St. Isaac Jogues

Virtue: Patience

St. Isaac Jogues was a Jesuit missionary from France who came to North America to work with the many peoples who first lived in these lands. In the United States, they are often known as Native Americans. Did you know that in Canada they are known as the First Nations? Isaac Jogues wanted to tell these people about Jesus and how much Jesus loved them. He tried to live among them, the way Jesus would live. He was gentle and kind. He prayed for the people and hoped to attract them by the way he lived to want to learn about God. Native Americans lived in tribes. Some of the tribes were gentle, some were fierce. Some of the tribes were often engaged in war. Showing great strength and bravery was very important to them. Isaac was captured by some members of the Iroquois tribe, tortured, and forced to return to France for a time. But he begged to return to North America to continue living with the native peoples and teaching them about Jesus. One day, Isaac was killed by one of the Indians DATE AND PLACE. We call Isaac a martyr because he died while giving his whole life for the Faith. Isaac had a great love for the Native Americans and never gave up even when things were very difficult. The 8 North American martyrs, St. Isaac Jogues and his companions, were canonized in 1930. Their feast day is on October 19.

Your Turn

Isaac was patient in his sufferings. He loved the peoples he came to teach about Jesus, even when they didn’t return his love. You, too, can show Jesus you love him by asking him to help you love those who might not like you.

Dear Jesus, sometimes it is hard to be patient like Isaac Jogues was. He could be patient because he really loved the people in North America and wanted them to know God’s love for them. Help me to be kind to just one person I have a hard time with this month.