Wednesday of the 26th week in ordinary time year A
Nehemiah 2: 1-8 Luke 9: 57-62
Theme: God is faithful
Today the church celebrates the memorial of St. Francis of Assisi, a religious and the founder of the Franciscan order. He lived an austere life and was an itinerant preacher. He had a strong devotion to the Holy Eucharist. He was canonized by Pope Gregory 1X on the 16th of July 1228. He is the patron saint of animals and the environment, the poor and some other groups. It is interesting how God is patient with us until his appointed time for him to bring us back to the right path. In the case of St. Francis, the Lord waited for twenty-five years for him, before his conversion; he lived a wildlife as a young man. It was during this process of conversion that his famous story of the lepper he kissed and later realized it was God, took place. St. Francis had wonderful experiences that showed him that God was interested in him. While he was praying in the church, Christ on the crucifix spoke to him “Francis, repair my church”. His father later disowned him because he collected the father’s money to build the church. A lot of things happened in the life of St. Francis as he embraced the way of God. The church celebrates him today because he worked tirelessly for the good of the less privileged and embraced a life of holiness.
In his life we see the faithfulness of God towards his people. The assertion of Jesus that he came for sinners and not for the righteous is reiterated in today’s feast that we celebrate. He is very patient with us and follows us gradually, until the appointed time for us to begin our mission. We see this patience in the lives of some saints in the church. He does not give up on any one of us, so why do you give up on yourself? As far as God is concerned, we are all work in progress. What we need to do is to retrace our steps and allow God to guide our ways. This is exactly what saint Francis of Assisi did and impacted very positively in the congregation he founded and in the lives of all those who encountered him. When God calls you for a mission, he empowers you for that mission. He does not go for those that are perfect, rather when he calls you, he makes you perfect. That is why you must not write yourself off, because God is ever ready to change the narrative of your life. All you need to do today is to give him a chance in your life. We pray that through the intercession of St. Francis, God will make us a worthy instrument in his hand, in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.