Dear Friends,
Jean Gabriel Dufresse was a French Catholic missionary Bishop and Martyr in China. He was born in 1750, when he was 24, he was ordained after which he entered the Paris Foreign Mission Society, in 1775 he was sent to China. He worked for 10 years with some success, founding small churches, teaching, baptizing, and celebrating Mass. In 1785 he was deported by the Chinese government. He snuck back into the country 4 years later to continue his work. In 1800 he was named Bishop of Szechwan. This was a time of peace and freedom for the Missionaries. In 1811, however, it was decreed that all foreign religious leaders were to be condemned to death. If any foreign-born missionary was captured, he/she would be killed. Unafraid Dufresse continued his work, although he had to keep moving, sleeping in a different place every night. In 1815 he was captured and sentenced to death by beheading. However, the place of his capture was a great distance from the site of his martyrdom in Beijing. And so that meant a several days march to his place of execution. He was marched along chained and prodded and watched over by Chinese soldiers. One of those soldiers watched him very closely, he noted everything. And one thing he noticed was that even though Dufresse was an older man he had a certain sense of strength and grace. Even though he was harshly treated he didn’t respond in the same way, he didn’t respond in the same harshness and nastiness of his captors. Instead, he was patient, gentle but not weak; there was even a certain sense of joy about him. And he was prayerful, above all he was prayerful, even as they marched along, he prayed.
This intrigued the soldier, “What’s the reason for your joy?” he asked, “Don’t you know you’re going to die?” during the many days of that forced march, that very observant soldier was learning about our Lord and the Catholic faith. And just before the Bishop was executed the young man asked to be baptized. And at his baptism he took the name Augustine. Augustine would go on to be the first native-born Chinese priest and he too would be martyred. Today we know him as St. Augustine Zhao Rong. We celebrated his feast day on Friday.
Each of us is called to be like St. Jean Gabriel Dufresse, a prophet, to speak of God to those around us, doing it in our own God-given way. Not exactly like St. Jean Gabriel Dufresse but in your own God-given
way. Because of your baptism you are called to be a prophet. And it doesn’t matter that you are not a professional theologian, you are called to be a prophet.
In our 1st reading we heard of Amos, an 8th century BC Jew. He was a farmer and a tree trimmer, an ordinary man without religious training yet God called him to be a prophet, to speak up about the things of God. If you are baptized you are prophets, called to speak publicly about God and God’s word for the sake and salvation of others. What does this look like? What does it look like to be a prophet?
1. Speak naturally the language of our Catholic faith. Speak of Jesus, his mother Mary, the Saints, what happened at Mass, or what happened during your prayer. Say “God Bless you if someone sneezes.” Cross yourself in public. Don’t hide your faith, fearful it might offend. A simple acknowledgment of faith can have a powerful impact. Bishop Dufresse, even though under arrest was not afraid to show his faith. And it made an impression.
What does it look like to be a prophet?
2. Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that’s in you. When someone asks about the faith are you ready to give an answer? Why are you so joyful, why are you so hopeful? If not prepared to answer this question, study our faith, prepare yourself, you’re a prophet, be ready. Bishop Dufresse told the future St. Augustine Zhao Rong that death was not the end, but the beginning of something wonderful. And it made an impression.
What does it look like to be a prophet?
3. Be ready to share the hard truths, challenge with charity. How strongly do we speak out against injustice, injustice against the powerless and the unborn especially? Bishop Dufresse challenged his captors with his faith, and he did it with great charity, not backing down, not giving in to anger. Not giving into the same anger, they so easily expressed. And it made an impression.
What does it look like to be a prophet?
4. Prepare to be unpopular. Prophets are often rejected. I want to be liked by people; does that need of mine keep me silent when I should speak up? Bishop Dufresse was not afraid to be unpopular; he was willing to be martyred. And it made an impression.
What does it look like to be a prophet?
5. Prophets are people of prayer. A prophet in prayer feels God’s joy, he feels God’s passion, he feels God’s love and he shares that and speaks of that experience. Deep attention to God in prayer is what a prophet does. If we never pray, we will never be a prophet. Bishop Dufresse prayed, even when imprisoned and it was hard to pray, he prayed anyway. And someone noticed and it made an impression.
To be a prophet; speak the language of our faith, give the reason for your joy, speak the hard truths with love, be prepared to be unpopular, and always pray. Each of us is called to be like St. Jean Gabriel Dufresse, a prophet, to speak of God to those around us, doing it in our own God-given way. Because of your baptism you are called to be a prophet. And it doesn’t matter that you are not a professional theologian, you are called to be a prophet.
Pax et Bonum,
Fr. Christopher J. Ankley