August 30--St. Euphrasia Eluvathingal, Virgin

St. Euphrasia Eluvathingal

The Church is not only Catholic, but catholic. The word catholic means universal. It was mentioned by St. Ignatius of Antioch in AD 110 to distinguish the Church from heretical groups. This is worthwhile for today’s saint because she is from India. The Catholic Church is all over the world! St. Euphrasia Eluvanthingal (1877-1952) was born in Karal State, which is on the Malabar Coast of India, where tradition has it that the apostle Thomas evangelized the people. She joined the Carmelite Order of the Syro-Malabar Church, which is an Eastern Catholic Church in union with Rome. She was a novice mistress at her convent and then Mother Superior. She became known as the “Praying Mother” due to her life of prayer and devotion to the Sacred Heart. She was canonized by Pope Francis in 2014. It is written of her: “Mother Euphrasia grew in humility, poverty and holiness as she completely obeyed the will of God every moment. The whole life of this virgin was full of continuous prayer, penance and reparation. Mother Euphrasia who found contentment in loving Jesus, her divine spouse, was always in the forefront in receiving censure and abuses. All those who approached her she helped with motherly love, prayer and good advice.”

The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. We are united as one through our faith and baptism. Sainthood is conferred on those who have demonstrated heroic virtue and holiness in their lives, giving us models to draw from. We are catholic in that we are all called to be with Jesus in community with the Catholic Church. We are apostolic because of the continuous succession of bishops and popes from Peter and the apostles. St. Euphrasia exemplified each of these marks through her life and holiness. St. Euphrasia, pray for us!

July 3--St. Thomas, Apostle

St. Thomas was one of the twelve Apostles, men who were sent out to evangelize and catechize.  We know about him primarily from the gospels, especially the Gospel of John where he is described as doubting the Resurrection.  And yet, when Jesus appears to the Eleven on the Sunday after the Resurrection, Thomas is awestruck, saying: “My Lord and my God,” which connects with the very first verse of John’s gospel:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Thomas’s declaration of faith leads to Jesus’ response:  “Have you come to believe because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (Jn 20:29).

“Doubting Thomas” is the consummate modern person.  He decided not to believe unless he could see.  That very well may describe many of us in our modern age.  We have been conditioned to not accept those things which cannot be proven to our satisfaction.  We have transferred our faith from belief in that which cannot be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or heard—spiritual realities—to faith in that which can be experienced by our senses.

However, seeing is not believing; it is seeing.  Can we ‘see’ love? or hope? or courage? or perseverance?  No, we ‘see’ people expressing those realities in their words or actions.  “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1).  “Believing Thomas” is our model; the man who professed belief in Jesus as Lord and God.  We are the ones “who have not seen and have believed.”  We need to maintain and share our faith by our words and actions so that others may ‘see’ Christ in us.