Consider Communal Confession

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary on the feast of the poverello of Assisi challenge us, like Francis example, to a way of thinking about communal responsibility that is not in vogue today.

Influence of Francis

The passage from the Book of Baruch describes a confession of the role of communal sin in the destruction of Jerusalem.

* [1:15–2:10] This confession of sin is similar to Dn 9:7–14, and echoes ideas from Deuteronomy and Jeremiah; cf. also Neh 9.1 

In Psalm 79, a plea for mercy for Jerusalem, people ask how long the withdrawal of divine favor will last, pray for action now, and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe.

* [Psalm 79] A communal lament complaining that the nations have defiled the Temple and murdered the holy people, leaving their corpses unburied (Ps 79:1–4). The occasion is probably the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army in 587 B.C. The people ask how long the withdrawal of divine favor will last (Ps 79:5), pray for action now (Ps 79:6–7), and admit that their own sins have brought about the catastrophe (Ps 79:8–9). They seek to persuade God to act for reasons of honor: the nations who do not call upon the Name are running amok (Ps 79:6); the divine honor is compromised (Ps 79:1, 10, 12); God’s own servants suffer (Ps 79:2–4, 11).2

The Gospel from Luke describes the woes befalling the unrepentant cities that Jesus has visited.

 * [10:13–16] The call to repentance that is a part of the proclamation of the kingdom brings with it a severe judgment for those who hear it and reject it.3

Mary Lee Brock comments that St Francis of Assisi lived over 800 years ago and left us with a model of how we can live our lives today in this world filled with paradox… She prays to St. Francis to help her see ways she can challenge systems that exploit the poor, unjustly imprison people and denigrate our beautiful earthly home. St Francis encountered overwhelming and devastating situations with hope and optimism… a powerful paradox. His beloved prayer bears repeating as a reminder for us to work together to build the kingdom of God.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:where there is hatred, let me sow love;where there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,to be understood as to understand,to be loved as to love.For it is in giving that we receive,it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.4

Don Schwager quotes “Christ speaks through the disciples,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"Christ gives those who love instruction the assurance that whatever is said concerning him by the holy apostles or evangelists is to be received necessarily without any doubt and to be crowned with the words of truth. He who hears them, hears Christ. For the blessed Paul also said, 'You desire proof that Christ is speaking in me' (2 Corinthians 13:3). Christ himself somewhere also said to the holy disciples, 'For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you' (Matthew 10:20). Christ speaks in them by the consubstantial Spirit. If it is true, and plainly it is, that they speak by Christ, how can they err? He affirms that he who does not hear them, does not hear Christ, and that he who rejects them rejects Christ, and with him the Father." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 63)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Baruch 1:15-22 suggests that when the Israelites found themselves in exile in Babylon, they realized that their sin had brought about the destruction of Jerusalem. Holding tightly to their faith, they still met to read God’s word and offer heartfelt prayers, but they were burdened with shame.

But rather than remaining mired in shame, they turned to God in repentance. “Not on . . . just deeds . . . do we base our plea for mercy” (Baruch 2:19). They trusted that God would keep his covenant with them despite all their sins (2:27, 35). And he did. In time, their exile ended, and they came home to rebuild Jerusalem once more.6 

Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the lamentation of Baruch over the destruction of Jerusalem. We need the help of God in our conversion. Friar Jude reminds that our gift of faith incurs a responsibility to be that which we say we are.

A post by Franciscan Media about Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint of the Day for October 4, gives an overview of the life of the poverello of Assisi and reflects that Francis of Assisi was poor only that he might be Christ-like.

He recognized creation as another manifestation of the beauty of God. In 1979, he was named patron of ecology. He did great penance—apologizing to “Brother Body” later in life—that he might be totally disciplined for the will of God. Francis’ poverty had a sister, Humility, by which he meant total dependence on the good God. But all this was, as it were, preliminary to the heart of his spirituality: living the gospel life, summed up in the charity of Jesus and perfectly expressed in the Eucharist.7

An article in the Thomas Merton Journal reviews The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton by Daniel P. Horan, OFM.

