Homily for Memorial of Bl. Alexandrina da Costa

Homily for the Memorial of
Bl. Alexandrina da Costa

Oct. 13, 2020
Gal 5: 1-6
Tuesday, Week 28 of O.T.
Salesian H.S., New Rochelle, N.Y.

“For freedom Christ set us free” (Gal 5: 1)

In his Letter to the Galatians, St. Paul contrasts the salvation hoped for from obedience to the Law of Moses—“trying to be justified by law” (5:4), i.e., made holy and worthy of eternal life, contrasts that with the salvation that comes from Christ—“from faith working thru love” (5:6).

Thinking that we have to obey the Law meticulously and perfectly, e.g., by how we wash up before a meal, like in today’s gospel (Luke 11:37-41).  Since we’re sinners, repeatedly, we can’t be perfect, and that makes us slaves of a sort.  So Paul tells the Galatians “not to submit to the yoke of slavery” (5:1).  “Christ has set us free” by grace, by forgiveness that we don’t deserve, by his divine love, that we might enjoy God’s love and share it with others.

Bl. Alexandrina knew a kind of bodily slavery—not from being owned by someone and having to work for them, but from a harsh physical paralysis that left her bedridden from age 20 until her death in 1955 at age 51.

She didn’t sink into self-pity, moan about life’s unfairness, or despair.  Instead, she offered herself in a total union with Jesus as a sacrifice, and she did so with serenity and even joy.  That’s something we can do too when we experience some kind of pain—physical, mental, or emotional—or times when life is just unfair, as it is inevitably to everyone sometimes.

Bl. Alexandrina had mystical experiences based on her intense love of Jesus and surrender to him:  for 4 years every Friday she suffered the terrible pains of Christ’s passion in her hands, feet, and side.  When that ceased in 1942, for her last 13 years she ate no food but survived only on the Holy Eucharist.  Thru all that, her peaceful joy brought many people to her seeking spiritual advice or consolation.  She knew the true freedom of being close to Christ.

We don’t need to have such mystical experiences.  Indeed, they’re very rare graces given only to souls extremely close to Jesus.  What we can do is to thank God every day for his graces and his gifts, and with peace of mind and joy offer him ourselves by carrying out our responsibilities in family, school, and work (if we have a job) and by being patient and kind with family, schoolmates, and others.  This kind of attitude will set us free, as it did St. Paul and Bl. Alexandrina.