Saint Francis of Assisi
Friday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
Gospel – Matthew 11:28-30
Today we are celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. A saint who initiated a specific charism in the church. A saint who showed the richness of Christian poverty. He celebrated life by being poor. How is this possible? Today’s gospel is the answer. “Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.”. St. Francis shouldered the yoke of Christ in a perfect way and learnt from Him. Shouldering the yoke of Christ is accepting Jesus as the only good in life. Those who have a yoke in the shoulders, cannot hold anything else except the yoke. Shouldering His yoke is making Jesus Christ as the only good in our life. When Jesus becomes the only good in your life, you will learn that you only need Him. When you learn that you only need Him, you will leave everything else. That is the Christian poverty. Jesus Christ will become your only possession. If you have problem in leaving something else because you did not yet find out that we need only Jesus Christ. His yoke is easy because He loves you and His burden light because He understands you. Let’s reflect: How much I recognize that I need only Jesus and nothing else?
Don Giorgio