HOMILY WEEK 27 02 – Year II
Respect for Life, Conversion and Contemplation:
Optional Memorial of Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher
(Gal 1:13-34; Ps 139; Lk 10:38-42)
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Today’s liturgy provides us with a triple-header, much like in the world of baseball.
Three major themes emerge from the readings that invite us to respect all life, enter into on-going conversion, and to more contemplative prayer.
In the first reading, St. Paul was “called by God before he was born.” The psalm speaks eloquently of us being formed by God in the womb; intricately, fearfully woven in secret by God whose eyes beheld our unformed substance. This has to be a strong argument against pro-choice and abortion advocates – hopefully they would listen to these words and live them.
This sets us up for the second theme – conversion. The passage from Galatians could be called a third description of Paul’s conversion (after the two main ones in Acts). Paul shares how he was transformed from one who was zealous for the traditions of his ancestors, to one who was called by grace, and who had met Jesus whom the Father had revealed to him.
According to Sr. Teresita Kambeitz, this experience was less a conversion experience, and more an experience of falling in love with Jesus whom he encountered on the road to Damascus. From then on, he would spend all his creative energy proclaiming Christ Jesus to the world.
The gospel presents us with the third theme, within the familiar story of a Martha distracted with preparing a meal and upset with Mary, who was sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha’s problem was not that she was busy, but that she was agitated in her work or ministry. Mary on the other hand is presented in the posture of a disciple, sitting at the feet of Jesus. According to Thomas Keating, she was not so much listening to Jesus’ words, as she aware of being in the presence of the Word. She was mostly just soaking up the presence and love of Jesus – the goal of contemplative prayer. In that way, she has not only chosen the better part that Jesus is seeking (disciples attentive to his presence) but also serves as a model of contemplative prayer for us.
Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher
Today we honor Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, who certainly was one who listened attentively to the words of Jesus, took them to heart, and lived out the word through a long life of ministry as a religious woman. She holds a special place in my heart because of her connection with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, to which I belong, and also because members of her community served in our archdiocese of Keewatin-The Pas. The following biography is taken from the Living With Christ pamphlet.
Born Eulalie Mélanie Durocher, Marie-Rose Durocher founded the congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Born in 1811 in St-Antoine, Quebec, Eulalie went to school in Montreal. Soon after her mother’s death in 1829, Eulalie moved to Beloeil, where her bother, the pastor, put her in charge of his household, where she worked for 13 years.
The Oblates of Mary Immaculate had just arrived from France, sent by our founder, St. Eugene de Mazenod. With their assistance, Eulalie established the first Canadian sodality for young women. She became the first Canadian postulant of the Sisters of the Holy Names, of Marseilles.
When the Oblates failed to recruit religious teachers from Marseilles, Bishop Bourget of Montreal invited Eulalie to found new congregation dedicated to religious education and in 1843 a small community of novices settled in Longeuil.
In 1844, they were professed by the bishop, taking the name, habit and constitutions from the Marseilles community, with Marie-Rose as superior. Presumably this is when Eulalie took the name of Marie-Rose.
Although she died just six years later, at the age of 36, the community had already begun to grow despite poverty and hardship, and several schools had been established. Today the outreach of the congregation is worldwide. Marie-Rose Durocher was beatified in 1982.
May the Eucharist we celebrate now empower us to be like St Paul and Blessed Marie-Rose, respecting all of life, transforming our relationship with Jesus, and spending time in his presence soaking up his love through contemplative prayer.
