St. Francis leads us to be True and Genuine to ourselves!

What a wonderful advise to those who are into prayer and leading others to a life of communion in Prayer with Lord Jesus. Francis says “We should seek not so much to pray but to become prayer.” Becoming prayer means to put into practice and be what we pray. If I am asking to be virtuous then I must try to practice and live those virtues at any cost for the growth of my spiritual life.

 

Today we easily give up trying when we encounter failures. We just shut ourselves from trying again and fail to reach our target, goal and Life’s mission. Francis says Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. We can achieve many things when faith, trust and hard work combined with the presence of God.  “Keep a clear eye toward life’s end. Do not forget your purpose and destiny as God’s creature. What you are in his sight is what you are and nothing more. Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received…but only what you have given; a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.” “Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give.” 

There have been persons who have won the most difficult battles and wars with pure and genuine Love. Marriages are saved from being broken when faithful and obedient love has been shown or lived by the couples and families. St. Francis said it years ago saying that Love is the way.  “Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and useless as when he is well and an be of service to him. And blessed is he who loves his brother as well when he is a far off as when he is by his side, and who would say nothing behind his back he might not, in love, say before his face.”

 

Many those who come for counselling or for sacrament of confession do sincerely confession of the lack of patience with oneself, others, spouses, children and with colleagues. As a result there are many issues and problems being created and which go beyond one’s capacity to handle and settle because of impatience. If there is patience in us then St. Francis says that patience reaps great rewards. ‘My dear son, be patient because the weaknesses of the body are given to us in this world by God for the salvation of the soul. So they are of great merit when they are borne patiently.”

 

 Most of the modern gurus will tell you that the other is not your enemy but you are the first enemy of yourself. As a result we fight with ourselves and there is no growth in us. We remain where we are. Then it becomes easy to see the enemy in the other. St. Francis advised his brothers saying that The enemy is not Out there, the enemy is In you.

“No one is to be called an enemy, all are your benefactors, and no one does you harm. You have no enemy except yourselves.”