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4th February 

Feast of St. John De Britto

READ:  (1 Cor 9: 19-27; Jn 12: 20-32)

REFLECT: Be one among God’s people, have a zeal for God’s Word and reflect the life of Christ in life...

Dear friends, we celebrate the feast of St. John De Britto, a Jesuit martyr who died in India. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal on 1st March 1647. He was one of the earliest Jesuit missionaries came to India adapting and adopting the elements of the local culture in his evangelization. He preached God’s word and instilled the catholic faith among people in ways relevant and applicable for the local people of the place, where he served as a missionary evangelizer. He was often called “the Portuguese St. Francis Xavier.”

He dedicated at birth to St. Francis Xavier. He entered the Jesuits at the age of fifteen. He in spite of oppositions from the family to move to South India, he determined and decided to leave for Madurai in Tamil Nadu along with other Jesuits. He is known as Arulanandar. He is also called as another St. John the Baptist, because of the resemblance in attitudes and approaches in dealing with people, standing for righteousness, sacrificing his life as a martyr by being beheaded.

Like St John the Baptist, he died as a victim to the anger of a guilty woman.  The tradition shares that St John de Britto’s preaching led to the conversion of a Marava prince who had several wives.  It was one of the wives who was a niece of the neighboring king, who began to pick up quarrel and persecuted Christians.   Because of her influence, he was beheaded after a painful imprisonment. St. John De Britto was led to Oriyur, some 30 miles northward along the coast, where he was executed on 4th February 1693 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

It is also said the place where he was martyred the sand turned to red in color of the blood that was shed on the land. Many Miracles have taken place and are still taking place today. He by his death had brought many people to catholic faith and has been source and cause to implant the seeds of faith of Christ in people. Many incurable diseases have been cured by the application of the red sand on the respective body parts and couples are believed to have blessed with children on visiting the shrine and praying to St John De Britto. St. John De Britto was beatified by Pope Pius IX on 21 August 1853 and was canonized by Pope Pius XII on 22 June 1947. He is the Patron saint of people Portugal and people of Sivagangai Diocese in Tamil Nadu.

So based on the feast day and the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflection;

1. Be one among the people of God:

We all of us like to be outstanding Christians or Catholics. It is praise worthy and worth living for. But for most of stand out differently, standing aloof, without mingling or taking interest in the growth of the people entrusted to our care. But being one among the people makes everyone in the company feel that we are in solidarity with each other; we support each other for life’s journey as brothers and sisters in the Lord.

The first reading from St. Paul’s first letter to Corinthians tell us how St. Paul became all things to all people, in order that some might be saved and did it everything for the sake of the Gospel and to share the blessing that the Good news of Christ holds. That’s why St. paul would say, “to the Jews I became a Jew, to those under the Law I became as one under the Law, to the weak I became weak in order to win the weak.” Yes, something similar we find in the life of St. John De Britto. He became one among the people he served. Although he was a foreigner to India and Tamil Nadu, he did not impose the culture and custom or methods of his native rather he adapted the signs of times, inculturated in the cultures of people, accustomed in the customs of the local people, learned the local language to address and proclaim them God’s word in native language to be more concretely and deeply understand the faith, to grow in faith and love of God and to live in steadfastness.

Today it is a challenge for each one of us to be like St. John De Britto in adapting the signs of times, learning the local languages, being and becoming one among them like an ordinary people. Most of us try to impose on people what we have but how many of us make an attempt to pick up from the people’s life-style and their situations to make known Christ. Our attempts should not be a force rather we live in such a way as down to earth person that people be inspired to listen and follow Christ. So Let us prepare ourselves to live as one among the people without diluting or without compromising our sanctity, values and virtues that are pertinent to God’s kingdom in our lives.

2. Be zealous for God’s work:

The zeal for God’s work must not only be in thoughts but need to be manifested in our actions as well. Most of our zeal and enthusiasm remain in the air or it is beyond imagination and fulfilment. The zeal need to be in such a way that even death should not be a matter to accomplish or fulfil it like Jesus. Today’s Gospel spells out the zeal of Jesus for God’s mission while Jesus speaks of his death as a glorification. Jesus even in the hour of mixed feelings of sadness and suffering says, “Now is my soul troubled. What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.” Yes, the purpose of Jesus was to glorify God by accomplishing the mission he was entrusted by the death he was to undergo.

