Look not to our weaknesses, but look to Jesus

Look not to our weaknesses but look to Jesus.

Over a month ago I was asked to celebrate Mass for the Religious of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary on the feast of their foundress, Blessed Elisabeth Turgeon. The following is a reworking of my homily.

Blessed Elisabeth (1840-1881) grew up in Quebec and trained as a teacher. Unfortunately, her health was fragile, and when she became a principal, she had to step down because of her health. Yet she had a heart for the children and understood Jesus when he said, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mark 10:14). When her former professor was appointed the Bishop of Rimouski in the Gaspe Peninsula, he asked Elisabeth to found a school for the poor children who had no education for the area had no schools. Citing her fragile health, she turned him down.

Bishop Langevin asked her again a year later and again she looked to her frequent sicknesses and said, “No.”

A third time he asked her and this time she looked not to her weaknesses but to Christ. If this was His will, He would help her to do what was necessary.

She began gathering some other women to help her with the school and asked the bishop to let them form a religious congregation. This time he said, “No.”

She began the work with the women. They had to face both the extreme poverty of the people and the attitude of many of the owners of the fishing fleets. One, Phillipe Robins, said that the people needed no education for how would that improve their fishing. The women began their work anyway founding first one, then two and three schools to bring literacy to the children.

Elisabeth asked the bishop again if they could form a religious congregation and the bishop took it to prayer. The Lord moved his heart and a congregation was formed. Blessed Elisabeth died a few years later. Her work was done and the Lord was her reward.

Clearly, she lived out the advice that St. Paul gives to all of us in Colossians 3:12-13. “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another… And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were called in one body.”

We are all called to grow in these ways, to trust that if God calls us to do something, that he will give us the grace to follow through. Let us look not to our weakness, but to Christ’s love. As Blessed Elisabeth, St. Peter, and St. Ignatius learned, with God wonderous things are possible.

Fr. John Michalowski, S.J.