St. Katharine Drexel is my favorite saint. I am awed by this extremely affluent, young heiress who chose a life of voluntary poverty so that she could donate her wealth and life to share the Gospel with underserved minority populations. She is a paragon of generosity and radical cooperation with God’s vocation for her life. She is the embodiment of the verse from today’s gospel, “whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant” (Mt 20:26).
With the Gospel Acclamation today, the faithful hear this verse, Matthew 4:4, “One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” We take this to mean earthly bread, our sustenance that fuels us for our daily tasks. However, last year, many of us went without heavenly bread for months at a time. Maybe you can’t receive the Eucharist now because you don’t have access to in-person Mass, or you are avoiding the church building due to health concerns.
Surveying the neglected, unsettled crowd cut Jesus to the core. Do you react with similar compassion when you encounter God’s people, those who struggle, flock to the latest spiritual trend or guru, and have more questions than answers? Do you actively engage with these individuals, or is the prospect too exhausting for you?
