Homily (Reflection) for the Memorial
of Saint Francis of Assisi, Rel., (4th October, 2016) on the Gospel
and the Memorial
Gal 1:13-24;
Ps 138:1-3.13-15. (R. v.24);Lk 10:38-42.
Saint Francis was born at Assisi in 1181. His mother
christened him Giovanni after John the Baptist but his father renamed him
Francesco because he never wanted any man of God in his son. He enjoyed a very
rich easy life growing up because of his father's wealth and the permissiveness
of the times. Francis led a crowd of young people who spent their nights in
wild parties. He saw the call for knights for the Fourth Crusade as an
opportunity to earn glory. However, he gave his suit of armour decorated with
gold to a poor knight and obeyed God’s call to return home. He started to spend
more time in prayer and Christ asked him to repair His Church that scandal and
avarice were working on from the inside while outside heresies flourished while
he was praying in the ancient church at San Damiano. He was ordained only a
deacon under his protest. He preached about returning to God and obedience to
the Church. Slowly companions came to him. He loved all God's creations and also
preached to all. He tried to make poverty holy and saw possessions as the death
of love. Francis' final years were filled with suffering as well as
humiliation. He received the stigmata. He died on 4th October, 1226.
Francis is considered the founder of all Franciscan orders and the patron saint
of ecologists and merchants.[1]
Topic: Mission to all.
Jesus visited Martha and Mary. While Mary sat at His feet
listening to Him, Martha was busy with many tasks. Martha even pleaded with Jesus
to intervene. But Jesus answered her in part, “Mary has chosen the better part,
which will not be taken away from her.”
Many often see Jesus’ response as an outright condemnation of
Martha. Martha was busy putting things in place to receive Jesus. Again, Jesus
neither asked her to stop nor said that she was wrong. He only said, “Mary has
chosen the better part....” It seems that Saint Paul’s teaching on celibacy is rooted
here. Although he praised celibacy, but he did not condemn marriage, cf. 1Cor 7:38.
God wants us to be Christians wherever we are – in the
church, in the kitchen, in the market, and so on. However, Saint Paul wrote, “...faith
comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ” (Rom 10:17). Mary’s part is to be seen in
Martha’s. And Martha’s is useless if it is not informed by Mary’s. Saint
Francis of Assisi lived exemplary. He loved and preached to all creatures
including the birds and wild wolf. We must take the gospel of Christ to all
creatures.
Bible Reading: Ps 150:1-6.
Thought for today: You belong to God.
Let us pray: Lord, give us the grace to be your witnesses
to all creatures – Amen.
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