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Monday, May 8, 2017 (Week 1)

St. Francis of Assisi

the Reformer

St. Joseph Church

6:45 pm to 8:00 pm

Fr. Richard Jones, Presenter

St. Thomas Aquinas St. Francis of Assisi G. K. Chesterton St. Catherine of Siena Michelangelo Bl. John Henry Newman

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This Evening’s Schedule

Subject

Page Number(s)

Prayer for the Universal Call to Holiness 3

Opening Song – Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis of Assisi

4

Opening Prayer 5

Canticle of the Sun Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi

6

Mediations on the “Beatitudes by St. Francis of Assisi”

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Video Outline – Part I and II 8 – 9

St. Francis Prayer for Blessing of Animals 9

Questions for Understanding – Part I 10 – 15

Questions for Understanding – Part II 15 – 19

Peace Prayer of St. Francis 20

Closing Prayer by Mary DeTurris Poust from her bookWalking Together: Discovering the Catholic Tradition of Spiritual Friendship

21

Closing Song – Make Me a Channel of Your Peace by Susan Boyle

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Prayer for the Universal Call to Holiness

Lord Jesus Christ, you desire that all people be holy,

as you are holy with the Father and the Spirit,

and have given us your Church so that all might

participate in the fullness of the Christian life and be

sustained by faith, enlivened by hope, and perfected in charity.

Conform us to your image so that the world may,

in meeting us, experience an encounter with you.

Help us to seek, as you did, the will of the Father.

Grant us lives worthy of our relationship with you.

Inspire us to take heroic risks and make courageous sacrifices so that

your Kingdom may come and your will be accomplished.

May the promises of our Baptism be fulfilled and may we,

having received your saving grace, share this gift with others.

May we devote ourselves to the glory of God in worship,

reverence you in the Sacraments, attend to your teaching in your Word,

seek communion with you in prayer, be inspired trough the

study of your sacred truths, imitate the saints, and honor your

commandments in our loving service to God and to neighbor.

May the evangelization and sanctification of all people

be accomplished through our bold and creative witness

to the Gospel and through our lively works of mercy.

Permit us to be worthy of the name Christian

and to truly be your disciples in Spirit and in truth.

And help us to appreciate and understand that holiness is a mission,

a unique way of life, through which we are conformed to you, so that

we may share your life and presence with the world

and become the saints that you have created us to be.

We ask this in your name, you who live and reign with

the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

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Opening Song

Canticle of the Sun

by St. Francis of Assisi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe5b_Tvt_iw

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Opening Prayer

Lord, we praise you for your wisdom and

grace that lead us here on earth.

Thank you for giving us direction for our

lives.

Help us to realize that although we are

small, like a mustard seed, your power can

transform our small gifts into something

large and glorious.

Give us the wisdom and faith to give you

all that we have, so you can multiply it and

cause it to bear much fruit, according to

your will.

Amen.

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Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis of Assisi

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord!

All praise is Yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.

To You, alone, Most High, do they belong.

No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all Your creatures,

especially through my lord Brother Sun,

who brings the day; and You give light through him.

And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!

Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;

in the heavens You have made them bright, precious and

beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,

and clouds and storms, and all the weather,

through which You give Your creatures sustenance.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Water;

she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire,

through whom You brighten the night.

He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.

Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth,

who feeds us and rules us,

and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.

Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of You;

through those who endure sickness and trial.

Happy those who endure in peace,

for by You, Most High, they will be crowned.

from whose embrace no living person can escape.

Woe to those who die in mortal sin!

Happy those she finds doing Your most holy will.

The second death can do no harm to them.

Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,

and serve Him with great humility.

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Meditations on the “Beatitudes”

by St. Francis of Assisi

Where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor

ignorance.

Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger

nor vexation.

Where there is poverty with joy, there is neither greed nor

avarice.

Where there is peace and meditation, there is neither anxiety

nor doubt.

Where the fear of the Lord stands guard, there the enemy

finds no entry.

Where there is mercy and moderation, there is neither

indulgence nor harshness.

Blessed is the servant who stores the favors that God has

shown him as a treasure in heaven and has no wish to

disclose them to others in the hope of some advantage, for

the Most High will reveal divine workings to whomever the

Most High pleases.

Blessed is the servant who keeps the secrets of the Lord

locked away in the heart. For whatever a man is in the sight

of God, that he is and no more.

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St. Francis of Assisi, the Reformer

Video Outline Part 1

I. Introduction

A. Man of contradiction: simple and humble, yet a deeply troubling and unnerving

figure

B. Represented back-to-basics evangelization with a return to the radicality of the

Gospel.

