A servant of the poorest

Today’s saint, Peter Claver SJ (1580-1654), was born two years before St Teresa of Avila died.  He devoted his life to the service of slaves in what is now Colombia.  The slaves were brought from Africa in horrendous conditions, so bad that many died on the way.  It is little known that Popes condemned this slave trade.  The city magistrates in Cartagena where he was based regarded him as a nuisance for his persistent advocacy on behalf of the slaves, and  ‘in the last years of his life Peter was too ill to leave his room. He lingered for four years, largely forgotten and neglected, physically abused and starved by an ex-slave who had been hired by the Superior of the house to care for him. He never complained about his treatment, accepting it as a just punishment for his sins.’  [Courtesy of Wikipedia]  This reminds me very much of St John of the Cross (d.1591), who ended his life in conditions of neglect in the monastery of Ubeda.  His response was similar to St Peter Claver’s.

Intercessions

RIP Chinaka, Jacqui

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Theresa K, Elena

Sophie – newborn having heart surgery; Sianna, young child in the post-operative phase; James, recovering from surgery

Ivy – sick child

Brian (recovering from Pneumonia)

Kevin (heart attack)

William Gove (in recovery)

Illness:  Katy Keeling, Noreen

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Mark – brain infection

Michael, Kira – vulnerable youngsters

Defence of the unborn and the elderly