The final part of The Franciscan Heart, Engaging the World, speaks of the prophetic element in the vocations of St. Francis and Merton as they speak to the dislocation of a fragmented world, and seek peace and reconciliation among people of all nations and all faiths. Throughout this study Horan shows he is up to date with the latest developments in Franciscan scholarship, and gives a clear outline of Franciscan theology which would be useful even to one not so interested in Merton himself. Although Merton was wholeheartedly a disciple of St. Benedict in the tradition of Citeaux, still he could be said to have been a Franciscan to his final breath.8

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the work of Mirabai Starr, who is a friend, fellow New Mexican, and a respected author known for her work translating many mystics. Her words provide insight to a pivotal experience of St. Francis’ life.

When he was summoned before Bishop Guido, Francis went willingly, considering the bishop to be a representative of God. Guido, known for his violent temper, was surprisingly tender with [Francis]. . . . He tried to reason with him, explaining that he had “scandalized” his father and that God wouldn’t want him to use ill-gotten gains to do his work.
“My son,” said the bishop, “have confidence in the Lord and act courageously. . . . [God] will be your help and will abundantly provide you with whatever is necessary.”
These words penetrated Francis’s heart. Moved by a surge of faith, Francis stripped off his clothes in front of the entire assembly and handed them to his father, along with the purse of gold the priest at San Damiano had refused.
“Listen everyone,” Francis called out to the crowd that had gathered to observe the trial. “From now on, I can say with complete freedom, ‘Our Father who art in Heaven.’ Pietro Bernardone is no longer my father.”9

The influence of the Life of Saint Francis touches our need for a communal confession

of our failure to hear the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor as expressed by Pope Francis in the encyclical on the care of our common home “Laudato Si”.

References

1	(n.d.). Baruch, chapter 1 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 4, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/baruch/1
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 79 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 4, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/79
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from http://usccb.org/bible/luke/10/
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Saint Francis of Assisi (Memorial) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/10/04/
7	(n.d.). Patron St. Francis Of Assisi - Franciscan Media. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-francis-of-assisi/
8	(n.d.). The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton 39. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from http://www.thomasmertonsociety.org/Journal/22/22-1AlanRevHoran.pdf
9	(2019, October 4). Naked Before God — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 4, 2019, from https://cac.org/naked-before-god-2019-10-04/

From Law to Mission

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today resonate with the truth of the joy we experience when we align our morality with the will of God.

Table hospitality

The reading from the Prophet Nehemiah relates the response of the exiles in Jerusalem when Ezra read the Law.

* [8:1–18] Chronologically this belongs after Ezr 8:36. The gloss mentioning Nehemiah in Neh 8:9 was inserted in this Ezra section after the dislocation of several parts of Ezra-Nehemiah had occurred. There is no clear evidence of a simultaneous presence of Nehemiah and Ezra in Jerusalem; Neh 12:26, 36 are also scribal glosses.1 

Psalm 19 declares that the creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law.

* [Psalm 19] The heavenly elements of the world, now beautifully arranged, bespeak the power and wisdom of their creator (Ps 19:2–7). The creator’s wisdom is available to human beings in the law (Ps 19:8–11), toward which the psalmist prays to be open (Ps 19:12–14). The themes of light and speech unify the poem.2 

In the Gospel from Luke, Jesus initiates the Mission of the Seventy (72).

* [10:4] Carry no money bag…greet no one along the way: because of the urgency of the mission and the singlemindedness required of missionaries, attachment to material possessions should be avoided and even customary greetings should not distract from the fulfillment of the task.3

Kyle Lierk comments that the very act of gathering at table is tied up in how we respond to God’s law and labor in God’s harvest land.

