Jesus is on a mission to his nation’s capital of rule and oppression, Jerusalem. His plans include travelling through inhospitable territory. His plans likely included meeting people in that territory who are themselves treated inhospitably, lepers. The lepers “stood at a distance from Jesus and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, have compassion on us!” and Jesus responded. He healed them and was thanked.
The Gospel story of being on a mission, calling on a healer for help, and being grateful for that help is the story of Mollie Rogers (1882-1955). Like Jesus, Mollie too was on a mission. She too was willing to head not away from oppression and hardship but towards it. She felt a call toward overseas mission work, which for Catholics in the U.S., operated through Maryknoll. As a woman, she was denied the opportunity for mission work by Maryknoll priests who judged women incapable of dealing with the hardships of mission life. Her perseverance resulted in forming a women’s religious group which patriarchs at the Vatican eventually approved, The Maryknoll Sisters. Molly rejected its parent Maryknoll group’s regimentation and obedience in favor of flexibility and creativity. Like Jesus, The Maryknoll sisters missioned themselves toward oppression. On the way, they were received by the people, people who were themselves inhospitably treated. The sisters became healers of the people’s hardships. This was especially true in China under Communist oppression and in Latin America under U.S. Capitalist oppression. As the courage and healing witness of Jesus inspired Mollie Rogers and the Maryknoll Sisters, their courage and healing witness inspired journalist Penny Lernoux (1940-1989). Ms. Lernoux, born 15 years before Mollie’s death, had also been raised Catholic and also knew the judgment of its priesthood against her as a woman. She later learned of such priests’ judgment against the poor while working as a journalist in Latin America. Penny Lernoux did not originally plan on chronicling the lives of the poor. Her plans changed when she met the Maryknoll Sisters. Unlike most priests of the institutional Catholic Church, the Maryknoll sisters were not in collusion with the rich and oppressive. They were instead in solidarity with the poor and oppressed. Penny changed when she immersed herself in the lives of the poor and oppressed people, “It was through them that I became aware of and entered into another world, not that of the U.S. Embassy or the upper classes, which comprise the confines of most journalists, but the suffering and hopeful world of the slums and peasant villages.” The poor ‘raised their voices, saying, Penny, have compassion on us! and Penny responded.’ “The experience changed my life, giving me new faith and a commitment as a writer to tell the truth of the poor to the best of my ability.” The lives of poor and oppressed people in touch with other poor and oppressed people became Mollie’s life and every Maryknoll sister’s life and was becoming Penny’s life and so many more beyond. Penny Lernoux’s mission changed journalism. More and more reporters took on the mission to immerse themselves in the lives of the poor. They took on the mission to confront the rulers and oppressors and heal the poor whom the rulers oppressed. Penny’s mission was continued by these journalists because Penny’s mission was cut short by cancer. Penny Lernoux died on October 9th, the same date Mollie Rogers had died. Penny is buried with Mollie in the cemetery of the Maryknoll sisters.
“There is nothing more astonishing than life, just as it is, nothing more miraculous than growth and change… just as revealed to us.” “There is nothing to do but wonder and thank God, realizing how little is planned… and yet how much has been done.” (Mollie Rogers) (Thanks to Robert Ellsberg)
Prayer: Jesus, we share your mission towards the poor and oppressed.
Question: Who are the poor and oppressed in whose lives I am called to be immersed?
October 09, 2022 Gospel Luke 17:11-19 Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time