Memorial of Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr
(Tobit 1:3.2.1a-8; Mark 12:1-12)
Tobit, like St. Joseph, obeys the law, come what may. In today’s reading he not only buries the
dead, but also waits for the holy day to end before doing it. In doing so, he defies orders of temporal
rulers and inhibitions of kinsmen. Jews
as well as Christians see such actions as meritorious. Today’s patron, St. Boniface, provides
another example of such righteousness.
Boniface, English by birth, zealously preached the gospel among
German pagans. Once he defied pagan
sensibility by cutting down an oak tree thought to be divine. The act led to a mass conversion. Named archbishop, Boniface established multiple
monasteries and dioceses. He was
eventually martyred. He is recognized as
the patron saint of Germany.
We live in a time of social upheaval. Sexual activity outside of marriage is not considered
wrong; it is even expected. We need
people to defy the new social convention.
Parents and teachers ought to tell of the beauty of intimate relations when
reserved for marriage.
