Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin
We are granted the accounts of those who came to know Christ before us, the testimony of witnesses who saw, heard, and experienced His presence. We may not be the ones who have seen, but we are still called to believe. As Jesus told Thomas:
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
There is another reality. We may be those who have seen the deeds of God in our lives and still choose to explain them away as something other than the intervention of our Savior. Perhaps this is part of our human nature: to persist in our denial of those things that require of us a leap of faith, to avoid affirming a reality that we cannot fully control. To recognize the hand of God at work is to acknowledge his presence and the invitation he places before us, his call to us.
Yet how obstinate can we be? Are we as hard of heart as the people of Capernaum, who witnessed Jesus working great deeds in their midst and still chose disbelief? Woe to Capernaum for its lack of faith, for denying what it saw with its own eyes. Would the same be said of us at the moment of judgment?
We are invited to recognize the guiding hand of our Lord in every small thing that happens, in every interaction, in every “coincidence” we witness, and in the moments of joy and sorrow that shape our lives, in every small “miracle.” Jesus is calling us to believe in him and affirm his presence here among us, in the Eucharist and in his people. This requires of us an open heart and a willing mind.
Let us implore his help so that we may believe, recognize his presence, and bear witness to his love for us here and now.
We have a wonderful example of that in Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, a member of the Mohawk tribe, whose memorial we celebrate today. She is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint. Devoted to the Eucharist and Christ crucified, she lived a life of prayer, penitential practices, and care for the sick and aged.
Let us pray:
Lord, “I believe. Help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Amen.
