Today is the memorial for Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo. He was born in Spain in the 16th century and became a brilliant scholar of the law. When he was 42, King Philip of Spain asked him to go to Lima, Peru to become Archbishop. He initially protested since he was a layman but finally consented to the request of the king and Pope Gregory XIII. After being ordained a priest and consecrated a bishop, St. Turibius made the long journey across the world to serve the people of South America.
At that time, his archdiocese included Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia and parts of Argentina. It took many years to travel thru this large territory and he completed the journey 3 times in the 26 years he served. He confronted the evils of colonialism and abuses among the clergy. He founded the 1st seminary in the Americas and administered the sacraments to over 800,000 people including St. Rose of Lima and St. Martin de Porres. He died at 78 and was canonized in 1726.
You may have heard this saying: God does not always call the qualified, but qualifies the called. The life of St. Turibius seems to fit that saying and brings to life our Psalm for today. Psalm 102 is a prayer for renewal. The Psalmist writes: “O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.”
This Psalm starts out as an expression of grief but changes into a confident prayer for God’s protection. The life of St. Turibius seems to have been God’s answer to the cries of the people in South America so many years ago.
Of course Jesus taught us we are all called to help those in need. May the intercession of St. Turibius guide us to help those who may be crying out to the Lord today.