Those learners and listeners in today’s first reading seem to feel overwhelmed by what is proclaimed and prescribed to them by Ezra from the scroll.  “For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.” (v.9) In response to their tears and heavy hearts, the people are instructed to go and share a meal together while also sharing with those who had little.  It was through the breaking of bread that joy re-entered their hearts. Jesus draws from the same playbook in Luke’s Gospel when he sends out the 72 “other disciples” ahead of him. He tells them to take little for the journey other than their trust in the hospitality of others to sustain them and the offering of their peace in return.  Presumably, it is at the meal table where this exchange will take place.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus the Good Shepherd changes wolves into sheep,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"How then does [Jesus] command the holy apostles, who are innocent men and 'sheep,' to seek the company of wolves, and go to them of their own will? Is not the danger apparent? Are they not set up as ready prey for their attacks? How can a sheep prevail over a wolf? How can one so peaceful conquer the savageness of beasts of prey? 'Yes,' he says, 'for they all have me as their Shepherd: small and great, people and princes, teachers and students. I will be with you, help you, and deliver you from all evil. I will tame the savage beasts. I will change wolves into sheep, and I will make the persecutors become the helpers of the persecuted. I will make those who wrong my ministers to be sharers in their pious designs. I make and unmake all things, and nothing can resist my will.'" (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 61)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Nehemiah 8:1-12 notes the people began to weep as they realized that they had strayed from their calling to be God’s own special people. But instead of letting the people remain caught in their mourning, Ezra and Nehemiah, the governor, urged them to rejoice. God had granted his people a new beginning. They had rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, so now the people were protected from their enemies. They could return to worshipping the Lord, walking in his ways, and being obedient to his commandments.

When we realize how we have strayed from the Lord, we might have the same reaction as the people did—we are sad because we have disobeyed God and fallen short. But when we recognize our sinfulness, we should see it as God pricking our conscience so that we will turn back to him. He doesn’t want us to get bogged down in sorrow and guilt. He wants us to come to him in repentance so that he can pour out his mercy on us. As he did for the Israelites, he wants to give us a new beginning; he wants to wipe the slate clean so that we can start again.6

Friar Jude Winkler notes that Nehemiah had to rebuild the moral foundation of the people. Finding the ways of the Lord happens in God’s time. Friar Jude reminds that when we know of Jesus mission we have to make a decision.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, God gave St. Francis to history in a pivotal period when Western civilization began to move into rationality, functionality, consumerism, and perpetual war. Francis just did things differently. The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better (one of the Center’s core principles).

As Europe began to centralize and organize everything at high levels of control and fashion, Francis, like a divine trickster, said, “Who cares!” When Roman Catholicism under Pope Innocent III reached the height of papal and worldly power, he said in effect, “There is another way that is much better!” Exactly when we began a style of production and consumption that would eventually ravage planet earth, he decided to love the earth and live simply and barefoot upon it. Francis of Assisi is a Prime Attractor to what we really want, what we definitely need, and who we finally are. And, apparently, he did it all with a “perfect joy” that comes from letting go of the ego!7 

[1] As we journey with Christ, the fulfillment of the Law, we are inspired to fullness of life by doing things differently in accord with the will of the Father.

References

1	(n.d.). Nehemiah, chapter 8 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 3, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/nehemiah/8
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 19 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 3, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/19
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/lk/10:52
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). 26th Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic .... Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/10/03/
7	(n.d.). A New Way of Thinking — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 3, 2019, from https://cac.org/a-new-way-of-thinking-2019-10-03/

Protection Mystery

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of the events on our journey where we have witnessed the mystery of Divine Protection.

The reading from the Book of Exodus presents the conquest of Canaan as a reward of fidelity.

* [23:21] My authority is within him: lit., “My name is within him.”1 

Psalm 91 is an assurance of God’s Protection.

* [91:1] The shelter of the Most High: basically “hiding place” but in the Psalms a designation for the protected Temple precincts, cf. Ps 27:5; 31:21; 61:5. The shade of the Almighty: lit., “the shadow of the wings of the Almighty,” cf. Ps 17:8; 36:8; 57:2; 63:8. Ps 91:4 makes clear that the shadow is an image of the safety afforded by the outstretched wings of the cherubim in the holy of holies.2 

•  This psalm is one that I have prayed for people who are enduring particular hardships like incarceration or persecution for their beliefs. The images in the psalm invoke hope and deepen faith in God who responds to His children in need.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus uses children to define true greatness as he reminds us of the Protection of God with them.

