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February 11
David Barnhart
February 11, 2025
River taxi, Beni river, Bolivia. 2009.
Today in 1141, Hugh of Saint Victor died in Paris. He was a theologian and mystic who considered all of creation a sacrament, a means of grace that reveals God to humanity.
And on February 11, Marguerite d’Oingt died. She was a nun, mystic, and author.
On this day in 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa after 27 years. He had been imprisoned for his resistance to apartheid. He went on to become the first president of South Africa and establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
On this day in 1534, Henry VIII became the head of the Church of England. And on this day in 1979, Iran also became a theocracy under Ayatollah Khomeini. We remember these theocracies so we may avoid doing likewise, either by turning kings into priests or priests into kings. Better yet is no king.
Reflection:
In Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela wrote:
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
He also said:
“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”
Hugh of Saint Victor wrote:
“It is, therefore, a great source of virtue for the practiced mind to learn, bit by bit, first to change about in visible and transitory things, so that afterwards it may be possible to leave them behind altogether. The man who finds his homeland sweet is still a tender beginner; he to whom every soil is as his native one is already strong; but he is perfect to whom the entire world is as a foreign land.”
Marguerite d’Oingt wrote:
The saints will be within their Creator as the fish within the sea: they will drink as much as they want, without getting tired and without diminishing the amount of water. The saints will be just like that, for they will drink and eat the great sweetness of God. And the more they will get, the greater their hunger will be.
Our readings from the saints today connect love, justice, and awe. I believe these are our greatest tools in resisting oppression.
Prayer: Great Spirit, teach us love. Teach us justice. Teach us to be in awe. Amen.