Gratitude to the Lord

 

I am grateful to my Parents, though poor gave me education, brought me up in my Catholic faith, taught morals at home. They guided 5 of us in every way to be good human and Christian. They taught us to be respectful towards elders, teachers and any strangers whom we met either on way to school, church or play and never insult or offend them by words and deeds. They were our greatest teachers though unlettered but hearts and souls were educated in the School of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for their support and guidance when i decided to Join the Capuchin Order, they did not know about the Capuchins but had heard that they are strict and very poor. I remember my mother saying that we too are poor so it will be easy to live with the poor Capuchins. 

The Journey of being grateful to God, parents, teachers, brothers and relatives began well at the age when everyone seems to be learning the art of living. It was so amazing to have good people around to show the way and path to walk and to hold when fell or fumbled on. The journey of gratitude begins from within the heart and mind, how can i forget the sacrifices of my parents, toiling day in and out for 5 sons to provide food, clothing, education, medicines etc. They were living saints guiding our destiny of future. I have seen my mother eating less but serving us more and sufficient, in winter covering us with sufficient warm clothes than herself. My Father would provide whatever he could afford so that we have minimum required. They were days when he could not provide food for us because he could not sell vegetables or flower plants in market but never grumbled or blamed God....accept the plight and came back home as cheerful as always. 

I am grateful to the Lord for granting me such a good parents who are now enjoying the blessedness and glory of the Lord in His abode. They were ably supported by my eldest brother who discontinued his schooling in order to financially support my parents in providing the minimum necessary. I am grateful for his great sacrifices for the family in providing everything that we needed in order grow matured human beings.

New Possibilities of healing the wounds with St. Francis of Assisi

In every nook and corner of the universe there are many troubles, war, killings in the name of Religion, caste and color and the earth is crying for peace and inviting to put an end to all these unnecessary sufferings caused by us. There is a need to share in the anguish, pain, suffering and poverty of so many men and women everywhere in the world. The Church is inviting us to keep the positive and optimistic flame of Christian hope alive in this turmoil, brokenness, and darkness. The Franciscan Order is gearing up to celebrate 800 years of the rule 1223 -2023 and the Order would like to find out new possibilities with Francis of Assisi for this world which is crying for a spirituality which is focused and centered on the Human Being as an Image of God. Amidst the miseries of the world of his times in Assisi, Francis never gave up blessing the Lord, “Who alone is good, merciful, gentle, delightful, and sweet, who alone is holy, just, true, holy, and upright, who alone is kind, innocent, clean, from Whom, through Whom and in Whom is all pardon, all grace, all glory” (Earlier Rule 23, 9).

            In his brokenness, his poverty, Francis came in search of new possibilities for rediscovering the liberating power of the Gospel.  But Francis knew that this liberation does not come freely; it comes with a cost. What is that cost? We heard it proclaimed in the Gospel: “If anyone wishes to come after me, he or she must deny self and take up his or her cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his or her life will lose it but whoever loses his or her life for my sake will save it” (Lk. 9:23-4). We are invited to undergo a spiritual death: death to those thoughts and attitudes within us that lead us towards death and despair instead of life and hope; death to those wounds we harbor in our hearts inflicted by those who pretend to love us – our husbands, wives, children, parents, brothers or sisters in our religious communities, friends – and wounds accumulated in the daily struggles of life; death to our quick tempers and rush to judgment of others; death to those fears and prejudices that prevent us from recognizing the face of God in all people, especially the poor, marginalized, the ‘strangers in our midst’, and that keep us from recognizing one another as brother or sister in the one family of God; and death to our unwillingness to let God love and forgive us, turning our stone cold hearts into hearts of flesh (Ezek 36,26) capable of receiving and sharing love.

 

St. Francis teaches us to hope in the cross and resurrection of Jesus and the Lord would once heal us all of our brokenness, transform us into that ‘new creation’ announced by St. Paul in to the Christians in Corinth. Francis touched the wounds of the crucified Jesus in order that by touching these wounds, his heart and spirit might be healed. The need of every human being is to touch the deep wounds of Jesus Christ to heal the deepest wounds, divide and gaps that we have created in the world, families and in our personal lives. To do this as Christians we are invited by the Lord and the Church as Francis, to enter deeply into the mystery of Christ. We, like Francis, are invited to enter into the mystery of Christ to be spiritually consoled and to be transformed into agents of the ‘new creation’, messengers of love, universal fraternity, and restoration. Like Francis, we need to approach our brothers and sisters to be healed and re-energized. Like Francis, we the disciples of Jesus need to have the courage to take up the cross in our daily lives, a cross that bears the sufferings of all of our brothers and sisters everywhere in the world. The Gospel and the Church offers us new possibilities to heal the wounds and the brokenness of humanity. St. Francis undertook a difficult journey into the darkness and pain confronting humanity and the natural environment of his time and experienced the guiding hand of the Creator and His fullness of grace to heal humanity and the environment .

 

As we celebrate the feast of St. Francis, let us, as sons and daughters, followers and admirers make use of this opportunity to take stock of the problems, sufferings, injustices and the wars knocking at our doors and propose to the world new possibilities of Living out our vocations as Christians according to the Gospel as St. Francis lived and proposed. The events, situations and concerns that Francis faced are the same and have the specific message for us to offer hope to the suffering humanity as Francis did, by becoming one with the humanity and the creation. He did all this by being open and transparent to the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, he discovered his mission of healing the wounds, building and restoring relationships and welcoming all to experience the forgiving love of Jesus Christ. We are all called to rediscover the victorious power of the Resurrection of Christ, engaging in a process of conversion and restore the broken relationships in society and families.