* [18:10] Their angels in heaven…my heavenly Father: for the Jewish belief in angels as guardians of nations and individuals, see Dn 10:13, 20–21; Tb 5:4–7; 1QH 5:20–22; as intercessors who present the prayers of human beings to God, see Tb 13:12, 15. The high worth of the little ones is indicated by their being represented before God by these heavenly beings.3 

Luis Rodriguez, S.J. comments that, although it has never been defined by the Church as Catholic doctrine, devotion to the Guardian Angels has a long tradition in the Church.

But there is a scene in the very beginning of the book of Genesis [4: 8], where Cain, who had just murdered his brother Abel and was being questioned by God about it, responds with a question of his own: Am I my brother’s keeper? In a way, he was telling God that he did not consider himself his brother’s “guardian angel”. God did not answer Cain’s question directly, but God’s reproach and condemnation of Cain’s deed amounts to an affirmative answer. We may not consider ourselves our brothers’ or sisters’ “guardian angels”, yet we do have some responsibility not only not to hurt them, but also to help them in their various needs to the extent that we can.4 

Don Schwager cites John Chrysostom (347-407 AD), Basil the Great (329-379 AD) and the Gospel of (Luke 22:43) and (Matthew 25:31) noting that the angels show us that this universe which God created is not just materialistic. He quotes “Their angels behold the face of my Father in heaven,” by Chromatius (died 406 AD).

"It is not right to despise anyone who believes in Christ. A believer is called not only a servant of God but also a son though the grace of adoption, to whom the kingdom of heaven and the company of the angels is promised. And rightly the Lord adds, 'For I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.' How much grace the Lord has toward each one believing in him he himself declares when he shows their angels always beholding the face of the Father who is in heaven. Great is the grace of the angels toward all who believe in Christ. Finally, the angels carry their prayers to heaven. Hence the word of Raphael to Tobias: 'When you prayed along with your daughter-in-law Sara, I offered the memory of your prayer in the sight of God (Deutero-canonical book of Tobit 12:12). Around them there is also the strong guard of the angels; they help each of us to be free from the traps of the enemy. For a human in his weakness could not be safe amid so many forceful attacks of that enemy if he were not strengthened by the help of the angels." (excerpt from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 57.1)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome. He died in 406 AD. Jerome described him as a "most learned and most holy man."]5

The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 18:1-5, 10 offers that “It’s a Wonderful Life” movie’s wide appeal may stem in part from the fact that it reflects two basic truths of our faith: that guardian angels exist and that they play an important role in our lives. Many people can tell amazing stories of how their guardian angel came to their rescue.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153) had a name for guardian angels that seems especially appropriate—he called them our “bodyguards.” Bernard wrote, “We need only to follow them, remain close to them, and we will dwell in the protection of the Most High God. So as often as you sense the approach of any grave temptation or some crushing sorrow hangs over you, invoke your protector, your leader, your helper in every situation” (Sermons on Psalm 91, Sermon 12).6 

•  Certainly I have had experience of invoking the help of God and knowing the Presence in difficult situations. I reflect on the times in life where my protection from taking the wrong path or making the decision that would be a move away from relationship with God only became known to me by looking into the past. In many ways, my situation today has been protected in a mystery that has yet to yield “Why?”

Friar Jude Winkler shares that the Gospel of Matthew in which who is greatest must become like child in simple trusting and accepting God’s will. The Idea of the Guardian angels is our constant protection by a spiritual creature. Friar Jude reminds us angels show what is the right path to follow.

A post by Franciscan Media on the Feast of the Guardian Angels suggests that perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet guardian angels are not only for children. Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer, and to present their souls to God at death.

