Nov 12 – Memorial for St. Josaphat, bishop, religious, martyr
John (1580-1623) had a father who was a municipal counsellor, and a mother who was known for her piety. He was raised in the Orthodox Ruthenian Church which, on 23 Nov 1595, in the Union of Brest, united with the Church of Rome. He was trained as a merchant’s apprentice in Vilna, and was offered partnership in the business and marriage to his partner’s daughter.
Feeling the call to religious life, he declined both and became a monk in the Ukrainian Order of St. Basil in Vilna at the age of 20 in 1604, taking the name Brother Josaphat. He was ordained a Byzantine rite priest in 1609.
His superior, Samuel, never accepted unity with Rome, and looked for a way to fight against Roman Catholicism and the Uniats, the name given to those who brought about and accepted the union of the churches. Learning of Samuel’s work and fearing the physical and spiritual damage it could cause, Josaphat brought it to the attention of his superiors. The archbishop of Kiev removed Samuel from his post, replacing him with Josaphat.
He was a famous preacher, worked to bring unity among the faithful and bring strayed Christians back to the Church. He became Bishop of Vitebsk. Most religious, fearing interference with the natively developed liturgy and customs, did not want union with Rome. Bishop Josaphat believed unity to be in the best interests of the Church and, by teaching, clerical reform, and personal example, Josaphat won the greater part of the Orthodox in Lithuania to the union. Never completely suitable to either side, Roman authorities sometimes raised objection to Josaphat’s Orthodox actions. He became Archbishop of Polotsk, Lithuania in 1617.
While Josaphat attended the Diet of Warsaw in 1620, a dissident group supported by Cossacks set up anti-Uniat bishops for each Uniat one, spread the accusation that Josaphat had ‘gone Latin’ and that his followers would be forced to do the same, and place an usurper on the archbishop’s chair. Despite warnings, Josaphat went to Vitebsk, a hotbed of trouble, to try to correct the misunderstandings and settle disturbances. The army remained loyal to the king who remained loyal to the Union, and so the army tried to protect Josaphat and his clergy.
Late in 1623, an anti-Uniat priest named Elias shouted insults at Josaphat from his own courtyard, and tried to force his way into the residence. When he was removed, a mob assembled and forced his release. Mob mentality took over, and they invaded the residence. Josaphat tried to insure the safety of his servants before fleeing himself, but did not get out in time, and was martyred by the mob. His death was a shock to both sides of the dispute, brought some sanity and a cooling off period to both sides of the conflict.
“You people of Vitebsk want to put me to death. You make ambushes for me everywhere, in the streets, on the bridges, on the highways, and in the marketplace. I am here among you as a shepherd, and you ought to know that I would be happy to give my life for you. I am ready to die for the holy union, for the supremacy of Saint Peter, and of his successor the Supreme Pontiff.” – St. Josaphat
- Patron Saint Index
Phil 7-20
Lk 17:20-25
Now, although in Christ I can have no diffidence about telling you to do whatever is your duty, I am appealing to your love instead…
The first reading today comes from St. Paul’s letter to Philemon and is all of 25 verses! The tone is also very different from some of his other letters and takes a more conciliatory, even mollycoddling, tone. It feels as though St. Paul is uncertain of how his request is going to be received. The matter that he is writing about was also not trivial — the fate of Onesimus, a slave of Philemon’s who had run away after presumably committing theft (as some scholars postulate), depended on how this message would be received. In a worst-case scenario, Onesimus could even be put to death — as was the norm at the time. It appears that this letter was very strategically written to maximise the chances of a good outcome – flattery, appealing to friendship, call to reciprocate cancelling of past debts, and most pertinently, being read out to an audience in public – that Onesimus would be reconciled as a brother-in-Christ and not a slave that is to be punished.
The cynicism in me shouted that this meant St. Paul was not confident Philemon would do the right thing. Yet, the chosen verses appear to indicate that he was aware that he could instruct Philemon but did not do so. This is clearer in another translation of the same verses which reads, “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you…” (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition).
So why did St. Paul choose this approach?
Ultimately, it was his love for Onesimus. He was now taking up the role of his mediator and advocate, with the stakes no longer being his own life or reputation, but that of another, one he calls his “child”. Hence, he sought to do all that was needed to ensure Onesimus was reconciled and accepted by Philemon.
Reflecting on how this applies to my own life, there may be times when I think or even know something to be a correct course of action, yet my delivery of that message falls flat as it is not received well by the recipient and may even turn them towards the very thing I cautioned them against doing. I needed the tact to frame the message in a way where one does not get defensive, but is able to listen and thereafter, discern for themselves whether to accept the message or not. And if I am being completely honest with myself, I needed to love the other party more than myself (or being right), in order to package the ‘letter’ as St. Paul did.
Hence, playing the role of mediator or advocate requires that I, like St. Paul, exercise prudence and charity in how I communicate the message or request to the intended party, so as to increase the chances of its receptivity.
How then, can we appeal to the other’s ‘love’, as St. Paul did with respect to Philemon?
In one of the essential texts – Getting to Yes – for a conflict resolution module I took during my undergraduate days, appealing to common interests would be one approach. This entails delving deeper beyond specific requests toward the underlying needs that are being met through those solutions. Yet, this still falls short of ‘love’ as it is an appeal to each party’s own interests.
In the Christian context however, we are called to “love thy neighbour”, and to forgive others “seventy times seven times”, not through our own strength, but by His. And more fundamentally, because we ourselves have been unworthy recipients of His Love, where Jesus died for our sins on that cross, we too are called to love those who have trespassed against us.
In her reflections on the ‘Our Father’ prayer, St. Teresa of Avila ponders the line “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who trespass against us”, and states that the words ‘as we’ do not give us an option as we are called to forgive those who have offended us.
Knowing this, a recipient like Philemon who has been instrumental in growing those in the community spiritually, would be inclined to accept the message and, as St. Paul confidently states in his letter, to exceed expectations.
Last, there may be some anxiety as to how our message may be received. But having allowed God to work through us, we should pray with confidence that His Will be done through us and in what we have written or said. We are but instruments to do what He wills.
Just as St. Teresa of Avila constantly lamented her inability to write while submitting herself to His Holy Will, let us allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and to guide us in being His effective messengers in all that we say and do.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nick Netto)
Prayer: Almighty and Sovereign God, all glory and praise is yours! I am sorry for the times when I lacked tactfulness and was a false witness to those I had spoken or written to. I pray for the gifts of prudence and charity to be a more effective messenger of Your Love, and to love all souls as You do.
Thanksgiving: I thank you for the graces and gifts you have blessed me with, and for the positive messages I have received from others, as well as the privilege of delivering messages of Your hope and love to those around me. Amen.
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