THE GOOD NEWS
ARCHBISHOP BELTRAN
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July 9, 2006 The Good News ...A Prayer for Canonization Homily, 25th Anniversary My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Once again we are blessed to be able to gather together to celebrate the Eucharist. The Holy Mass is the greatest of gifts we receive on this earth because it is the gift of God Himself. With great joy we celebrate this Eucharist today on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the martyrdom of Father Stanley Rother. Speaking to us in the Gospel, Jesus says: “Whoever believes in Me, though he shall die, will come to life; and whoever is alive and believes in Me will never die.” Do we believe this? Indeed we do. We believe all that Jesus has revealed to us. Our brother, Father Stanley Rother, also believed this. It was his sincere belief in Jesus that brought him from Oklahoma to Santiago Atitlan (Cerro d’Oro). It was his love of God that reached out to you, our brothers and sisters in Christ, that impelled Father Rother to be your pastor. It was his dedication to the truth of Jesus that gave him the courage and ability to remain. Amidst warnings and dangers, Father Rother, a man of faith, remained, for a shepherd cannot abandon his sheep. Because Father Rother believed that Jesus is our Resurrection and Life, he remained steadfast amidst the increasing violence of that time. He faithfully served as your pastor until July 29, 1981, when he was shot to death in the parish house. He died here as your pastor because he loved you and served God by ministering to you. Father Rother believed in Jesus and so the Gospel was fulfilled in him: “Whoever believes in Me, even though he should die, will come to life; and whoever is alive and believes in Me will never die.” Those of us who knew Father Rother and spoke with him at that time were very aware of his faith in Jesus, his commitment to you and his courage in the face of danger. I am convinced that Father Rother truly gave up his life for you and for Jesus. Today as we celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of Father Rother, I invite you to pray for his canonization. I am personally convinced that Father Rother was a martyr and therefore is now in heaven with God. However, that is only my own personal conviction. It is our Holy Father, the Pope alone, acting on behalf of the Universal Catholic Church, who can officially and authentically declare him a saint. For this reason, I have authorized a special short prayer petitioning for the canonization of Father Stanley Rother. I have brought this prayer card to distribute to you at this Mass. Therefore, those of you who have already received a prayer card are invited to join me now: Heavenly
Father, You
have blessed your Church If
it be your will, |