Devotion to the angels began to develop with the birth of the monastic tradition. Saint Benedict gave it impetus and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, the great 12th-century reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the guardian angels that angelic devotion assumed its current form in his day... Devotion to the angels is, at base, an expression of faith in God’s enduring love and providential care extended to each person day in and day out.7 

https://www.franciscanmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/SOD-1002-FeastoftheGuardianAngels-790x480.jpg

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, continues with his Franciscan brother and long-time friend Father John Quigley’s summary of Franciscanism.

There are many lively legends about Francis and Clare [which soon took philosophical and theological weight through luminaries like theologian Saint Bonaventure and John Duns Scotus]. These seminal stories and the insights that arise from them have given emphasis to specific themes in Franciscan philosophy and theology. They include the idea that Jesus did not assume flesh to correct Adam and Eve’s sin; rather, Jesus would have taken flesh whether we had sinned or not. Love by its very nature wants to be one with its beloved, so our salvation has been announced and realized in an Incarnate God. The suffering and death of Jesus confirms for us how deep and committed is God’s love in the Incarnation.(Fr Richard’s comments are in [ ])[The Franciscan view is that Creation is the first Incarnation. The Christ Mystery was the blueprint of reality from the very start (John 1:1). Francis saw all of creation, including all humans, as part of the one family of God. That’s why he called them Brother Sun and Sister Moon. Duns Scotus gave this a theological explanation by saying, in essence, that God’s first “idea” was to pour out divine, infinite love into finite, visible forms. The Big Bang is the scientific name for that first idea, “Christ” is Christianity’s theological name, and it is all about Love flowing outward in all directions.]8 

Our spiritual experience connects us to others who share these experiences or who need to know of the mystery of the interaction of God with His children.

References

1	(n.d.). Exodus, chapter 23 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 2, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/exodus/23
2	n.d.). Psalms, chapter 91 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 2, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/91
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 18 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 2, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/18:19
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). The Holy Guardian Angels (Memorial) - Mass Readings and .... Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/10/02/
7	(n.d.). Feast of the Guardian Angels - Franciscan Media. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/feasaint-of-the-guardian-angels/
8	(2019, October 2). To Live Lightly — Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved October 2, 2019, from https://cac.org/to-live-lightly-2019-10-02/

Received or rejected

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today urge contemplation of the practice of peace and inclusion as we continue on our journey with Jesus.

Our journey 

The reading from the Prophet Zechariah is an oracle declaring many peoples will be drawn to Jerusalem.

 “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”1

Psalm 87 celebrates the joy of living in Zion.

* [87:5–6] The bond between the exile and the holy city was so strong as to override the exile’s citizenship of lesser cities.2 

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus departs for Jerusalem and a Samaritan village refuses to receive him.

* [9:52] Samaritan: Samaria was the territory between Judea and Galilee west of the Jordan river. For ethnic and religious reasons, the Samaritans and the Jews were bitterly opposed to one another (see Jn 4:9).3 

George Butterfield asks if we could imagine a time when people grabbed onto you because you were Catholic and said, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you"?

This picture beautifully illustrates St. Augustine's statement that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. The nations are hungering for God so they are going to associate with anyone that they think God is with and go wherever they think God is. The missionary outreach of the Church has assumed that all peoples from all nations have this inherent thirst for the living water that is God and that all we need do is to point them to the heavenly Jerusalem that is revealed in Jesus Christ. But this also requires that we who live in the City of God know God and this knowledge can be seen in the way we live.4 

Don Schwager quotes “Jesus gave power and authority to his apostles,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"It would be false to affirm that our Savior did not know what was about to happen, because he knows all things. He knew, of course, that the Samaritans would not receive his messengers. There can be no doubt of this. Why then did he command them to go before him? It was his custom to benefit diligently the holy apostles in every possible way, and because of this, it was his practice sometimes to test them... What was the purpose of this occurrence? He was going up to Jerusalem, as the time of his passion was already drawing near. He was about to endure the scorn of the Jews. He was about to be destroyed by the scribes and Pharisees and to suffer those things that they inflicted upon him when they went to accomplish all of violence and wicked boldness. He did not want them to be offended when they saw him suffering. He also wanted them to be patient and not to complain greatly, although people would treat them rudely. He, so to speak, made the Samaritans’ hatred a preparatory exercise in the matter. They had not received the messengers... For their benefit, he rebuked the disciples and gently restrained the sharpness of their wrath, not permitting them to grumble violently against those who sinned. He rather persuaded them to be patient and to cherish a mind that is unmovable by anything like this." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 56)5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 9:51-56 asserts that just like the messengers in today’s Gospel, Jesus is sending us out “ahead” of his coming. Our assignment is to help prepare the people around us for his reception. It’s not as hard as we might think.

