Memorial of Saint
John Neumann, bishop
(I John 3:11-22; John 1:43-51)
Wisdom teaches that there are many ways of doing good and
relatively few ways of doing evil. Therefore,
we have to choose among the ways to do good but avoid all the ways to do evil. Saints like John Neumann stand out as
examples in this twofold task.
John came to the United States in 1836 as a theological
student wanting to be ordained. The
bishop of New York granted his desire and assigned him to a rural territory. John travelled his huge parish on horseback to
visit the sick, teach catechism and train catechists. After joining the Redemptorist Order, John continued
to serve as a parish priest. In 1852 he
was named bishop of Philadelphia where he stood out as a defender and promoter
of various immigrant communities – Germans, Irish, and Italian among
others. He also oversaw the founding of
two hundred parochial schools.
In today’s gospel Jesus tells Nathaniel that they will
see “angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” He means that they will witness Jesus perform
many mighty deeds. The marvel has never
subsided. In the name of the same Jesus
saints have continued to tirelessly and thoughtfully work wonders. Our deeds will not likely be as prodigious as
those of John Neumann. Nevertheless, we
should always ask what we may do on behalf of others and then do what seems reasonable.
