October 19 | Saints John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, and Companions

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, we are traveling back to the 17th century, deep into the challenging, untamed wilderness of North America.

Imagine paddling a fragile canoe through roaring, dangerous rapids. The wind is biting, your stomach is growling with hunger, and you are exhausted from extreme exposure to the elements. You are thousands of miles from home, with no phones, no maps, and no safety net. Surrounding you is a massive forest caught in the middle of a brutal war. One wrong turn, and you could lose everything. Everything. Yet, two men willingly walked right into this danger. Today, we are telling the story of two French Jesuit missionaries, John de Brebeuf and Isaac Jogues.

Now, these two guys were complete opposites. John de Brebeuf was physically strong, intellectually serious, and remarkably patient. Isaac Jogues, on the other hand, was physically more fragile, but he was absolutely no less courageous. They both shared a willingness to remain with the people they served, even when circumstances grew catastrophic.

In the 17th century, John, Isaac, and their companions left France to travel to what is now Canada and the northern United States. They labored among the Huron and other indigenous peoples in New France, but their mission field was extraordinarily difficult. There were no modern comforts, just dangerous waterways, primitive conditions, hunger, and exposure.

To even begin sharing their Catholic faith, they had to learn incredibly complex languages. John de Brobeuf devoted enormous effort to learning the Huron language and customs. He spent years studying their way of life so he could truly connect with them.

But just as they were building relationships, disaster struck. A terrible war broke out between the Iroquois and Huron nations. At the same time, European diseases were devastating the local societies, causing massive social collapse. The missionaries were caught right in the middle of this chaos, yet they refused to run away.

Some of the missionaries were captured, tortured, and killed. Isaac Jogues was captured and suffered terribly. His captors mangled his fingers, which was an especially painful wound for a priest because it affected his ability to celebrate Mass. Against all odds, Isaac Jogues hamously managed to escape. He could have stayed in safety, far away from danger. But Isaac's heart was still in the wilderness. He returned directly to the mission field to continue serving.

Meanwhile, in 1649, John de Braeboeuf was captured and tortured with extraordinary cruelty before being killed. Through all of this violence, misunderstanding, and suffering, these men stayed, learned, and died with the names of Jesus and Mary on their lips.

Because of their incredible bravery and love, Saints John de Braeboeuf, Isaac, Jogues and their companions are recognized today as the patron saints of North America, Canada, catechists, and missionaries. Their symbols or attributes are the missionary cross, a canoe, and the martyr's palm.

Every day, you walk into your own wilderness. It might be a school hallway where everyone is gossiping, or a situation where it feels impossible to stand up for what's right. Here is your challenge for today, inspired by these amazing saints. First, be like Saint John de Brebeuf. Learn someone else's language. No, not a foreign language. Instead, take the time to truly listen to someone who is different from you, someone who is lonely, or someone you don't normally understand. Just as John devoted enormous effort To learning Huron customs, you can devote effort to understanding someone else's feelings and perspective before you speak.

Second, be like St. Isaac Jogues. Don't give up when it gets hard. If you try to do the right thing and it backfires, or if you feel hurt, don't just run away. Have the courage to keep caring and trying, just like Isaac did when he returned to the mission field. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.