God sees what human memory forgets.
On Sunday, October 19, the Church honors the Feast of the North American Martyrs—St. Isaac Jogues, St. Jean de Brébeuf, and their companions.
We hear a lot about St. Isaac Jogues and St. Jean de Brébeuf. But it’s the “and companions” that I want to speak on.
There were eight martyrs in total, but we so often forget the others: Saints Noël Chabanel, Gabriel Lalemant, René Goupil, Jean de Lalande, Anthony Daniel, and Charles Garnier. These companions labored quietly. They weren’t prominent in their lifetimes. They lived and served in remote places, enduring hardship, sickness, and isolation. Their stories are fragmented and, in many ways, unknown.
And yet, there is real significance in being a companion.
Each day on the Church’s calendar, hundreds of names pass by—holy men and women whose lives we never hear about. Their obscurity doesn’t make them any less saintly. It simply reminds us that holiness doesn’t depend on recognition.
This feast invites us to remember the hidden saints among us: the caregivers, the volunteers, the ones who work behind the scenes. Those who keep parish life running quietly. The ones who visit the sick, clean up after events, bring communion to the homebound, or care for a family member in silence. They are our “and companions.”
God sees what human memory forgets.
It’s easy to celebrate the saints who have biographies and feast days—but this Sunday is a call to gratitude for those whose holiness never makes the bulletin. It’s also an invitation to see how we, too, might live as “silent saints.”
God doesn’t ask us all to be Martin Luther King Jr. or Mother Teresa. Most of us are called to love in small, faithful ways—to show up, to serve, to pray, to accompany. To give our time, our talent, and our treasure for the sake of love.
Maybe the holiest thing we can do is to be someone’s “and companion.”
💭 For reflection:
- Who are the “and companions” in your life—the people who make God’s love visible through quiet faithfulness?
- And how might you be called to be one yourself?
📖 Sunday Readings:
- Exodus 17:8–13
- Psalm 121
- 2 Timothy 3:14–4:2
- Luke 18:1–8
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