As a reminder today is September 8th which is normally celebrated on our calendar as the Nativity of the Blessed Mother. Due to this memorial falling on a Sunday it is not celebrated in our liturgy, but still remains an important day. May we continue to set our sight upon our Blessed Mother and allow her to intercede for us in order that we may strive to follow after her towards the Kingdom of Heaven.
Saint Paul’s Epistle to Philemon introduces us to the figure of Onesimus. Onesimus is probably not someone who we are very familiar with. Nevertheless, Onesimus has since has been canonized a saint of the Church, he is held as being a bishop of Ephesus, and his life reached its conclusion through the reward of martyrdom.
This name, Onesimus, means “useful” in Greek. This is interesting because in the one verse missing from our Epistle verse 11 we are told that he: “was once useless to you but is now useful to [both] you and me.” Saint Paul interestingly chooses this play on words concerning Onesimus. He calls the one whose name literally means “useful” useless.
Now we must ask why Onesimus was once useless, but now useful. Onesimus was useless because he was originally a slave for an earthly master, but through his conversion he became a slave for God. Through the intercession of Saint Onesimus I hope that we too will grow in being useful by letting go of all that holds us as slaves to way of the world. It is only though Christ Jesus that we are converted and can live.
The Gospel of Saint Luke presents us with this challenge. In it Christ reminds us of the importance of carrying the cross and following after Him. In it Christ reminds us of the importance of renouncing all in order that we may follow after Him. For whatever reason Onesimus heard this call and chose to embrace it. We have heard this invitation given to us on many occasions, but do we ever take these words to heart?
The more that we become enslaved to the ways of the world the more useless that we become. We can only become useful in so far as we come to know Christ. Through coming to know Christ we are liberated from all those holds us hostage. Through coming to know Christ we realize the importance of the sacrificial offering upon the cross and desire to orient our sight there in order to find meaning and healing in the midst of our own life.
Onesimus came to understand all of this. From this understanding he came to believe and came to have true faith. From this encounter with the truth he was sent into the world as an evangelist for Christ Jesus. In like manner, we too must come to believe and have true faith. From this encounter with our Lord in Holy Communion we too are sent into the world to bring others to come and know the Good News of Christ Jesus.
