Brothers and sisters, if I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! The Church honors today the memory of St. John Neumann, a native of Bohemia whose desire to help in the American Missions saw him move to the United States. After his ordination in 1836 in New York, he entered the congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, where he worked in establishing parishes and parish schools. He was consecrated Bishop of Philadelphia in 1852. He was renowned for his holiness and learning. He was the first American Bishop to be canonized (1977).
In the First Reading, St. Paul seeks to make some “clarification” regarding his call as a preacher of the Good News. He tells the Corinthians that even though he has some authority over them as an apostle, this is no reason for him to feel proud or to boast. As a matter of fact, his is responsibility of “assuming” their very status (I have become all things to all). If the good news whose slave he has become has to have effect, then Paul has no alternative but to imitate his master Jesus Christ in subjecting himself to those under his charge. In other words, a preacher of the Gospel must become not only a slave to the Gospel but also of the people to whom he/she has been sent to preach. It is a disposition that every pastor must have, for without it, it becomes impossible to be the good shepherds that Jesus calls them to be.
St. John Neumann definitely understood what Paul was talking about, and his desire to go to missions is a testament to that. When he decided to leave his native country for the Americans, he was setting out for the unknown. He was leaving behind family and familiar places for places he knew nothing about. But he didn’t mind, for like Paul, he was ready to become anything for both the Gospel and the people of the Americas. Although not yet a bishop or priest by then, he was ready to lay down his life for his American brothers and sisters. He was already proving that he was a good shepherd material.
Like St. Neumann, we too have been called to preach the Gospel message without counting the cost. Through his intercessions, may we embody the attitude of St. Paul, letting ourselves be everything to everybody so that the Gospel message may be given priority.