By Susan Ciancio
Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Margaret Clitherow, an incredibly brave woman whose immense faith guided the last few years of her life and led to her becoming a martyr.
Margaret was born to a Protestant family in England around 1555. Both smart and beautiful, Margaret married John Clitherow in 1571. They had two children together. Several years into her marriage, she converted to Catholicism. This was time when being a Catholic or a Catholic priest was punishable by death, but Margaret was unafraid. She even hid priests in her home in special “priest holes,” as they were known. These were false panels in walls that were intended to keep the priests from being found by the queen’s men. However, someone found out what Margaret was doing and reported her for hiding priests; she was arrested and brought to trial. They tried to make her renounce her faith, but she remained steadfast and would not do so. Because of this, she was condemned to death and died in 1586.
We can learn so much from saints like Margaret Clitherow. But the most awesome thing that stands out is the fact that the Mass and the Eucharist meant so much to her that she literally built safe places for priests so that they could come into her home, upon penalty of death, and say the Mass.
Imagine if every Catholic took the Mass as seriously as she did. Imagine if everyone were this devoted to Christ in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is truly a miracle that we can see at every Mass.
As we think about Margaret today, let us strive to become more faithful to Mass and to the Eucharist. And let us reflect on Christ’s words in John chapter 6, where He tells His disciples, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”
He continues, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He wants to drive the lesson home. So He then says: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”
Many of the disciples walked away that day. The lesson was too hard. But Jesus didn’t stop them and say, “Guys, I was speaking metaphorically. Come back.” No, He let them go. He let them go because this was a lesson they had to get right. If they didn’t understand it, they didn’t understand Him.
He then turned to His Apostles and asked if they were going to leave too. Peter responded, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.
The Apostles were given an incredible gift. They got to know Jesus. They watched Him perform miracles and raise people from the dead. They walked and talked with Him. And most of them died for Him.
They knew that He is the Son of God. They gave their lives so that others may believe.
Margaret Clitherow gave her life because she believed. And because of her life and her faith, others have strengthened their own faith. We can look to her and to the Apostles when we hit a dry spell or when we start to think that something is more important than God or more important than going to Mass. We can remember that Margaret risked her life to have Mass said and to receive the Eucharist.
Why? Because the Eucharist IS Jesus—body, blood, soul, and divinity. It’s not just a symbol. He has given us this gift, this bit of heaven on earth, to strengthen us on our journey to heaven. Margaret allowed herself to be nourished by the Eucharist.
Do we allow this? Do we long for this?
Peter told Jesus, “We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”
Do we also truly believe this? If so, we would never miss Mass or the opportunity to receive Christ in the Eucharist. We would give our very lives for Him.