St Augustine of Canterbury, Suffering for the Church in England – May 27 – Homily – Fr Michael

Father begins with St. Peter's teaching that we were ransomed not by silver or gold but by the precious blood of Christ, the spotless lamb. In the Gospel, Jesus foretells His own suffering and teaches the apostles that true greatness comes through service, not lording over others. He assures them they will drink from His chalice of suffering, a path all the apostles followed through martyrdom except St. John, who survived boiling oil. Father highlights St. Augustine of Canterbury, sent by Pope St. Gregory the Great in 597 to bring the faith to England; despite discouragement on the journey, Augustine persevered, converted King Ethelbert, and established the Church at Canterbury. He connects this to the North American martyrs and other missionaries who gave everything for the Gospel. We are ransomed by their witness, too, and each of us is called in our own time to be missionaries through prayer, example, and readiness for whatever sacrifice God asks, whether visible or hidden, like the Blessed Virgin Mary's white martyrdom. At Holy Communion, we should beg for the desire and strength to follow this path to holiness.

For Further Reading:

Denzinger 3676 – Redemption by Christ's blood means we belong to the Savior – https://airmaria.com/go/j4rYak
Pope John Paul II – Participate in redemptive cross, persevering through Spirit amid sufferings – https://airmaria.com/go/qPwDSt
Pope Francis – Follow Jesus humbly serving others on the way of the cross – https://airmaria.com/go/dwPNbT
CCC 601 – Redemption through Christ's blood – https://airmaria.com/go/m4SfQb
CCC 2473 – Martyrdom as Christian witness – https://airmaria.com/go/LVKehg

00:00 - Ransomed by the Blood of Christ
00:24 - The Request of James and John
01:17 - Called to Serve, Not to Be Served
03:26 - St. Augustine of Canterbury's Mission
05:15 - Overcoming Discouragement on the Journey
07:35 - The Fruits of Missionary Labor
08:54 - Our Call to Be Witnesses Today
10:02 - Silent Martyrdom and Holy Communion