There was some surprise when Pope Francis took the name Francis. St Francis whose feast day was yesterday was the inspiration. The pope has lived his life close to this down to earth saint. He is one of those rare saints who has managed to capture the attention and admiration of the entire world. His life has inspired people of all ages and the appeal of this saint, cuts across national boundaries and religious differences. He is most famous for his respect towards God, his simple life and his tender love and attention to all creation. Francis had little time for excess, waste and greed. He always stood up for the poor and downtrodden.

His love of animals has been well documented. Many animals and especially pets will get a special treat today in honour of St Francis. The life of Francis still challenges all of us today. The invitation is to sort through our lives and discard the unnecessary and useless. There is great freedom in doing with less and using it to our advantage. Francis did it so well and has inspired so many more to do the same.


________________________________________________________

‘Angels have a hidden agenda – love.’ ~Author Unknown

We all have a fear of isolation, loneliness and that we won’t be able to manage on our own. It is a perfectly normal human fear. As a child we were reminded about our guardian angel watching over and protecting us. It was comforting and consoling to know that we had someone special looking after us. But our guardian angel journeys with us every step of our life’s journey and not just our childhood. A guardian angel isn’t fantasy or some form of magic. Our scriptures have many references to angels. They are real, active and can best be described as God’s protective love very near and close to us. Last Sunday (Oct 2nd) was their feast day but especially of your guardian angel. A fitting prayer each day might be: “O Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here. Ever this day, be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen”

__________________________________________________________

“You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions,nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.
~ Therese de Lisieux

Last Saturday (Oct 1st) was the feast of St Therese and she is one of the most popular saints of our time. Her huge appeal is not that she did extra ordinary things but that she did the little things extraordinary well. She found that she was closest to God when she was doing the simplest and most mundane tasks. The spectacular and sensational always attracts interest and sometimes hype. Celebrities are always in the spotlight. But this was never a part of her life.

We may have many things planned for today and across the coming week. The chances are that much of it is nothing extra ordinary. It will not make headlines and most of it we have done so many times before. But the feast of St Therese reminds us that this is where life is meant to be. This is where life really matters. It is comforting to know that in the simple and ordinary events of our lives, we can be quite close to God. This is something we so often take for granted. Getting close to God is not reserved for the elite or the chosen few. For Therese she dedicated all the seemingly thankless and boring jobs to God. She often said, “I am doing this out of love for you my God.” It is little wonder that so many feel drawn to Therese. Her understanding of life makes sense and deep down we know it is something we long for.

We ask her many blessings on each of us. We also reflect on how Therese found happiness and that it was always within her reach. It is also within our reach too. As we journey through this month of October, may we find more contentment and ease, in the simple, ordinary and down to earth moments that make up our every day lives.