4 October 2017
Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi
Jesus gives each one of us an invitation to follow him. That invitation comes each day irrespective of our particular vocation in the Church. And the way he calls is personal, suited to each one.
One can get all worked up about following him. But he always pulls us back to a sane realism. To follow him means giving up comforts in our life.
The call can come unexpectedly, out of nowhere, a surprise. Each one should pray to be ready to hear so as to be able to respond, and the response should have no conditions. He never asks us to give up human love, but to love him above all, and that love deepens our human love, one for another.
Often we waste time in giving a response, Prayer conditions us to hear his invitation and to answer it. And the best prayer we can make is to our Lady who was surprised to hear the Father’s call and to answer it with faith.
Reading a short biography of St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast it is today, can also show us how he heard and responded to Jesus’ personal call to him.
And it is a day to pray for Pope Francis I.