YOUR NAME IS WRITTEN
He had no
status, no position, and no possessions. What Francis did have was the Gospel
and the courage to proclaim it through the life he lived.
In the first
reading today Job asserts, "I have dealt with great things that I do not
understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know" (Jb 42:3).
Job repents and bends his knee before our heavenly Father. He is in awe of His
loving power, aware that an understanding of divine design is beyond his human
capabilities. Then, with hope born of faith, we acclaim in today's Responsorial
Psalm, "Lord, let Your face shine on me. Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in Your commands I trust" (Ps 119:135, 66).
In today's Gospel
of Luke, Jesus Christ makes clear that the true source of our joy comes from
God our Father and in Him alone. God always assures us of victory in His Son
Jesus. Christ assures His disciples and us that He has all power over the evil
in this world. Jesus' prayer in the Gospel is about joy and praise. Like Him,
we will rejoice "in the Holy Spirit and give praise" to the Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, who reveals wondrous things to the childlike. We are
God's children!
The Church holds up
today a model of what that childlike, simple and authentic living looks like,
and it is none other than Saint Francis of Assisi. His power was his poverty;
his wisdom was his faith. He was childlike in that he had no status, no
position, and no possessions. What Francis did have was the Gospel and the
courage to proclaim it through the life he lived.
Turning to you
Jesus says, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see" and
"rejoice because your name is written in heaven!"