In our culture today we are very aware that early missionary activity may not have been the best. In today's situations those who travel to distant lands bring with them an understanding of culture, language, and ritual. With that being said today we remember several Jesuits who preached the Gospel in the eastern portion of the Great Lakes.
These men were not looking for treasures of gold or silver, but to share the gifts of 'Good News,' and an invitation to live the Gospel. Like the early missionaries of our Church these North American Martyrs desired that their hearers take upon themselves a new lifestyle based on the peace and salvation offered us by Jesus Christ.
These same men endured torture and ultimately death for the Gospel they proclaimed. Despite the hazards of proclaiming the Good News, there is a urgency in making known the gift of Christ to all peoples. It is easy to get into the 'Dunkin Doughnut' mentality in which we un-reflectively go through the motions of our faith. The real challenge is to own and to share what we have seen and heard in Jesus Christ.
May the journey of these men point us forward to be faith stewards of the Gospel message.
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