Franciscan saints

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Thursday, 4 October 2018 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day in what we heard from the Scriptures, we heard both the message of despair, suffering and sorrow, as well as the message of hope and encouragement from God. We heard from the tale of Job in our first reading today and from what the Lord Jesus told His disciples as He sent them all two by two, to go before Him and prepare the way for His missionary works.

Job was in despair and suffered because of his many afflictions, having endured many losses in his family and his possessions, and having his own body plagued by painful boils and scabs. And yet, he did not complain against the Lord or cursed Him, as what his wife had told him that he should do, but instead, blaming his own limited and weak human existence, and the weakness of his flesh for the troubles he faced.

That was the sorrow and anguish which Job showed in the first reading passage today, the feeling of pain and the endurance of tough challenges he had to go through. But despite all of that, he did not complain or falter in his faith in God, as he remained faithful to Him and believed wholeheartedly that despite all the challenges, and remained firm in his conviction, that God will have pity and mercy on him, and save him from his distress.

That is what we heard in the Scripture passage today, showing us that as God’s faithful followers and disciples, we will likely encounter difficulties and challenges in our path. And unless we remain firmly faithful to the Lord, then we may end up falling into temptation and then into sin. And when we are assailed as Job was assailed by Satan, in the many unfortunate incidents and sufferings he had to endure, it will be difficult for us to keep and maintain the faith.

Yet, that is the reality which the Lord Jesus in our Gospel passage today also presented to His disciples as He talked to them about what to expect as they were sent among the people of God. They were sent as if they were to be like sheep among wolves, to endure the challenges, rejection, persecution and all the difficulties facing those who remain faithful and committed to the Lord.

There would be those people and those communities who would refuse to believe in God and refuse to listen to the Apostles and the disciples preaching the truth to them. And in that case, the disciples ought to leave the place behind, and cast the dust off their feet, to show their indignation at just how stubborn the people of that place were, refusing to open their hearts and minds to allow God to speak to them.

But the Lord told His disciples that there would also be many of those who wanted to believe in the Lord and were open to welcome Him and His disciples into their midst. There were many opportunities for the disciples to grow the ranks and numbers of the faithful, and the Lord also promised that He would be with them, guiding their path and leading them to the way He would show them. He showed them His faithfulness and love, that just as Job was rewarded for his perseverance in faith, we too will share in the same perseverance and commitment in our faith.

Many of us are worried and are unwilling to commit ourselves to the Lord because we are so preoccupied with many things and temptations in life. We cannot let go of all these possessions, goods, fame, prestige, social status, relationships, and many other things that often become obstacle in our ability to live our lives fully attuned with God and His ways. This means that many of us Christians have not been living as we should have.

That is why today, we should reflect upon the examples shown by Job, and by the disciples of Christ, many of whom would give up a life of comfort and entrusting themselves completely to the Lord, their God. And one of the followers of Christ, whose feast we celebrate today, is a very good example and inspiration for us, namely St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan religious order.

St. Francis of Assisi was born as Francesco Bernardone, the son and heir of a rich cloth merchant, Pietro Bernardone, one of those who were among the powerful, wealthy and privileged members of the society at the time of the Middle Ages Italy. St. Francis of Assisi was born into a life of privilege, of joy and worldly pleasures, of enjoyment of all sorts of worldly goods and wonders, that led to the decadence and wicked actions of many of the people living at that time.

Naturally, St. Francis of Assisi’s father wanted his son to be successful as he was, and wanted him to inherit all of his possessions, business dealings and worldly achievements. And yet, God has a different plan for young Francesco Bernardone, when He called him in one occasion as he passed by a ruined parish church, calling on him to restore His Church. The young man thought of this as a literal calling to restore the ruined parish church, and took some of his father’s rich and precious clothes, sold them and used the money to fund the rebuilding of the church.

When Pietro, Francesco’s father found out of this, he was furious and demanded that he must account for his actions. Francesco Bernardone fled to the local bishop, and his father demanded that he return to him the money which he supposedly has stolen by the selling of his clothes and property. Francesco took off everything he had, including his clothes, signifying his readiness and commitment to leave behind all of his worldly attachments, to follow the Lord.

Eventually, he would go on to establish the congregation of like minded people, which would eventually be known under his patronymic as the Franciscans, leaving behind worldliness and living simply in a Christian brotherhood and community, and focusing on prayer, faith and loving service to others. They lived their lives preaching the Good News and the truth of God not just by words, but also through their actions and way of life.

