This week, we will celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, one of the best-known Saints of our Catholic Church. As we know, during his childhood and youth he lived a wealthy life since his family had all the resources they needed to live a “good life”. St. Francis understood that there was more to life than finding happiness through material resources. He felt he needed to experience happiness through living a simple life, a life in which the person of Jesus Christ was found in poverty and simplicity. He left his wealthy life behind and began to live a simple life.

I personally, have a special devotion to St. Francis of Assisi, not only because I was ordained as a priest in a Church named after Him in Wanaque but also because I believe, the image of St. Francis as disciple of the Lord is one that we as followers of Jesus need to have to find the person of Jesus Christ in what is simple and extraordinary. His devotion to the Eucharist, his understanding of the priesthood and his great love for creation are some aspects we need to imitate from him as we follow the footsteps of the Lord.

St. Francis had a great devotion to the Eucharist and he taught all the members of his community the importance of receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord as spiritual food, as the food we all need to help in the building of God’s kingdom. The Holy Eucharist, for Francis, was the foundation on which his faith was built. St Francis once said: “in this world there is nothing of the Most High himself that we can possess and contemplate with our eyes, except his Body and Blood.” As we know, humility is the heart of Franciscan spirituality and Francis teaches us by word and action, that only a humble and penitent spirit is worthy to receive a gift as important as the Eucharist.

Throughout his life, St. Francis had a great reverence for priests. He understood that it was through their consecrated hands, despite that they were sinners, that the Body and Blood of Jesus was given to all as spiritual food. St. Francis was as qualified as any other to be ordained a priest but he never was. He felt unworthy to call upon God’s power to bring about the miracle of the Holy Eucharist. This helps us to understand the importance of the priesthood and what it means for our Holy Church. As an unworthy priest, every time I have the opportunity to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, I give thanks to God for giving me such a privilege to help others to hold his Sacred Body in the palm of their hands.

St. Francis had a great love and respect for God’s creation. He understood that everything was a gift from the Lord. St. Francis invited all creation including animals, plants, and even Brother Sun and Sister Moon to honor and to praise God for the gift of their existence. He understood that we are all blessed to be part of God’s beautiful creation. That is why, we have to take care of it with love and respect. There is a famous story about St. Francis and his relationship with animals. It tells that Francis preached to hundreds of birds about being thankful to God for their beautiful clothes, for their independence, and for God's care. It tells us that the birds stood with him as he walked among them and they left that place only when he said they could leave.

For all of us as members of the Church, St. Francis of Assisi is an excellent example of discipleship. He taught us and continues to teach us that true happiness in only found in the Lord, in our relationship with all our brothers and sisters and in our understanding of creation as a blessing from God. We may think that St. Francis is all about poverty and nature, but St. Francis is also an example of peace, and his prayer (“Make me an instrument of your peace”) tells us why. So I would like to invite you as members of our church to include his beautiful prayer in your daily prayer life as you experience the need of peace and love for the whole world.

HAPPY FEAST TO EVERYONE!

– Father Manuel