Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent

Today's Readings

Editor's Note: This reflection is based on the readings for tomorrow.

"Moses spoke to the people and said  'Now Israel, hear these statutes ...that you may live.'" Dt 8:1,5-9
     The verse before the Gospel proclaims "your words Lord are spirit and life, you have the words of 
ever lasting life."  Jn 6:63,68

     What were those words that Francis heard from the Lord which when considered, prayed over and enacted allows us

to see that he had become so one with his Lord and Savior that he could be proclaimed by many as an "alter Christus"?

(The paradox in this is that he himself described himself as a mere worm. Ps 22:6)

     In the scriptures Francis heard these three simple conditional statements:

Mt 19:21 "if you will be perfect, go, sell what you have, give everything to the poor and come follow me'.

Lk 9:3 "as you go take nothing for the journey".

Mt 16:24 "whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me".

     This Francis heard, this Francis lived, this Francis taught by the way of deeds more than words.

     These simply said, not easily done, are a  true way to  have  the words of the Lord for a life lived in the Spirit.

     On his death bed Francis left this statement for his brothers and sisters "I have done what is mine to do, may Christ teach you". Thomas of Celano, 2nd life 214

Bro. Tom Barton, OSF

Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn