Dear Members of the Virtual Salesian Community –
Yesterday the Church remembered the life – and ultimate sacrifice – of St. Josaphat Kuncevych: bishop and martyr. His commitment to promote the re-establishment of union between the Ukrainian Church and the Roman Catholic Church ultimately resulted in his being martyred on November 12, 1623 (within one year after Francis de Sales’ death) in the city of Vitebsk, Belarus: Josaphat was beaten, bludgeoned and shot to death by an angry mob who subsequently dumped his body into the Dvina River.
In his Introduction to the Devout Life, Francis de Sales wrote: “Look at the example given by saints in every walk of life. There is nothing that they have not done in order to love God and be God’s devoted followers. See the martyrs, unconquerable in determination! What torments they suffered to keep there resolutions…” (IDL, Part 5: 12)
St. Josaphat paid the ultimate price in his attempt to hold firm to his resolve to be one of “God’s devoted followers.” While most of us will never be martyred for our faith, what we all have in common with Josaphat is the challenge to keep our resolutions when it comes to growing in the love of God, others and self: to ‘stay the course’ in our efforts to be good people and to do good things for people in the name of God.
How firm is our resolve to be the kind of people that God wants us to be in the particular state and stage of life in which we find ourselves…today?
(Rev) Michael S. Murray, OSFS
Director, De Sales Spirituality Center
“Practical Paths to Holiness”
www.oblates.org/spirituality
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