Shining brightly

Today, in the worldwide Society of the Sacred Heart, we are celebrating St Philippine Duchesne, our second saint and first missionary, whose zeal impelled her to take the Society well beyond Europe, to the uncertainties and privations of frontier life in Missouri and Louisiana. A generous, passionate, great-hearted woman, rooted in faith and deep prayer, Philippine's life was nonetheless filled with setbacks and difficulties, challenges and an ever-present sense of failure. 

And today, with all that before me, I am reflecting on these words, from a recent homily by Pope Leo:

Life shines brightly not because we are rich, beautiful or powerful. Instead, it shines when we discover within ourselves the truth that we are called by God, have a vocation, have a mission, that our lives serve something greater than ourselves. 

Philippine was definitely a woman whose life shone so, so brightly, even - especially - in darkness, weakness and failure: not because of beauty or power, but because her life truly served something - Someone - far greater than herself. She shone brightly because in her, God's grace and immense love were victorious and manifested in every moment of constancy, and every whole-hearted YES, even in the face of setbacks and disappointments. She shone, not with her own light, but with the Light and the Love to which she had given her entire life. And today she reminds me that each one of us is called to allow ourselves to shine just as brightly: not because of success or power, but because we have discovered and hold within ourselves the truth of our vocation; that we have a mission, to give our lives in love, and in the service of something far, far greater than ourselves. 

And Philippine reminds me, too, that right now, our wounded, fragmented, unstable world so desperately needs people who can shine light into its every darkness. People ablaze, not with their own brilliance, but with the unquenchable light of unconquerable Love.

Happy feast to you all! And may Philippine pray for us, that we too may radiate God's limitless love, wherever we may be, with all our hearts.