St. Francis of Assisi suffered a lot of pain and sufferings throughout his ministry, and he was known to receive the five wounds of Christ on his own body, during a moment of vision, when the wounds caused him great pain for the rest of his life, what is to be known as the stigmata. Yet, he entrusted himself so completely to God, and lived the rest of his life in prayer, that until today, his examples, his piety and devotion to God continue to inspire countless people, many of whom followed in his footsteps.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we able to follow the Lord and abandon our worldly temptations and desires, just as St. Francis of Assisi had done. We do not have to do exactly as what he has done, but perhaps, we can begin by dismantling and abandoning our often unhealthy obsession over material wealth, desire for fame and glory, and many other things that often become our preoccupations in life.

Let us all turn towards God with a heart filled with love, and renew our faith in Him, as best as we are able to. May the Lord awaken in each one of us a new spirit of love, the courage and strength to love Him and serve Him despite the challenges and difficulties we may face and encounter on our way to Him. May the Lord be with us all, and may He bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 4 October 2018 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 10 : 1-12

At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them, two by two, ahead of Him, to every town and place, where He Himself was to go. And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to His harvest.”

“Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know. Whatever house you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.”

“When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them : ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’ But in any town where you are not welcome, go to the marketplace and proclaim : ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know for a certainty that the kingdom of God has drawn near to you.'”

“I tell you, that on the Day of Judgment it will be better for Sodom than for this town.”

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Thursday, 4 October 2018 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 26 : 7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14

Hear my voice when I call, o Lord, have mercy on me and answer. My heart says to You, “I seek Your face, o Lord.”

Do not hide Your face from me nor turn away Your servant in anger. You are my Protector, do not reject me.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Thursday, 4 October 2018 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Job 19 : 21-27

Have pity my friends, have pity, for God’s hand has struck me! Why do you hound me as God does? Will you never have enough of my flesh? Oh, that my words were written, or recorded on bronze with an iron tool, a chisel or engraved forever on rock!

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He, the Last, will take His stand on earth. I will be there behind my skin, and in my flesh I shall see God. With my own eyes I shall see Him – I and not another. How my heart yearns!”

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Saturday, 11 August 2018 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us heard the readings of the Scriptures beginning with the Book of the prophet Habakkuk, in which we listened to God speaking to Habakkuk about how everything will happen just as the Lord wills it, in His own time and not in our time. It is God’s will that will be done and not ours, as God alone has the power and authority over the fate of all of us, and also over time and workings of this world.

The prophet Habakkuk pointed out something that many among us also often to question in our own hearts and minds, especially when we see injustice and wicked things happening around us. We may come to wonder why the Lord seems to be doing nothing when an injustice occurs to us, and when especially the poor and the weak are oppressed, ostracised and being persecuted, while the rich and the powerful had their way as they wanted.

Some of us even come to doubt that God is really actually present in our midst, or if He is present, whether He cares for us at all, if we see these kind of injustices and wicked deeds being performed in our midst. But what the Lord told the prophet Habakkuk is a reminder to each one of us is that, when we make this kind of question and statement on the Lord’s presence and action in our lives, we are actually putting a condition and demand on what we want to have in Our God.

God works in His own time and acts according to His own will, and not subject to our demands and desires. On the other hand, as a loving God and Father to all of us, He also hears our prayers and all of our requests that we made in those prayers. He is not ignorant or unaware of them at all, but in fact, He wants to help us and provide us with as much as He could give us.

But in the end of the day, we cannot put restrain or demand on what we want God to do for us. It is simply not right for us as the creature to demand what we want from our Creator. Rather, what we must have, is trust, and with trust, comes faith in the Lord, Our God. This is what the Lord Himself told the people, and also all of us, in our Gospel passage today.

At that occasion, the Lord told the people off because of their lack of faith. They were saying that they came to His disciples with the intention of having their sick ones healed from their diseases and bodily complaints such as epilepsy and paralysis, but the disciples were not able to do so. Why is that so? That is likely because they came to the disciples expecting them to heal their sick ones, but they did not have faith.

It was not the disciples who had the power and ability to heal the sick people, but rather God working through them, performing His work and miracles, that made those who were sick to be whole again. Probably the disciples themselves did not have enough faith and doubted the Lord, as St. Thomas, one of the Twelve Apostles had shown on several occasions in how he doubted the Lord’s truth and resurrection from the dead.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord Jesus used the example of a mustard seed in comparing the faith that the people had in God’s power and in His truth. Why is that so? That is because a mustard seed is a very small seed, which is very insignificant in size, but it can grow into a very large tree once grown. The Lord Jesus used this as a comparison to show how even a small amount of genuine faith that we have in Him, is sufficient, and with enough encouragement and guidance, this faith can grow greatly into one that is vibrant and exemplary.

