The first missionary woman to the New World. Marie was born in Tours, France, in 1599.
Denying her own attraction to religious life. Marie honoured her father’s wishes an married Claude
Martin in 1617. Claude died only three years later. Soon after, Marie began receiving revelations
concerning the Incarnation, the Sacred Heart, and the Blessed Trinity. After seeking spiritual
direction, she entered the Ursuline monastery in Tours.
Encouraged by a dream, she set sail with two other Ursulines, arriving in Quebec their first school
in Lowertown. The school grew despite sickness, poverty and strained relations with the Native
peoples. When Quebecers were threatened by tensions with the Iroquois nation. Marie was
recalled to France but she chose to remain in New France. She composed catechisms in Huron and
Algonquin, and a dictionary of French and Algonquin. Marie died in Quebec in 1672. She was
beatified in 1980 and canonized in 2014.
Acts 13: 26 – 33
Psalm 2
John 14: 1 – 6
Today Jesus tells his disciples (and all of us): “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Take a moment
and check the condition of your heart. Is your heart troubled in any way? If so, what are you
concerned or worried about? Have you taken your concern to Jesus? What are you holding in your
mind and heart?
Jesus tells us to have faith in God and also to have faith in Him. Do we truly have faith in God,
Jesus and the Spirit? If so, how deep and real is our faith? Do we truly believe that Jesus is with us
every moment of our day? Is our faith a “daily” faith? Or do we have a “Sunday” faith? Do we have
a personal relationship with Jesus? Or do we turn to Jesus only when we are struggling and have a
need?
Jesus longs for us to come to Him, to turn to Him. He longs to have a deeply personal relationship
with us. Jesus loves us and desires to be in communion with us. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves:
how great is my desire to be in communion with Jesus? Jesus longs to strengthen us and grace us
but we have to have open minds and receptive hearts to Him and His presence.
Today may we take any troubles, concerns or fears that we have to Jesus. Jesus will walk with us,
strengthen us, heal us and gladden our hearts. Jesus truly is our “Way, Truth and Life.” The
question for us is: will we choose to walk daily with Him? He is waiting for us! Will we choose to
walk daily to Him?
God bless. Have a wonderful day.
