The Feast of St Peter Claver of the Society of Jesus.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6: 27.... 38).

Thursday 9th September 2021, in the 23rd Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Peter Claver of the Society of Jesus  (1580 - 1654). Spanish. Priest, Religious and Missionary. St Peter Claver served for over 40 years African slaves dumped at the South American seaport of Cartagena now Colombia. During 40 years, he fed the slaves, cared for the sick and dying. He preached the Good News to them and baptized over 300,000.

Peter Claver and the slaves he served watched the powerful slave dealers and the Spanish bureaucratic officials eat, drink and dance while they were hungry.

It would be humanly impossible for the slaves and Peter Claver to heed Jesus' word in today's Gospel and Obey it: 
“To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
But they did. Jesus showed the example from the Cross.

St Peter Claver is called the "Slave of slaves." God gave him great love and patience for the suffering slaves. Peter took many of them with him to heaven. Today we have the opportunity to be different from the slave dealers and Spanish officials by loving our neighbors in deed and in truth.

"There are graces destined for My priests in this the night of My agony and of My betrayal that are not given at any other time. I am bound tonight. I have already been taken, and My captors led Me away as a lamb to the slaughter. I am silent but My Heart watches and waits for My priests. If only they would come to Me, I would undo the bonds that hold them in slavery. I would give them light in the spiritual darknesses that oppress them. I would speak to them words of comfort and of compassion." (IN SINU JESU page 48).

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