Memorial of St. Peter Claver, priest

In today’s gospel, St. Luke describes a scene in which a man with a withered hand approaches Jesus in hope of healing.  The many critics of Jesus watched to see if he would cure somebody on the sabbath.  Of course, he cured the man which angered the non-believers.  Jesus was under constant scrutiny from people everywhere.  Even though he was on this earth at the direction of his father, his life was far from easy.

Today is also the Memorial of St. Peter Claver.  If you’ve read my reflections before, you may remember my interest in the saints.  While I’ve heard of St. Peter Claver, I didn’t know much about him.  St. Peter Claver was born in Spain which is where he entered the Jesuit novitiate.  After professing his final vows, he traveled to Cartagena, which was the center of the slave market.  He dedicated his life to the salvation of the Negro slaves.  He advocated for the abolition of the slave trade.  With each boatload of slaves, St. Peter Claver fed the hungry, educated the slaves, buried the dead, and converted many souls.  It is said that he was responsible for 300,000 slaves entering the Church.  He didn’t stop there.  He accompanied slaves to the plantations on which they worked.  He urged the slaves to be respectful of the masters.  He called them and accompanied them to a life of Christianity.  St. Peter Claver is the patron of Roman Catholic missionaries to African people, slaves, interracial justice and Colombia.

I find this ironic because I’m sure the man with the withered hand withstood maltreatment through his life.  I imagine he went on to live a life of Christianity after being healed by Christ himself.

The word that continually comes to mind as I reflect on today’s gospel and the story of St. Peter Claver is kindness.  It’s critical that we practice kindness, even when it’s difficult.  This seems to be a missing ingredient in the recipe for peace locally and globally.

“We must speak to them with our hands before we speak to them with our lips.” - St. Peter Claver, S.J.