But many of us are often lacking in faith, and we do not have trust in God. Instead, we trust in our own human abilities, powers, in our wealth and worldly possessions. We place a lot of focus on worldly achievements and prestige, that many of us end up putting God aside and sidelining Him in our pursuit for worldly achievements and glories. And that is also why we often judge things based on how successful they are in terms of worldly matters, rather than to see them from the eyes of faith.

That is why we end up being angry with God for apparently not answering our pleas or giving us what we desires and wants. That is because we are limiting God into our criteria of worldly success and achievements, and we judge things based on our perception of affluence and success. But this is not how God works, and He did what He had done, not because He wanted to please our desires and wants, but rather because it is His will to do so.

Now, let us all look at the example of St. Clare of Assisi, the saint whose feast we commemorate today. St. Clare of Assisi was remembered for her great piety and dedication to the Lord, giving her whole life to God and to the service of others through prayer and charitable works. She was particularly remembered for one miraculous occasion, when the place she was living in was under attack by the marauding forces of an army that came to invade that region.

The armies ransacked the whole place, looting and causing destruction everywhere, and they did not want to spare even the convent where St. Clare of Assisi was in. She was without any weapons or any means to defend herself, but she entrusted herself completely to the Lord, reaching out to the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and as the enemies came barging into the place St. Clare was in, she lifted up the monstrance in which the Lord’s Real Presence was contained, up high, and immediately, all the enemy forces were brought to their knees.

They were brought to a great fear of the Lord’s Presence, and immediately left the whole place and town, one of the many proofs of God’s divine providence and the protection which He gives to all those who have been faithful to Him. Now, having heard of such a wondrous story of faith, are we able to do the same in our lives, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we able to show the same kind of complete trust and faith as St. Clare of Assisi had done?

May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith in our hearts, and may He continue to inspire us all to live with ever more commitment to walk in His path and to do His will, in every actions and deeds we do in life. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 11 August 2018 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 17 : 14-20

At that time, when Jesus and His disciples came to the crowd, a man approached Him, knelt before Him and said, “Sir, have pity on my son, who is an epileptic and suffers terribly. He has often fallen into the fire, and at other times into the water. I brought him to Your disciples but they could not heal him.”

Jesus replied, “O you people, faithless and misled! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” And Jesus commanded the evil spirit to leave the boy, and the boy was immediately healed. Later, the disciples approached Jesus and asked Him privately, “Why could we not drive out the spirit?”

Jesus said to them, “Because you have little faith. I say to you : if only you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could tell that mountain to move from here to there, and the mountain would obey. Nothing would be impossible for you.”

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Saturday, 11 August 2018 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 9 : 8-9, 10-11, 12-13

But YHVH reigns forever, having set up His throne for judgment. He will judge the nations with justice and govern the peoples in righteousness.

YHVH is a rampart for the oppressed, a refuge in times of distress. Those who cherish Your Name, o YHVH, can rely on You, for You have never forsaken those who look to You.

Sing praises to YHVH, enthroned in Zion; proclaim His deeds among the nations. For He Who avenges blood remembers, He does not ignore the cry of the lowly.

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Saturday, 11 August 2018 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Clare, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Habakkuk 1 : 12 – Habakkuk 2 : 4

But You, are You not YHVH from past ages? You, my holy God, You cannot die. You have set these people to serve Your justice and You have made them firm as a rock, to fulfil Your punishment. YHVH, Your eyes are too pure to tolerate wickedness and You cannot look on oppression. Why, then, do You look on treacherous people and watch in silence while the evildoer swallows up one better than himself?

You treat human beings like the fish in the sea, like reptiles who are nobody’s concern. This nation catches all on its hook, pulls them out with its net and piles them up in its dragnet. Pleased and delighted at their catch, they offer sacrifices to their net and burn incense to their dragnets, since these supplied them with fish in plenty and provided them with food in abundance. Will they continue, then, to constantly empty their nets, slaughtering nations without mercy?

I will stand in my watchtower and take up position on my battlements; I will see what He replies, if there is an answer to my question. Then YHVH answered me and said, “Write down the vision, inscribe it on tablets so it can be easily read, since this is a vision for an appointed time; it will not fail but will be fulfilled in due time. If it delays, wait for it, for it will come, and will not be deferred. Look : I do not look with favour on the one who gives way; the upright, on the other hand, will live by his faithfulness.”

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Wednesday, 4 October 2017 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate the feast day of the famous religious and holy man, St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis of Assisi is the founder of the Franciscan order or the Order of Friars Minor. He was born in the family of a rich silk merchant, Pietro Bernardone as Francesco Bernardone. He was destined to succeed in the family business and inherit the wealth as the eldest son. Yet, God had a very different plan for him.