Something similar we find in the life of St. John De Britto, who had the purpose of moving out from his native to spread God’s mission all over the world. We hear in the life-history of St. John De Britto that a terrible illness made him to seek the help of St Francis Xavier, a Saint so well loved by the Portuguese. It was in answer to his prayers that he recovered from an illness. Because of this recovery his mother vests him for a year in the dress worn in those days by the Jesuit priests.   From that time onwards St. John De Britto burned with zeal to pursue the example of St. Francis Xavier.

Moreover When St. John De Britto’s mother knew that her son was going to the India, she tried her best to stop him from going to India. But we have the words of St. John De Britto expressing his zeal and enthusiasm for God’s Mission, “God, Who called me from the world into religious life, now calls me from Portugal to India,” was the reply of the future martyr.   “Not to answer the vocation as I ought, would be to provoke the justice of God.   As long as I live, I shall never cease striving to gain a passage to India.” The reason for St. John De Britto’s mother to stop him from going to India as missionary was because she perhaps knew what it meant to be a missionary or how one has to face persecution and suffering. But we see the determination and enthusiasm of St. John De Britto for God’s mission.

Today, we need such enthusiasm and dedication for God’s mission. Today, there is a lot of decrease in the vocation to priesthood and religious life, we need to promote vocations. Moreover, apart from promoting vocation, we ourselves as priest, religious and lay faithful come forward in contribution our share in the proclamation of faith to people near and far. All these can be possible provided we have trust in God and have the zeal and enthusiasm for God’s word and work. We pray that through the intercession of St. John De Britto might obtain this favour.

3. Reflect the life of Christ in life

What makes us Christ-like in life is our attitudes and approaches like Christ, resembling him in everything we say or do. The resemblance of Christ’s life needs to be reflected in our lives that we live. This is the hallmark and core of every Christian who follows Christ.

The Gospel reading of the day shares with us the significance of Jesus’ death, by which he would bring us to have life in God, for the life in fullness. That’s why Jesus would say, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” The gospel begins with the arrival of Greeks coming to meet Jesus, but instead of attention being directed at the Greeks, the focus now falls on Jesus. It is his turn to react, to provide perspective. His view of the events is not triumph in the usual sense. It is victory beyond death. It is the hour for the Son of Man to be glorified.

The title “Son of Man” in John is clearly regarded as a unique figure. This is addressed to Jesus, the divine Son (Jn 3:13; 6:62). Moreover, as the Son of Man he was a dying, lifted-up one (Jn 3:14; 8:28; 12:34) who in Jn 12:34 is equated with the Christ figure and whose death-resurrection was viewed as glorification (Jn 12:23; 13:31). So Jesus glorified God in death and resurrection. Yes, these words of Jesus concerning the grain of wheat and its effect were actualized in the life of St. John De Britto. He by his death glorified God, like a wheat that falls to the ground, dies and bears fruit in plenty, so also St. John De Britto by his death falls to the ground as martyr, sheds his blood and bears fruit in plenty in bringing many to catholic faith, renewing their lives in God and making them a new creation in Christ.

Just as Saint John de Britto’s life faithfully reflected the life Jesus Christ for the service of humanity so also we need to reflect the life of Christ in our lives. Today it becomes a challenge to continue the dynamism that Christ had and the saint of the day had in our love for the service to humanity. St. John de Britto like Christ had an immense for the poor and the afflicted, those subjected to casteism. So let us make attempts to be generous even if we cannot give life for the sake of the other, we shall help one another to live in peace and harmony, joy and happiness. Because we are called to serve God’s people if not in greater measure at least let’s begin in smaller measure of love for one another.  There can be no authentic Christian life without a genuine love of our one another. Such love becomes effective in brining another closer to God.

RESPOND:

Do we live among people as one to support and find solidarity or do we stand aloof without lending support and solidarity?

Do we have the zeal and enthusiasm to spread God’s mission earth with little acts of kindness if not by a great act of sacrifice?

Do we reflect the life of Christ by the life that we live and lead?

So let us be one among the God’s people to find solidarity, have zeal for God’s word to sow God’s word  and reflect the life of Christ in life to inspire others. Amen.

Wish you all a very Happy Feast of St. John De Britto. 

God bless us all. Live Jesus!