Doing good is doing God's will

THE WORD AND THE SAINTS

February 6, 2021: Gosalo Garcia and others

Hebrews 13:15-17, 20-21; Mark 6: 30-34

In the recent weeks we have been remembering saints, blesseds and martyrs connected to India. Bl. Devasagayam, St. Joseph Vaz, John de Britto and today it is Gonsalo Garcia. Though in the Universal Catholic Church it is commemorated as Paul Miki and companions, for us in India it would be just and right to focus on Gonsalo Garcia, who was part of that company of missionaries who were crucified in Nagasaki, in the year 1597, for the sake of the Word and for the Kingdom of God.

Some interesting facts about St. Gonsalo: he was born of a Portuguese father and an Indian mother. He left India when he was 15. He was among the 26 missionaries killed in Nagasaki, Japan. The Franciscan expedition of missionaries took Gonsalo Garcia, who was just lately accepted as a Third Order Minor into their congregation, because he wanted to go out as a missionary of the Lord.

The Gospel presents to us a picture of a missionary of the Lord - frenetic activity for sake of the Kingdom! The disciples are all intent on doing good, as their Master himself who went around doing good. At times we can be at a loss deciding what is God's will at a point of time. The readings today seem to suggest one simple criterion: do good to others; do good to as many as possible; do good to all!

God is the shepherd who knows our needs and cares for them, but God does it through God's sons and daughters who become shepherds in turn. We are called to be the sheep of God's flock but at the same time to grow to be shepherds to each other, doing as much good as we could to each other. That would be the easiest way of experiencing the continued presence of God.