"And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never runs dry” (Isaiah 58:11).

Looking directly at my blank document before writing this reflection, I asked myself, “What could possibly be a common quality of celebrating Franciscan tradition and Hispanic heritage in the same month? How can I connect both?” There seem to be more differences than similarities between the two. However, I noticed that this same reason was the answer that I was looking for. I should thank God for helping me out with finding the response.

The Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) is a branch of the worldwide Franciscan Family. We are single and married. We work, worship, and play in the community where we live. An official Order within the Roman Catholic Church, the OFS was founded by St. Francis of Assisi almost 800 years ago. 

The two supporting her heard her say, “Lord, look upon these servants of yours because I cannot protect them.” And from the case containing the Eucharist came a child’s voice saying, “I will always defend you.” Nor did Clare forget Assisi: “Lord,” she prayed, “please defend the city as well.” The same voice answered, “The city will endure many dangers, but it will be defended.” It was a dialogue of few words, but there was a great silence outside when it was over. The Saracens had withdrawn without causing damage. In other words, this event took place within the Monastery, with the Saracens on one side of the door and St. Clare on the other, and not as usually depicted, with St. Clare holding the Monstrance above the window with the Saracens below in the courtyard.

In speaking of Clare and the Eucharist, the words that immediately come to me are intimacy, love, confidence, power, and joy. There is one Reality in life from which every other reality emanates: GOD. God is “all-inclusive” without boundaries. Think of an imaginary circle. This God is the “host” of our Universe. He creates, nourishes, serves, and shares His life with us. We belonged to God even before He took flesh in Jesus, but in Jesus, God showed us His Face. Jesus is the full expression of the Godhead in human form. When we look at Jesus, we know what God is like. With St. Paul, Clare calls Jesus the radiance of Eternal Light and the Mirror without flaw in whom all the qualities of God are revealed. She urges us each day to “look into” and “study” that Mirror of the Divinity every day.

The first daily readings on the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi come from the Book of Job. The perspective I have developed during my reflection time is that St. Francis, in a sense, is a newer Job. I would even make the argument that while I have not seen it directly mentioned in St. Francis’ timeline, St. Francis was inspired by Job. Job’s steadfast faith is remarkable because even though Job had every blessing taken away from him on this earth, he still found true peace, knowing that God was with him through it all. Like Job, St. Francis also knew that God was with him, to the point that he could not see himself gaining the world at the expense of his soul. In this way, I look to St. Francis as a model. For me, the remarkable difference between the two that makes St. Francis stand out is that St. Francis, unlike Job, had a wealthy father and access to some of the world's riches at his disposal that God did not take away from him. Yet he, with his free will, rejected worldly things and desires without any of those things being taken away from him, hoping to grow closer to our Almighty Father, something to be grasped.

Whenever the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi rolls around, I often think about feasting and its meaning. Throughout the Scriptures, we encounter the theme of feasting repeatedly. We also see this in the liturgical year, with nearly every day being the feast of something or someone. It would follow that we should be good at feasting and practice it regularly – but would you identify as an experienced feaster who can easily set aside time to simply delight in something?

When our lives are surrounded by the noise and chaos of the world, we can always look to God and, with prayers, find the quiet peace that He can instill in our hearts. The Saints are also examples whose lives inspire and guide us to live like Jesus. One of my favorite prayers is the Peace Prayer, which is affiliated with St. Francis of Assisi. It teaches us to serve one another and to put other’s needs first. The Peace Prayer reminds me of the virtues we learn from the Rosary. For example, the second Joyful Mystery is Love of Neighbor. The Peace Prayer is a beautiful way to reflect on our love for Christ and love one another. Let us pray:

When we hear the word masterpiece, what comes to mind are the great painters, sculptors, and authors all through the ages but never the LORD. He is the CREATOR of all the above.

Welcome to All Good Things! And welcome to Franciscan Month! Growing up in Clifton, New Jersey, we had a lovely statue of St. Francis near a birdbath in the garden. As a result, I always thought of Francis as ‘The Birdbath Saint.’ When becoming a Franciscan Brother of Brooklyn in my late 40s, I discovered there is much more to St. Francis than protecting gardens. His amazing story of conversion of heart – constantly turning away from sin toward God – is incredibly inspiring. His virtues outlined in the Peace Prayer – love, faith, hope, giving – are desperately needed to transform the inclination to hate and divide so prevalent in our polarized world into Franciscan Peace and Love.