Blessed
Today the church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Wenceslaus. The first reading begins:
Beloved:
Even if you should suffer because of righteousness,
blessed are you.
I Peter 3:14
Wenceslaus stood for Christian values in the midst of political unrest. His rule was marked by efforts toward unification within Bohemia and supporting peace-making negotiations in Germany. There was also unrest among Wenceslaus’ family, and anti-Christian opposition, led by his own brother, killed him at age 22. Yet Wenceslaus is hailed as a martyr for the faith.
Sometimes, it’s easy to relegate the stories of saints as simply that – stories. But we live in a concrete world. We have conflict in our family, and in our neighborhood, and in our politics. We think, "I’m not holy enough to be a saint, am I?"
Perhaps the message today as we reflect on the life Wenceslaus is that we don’t need to be old, or powerful, or from the perfect family in order to live our Christian values. And even if we suffer because of righteousness, we are blessed – made holy; consecrated.
The word “blessed” comes up a lot in Scripture. Though it can be challenging to read those Scriptures and internalize their message, it is even more challenging to let God’s Word change us to the point that we live what He has spoken. May we recognize our call to stand for Christian values in the midst of unrest, so that our lives, like Wenceslaus, are evidence of our faith. And may we be blessed.
In Christ,
Mary Hrich
Director of Liturgy and Music, St. Mary Magdalene
