FRANCISCAN DETERMINATION

The Lord GOD has given me

    a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
    a word that will rouse them […] He is near who upholds my right;
    if anyone wishes to oppose me,
    let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
    Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
    who will prove me wrong? ~ Is 50:4-9a

For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face. ~ Psalm 69:8

“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.” ~ Psalm 69:33-34

Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.” ~ Mt 26:25

To act and do good in accordance with our values, principles and beliefs are becoming something difficult in our society because we will find ourselves in situations or with people that will try to silence and humiliate us for not accepting our opinions. There are times where we have felt ashamed in expressing ourselves and defend our beliefs considering that maybe we do not want to be excluded from the group, however, we should never stay quiet nor change who we are or believe because if we do, we lose the opportunity of doing the right thing according to our principles and the gift of being honest with ourselves.

From the passages of Scripture that I included above, we can see that regardless of the betrayals and the insults from people who surrounded them, Isaiah, the Psalmist and Jesus continued doing what was right for them. In Isaiah’s case, a prophet with a great faith and trust in God, did not think twice in keeping his duty as God asked him. Like Isaiah, the psalmist was defamed for his beliefs, but he did not abandon nor change them, and received God’s protection. Even though Jesus knew about who was going to betrayed him and that He is king and God’s son, Jesus permitted Judas’ crime because it was the correct decision to make, which led to the prophecies to come true about the Messiah and His actions for the world’s salvation.

Therefore, every time we are embarrassed about sharing our opinions or acting accordingly to our values, we should remember Isaiah’s strength and Jesus’s determination to maintain their beliefs and to do the right thing followed by them, it is not going to be an easy task, but we will find strength in God as they did. During this Franciscan month, let’s continue to remember, St. Francis of Assisi, our patron saint’s legacy and determination to follow and act for what is right while maintaining God first and at the center of everything we do. Let’s pray that we may never stop accepting God’s guidance and allow Him to be in our hearts.

Paz y bien,

Airam Aguasvivas De Los Santos
Class of 2024, MMID Student Assistant.

Comments

THE MANGER & THE MONSTRANCE: WHAT ST. FRANCIS’ MANGER SCENE CAN TEACH US ABOUT THE BREAD OF LIFE IN THE YEAR OF EUCHARISTIC REVIVAL

The manger scene evokes our memories of Christmas: sharing delicious holiday dishes with family members, sitting around a Christmas tree with hot cocoa, or roasting chestnuts on an open fire. However, on this night, St. Francis did not partake in the feasting typical at Christmastime in the Middle Ages. Instead, he desired to “…enact the memory of that babe who was born in Bethlehem: to see as much as is possible with [his] own bodily eyes the discomfort of [Christ’s] infant needs, how he lay in a manger, and how, with an ox and ass standing by, he rested on hay”. Thus, the manger scene was born. On Christmas Eve in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi had the first live manger scene created in the town of Greccio. He gathered the townspeople from near and far to celebrate Mass and recall the origins of Christ’s humble birth. Francis saw Our Lord’s birth as fundamental. His Birth is intimately tied to His Death. The two bookends of Christ’s Life on earth form the basis of Francis’ spiritu...

THREE TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES

There are three experiences that profoundly shaped St. Francis of Assis’s life. Two were early: one year spent as a prisoner-of-war (from 1202-1203), and subsequent homelessness living among lepers outside Assisi’s walls (likely 1205). The third, Francis’ journey to Egypt (in 1219), occurred seven years before his death in 1226. Each unfolded differently than Francis anticipated. Seeking fame, Francis joined Assisi’s ongoing fight with its neighbor Perugia. The son of a wealthy cloth merchant went off to war well equipped with horse and armor. When the battle turned against Assisi, Francis’s life was spared because his equipment revealed he came from a family capable of paying a ransom. His poorer, fellow soldiers who survived the battle were likely executed or if wounded “dispatched” on the battlefield. Strangely, Francis wrote nothing about his year-long imprisonment. Released from captivity, he was shell of his former self. Having witnessed men killed in battle, others executed as...

A MOVEMENT OF SERVICE

I first became aware of the Franciscan tradition when I was 12 years old. My dad got a new job at Alvernia University (then College), a school rich with Franciscan traditions. I was at an age where I could appreciate what that meant, but I was also a pre-teen in middle school, so learning about St. Francis was not at the forefront of my mind. Still, I learned a little. I met the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and learned about the importance of their role on Alvernia’s campus as the founders and sponsors of the school. Through my dad’s job, I saw the importance of prayer, peace and, my most favorite, service. Eleven years later, I have found myself back at Alvernia in a role where I get to encompass all of the parts I love most about St. Francis. St. Francis was determined to help the poor and to live among them. After experiencing a life of wealth and prosperity, he chose a life of poverty. A great sacrifice for anyone to make. But in doing so, he started a movement that has lasted cen...

Franciscan Month Reflection Series

Search This Blog