First, focus on loving people right where they are. Don’t wait for them to renovate their lives. And don’t pressure or nag them either. Trust that Jesus can use your small acts of kindness and love to prepare them for a deeper relationship with him.
Second, bring good news. When the time is right, share about the difference Jesus has made in your life.
Finally, don’t be offended if people aren’t ready to hear about Jesus. After all, Jesus didn’t hold a grudge against the Samaritans.6

Friar Jude Winkler shares the vision of Zechariah that even the pagans will want to associate with the Jews in the restored Jerusalem. The Gospel of Luke is themed around a journey to Jerusalem by Jesus. Friar Jude notes that Jesus emphasized service and rejected monopoly, privilege, and power.

A post by Franciscan Media on Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint of the Day for October 1, offers her words “I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.”, the “Little Flower,” who lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the convent of Lisieux, France. Thérèse was canonized in 1925. On October 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church, the third woman to be so recognized in light of her holiness and the influence of her teaching on spirituality in the Church.

Thérèse has much to teach our age of the image, the appearance, the “self.” We have become a dangerously self-conscious people, painfully aware of the need to be fulfilled, yet knowing we are not. Thérèse, like so many saints, sought to serve others, to do something outside herself, to forget herself in quiet acts of love. She is one of the great examples of the gospel paradox that we gain our life by losing it, and that the seed that falls to the ground must die in order to live.
Preoccupation with self separates modern men and women from God, from their fellow human beings, and ultimately from themselves. We must re-learn to forget ourselves, to contemplate a God who draws us out of ourselves, and to serve others as the ultimate expression of selfhood. These are the insights of Saint Thérèse, and they are more valid today than ever.7 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites his friend and fellow Franciscan, Father John Quigley, OFM, who has written a helpful, succinct summary of Franciscanism. They worked closely together with the New Jerusalem Community in Ohio.

Francis believed that God was nonviolent, the God of Peace. This belief may be a simple presupposition for us today [although I still find far too many Christians have been raised to fear God as judgmental and punishing and seem to reflect that in their own lives], but at the time when the Christian church was waging a Holy Crusade against its enemies, the Saracens [Arab Muslims], Francis’s interpretation of the gospel life and its demands was revolutionary. Francis saw it from the viewpoint of the poor, especially from the place of the poor, naked, suffering Christ. He had deep devotion to the God who is revealed as nonviolent and poor in the stable of Bethlehem, as abandoned on the cross, and as food in the Eucharist. God’s meekness, humility, and poverty led Francis to become “perfected as his Heavenly Father was perfect.” [1] [Francis agreed with Luke’s understanding of “perfect” as meaning merciful or compassionate.] Francis identified with the “minores,” the lower class within his society. . . . [The letters OFM after our names stand for Order of Friars Minor or Ordo Fratum Minorum, which means the Little Brothers. Like Thérèse of Lisieux centuries after him, Francis reveled in littleness.] And he passionately pointed to the Incarnation [of Jesus] as the living proof of God’s love. He frequently cried out in his pain that “Love is not loved!”8 

Our practices may be the little nudge that opens hearts to accept the Holy Spirit and the invitation to join Jesus on our journey.

References

1	(n.d.). Zechariah, chapter 8 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 1, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/zechariah/8
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 87 - United States Conference of Catholic .... Retrieved October 1, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/87
3	(n.d.). Luke, chapter 9 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved October 1, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/luke/9
4	(n.d.). Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved October 1, 2019, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
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