An example of holiness

This weekend, members of the Knights of Columbus in our parish celebrated the 125th anniversary of the death of Father Michael McGivney, their founder.  I took the opportunity to recall a few of the details of his life for those who came to pray with us.

Be careful about how you live

Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians speaks words today that could easily have been written for our time: be careful how you live, not as unwise people but as wise (Eph 5:15).  This warning is a challenge for everyone but especially for those who follow in the footsteps of Jesus, for even in our time, we must continue to identify the needs of God’s people and be willing to bravely answer such challenges with great and holy wisdom.

Jesus spoke this wisdom for the people of his time when he explained: I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world (Jn 6:51).  The living bread is Jesus himself who is present to us at every moment of our lives, like a faithful companion.  This living bread - the Eucharist - is given to Jesus’ disciples each time we gather for the celebration of the Mass.  Nourished with this special food, we are strengthened in faith to provide a witness of faith for others we meet.

We also have the example of other holy men and women to help and to guide us as we strive to live lives of faith.  Some of these holy people have already been recognized as Saints, and others still await the formal recognition of their heroic virtue.  One of these examples is the Servant of God, Michael McGivney.  Born in Waterbury, Connecticut (USA) on August 12, 1852, his parents had immigrated from Ireland.  Michael had a dozen siblings, six of whom had died in infancy and childhood.  Patrick and Mary McGivney - Michael's parents - knew more than their fair share of sorrow and poverty, but they also provided a faithful example of the power of love, faith and the strength of family bonds.

Father Michael began his priestly ministry on Christmas Day 1877 and served as Associate Pastor of Saint Mary’s parish in New Haven.  When the original church was destroyed by fire, it was re-built in a residential neighbourhood, but there was considerable objection to the building of this new church - from the neighbours who themselves were not Catholic.  This didn't deter the young priest at all.

Father Michael impressed many Catholics with his energy and intensity, especially for the poor and for widows.  Knowing of his own parents' struggles when they had emigrated from Ireland, he was particularly sensitive to the struggles faced by those who were coming to the United States from Ireland in search of a better life, and having himself experienced the pain caused by the loss of his own siblings, he was acutely aware of the sufferings faced by the widows in New Haven, where he was stationed.  He knew that something had to be done to help them, so he invited men in his parish to join forces in order to do something about it.  The result was the birth of a Fraternal Order which became known as the Knights of Columbus.  To this day, the primary aim of the Order has always been to help widows and others who were in need.

Continuing the good work begun by their founder, the Knights still aim to live concrete examples of wisdom that is born out of faith.  Together with them, we all gather as Jesus’ faithful disciples to receive the living bread that came down from heaven, the bread that is offered to us, Jesus himself who guides us, mentors us, and helps us to be faithful disciples, proclaiming and living his love in our world today.