Embracing Christ

Our Holy Father St. Francis, who has been called the most Christ-like of all Saints, frequently visited the houses of lepers,  generously distributing alms to them, and motivated by irrepressible compassion born of love, kissed their hands and even their lips.

Francis kissed their sores and cleansed their wounds, Francis not only ministered to their bodies, but through gestures of love and acceptance he brought the healing of Christ to their souls.

We may not be asked to respond to human suffering in such a dramatic way, but the poor are always with us, those broken in spirit, the fragmented, those struggling with sin, the addicted, the lonely.

Will we reach out to them so they may experience the love of Christ ... or will we pass by and leave the wounds still bleeding?

We have no excuse, even if actual human suffering is beyond our immediate reach – although this is extremely unlikely. We must ask ourselves the following question:

Do we embrace, bathe and kiss the wounds of the world in prayer?

The outcasts, the dying, the desperate, the needy ... is their blood upon our lips?

Known ... and Loved

What a challenge, and what a consolation the following extract from today's Gospel is.

"Jesus knew what thoughts were going through their minds ..."

Let us spend a little time reflecting upon what these words are really saying to us.

Jesus Christ knows the thoughts in our minds, he knows all our shadows, our dark and sinful thoughts, our judgments, he knows ... he knows! ... for his Spirit has searched the depths of everything.

Our initial response may be that of embarrassment, or shame; we may feel guilty and want to run away and distance ourselves from God, to crowd out our awareness of this truth, and take refuge in trying to make ourselves busy about life, but wait ...

Reflect again.

He knows......everything!

Is it not truly wonderful that all our thoughts are known to Christ and that for all the shadows, all the weakness, all the sin ... he loves us, embraces us with his everlasting love!

Do not try to earn it – you cannot. It is given freely ... and was given totally, on the Cross.

 He loves us as we are at this very moment in time!

He loves us in our weak , struggling humanity.

His love if far greater, far wider, far deeper, than our sinfulness.

This is true love, divine love, a love that embraces all that we are. He knows that we are dust and ashes ...

It is a love that creates trust and security, for we realize that we are known by Jesus Christ  ... known ... as we are ... and so, so loved.

Of Angels and Men

Today is the Feast of the Archangels St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael.

Let us go into the holy presence of our God and adore him, thanking him with all our hearts for the gift of faith.

In union with the Archangels let us gaze upon Jesus in the Tabernacle and give him thanks.

When a Poor Clare sister enters into the presence of the Blessed Sacrament she bows down and kisses the ground, for she is in His presence.

At the same time saying in her heart, the prayer that St. Francis left as a legacy to all his followers.

" We adore you O Christ, here and in all the Churches of the world, and we bless you because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world".

We invite you to unite your prayer with ours today, thanking the Lord for remaining with us in the Holy Tabernacle.
 

Pax et Bonum
 

In today's Gospel Jesus exhorts his disciples, "Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, 'Peace be to this house!' And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him ; if not, it will come back to you".

Our holy Father St. Francis greeted everyone with, "Pax et Bonum", (Peace and goodness).

He greeted rich and poor alike, those who acknowledged him and those who reviled him. Francis understood clearly that his was not to judge but to bless everyone he met.

The original Hebrew greeting was actually, 'Shalom-Lach' ... the word shalom had a much greater force than a mere expression of peace. By greeting or addressing a person in this way, they were actually being wished the tranquil possession of good things, of happiness, wholeness, completeness, prosperity and above all health, it was a blessing, deeply rooted in the history and culture of the people.

To proffer another a blessing is a gift of love, it matters not whether we like the person on a human level or not, ours is to 'will' them nothing but good. Should our blessing be rejected, its force will come back upon us, for our good.

We are defended from evil both externally and internally by blessing others