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St. Isaac Jogues: Missionary for God
(1607-1646)
"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church" - Tertullian
Sometimes we lose sight of how much we owe the missionaries of North America. These heroic men and women suffered hardship, persecution and martyrdom in order to evangelize unbelievers and establish the Catholic faith throughout the Americas.
Recently I read a book on the life, and missionary work, of the French Jesuit St. Isaac Jogues. Isaac left his homeland in 1636 to join the Canadian missions. In 1642 while on his way to Quebec, Isaac and his companions were taken prisoner by a band of Iroquois. The Iroquois brutally tortured Isaac and made him their slave.
After thirteenth months as an Iroquois slave, Isaac with the help of some Dutch tradesmen, escaped and made his way back to France. He remained in France a short time and in 1645 headed back to Canada to continue his missionary work. On October 18th 1646 Isaac was killed by an Iroquois warrior. He died a martyr.
The only word I can think of to describe St. Isaac Jogues and the missionary work he did is "love". His love for Jesus gave him the courage and determination to endure sufferings, set backs, and trials of all sorts. Even to the point of death.
This spiritual love, infused by the Holy Spirit, knows no bounds. It enveloped St. Isaac Jogues and was the animating force behind his missionary work. It is the one requirement we need as missionaries in the modern world. With love everything is possible, without it nothing is possible.
St. Isaac Jogues was a man who loved. His love for those who took his life was great and heroic. It was a love that was neither manufactured nor phony. It was genuine and real. It came directly from the Holy Spirit, the living flame of love between the Father and the Son.
One lesson we can learn from Isaac Jogues and the great missionaries of the past is that if we are ever running low on charity/love call upon the Holy Spirit. He will give you, as He did them, the grace and strength to love God and neighbor.
God bless!
St Isaac Jogues's feast day is October 19. He is the patron saint of the Americas and Canada.
For further reading about St. Isaac Jogues read or visit:
Saint Among Savages: The Life of Saint Isaac Jogues by Francis Talbot
The Catholic Encyclopedia (NewAdvent.org) - St. Isaac Jogues
Patron Saint Index (Catholic-forum.com) - St. Isaac Jogues