Claire Smith

Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi

Scripture:

Nehemiah 2:1-8
Luke 9:57-62

Reflection:

Bold Discipleship

Today’s Gospel recounts Jesus inviting people to share his mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  Some made great professions of faith as they joined Jesus; others put conditions on their discipleship response – seemingly honorable deeds of burying deceased parents or saying farewell to families at home.  And yet Jesus asks for the full commitment of his disciples…nothing hindering a person’s 100% response! 

That bold challenge spoke to the heart of the well-known 12^th Century saint we celebrate today, Francis of Assisi.  Francis heard that personal call of Jesus and ultimately gave himself wholeheartedly to Jesus in a life of praise, sacrifice and service.  The Scriptures came alive for Francis of Assisi.  His carefree youth was radically changed by the Jesus’ call; he renounced his possessions and redirected his life to evangelical poverty and preaching.  Francis’ life was truly charismatic, compassionate, and loving of all God’s creation.  God used Francis to call others to lives of radical discipleship; so many responded that Francis wrote a “rule of life” and established a number of men’s and women’s religious communities.  In the 44 short years of his life, he shared the joy of those early disciples of Jesus and sparked a spiritual renewal and vitality that continue to inspire men and women today – especially our own Pope Francis!  “Rebuild my church” challenged St. Francis – and Pope Francis today, precisely as the men and women of the Church meet in the 2023 session of the Synod of Bishops.

Jesus and Francis of Assisi challenge us to generously live and promote God’s Kingdom!  Our global family is dramatically challenged by “disasters” of all types and intensities: violence & war, selfishness, poverty & hunger, climate change, injustice, disease, etc.  How do we respond today as faith-filled disciples?  How do we respect God’s presence in people, nature, created things, the daily events in the lives of our worldwide sisters and brothers?  How do we reflect the life-giving simplicity and humility of Jesus and Francis in our lives?  How do we best proclaim God’s mercy and compassion amid our world’s suffering and hopelessness?  Today’s Scriptures, the life of St. Francis, and the example of our contemporary faithful encourage us to say “yes”, leaving all behind to join Jesus in proclaiming God’s love by word and deed.

Today, in the spirit of Francis of Assisi:  May we be simple, faith-filled, joy-filled, compassionate disciples of Jesus!  May we treasure our “Common Home” and be channels of God’s peace!

Fr. John Schork, C.P. serves as the Province Vocation Director and also as Local Superior of the Passionist Community of Holy Name in Houston, Texas.  

Scripture:

Zechariah 8:20-23
Luke 9:51-56

Reflection:

The gospel today highlights the deep commitment of Jesus to the will of the Father- symbolised in the journey itself.

By this I mean, that our text today highlights the determination of Jesus to stay with the moment – to focus his energy on the journey itself and not to be distracted by his opposition, let alone raw instincts like striking back at one’s opponents. How much Jesus knew of what lay ahead might well be debated by scholars – certainly Jerusalem had a reputation for rejecting prophets and doing violence to them. What we can say is that it represented danger and potential harm to go there and to proclaim a message that while only revealing God’s deep love for the poor, disposed and vulnerable, was nevertheless a message that disturbed power structures and challenged the accepted orthodoxy of the day.  Jesus does journey towards danger, but the passage today places emphasis on his deep convictions, unwavering determination and courage.

We see our saviour here today as the one who having discerned what God was asking, then turned to follow that path no matter the cost.

Follow the path that resonates with our deepest sense of human kindness, that is in accord with the example of faith given by so many before us, and that is guided by the inner voice of Gods own Spirit. 

Perhaps that is the lesson for us today. Live life as a calling, follow the path of Jesus, live with gratitude as one’s core response to God, and live in anticipation of transformation into eternal life.

Fr. Denis Travers, C.P., is the Provincial Superior of Holy Spirit Province, Australia. 

Scripture:

Zechariah 8:1-8
Matthew 18:1-5, 10

Reflection:

See that you do not despise one of these little ones,
for I say to you that their angels in heaven
always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.  -Matthew 18: 10

Sometimes when someone has helped me in a special way, I have said to them: “You have been my angel”. It really didn’t matter what type of help was given; it could have been financial assistance or emotional support. What made the assistance I received so special was the loving spirit in which it was given. I felt guided rather than controlled; accepted, rather than judged. The person who had helped me rebuild my life had also renewed my faith in other humans, in myself, and in God. That’s why I called him or her an “angel.”

And when I remember those who have been “angels” for me, most have been people of faith. Their care for me was an expression of their faith—I found out later that their assistance came along with many silent prayers, sometimes prayers of intercession for my needs, and sometimes prayers for guidance as to how to best help me. In other words, my “angels” were focused on me, but their eyes were also on God.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that children have angels in heaven. And these angels always have their eyes on God. Jesus says: “their angels in heaven look upon the face of My heavenly Father.” In 2018 on this feast of the Memorial of the Guardian Angels, Pope Francis encouraged Christians to pray and speak to their guardian angel who “is not only with us but also sees God the Father. The angel is the daily door toward transcendence, to the encounter with the Father,” Pope Francis said. “The angel helps me walk along the path because he looks at the Father who knows the way. “

On this feast of the Memorial of the Guardian Angels, let us do as Pope Francis asks: pray and speak to our Guardian angels, who help us on our path, our journey, for they guide the way.

And we might also want to thank God for those humans in our lives who have been like angels to us!

Patty Gillis is a retired Pastoral Minister. She served on the Board of Directors at St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat and Conference Center in Detroit. She is currently a member of the Laudato Si Vision Fulfillment Team and the Passionist Solidarity Network.