March 3, St. Katharine Drexel

From all their distress God rescues the just.--Psalm 34:18

Mass readings: Isaiah 55:10-11 / Matthew 6:7-15

'My Word'

When I hear today's first reading, I have this vision of God's word coming forth from His mouth and landing on the spot He's directed and producing the results He wants, regardless of the obstacles it meets.

At first glance, St. Katharine Drexel (1858-1955) seems unlikely holiness material. Heiress to a family fortune, she could have had every conceivable worldly advantage. But she heard the word of God. Like the seed on good ground, that word blossomed in her and inspired her to spend herself (and that inheritance!) in the service of Native Americans and African-Americans. As Pope John Paul II said at her beatification, ''In her life of exceptional apostolic service, God has shown forth the riches of his mercy and grace, and his power to achieve great things in human weakness.''

Prayer: St. Katharine, pray that I, like you, can be fertile ground for God's word.