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Believes in Me Read: Luke 6:1-5

St. Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, was a descendant of the great Charlemagne. She was born at Palermo in Sicily. In her youth, her heart turned from earthly vanities to God. She left her home and took up her abode in a cave, on the walls of which she wrote these words: "I, Rosalia, daughter of Sinibald, Lord of Roses and Quisquina, have taken the resolution to live in this cave for the love of my Lord, Jesus Christ." She remained there entirely hidden from the world.

She practiced great mortifications and lived in constant communion with God. Afterward she transferred her abode to Mount Pellegrino, about three miles from Palermo, in order to triumph entirely over the instincts of flesh and blood, in sight of her paternal home. She is said to have appeared after death and to have revealed that she spent several years in a little excavation near the grotto. She died alone, in 1160, ending her strange and wonderful life unknown to the world. Her body was discovered several centuries later, in 1625, during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII. Her feast day is September 4th.

Paul speaks of his life as an apostle, and even though he is exaggerating a little to "admonish [the Corinthians] as [his] beloved children" he does describe some of the trials that an apostle must endure and even embrace --- for the sake of Christ.

It seems to me that we can regard Christ as so magnificent and generous, so wise and powerful, that we only worship Him at a certain distance and cannot imagine daring to even attempt to be and act as He did. Yet Jesus says (John 14:12) that "he who believes in Me will do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do."

I believe that if Jesus wants us to be His disciples and to truly be His "beloved disciples," to be His companions as much as we possibly can, we need to actively seek to be poor with Christ, poor to suffer with the suffering Christ, to love hopelessly and without thought of reward, just as He did and does. We need to worship Jesus sincerely, by the closest imitation possible.

And if I do sincerely attempt this and begin to live with such a yearning, then the passion that drives Paul in what he describes here suddenly becomes so much more comprehensible....

Reflection:

Did you know that our citizenship is in heaven?

Lord, continue to use me to be the bearer of Goods News to all people and in all lands.

TODAYS SAINT: St. Rosalia