It was just as the Scripture readings today mentioned, beginning from the first reading from the Book of the prophet Nehemiah. In that passage, we saw how the prophet Nehemiah, who was once the cupbearer and favourite servant of the Persian Emperor, sought the permission of the king to return to his homeland, the ancestral land of the people of Israel, for a number of years in order to supervise the rebuilding of the land and Jerusalem.

Nehemiah had a comfortable life as the king’s court member, and surely he had nothing to worry about in life, as certainly everything has been taken care of, all worldly needs and all that he would ever required. Yet, God called Nehemiah to a higher purpose, to serve Him, Who is the One true King above all the other kings, even far greater than the Persian ruler, the mighty ruler of the then superpower.

In the Gospel today, Jesus also called His disciples and all those who desired to be His followers. His message to them was simple, “Follow Me!” and that was all that was required. He called them, and they followed Him. The followers of Jesus came from various backgrounds. Some of them were rich and influential, while some others were poor. But, all of them were called to the same vocation, that is to serve God and to be wholehearted in their devotion to Him.

However, as seen in the Gospel, when the Lord called them, the people who were called came up with many excuses. Some of them wanted to settle their family matters first, while others wanted to tend to their properties and worldly issues first. And therefore the Lord rebuked them, for they did not place their priorities in God, but in their own worldly and selfish desires and needs.

Perhaps the examples of St. Francis of Assisi will be able to show us the way for us as Christians, in how we ought to commit ourselves to God, and answer His call with a willing heart. To each and every one of us, God has given many different kinds of gifts, and He has called us to different vocations in life. Yet, all of these vocations and callings bring greater glory to God. The calling to religious and priestly life is the greatest of all, for it entails surrendering everything to God’s will.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, in his youth, St. Francis of Assisi, Francesco Bernardone, was endowed with great riches and all that a person could have wished for, as his wealthy and influential family was able to afford anything he would have desired, just as the prophet Nehemiah had nothing lacking as the servant of the ruler of Persia. Yet, God called St. Francis of Assisi to a new life, and he heeded the call.

While he was hedonistic and materialistic during his younger days, spending his father’s money in a life of luxury and filled with parties and revelries, he had a complete turnaround after he was affected personally during a war, in which he was taken hostage and having to endure the sufferings in prison for about a year. Ever since then he began to question the meaning of his life and his calling.

Eventually, having heard God’s call, St. Francis of Assisi decided to leave behind everything, all the money, wealth and possessions, the status and inheritance he was to receive from his father and family. This infuriated his father, who went to reclaim St. Francis of Assisi, who had committed himself to a lifetime of service to God. He complained to the local bishop to whom St. Francis of Assisi had fled to, about all the investments and money he had spent on the education and upbringing of St. Francis as his heir.

Therefore, St. Francis left behind everything, and took off all of his clothings, as a symbol of total rejection of worldliness and all the privileges he had once been entitled to, renouncing all the temptations of life, and giving his all out of pure love and devotion for God. Ever since then, he left behind the world, and became a completely new person, a person totally devoted to the service of God.

He founded the Franciscan order, calling and inspiring many other men who were also called to the same vocation, to serve the Lord and His people in poverty, and to spread the Word of God and His truth to all those who have not yet heard of them or those who have been lukewarm in their faith. Through their works, and their dedication to the Lord, many souls have been saved from damnation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, reflecting on what we have heard from the Sacred Scriptures, as well as from the life and experiences of St. Francis of Assisi, all of us should also do the same in our lives, by listening attentively to the Lord Who calls us in the depths of our hearts. And having heard His call, we should respond in kind, answering the call with our own response, just as courageously as St. Francis had answered his own.

Let us all no longer be lukewarm or passive in our faith, but instead, from now on let us be active in living a holy life devoted to God, in each of our own ways. God has called us to various vocations in life, and as long as we follow His will and obey His commandments, we shall bring greater glory to God. May the Lord continue to guide us on our path, and let us all renew our devotion to the Lord by doing what He wants us to do, day by day, ever growing more faithful to Him. Amen.

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Wednesday, 4 October 2017 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 57-62

At that time, as Jesus and His disciples went on their way, a man said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

To another, Jesus said, “Follow Me!” But he answered, “Let me go back now, for, first, I want to bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their dead; as for you, leave them, and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Another said to Him, “I will follow You, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” And Jesus said to him, “Whoever has put his hand to the plow, and looks back, is not fit for the kingdom of God.”