“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”  Matthew 25:40. When we help someone who is in need, we are also serving Jesus.

One who personified such a life was St. Peter Claver.  Born in Spain in 1580, he volunteered for the Spanish colonies and was sent to Cartagena.  For six years he lived with the Jesuits and studied theology before being ordained as a priest.  During those years he was deeply disturbed by the harsh treatment and living conditions of the black enslaved people who were brought from Africa.   Cartagena was a slave-trading hub and 10,000 slaves poured into the port yearly, crossing the Atlantic from West Africa under conditions so foul that an estimated one-third died in transit. Although the slave trade was condemned by the Pope, it was a lucrative business and continued to flourish.^[6]

Claver headed for the wharf whenever a slave ship entered.  Boarding the ship, he entered the filthy and diseased holds to minister to the badly treated, terrified human cargo.  After the enslaved people were herded from the ship and penned in nearby yards, he joined them with medicine, food, bread and lemons.   It is estimated that during his 40 years of ministry, he personally baptized 300,000 slaves.

In honor of St. Peter Claver, the people of the Republic of Columbia declared September 9^th as National Day of Human Rights.

Serving the “least of these” is just as essential now as then.  We are not called to work on slave ships, but whatever our calling, let’s perform it to the glory of our God who showers us with his unconditional love.

Judy