Filipina women have been going on labor diaspora to all parts of the world. True, the remittances have helped send children to school, get better health service for the families left behind, and generally help improve their living standards — sometimes at the cost of abuse, i.e., physical and psychological.

       The third pillar of our foreign policy mandates that we extend assistance to our nationals abroad including getting justice for them, especially for the household service workers who are wronged. Here in the United Arab Emirates, we are negotiating that they come documented and be paid the $400 minimum salary that our law mandates. We assist those in distress — sexually or physically abused, overworked, unpaid or just plain homesick.

       But abuse of household service workers doesn’t happen only abroad. Perhaps we should also look at our own backyard and make sure that our helpers and drivers who make our lives easier are paid on time, with the minimum wage or higher, with benefits like SSS, Pag-Ibig and Philhealth as mandated by the new Kasambahay Law. They should be treated humanely and with respect and appreciation. Grace Relucio Princesa ( grprincesa@yahoo.com)

Lord, may we seek justice for those who are wronged, especially when it is in our power to give it.

St. Camillus de Lellis, priest, pray for us.

God asks us to live a holy life — a life of obedience to His Word and will. St. Kateri, whose feast we celebrate today, was canonized along with six others in Rome. As the first native-born American saint, she becomes a source of hope for her people that, in hearing the Good News of the Gospel, it is possible to give all in its service. St. Kateri endured much suffering but she persevered in following the truth. Nothing more than that will be asked of us.

10 Hear the word of the Lord, princes of Sodom! Listen to the instruction of our God, people of Gomorrah! 11 What care I for the number of your sacrifices? says the Lord. I have had enough of whole burnt rams and fat of fatlings; in the blood of calves, lambs and goats I find no pleasure. 12 When you come in to visit me, who asks these things of you? 13 Trample my courts no more! Bring no more worthless offerings; your incense is loathsome to me. New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies, octaves with wickedness these I cannot bear. 14 Your new moons and festivals I detest; they weigh me down, I tire of the load. 15 When you spread out your hands, I close my eyes to you; though you pray the more, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood! 16 Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; 17 learn to do good. Make justice your aim, redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.

R: To the upright I will show the saving power of God.

8 “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. 9 I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold.” (R) 16 “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, 17 though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” (R) 21 “When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. 23 He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” (R)

This is a very important teaching of Jesus. He does not desire division within families, but if the issue is one of truth then that is what the Gospel will bring about. If some members of the family believe and others do not, this will create a natural division within families. This cannot be helped as truth is stronger than loyalty. Some may choose loyalty over truth, but that would be the wrong choice.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

34 Jesus said to his Apostles: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s enemies will be those of his household. 37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple — amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” 11: 1 When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples, he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 2 Chronicles 34-36

ST. KATERI TEKAKWITHA

Today’s saint, St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), was known as the Lily of the Mohawks, after the Native American tribe where she belonged. She was canonized, together with St. Pedro Calungsod and five others, by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012.

       In a way, St. Kateri exemplifies the family breakdown foretold by Jesus on account of Him. In fact, she actually experienced it firsthand: that is, the “sword” which Jesus came to bring, tearing apart the family indeed, because of His radical demands.

       In her case, she was first orphaned by a smallpox epidemic and raised by relatives. The young girl was attracted to Christianity, but her family was hostile to it. She asked to be baptized but suffered cruel treatment from her family after her conversion. This forced her to move to a Christian village in Canada, where she dedicated the rest of her life to deep prayer, penitential practices, and the care of the sick and the aged. She was devoted to the Eucharist and to the Crucified Christ.

       Here again, our saint incarnated what our Lord Jesus said in the latter part of our Gospel regarding the recompense allotted for those who carry out even the simplest or smallest of good deeds for the Lord’s disciples. God has truly rewarded St. Kateri for her endurance, generosity and commitment to Him.

       Our Gospel passage concludes with an editorial note, stating that when Jesus finished instructing the Twelve, “He went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.” By now Jesus’ preaching has spread far across the globe, all over the world. We implore St. Kateri Tekakwitha’s intercession in the opening prayer of today’s Holy Mass: “May all peoples of every tribe, tongue and nation proclaim God’s greatness in one song of praise.” Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB

REFLECTION QUESTION: What among St. Kateri’s qualities strikes you the most? Perhaps it’s saying something to you.

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of St. Kateri in the Catholic Church.