Here I Am: The Courage of a Faithful Witness

Isa 6:1-8, Psalm: 92, Mt 10:24-33

Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

On this Memorial of Saint Benedict, the great patriarch of Western monasticism, the Word of God presents us with a vision of holiness and a call to courageous witness. The prophet Isaiah stands in the presence of the Lord, overwhelmed by his own unworthiness. Jesus warns His disciples that they will face rejection, even as He promises the Father’s intimate care. Saint Benedict, who left the noise of Rome for the silence of Subiaco, lived this double reality: he saw the holiness of God, and he was not afraid.

In the first reading, Isaiah is caught up into the heavenly temple. He sees the Lord seated on a high throne, surrounded by seraphim who cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!” The foundations shake, and the house is filled with smoke. Isaiah cries out, “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips.” He is acutely aware of his sinfulness. Then a seraph touches his lips with a burning coal and declares, “Your guilt is removed, your sin is purged.” The Lord asks, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” Isaiah responds, “Here I am; send me!”

The Gospel begins with the sobering truth that a disciple is not above his master. If the world has called Jesus “Beelzebul,” how much more will they malign His followers? But Jesus tells His disciples, “Do not be afraid.” Three times He says it: “Do not be afraid of them… do not be afraid of those who kill the body… do not be afraid.” Why? Because the Father knows every sparrow that falls, and He has counted every hair on your head. You are worth more than many sparrows. The one who confesses Jesus before others will be confessed by Him before the Father.

Saint Benedict lived this courage. He fled the corruption of Rome, not to escape the world, but to seek God in the silence of the wilderness. He established a Rule that would shape Western Christianity for centuries—a Rule of prayer, work, and stability. He was not afraid to confront the evil in his own heart or the temptations of the world. He built a community where souls could learn to hear the voice of God and respond, as Isaiah did, “Here I am; send me.”

Pope Benedict XVI, whose papal name was inspired by the saint, said, “Benedict of Norcia is a great witness of the Christian life and a shining example of the search for God.” Saint Gregory the Great, who wrote the saint’s biography, told the story of Benedict’s wisdom and his power over demons. He was a man who feared nothing but sin. He lived in the presence of the Holy, and that made him free.

What does this mean for us? We are all called to see the holiness of God—in the Eucharist, in Scripture, in the beauty of creation. When we see His holiness, we see our own unworthiness. But the burning coal of the Sacrament of Reconciliation purges our guilt and sends us out. We are called to witness, not with arrogance, but with the humble courage of those who have been forgiven much. The world may reject us, mock us, or ignore us. But we do not need to be afraid. The Father who counts the hairs on our heads has not forgotten us.

This week, let us say with Isaiah, “Here I am, Lord; send me.” Let us not be afraid of the giants in our path. Let us, like Saint Benedict, seek God in the silence of our hearts and in the service of our brothers and sisters. For the One who sent us is with us always, until the end of the age. Amen.

May God bless you all!