On the 20th anniversary of Sister Dorothy Stang's martyrdom, Fr. Jim Schutte reflects on how God appears unexpectedly in our lives, just as Sister Dorothy found God's presence while advocating for people experiencing poverty and defending the Brazilian rainforest. Through readings from Isaiah 25:4-9 and Matthew 25:31-40, this homily celebrates how Dorothy's spirit lives on, embodying the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur to spread God's goodness beyond boundaries and educate for life.
Read below or DOWNLOAD. Text provided by Sister Judi Clemens, SNDdeN.
Sister Dorothy Stang, SNDdeN 20th Anniversary of Martyrdom
February 12, 2025
By Fr. Jim Schutte
Isaiah 25: 4-9. Mt. 25: 31-40
I am surprised to discover that God is always present to me especially in moments where I least expect God to be – when I am sick, with healing; when I am confused, with understanding; when I am rejected, with acceptance; when I despair, with hope; to sinfulness, weakness, imperfection, with mercy and forgiveness. When I share these surprises with my spiritual director, he smiles big and says: “Praise God, God is such a sneak! I have learned this to be very true. God is not so much a sneak in the way of scaring us or quietly coming from behind to frighten us or doing something without us knowing it. But God sneaks around in human form and shape in the least expected places and people, never to condemn us but to give us compassion, to save, redeem and offer us newness and fullness of life.
The prophet Isaiah announces that God will always be present to provide for all peoples, to
destroy the veil that veils all peoples and the web that is woven over all nations. God wipes away the tears from all faces because God is present to us in ways that have been previously unknown so that we can look to God to save us from death; to redeem and offer us fullness of life and love. Rejoice and be glad that God is such a sneak!
The Gospel shows us that God clearly chooses to accept the human condition and is joined to the weakness of human nature. So much so that when a hungry person is fed, a thirsty person is given drink, a stranger is welcomed someone naked is clothed, the ill or imprisoned are visited, so is the Lord. Whatever is done for a least sister or brother, is done for the Lord himself. Yes, praise God that God is such a sneak!
When Sister Dorothy’s assassins approached her, they asked if she had any weapons. She
showed them her bible and she began reading the Beatitudes. “Blessed are they who are
persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you
when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, your reward will be great in heaven.” Rejoice and be glad because God conquers death. Death never gets the final word anymore. Never! Yes, praise God that God is such a wonderful sneak!
Before her martyrdom, Sister Dorothy dedicated her life to defending the Brazilian rainforest
from depletion by agriculture. She worked as an advocate for the rural poor. She is quoted as
saying: “We must be poor with the people and recapture a tender and kind relationship with
Mother Earth. Then we will know how to act.” I imagine creation and the poor whom she served and defended so well, together in chorus singing, Praise be God, God is such a wonderful sneak to save us and offer us fullness of life.
So, today, on this twentieth anniversary of Dorothy’s martyrdom, we celebrate that this world
can take our bodies, but it can never take our spirit. Joined to the Spirit of God, how much does Dorothy’s spirit live on in us, with us, for us today. Like Dorothy, may we welcome God’s Spirit and presence to sneak about in our lives and generously and joyfully bring it to those waiting for the surprise of the good news to rest upon them and in them. With Dorothy, let us rejoice and be glad that our reward will be great in heaven. Surprise, God is such a sneak, now and always.