Today's Word
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"
Romans 8:35
Today's Reflection
Kateri Tekakwitha was born in 1656 in what is now New York State.
Her mother was a Christian Algonquin; her father a Mohawk chief.
When she was four, smallpox killed her parents and scarred her face, damaging her eyes.
She converted to Catholicism at twenty, despite fierce opposition from her tribe.
She was mocked for her faith.
She had water mixed into her food.
She was threatened and driven away.
She walked two hundred miles on foot to a Christian community in Canada.
She prayed for hours each day.
She cared for the sick and the elderly.
She died at twenty-four.
At her death, witnesses said her scarred face became smooth and radiant.
She was canonised in 2012, the first Native American saint.
Her story is a reminder that holiness is available to everyone,
in every culture, every circumstance, every body.
God does not require a comfortable life.
He requires a willing heart.
Today's Prayer
Lord, like Kateri, we want to love you regardless of what it costs.
When faith is inconvenient,
when it brings rejection rather than approval,
help us to keep going.
May her example encourage everyone who feels alone in their faith today.
Amen.
Today's Call
Think of one person you know who is living their faith despite difficulty.
Encourage them today.
A message. A word. A prayer for them.
They need to know they are not alone.