture or other media, the
Christian martyrs are shaping themselves and painting the image of Jesus on
their own minds and hearts by daily living. They study
Christ and then live Christ, more and more. This is why
they (and all saints) are our best models of the faith.
We should study their lives as well. To learn
from a master painter or a professional of any trade is the greatest way to
grow in that skill or way of life. So we must
study Christian masters, including our patroness, but especially today the
Martyrs. Learn
about Maximillian Kolbe, Tarcisius, Sebastian, Perpetual & Felicity, etc.
Father Stanley grew up in a
devout German Catholic family on a farm in rural Oklahoma. He struggled in the
seminary and, after failing his first year
of theology, was sent to Mount Saint Mary’s. He did well at the Mount. He was great at manual labor and quite often
visited the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes on the mountain above the seminary.
He would pray and do manual work there. In fact, he helped to make the Grotto’s
rock wall. And he did a lot better in his studies at the Mount.
After his
ordination in 1963, Father Stanley served five years as a parish priest in
Oklahoma. Then, he volunteered to serve in the diocese’s mission in Santiago
Atitlan in Guatemala. He arrived
there in 1968 and served as part of a mission team. He would eventually be the
only priest to remain there. Immediately, Father Stanley identified with the
simple, farming lifestyle of the people of Santiago Atitlan. He studied Spanish which he never really mastered,
but he also studied the native language
spoken by his indigenous parishioners, the Tzutujil Indians, and he became fluent in their language. For thirteen years, he served as their
priest, their shepherd. He worked very
hard among the people whom He cared for spiritually and materially. He built a
farmer’s co-op, a school, a hospital, and a Catholic radio station used for
catechesis. He worked on the farms with the Tzutujil farmers which he saw as
part of his vocation as a minister of God’s love. Amid all the hard work,
Father Stanley fell in love with the people he served.
The civil war in
Guatemala reached the peaceful village
of Santiago Atitlan in the late 1970’s.
Some of Father Stanley’s parishioners, including his catechists, disappeared.
Some were killed. The situation became very dangerous. He wrote in a
Christmas letter to his diocesan newspaper the following words: “The
shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger. Pray for us that we may be a
sign of the love of Christ for our people, that our presence among them will
fortify them to endure these sufferings in preparation for the coming of the
Kingdom.”
Father Stanley
returned to Oklahoma in early 1981 because his name appeared on a death list. He was warned not to return to Guatemala. Father
Stanley visited Mount Saint Mary’s for a little retreat. He prayed and
discerned that he could not abandon his people. He remained resolute in his
belief that the shepherd cannot run. He
returned to Santiago Atitlan in time for Holy Week in April, 1981. The
people rejoiced that their pastor had returned.
That summer, amid
all the tensions, Father Stanley and his parishioners still had their annual
celebration of their patronal feast, Santiago, Saint James, on July 25th.
Father Stanley was warned the day before that his assassination was imminent,
but he proceeded with the celebrations. A few days later, at 1:30 in
the morning on July 28th, three
masked men broke into the rectory and attacked Father Stanley. He fought them
hard, but they shot him twice in the head and killed him. The whole room was
splattered with blood. The religious
sisters who found his body wiped up the blood which is venerated in the parish
church today. His beloved people
cried and mourned at his death. A couple thousand came to his funeral. He had
served faithfully as their priest, their spiritual father, their shepherd, for
13 years. And he laid down his life for them. They considered him “their”
saint. Father Stanley’s family wanted his body returned to Oklahoma, but they
agreed to allow his heart to remain and it is kept in the parish church of
Santiago. Today, Father Stanley is venerated there and also in Oklahoma.
The early Church Father, Tertullian, in the third century
wrote the famous words: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians.”
These words ring true today. During Father Stanley’s lifetime, there were few,
if any, priestly vocations among the Tzutujil Indians. Today, there are many priestly vocations among the Tzutujil Indians.
Reflecting on Father Stanley Rother’s martyrdom and its fruits among his
people, we can say: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of priestly
vocations.”
I shared this summary of Father Stanley’s priestly life and
his death at this Chrism Mass especially as an example for our priests, an
example of our calling to love our people and to be close to them.
Father Stanley Rother fought
his attackers. You don’t often hear that in regard to our Christian martyrs.
But, Father Rother did not want to be taken by them and tortured, nor did he
want to risk the lives of his people who would try to rescue him. Here he is
also a model for us. I hope we have the courage to fight to protect our people
from the forces of evil. This is “the
good fight” spoken of by Saint Paul. It is the battle won by Jesus on the
cross. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, did not run from the cross. Father Stanley, an
icon of the Good Shepherd, did not run from the cross. The Good Shepherd cannot
run. “The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” My brother
priests, this is our vocation and the great promise we renew at this Mass. Like Father Stanley Rother, may we follow
Christ the Head and Shepherd, not seeking any gain, but moved only by zeal for
souls. My brothers and sisters, please pray for me and our priests, that we
will love you and all our people with the heart of Jesus and that we will never
run from the cross. In the words of Father Stanley Rother to the people of
Oklahoma in his last Christmas letter: “Pray for us that we may be a sign of
the love of Christ for our people.”