 

Today we are restless and searching ways and means to do away with the politics of hatred and exclusion.  800 years ago Francis too was restless and searched for God’s ways and possibilities to implant the word of God in a broken society and it worked and gave birth to a new society and church. We have to seek new paths, ways to face the challenges of our times like Francis did 800 years ago with a purified human heart filled with God’s forgiving love. St. Francis received advice, admonitions, corrections, and inspiration from his brothers and sisters to see new possibilities, to heal the wounds and brokenness. Today the need for the church is to create and develop the ability to listen to the questioning in order to interpret agonizing realities in the light of the Word of God. But St. Francis warns us that, it is not sufficient to “wish only to know [the Scriptures] and to interpret them for others” (Adm 7) — we must also be committed to a life witness that is consistent and eloquent. Francis of Assisi was not a theoretician of the spiritual life; he spoke of God in terms of his experience. We too are called to make of our lives a true Gospel, as an expression of our fidelity to our vocation as Christians. Our witness, our personal commitment, our way of life, and how we face various situations are all ways through which we discover various means by which the signs of the times can be reinterpreted.

            As committed Christians and followers of St. Francis, we should not be afraid of the challenges that are bold and radical, let us live our Christian commitment like Francis with enthusiasm and passion. This will only help us to find and provide new possibilities and answers that are current and relevant. Today we live in a secularized society and in a culture of Cancelling each other because we don’t accept and appreciate what the others express and write. In a society which is increasingly excluding God as regards how life is lived and how choices are made, in a world where values are relativized, where everything is provisional and fleeting, our permanent life choice based on Gospel values and principles has real appeal. Together we can propose new possibilities with the Life and Rule of St. Francis to dispel the darkness and heal the wounds of the society: The possibility of embracing the Lord Jesus as our source of happiness and healing, the possibility of living our faith in a creative way, the possibility of making the Gospel as our way of life is open to every believer. Let us live a life guided by the Spirit of God, rooted in human experience and open to the amazing love and closeness that God offers to those who are willing to let Him be at the center of all life.

 

Transitus: Journey of St. Francis

 

We are all journeying in this God given life to achieve our goal, aim and mission. We journey from one place to another, from state of life to another, from one spiritual experience to another higher one. Today we see and reflect on the journey of St. Francis of Assisi. His journey was unique and inspiring, a journey coupled with many things, human and divine, a journey of renunciation and surrender, a journey of total dedication to the person of Jesus, a Journey of love for God, human and the entire creation. Today we contemplate on the last phase of his journey as it is coming to an endpoint, a journey full of drama and grace and a journey which would last 800 years and inspire and attract millions of all generation. His journey will keep speaking and bringing many to Jesus the saviour. Francis shared his journey with that of Jesus and that is what made him to Imitate Him perfectly and completely.

In this journey Francis discovered himself as a weak, sinner and fragile human being and went about seeking the grace which would assist him to be an instrument of peace, service, love and fraternal bond and relationships. The journey was marked by positive and negative experiences, which led him to unite totally with the Divine and human. The journey granted him prolonged periods of illness and decline which he was able to face and carry forward. This journey of discovery of who God and Jesus is in his life led him to the lepers and outcasts of the society. This journey of discovery brought him close to the reality of being human and its pain and sufferings, but he marched on towards the goal with determination. Nothing in this journey broke him down, neither body or soul, mind and heart.

 

This journey of Francis led him to the Sultan to share his experience of the Crucified Lord facing all the sufferings and pain to reach to the Land of Saracens, initially it looked like the journey is not going to be successful but a solid solider of Christ that Francis was would never give up. At the end the journey is sweet and successful, there is conversion and change of heart and mind, there is acceptances of the Lord Jesus in the Lord of the unknown and a hero’s send-off to Francis. He carried not himself in this journey but Jesus in his heart, mind and on the lips for which he was willing to be hurt and wounded during the journey.

During his journey what accompanied him most was the Gospel way of life, the fraternity and the divine grace of God which brought vitality and vigour in him and the early brothers. His fragility turned and transformed into strength and power, into new vision and face for the Lord for the generations to come like that of ours. In this journey of Francis were are all accompanying him as sons and daughters, journey of life as Franciscans and journey of Faith to discover Jesus and Francis.

Today we will all gather in silence together with our friars and sisters to comfort one another with the Love of Francis as we remember his holy death. Prayers and songs of Praise will echo in our monasteries as we contemplate his life and final journey into eternity. As we share the common bond of being Franciscans with our rule, testament and proper constitutions, should not estrange us from the ideals of our father and founder Francis. He is calling us to higher life and journey that is Journey of Brotherhood and sisterhood.

 

On this day of Transitus let us imitate Francis and his virtuous life, let us learn to surrender totally to the Lord with the divine grace we have received on our Baptism, profession and Ordination. As Francis died as he lived, as a person of faith and a real man. He made a final act of surrender by asking the Lord to receive him into the sweet hands of the Lord. Let us place ourselves into the hands of Francis all our pain, brokenness, acts of disobedience, decline in living the Charism and rule, let us acknowledge our journey as Franciscans has not been what it should have been according to the promises we made on the day of our Professions.  

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.”