The first major turn in his life took place when he was riding his horse outside the city and met a leper who came out from a leper colony to beg him for alms. Francis dropped him something and sped away, not being able to stand the sight and smell of the leper and also phobic about catching the disease. But a short distance away he was pierced to the heart by his lack of genuine love. He turned around, sped to the leper, dismounted, and then embrace him and kiss the lands he wouldn’t touch earlier when dropping coins. It was a conversion to charity.
“After 25 years of a mediocre life full of dreams, spent in the pursuit of worldly pleasures and success,” Pope Benedict described, Francis “opened himself to grace, came to his senses and gradually recognized Christ as the ideal of his life.”
From there, we know the famous story of Francis making pilgrimage to the crumbling Church of San Damiano. As Francis was praying in front of the Crucifix, Jesus spoke to him from the Cross and summoned him, “Francis, rebuild my Church which you can see is falling into ruin.” Francis, at first, took the Lord literally and, selling some of his father’s precious fabrics, with the proceeds began to reconstruct the dilapidated house of God. But the Lord had a far bigger building project in mind, bringing renewal to the Church, through his preaching and penance and poverty, making disciples for Christ one living stone at a time.
Francis’ radical embrace of the Gospel very quickly attracted a band of his Franciscan brothers, and then the Poor Clares, and then the lay Franciscans, and so many hearts which were enkindled with faith and charity by witnessing a living saint.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world,” we heard in Paul’s words to the Galatians this morning. Francis, like Paul sought that perfect-identification with and identification with the crucified one who suffers for our salvation. And Like Paul, St. Francis would go on to bear the marks of Jesus on his body, signs of his union with Christ in his willingness to suffer for the Gospel.
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” we hear in the epistle today. Francis, like Paul sought that perfect-identification with the crucified one who suffers out of love for our salvation. And Like Paul, St. Francis would go on to bear the marks of Jesus on his body, the holy stigmata, which he received on the mountain top of La Verna. Pope Benedict said, that signs of his union with Christ in his willingness to suffer for the Gospel.
May we like Francis open our hearts to the lepers in our midst, may we attract souls to Christ through our penance and living out of the Gospel, willingly uniting our lives to the Crucified one, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
- - - - - -
For Holy Father Pope Francis on this his patronal feast, for the grace to bring renewal to those parts of the Church which are crumbling—especially, a renewal of true faith, where faith has diminished or been corrupted.
For blessings upon all members of the Franciscan Orders, for vocations and that their witness may bring renewal to the Church.
For hope for the despairing and all those who suffer.
For the grace of perfect charity to fill our hearts for those in need.
That all God’s Holy People will be filled with the wisdom and discernment needed to know and obey God’s Holy Will.
For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment