January 6: Tuesday after Epiphany; St. Andre Bessette
1 John 4:7-10 / Mark 6:34-44
God is love; Whoever loves knows God.
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How do we handle faith questions or doubts when they arise? “I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother, and I found all three.” Anonymous
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Here comes the great theme of the apostle John, almost like an obsession, both in his letter and in the gospel: God is the origin of all love. For he is love: a love that is giving, a love, as the gospel shows, that is compassionate. Self-communication is the mark of love: within God, from God to people and the world. He gives us his Son, who showed in his person that to love is to give up oneself out of love. And on the part of people, love means also to receive, to be willing to accept love as a pure gift, both from God and from one another.
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Generally speaking, we have two types of reactions to a situation. Either we react to it emotionally, or we react to it rationally. When Jesus saw the large crowd, He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and He set Himself to teach them at some length. It was understandable that Jesus felt for the people, or if we wish to say, He acted from His emotions.
But it went to the extent that He ignored the rationality of feeding the crowd of 5000 with five loaves and two fish. His disciples seemed to be more rational, especially when it was going to cost them 200 days' wages, since the average wage for a day was 1 denarii. But Jesus challenged His disciples to gather what was available. And from what was available, out came a miracle.
Essentially, today's gospel passage continues the Epiphany message that God is our Helper and Provider. Yet like the disciples, we often use too much of our rationality. But what the Lord is asking of us is our availability.
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Prayer
Lord God, our Father, you took the initiative of loving us before we could ever love you, for love is your name and you are a God of people. Help us to recognize this love become flesh in Jesus your Son. Let him stir and transform the very depths of our hearts, that we too may offer to you and to people all the love of which you have made us capable through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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Saint Andre Bessette – Feast Day – January 6
Andre Bessette was born on August 9 1845 in Mont-Saint-Gregorie, Quebec as Alfred Bessette as the eighth child in a family of twelve children. As an infant he was so frail he was baptized conditionally as an emergency ritual. His father, Isaac Bessette, lived as a carpenter and a lumberman and his mother, Clothilde Foisy Bessette played the role in educating the children of the family. Unfortunately for Alfred, his father passed away in a logging accident when he was nine and was orphaned when her mother passed away three years later of tuberculosis.
Alfred then was put under the care of Timothee ans Rosalie Nadeau of Saint Cesaire, Quebec and whilst living with his new family, he was instructed in catechism by one Reverent Andre Provencal. It was due to this that he developed great devotion to the passion of Christ and Saint Joseph and received confirmation from Bishop Jean Charles Prince.
It was after he was sent to school when he was 14, that it was discovered that Alfred had difficulties in reading and writing. and due to this, he was trained as a laborer as it was seen fit by his caregivers that it was no use educating an orphan. He was then taken in by Louis Ouimet, the then-mayor of Saint Cesaire. During his stay with the Ouimet family it was realized that he also had difficulties in keeping a steady job for himself due to his weak health and so he moved around a lot having short-lived professions till he moved back to his home town in 1867.
In the year 1872, Archbishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal, intervened on his behalf so that he may be accepted to the congregation of the Holy Cross in Montreal after he was rejected for his weak demeanor and health problems. Reverent Andre Provencal, after seeing his devotion and generosity, had earlier presented the congregation witha note saying,”I am sending you a saint.”
He was admitted to the congregation and took the name, Brother Andre for which he was known for the rest of his life and made his final vows on February 2 1874, when he was 28.
He worked as a porter at the college Notre-Dame in Quebec. He was known to have had great confidence in Saint Joseph, and he recommended the saint’s devotion to everyone that came to him with afflictions. He also used to anoint the people he visited, with oil and many claimed that they had been heal after the act and praised him but he would always reply that it was the power and intervention of the saint.
During a pandemic, he volunteered as a nurse and not a single soul perished. The sick would often flood the doors of the college to the point it causes a stir with the superiors and so he was instructed to receive them in a nearby tramway station.
Let us pray. “Lord our God, friend of the lowly, who gave your servant, Saint André Bessette, a great devotion to Saint Joseph and a special commitment to the poor and afflicted, help us through his intercession to follow his example of prayer and love and so come to share with him in your glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
