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Round
Pegs in Square Holes
Fr.
George Smiga
October
20 - 21, 2007
Luke
18: 1 - 8
Catholics
believe in saints. Who are saints? Saints are holy people?
And who are holy? All of us. For we believe that through faith
and baptism we become children of God and a part of God's
holy people. Not only do we believe that we are saints, but
we also believe we can help one another through prayer. We
ask our fellow saints in this community and those who we know
to pray for us in time of need. When someone dies and is with
God, we continue to ask for their help. Perhaps we pray to
a deceased parent or friend who we know is with the Lord.
All of us can pray to the saints who are a part of the Catholic
tradition. We pray to saints not because they can answer our
prayers. Only God can answer our prayers. But we pray to one
another and ask one another for help, because we believe we
can support one another. We can help one another in our way
to God.
Now
it is out of this belief that we derive the idea of patron
saints. Because just as we believe we are good at some things
and not so good at others, we also believe that our fellow
saints have particular abilities that can help us in particular
situations. Those abilities usually come from some incident
in the saint's life. A particular saint becomes recognized
as the person you turn to when you face a particular need.
For example, Saint Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of
lost or stolen articles. Why? He had a favorite prayer book
which a thief stole, and so he prayed to God that he might
find it. The next day the thief had a change of heart and
returned it to him. St. Joseph of Cupertino is the patron
saint of students. Why? Well, he was not very bright, and
the only way he passed his exams was by praying. St. Clair
is the patron saint of television. Why? Because once when
she was sick in bed she received a vision of her friend St.
Francis celebrating mass in the church down the street. (By
the way, St. Sebastian is the patron saint of sporting events—although
it is unclear whether he is an Indians fan or a Red Sox fan.)
But you get the picture. For some reason a particular saint
develops an expertise in a particular area. When we find ourselves
in a particular need we turn to that expertise for help.
This
brings us to today's liturgy. Because today we celebrate the
feast of the man after whom our parish is named, St Noel Chabanel.
What is St. Noel the patron of? He is the patron of people
who do not fit well into their own lives – or as sometimes
said, he is the patron of round pegs in square holes. Why?
St. Noel was a Jesuit missionary. He felt called to preach
the gospel to the Native Americans living around the Great
Lakes in our region. But you would be hard pressed to find
a person more ill suited to missionary work than St. Noel.
He was a refined French gentleman. When he came to the New
World he deeply missed the culture of Europe , the music and
the literature. He was unable to eat the primitive food of
the Indians. It made him nauseous. He was frail in health,
so time and time again he became deathly sick. His superiors
recommended that he give up on missionary work and return
to France , but Noel felt he was accomplishing something good
and God was still calling him. So he persevered being a missionary
to his death.
Now
what do we learn through the example of St. Noel? St. Noel's
life leads us to gratefulness and perseverance. If we are
people who fit well into our lives, if we are round pegs in
round holes, then the example of St. Noel asks us to be grateful.
It is a tremendous blessing to know that you fit into the
life you are leading, that you are exactly where you should
be. If you love your job, if your marriage is easy and life-giving,
if you can simply use the gifts that you have for your own
benefit and the benefit of others, then the life of St. Noel
reminds us never to take an easy fit for granted. There are
many people throughout the world who struggle with their lives,
and you are a fortunate person if you are not one of them.
On
the other hand if you do not fit easily into your life, if
you are a round peg in a square hole, then the life of St.
Noel calls you to perseverance. If you're in a good marriage
but that marriage is so much more difficult than you imagined,
if you are in a productive job but it does not meet your deepest
desires, if you love your family and friends and yet are often
disappointed because they do not meet your expectations, then
the example of St. Noel says focus on what is good an push
on.
Now
of course, if you do not fit at all, if your life or your
relationships are destructive, then do not persevere, change
something. But for most of us the fit is not an impossible
one but an uncomfortable one. In those circumstances we are
called to maximize the good and persevere. As today's second
reading says, “Be persistent both in circumstances which are
favorable and unfavorable.”
Since
we believe we are saints and we can ask others to pray for
us, I would like to conclude today's homily with a prayer,
a prayer to our patron. So I ask you to close your eyes and
follow my words in your own hearts.
St.
Noel, patron of our parish, you were able to serve God in
difficult circumstances. Make me thankful for all the ways
I fit into my life. And in all those ways in which I do not
quite fit, lead me to persevere. Allow me, like you, to continue
in God's service. Amen.
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