Today's Minute Meditations pays homage to God's creation! š³
Dear John, When January rolls around, I try to meditate on the life of St. Francis of Assisi. Today I am reminded of the moment when . . . Francis championed interreligious dialogue. In our polarized country, it seems almost like fiction that we might have the courage to step outside our comfort zones and embrace those on the periphery or those we perceive as different. But Francis traversed wars and foreign lands to preach the Gospel to Sultan Malik al-Kamil in 1219. With these two men, it was a stalemate: Francis could not convert his new friend to Christianity, and the sultan could not coax his visitor to abandon Lady Poverty. But a real friendship was born, nonetheless. Differences should not mean division. Our directive at Franciscan Media is to build bridges, not walls. Following Francis, our message of hope and fellowship is needed in a world battered by grief. And that is where you come in. Join the friars and our faithful community of donors with a gift to Franciscan Media today. Peace and all good! Christopher Heffron
Editorial Director |
Saint of the Day for January 22:
Vincent of Zaragossa (d. c. 304) Listen to Saint Vincent of Zaragossaās Story Here Most of what we know about this saint comes from the poet Prudentius. His Acts have been rather freely colored by the imagination of their compiler. But Saint Augustine, in one of his sermons on Saint Vincent, speaks of having the Acts of his martyrdom before him. We are at least sure of his name, his being a deacon, the place of his death and burial. According to the story we have, the unusual devotion he inspired must have had a basis in a very heroic life. Vincent was ordained deacon by his friend Saint Valerius of Zaragossa in Spain. The Roman emperors had published their edicts against the clergy in 303, and the following year against the laity. Vincent and his bishop were imprisoned in Valencia. Hunger and torture failed to break them. Like the youths in the fiery furnace, they seemed to thrive on suffering. Valerius was sent into exile, and Dacian, the Roman governor, now turned the full force of his fury on Vincent. Tortures that sound very modern were tried. But their main effect was the progressive disintegration of Dacian himself. He had the torturers beaten because they failed. Finally he suggested a compromise: Would Vincent at least give up the sacred books to be burned according to the emperorās edict? He would not. Torture on the gridiron continued, the prisoner remaining courageous, the torturer losing control of himself. Vincent was thrown into a filthy prison cellāand converted the jailer. Dacian wept with rage, but strangely enough, ordered the prisoner to be given some rest. Friends among the faithful came to visit him, but he was to have no earthly rest. When they finally settled him on a comfortable bed, he went to his eternal rest. Reflection The martyrs are heroic examples of what Godās power can do. It is humanly impossible, we realize, for someone to go through tortures such as Vincent had and remain faithful. But it is equally true that by human power alone no one can remain faithful even without torture or suffering. God does not come to our rescue at isolated, āspecialā moments. God is supporting the super-cruisers as well as childrenās toy boats.
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Godās Home Francis of Assisi was at home in the cosmos. We know this because at the end of his life he composed the Canticle of the Creatures, in which he sang of brotherhood and sisterhood in the family of creation: Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Sister Mother Earth. The cosmos became home to Francis because this is where he discovered love, the overflowing goodness of God. Francis taught the brothers to accept the gifts of Godās goodness in creation and to respond with grateful hearts through bonds of love, care, concern, and companionship. Francis valued the home of the earth not as his home alone but first and foremost as Godās home. āfrom the book Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth
by Keith Douglass Warner, OFM, Ilia Delio, OSF, and Pamela Wood |
Deepen your relationship with God inspired by the spirit of Francis! Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis |
The Grace of God Reflect We can look back over our lives as a giant webātiny strands interconnected. Surely the grace of God prevented that disaster, arranged that meeting, engineered that job or apparent coincidence. God knew exactly what we needed and provided it. With reflection we can see links between past and present, the whole web shining with Godās presence. Pray Dearest God,
help us see each day
as a door
into your presence,
a chance to experience
your surprises,
an invitation
into your mystery.
Please make us more grateful.
Amen. Act Pray with a photo album or digital photo stream. Reflect back on the experiences recorded there with gratitude. Todayās Pause+Pray was written by Kathy Coffey. Learn more here! |
What does it mean to accompany one another? The road to Emmaus can be our guide, writes Father Fred Cabras, a Franciscan mental health professional. |
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