Remembering St Christopher Magallanes

 

Today in the liturgy we hear of two struggles for freedom in the face of opposition. The first is in Acts 15:1-6, where Barnabas and Paul return to Antioch after their first missionary journey through Cyprus and what is now Turkey. In Antioch, they tell the community of all that God had done for them and how, ''he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.'' The community rejoiced but there were some individuals who had come from Judea and they insisted that salvation was only possible if all the Jewish customs were kept, thus making it difficult for gentiles to become followers of Jesus. So Paul, Barnabas and some others go to Jerusalem where the dispute was settled in their favour.

 

Today we remember a Mexican saint and his companions who were killed during the Cristero civil war in Mexico in 1927. A rebellion broke out against harsh government laws against the church. Christopher Magallanes worked to continue his religious and social work, opening a clandestine seminary in his parish when the official seminary was closed by the government. He was on his way to celebrate mass on a farm when he was arrested and shot without any trial. He absolved his executioners saying, ''I die innocent and ask God that my blood may serve to unite my Mexican brethren.'' 90,000 people lost their lives before the government was overcome and peace restored. The two struggles finally led to peace and unity which is the message in today's gospel where Jesus gives us a rich symbol of the unity that he desires among his followers. ''I am the vine and you are the branches. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.'' (John 15:1-8). As a seed in the earth can produce a beautiful rose, help me, Lord to remain united to you, the living vine, so that I may bring your fruit to those who most need it.