The Unconquerable Saint Damien

Turning 45 years old today, I am undeniably middle-aged. Birthdays and middle-age are good catalysts for taking stock of life, so to speak, but I have found that there are many balances upon which to weigh a life.

Two contrasting examples came across my virtual life today: amongst my emails was one with a quote from today's celebrated Catholic saint, Saint Damien de Veuster of Moloka'i; in my Twitter feed was William Ernest Henley's poem, Invictus.

First, the closing stanza of Invictus reads:

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Now, compare that to the quote from St. Damien:

It is at the foot of the altar that we find the strength necessary 

in this isolation of ours. Without the Blessed Sacrament 

a position like mine* would be unbearable. But, having Our Lord 

at my side, I continue always to be happy and content.

The scandalous claim of Christianity is that I am not the master of my fate, not the captain of my soul. In the paradoxical divine economy, in order to gain the life we are meant to lead, we must surrender it, relinquish it, allow the Messiah-King to usurp from us the throne of our autonomy.

May my second half of life find me ever more like St. Damien.

* Father Damien followed the call of God to live amongst and minister to a colony of people with leprosy on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i. He eventually contracted the disease, which led to his death. Read the story here.