I am very grateful to Jay for his good - and swift - work and ask you to remember him in your prayers for his kindness.
What follow are excerpts of the homily that concern the "apostle to lepers":
....Today, through my words, the Church recognises and confirms the exemplary value of Father Damien, on his walk to holiness, giving thanks to God for having guided him right to the end of his existence, a long walk, often difficult. She looks with joy at what God can achieve through human fragility, since “it is He that gives holiness, and man who receives it (Origen, Homily on Samuel, l 11, 11).
Father Damien lived a particular type of holiness in the course of his ministry; he was at the same time Priest, Religious and Missionary. Through these three qualities, he has revealed the face of Christ, showing the path of salvation, teaching the Gospel and being an inexhaustible agent of development. He organised religious life, social and fraternal of of Malokai, islands of exile from society at that time; with him, everyone had his place, everyone came to be known and loved by his own brothers.
....Dear brothers and sister of Belgium, everyone of us is called to holiness; put your talent at the service of Christ, of the Church and of your brothers; let yourselves be moulded with humility and patience by the Spirit! Holiness is not perfection according to human criteria; it is not reserved for a select few of exceptional individuals. It is for all; it is the Lord that gives us access to holiness, when we accept to collaborate for the glory of God in the salvation of the world, in spite of our sinfulness and our sometimes rebellious temperament. In our daily lives we are called to make choices that are sometimes an uncommon sacrifice (Veritatis Splendor, 102). True happiness has this price. The apostle of the lepers is testimony to this.
Today’s celebration is also a call to solidarity. While Damien was among the sick, he could say in his heart: "Our Lord will give me the graces I need to carry my cross and follow him, even to our special Calvary at Kalawao". The certainty that the only things that count are love and the gift of self was his inspiration and the source of his happiness. The apostle of the lepers is a shining example of how the love of God does not take us away from the world. Far from it: the love of Christ makes us love our brothers and sisters even to the point of giving up our lives for them.
...Dear brothers and sisters of Belgium, today it is your turn to take back the torch of Father Damien. His testimony is an appeal to you, above all for the youth, so that you can all know him, and, through his sacrifice, grow in your desire to love God, the fountain of true love and a happy life, and grow in the desire to make your life an authentic offering.
My heart turns to how many still today suffer from leprosy. In Damien, they now have an intercessor, though, before he became ill, he was already identified with them, often saying “We others, lepers”.
....This faith in the divinty of Christ, Father Damien, in a certain manner, sucked with the maternal milk, in his family in Flanders. It grew with him and he took it with him to his brothers and sisters in the far away islands of Molokai. To confirm right to the end the truth of his testimony, he offered his life with them. What else could he offer to the lepers, condemned to a slow death, if not his faith and that truth which is Christ is Lord and God is love? He became leper amongst the lepers, and he became leper for the lepers. He suffered and died as they did, believing in the resurrection of Christ, since Christ is Lord!
....The expression of Paul is universal [cf. I Corinthians 12:4-7], and, in this universal expression, we find certainly a part of the life of our blessed: his charisma, his vocation and his ministry. In all this, the Holy Spirit is manifested for the good of all. The beatification of Father Damien brings benefit to all the Church. It redresses a particular importance for the Church in Belgium, and also for the Church in the Oceanic Isles.
....May the glory of the Lord endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works; (Psalm 104 v31) With these words of the Psalmist I wish to conclude our meditation, in this solemn much awaited day, during which the mature fruit of holiness – Father Damien de Veuster – receives the glory of the altars of his native land. Brothers and sisters, be open to the Holy Spirit, in order that through your life men can discover God from whom comes every perfect gift!
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