II. Early Years

a. Born in 1182 in Assisi, son of Pica and Pietro Bernardone, a cloth merchant

b. Not a proficient writer; loved to sing, especially songs of French troubadours

c. Worked in his father’s shop and liked fine clothes, money, and partying

d. Sought fame, joined battles, eventually imprisoned

e. After Francis was a prisoner of war, he stopped seeking fame

f. Had a powerful dream where Christ asked him whom he would serve: the master or

the servant

g. Back in Assisi, the things that used to satisfy him did not anymore

III. Conversion

a. Began to give things away to the poor

b. Embraced leper and was filled with happiness

c. Radical detachment from goods of the world and attachment to the purposes of

God

IV. Rebuild my Church

a. In 1206 at San Damiano, a small church in ruins, Francis heard Christ speak from

the Cross, telling him to rebuild his house

b. Sold cloth from father’s shop to fund renovations

c. Put on trial before bishop and came to renounce father and declare total devotion to

God as his only Father

d. Solely dependent on God’s providence; begged for sustenance

e. Others began to join him, selling possessions to fund his mission, committed to

living in poverty, and totally trusting God for everything

V. Establishment of the Order

a. In 1209, along with twelve disciples, Francis went to see Pope Innocent III to get

permission to begin a new, religious order

b. Corruption rampant at the time; initially dismissed by pope

c. Came back and was given permission after pope remembered a dream about il

Poverello (little poor man) holding up the Lateran church, a very significant church

in Rome

d. Called order the “Friars Minor” as they were to take the lowest place

e. Vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience

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Part 2

I. Growth of the Order

a. Many men joined the Friars Minor

b. St. Clare founded female Franciscan order: Poor Ladies

c. Francis loved nature and had a special connection to animals

i. Preached to birds

ii. Tamed the wolf of Gubbio

iii. Believed all creature are our brothers and sisters

d. Many parishes bless pets and other animals on the Feast Day of St. Francis,

October 4th (see Blessing below)

e. Missions near and far

i. Sent brothers to Christian land and they did not fare well, except in England

ii. Sent brothers to non-Christian lands where many were ignored, tortured or

even executed

iii. Joined the crusades and interacted with the Muslim Sultan himself

iv. By example, Francis did reform the church, but not with worldly power or

strength

f. Experienced perfect joy in suffering for Christ

i. According to Francis, to “bear all suffering for the love of God” is a definition

of pure joy

g. Francis started the tradition of the Nativity Scene that we still follow today during the

Christmas season

i. He set up a manger with hay and two live animals – an ox and a donkey – in

a cave in the village of Grecio

ii. Francis preached about “the babe of Bethlehem” while the villagers stood

around the manger and reflected on the first Christmas

II. Stigmata and Death

a. Went on spiritual retreat in La Verna, Italy, in 1224

b. Asked for two graces: feel full pain of Christ’s Passion, and love Christ with the love

that made him sacrifice himself for us

c. Received stigmata

d. Back to Assisi; suffering from eye disease and effects of stigmata

e. Was joyful as he was dying

i. Died singing, in “complete poverty” and total submission to God

III. Why a Pivotal Player?

a. Francis’ life showed that one can realize the Christian ideal by living according to

the Gospel literally

b. This lifestyle unleashes enormous, transformative power in the world

St. Francis Prayer for Blessing of Animals

Beloved Creator, as you tend the sparrow and the lily of the field,

Bless each pet with shelter, food and companionship.

Be their healer, comforter, and sustainer in times of need.

Bless each pet as you have blessed us with your infinite Love.

Amen.

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St. Francis, the Reformer Questions for Understanding

Part I

What moved Francis to embrace the leper, which was an act most

repugnant to his nature?

Answer: Francis did not go to the lepers spontaneously, by his own will, or because

he was moved by human and religious compassion. “The Lord,” he writes, “led me

among them.” Francis came to the poor after his conversion out of love for Christ.

The profound motive for his conversion was not social but evangelical. Jesus had

formulated the law once and for all in the Gospel.

If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross

and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever

loses his life for my sake will find it. (Luke 9:23-24)

Francis’ conversion was not about choosing between wealth and poverty, nor

between the rich and the poor, nor between belonging to one class or another. It was

about choosing between himself and God, between saving his life and losing it for the

Gospel.

For additional reading:

Matthew 16:24-25 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must

deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25For whoever wishes to save

his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

2 Corinthians 5:15-20 15He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for

themselves but for him who for their sake died and was

raised.16Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;

even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so

no longer.17 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have

passed away; behold, new things have come. 18And all this is from God, who

has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of

reconciliation,19namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not

counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of

reconciliation. 20So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing

through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

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Romans 14:7-8 7None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. 8For if we live, we

live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or

die, we are the Lord’s.

Galatians 2:20

20I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law,

then Christ died for nothing.

After his conversion, Francis dedicated himself to the corporal and

spiritual works of mercy. What are those? Why are they important?

Answer: The corporal works of mercy tend to the needs of the body and include

feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and

imprisoned, and burying the dead.

The spiritual works of mercy tend to the needs of the spirit and include instructing,

advising, consoling, comforting, forgiving, and bearing wrongs patiently.

These works of mercy are important because they are the outward signs of faith in

Christ and the loving response to his commandments, especially to “Love one

another as I have loved you.”

For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2447

2447 The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid

of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities. Instructing, advising,

consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing

wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the

hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and

imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among all these, giving alms to the poor is

one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice

pleasing to God:

He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none and he

who has food must do likewise. But give for alms those things which are

within; and behold, everything is clean for you. If a brother or sister is ill-

clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in

peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for

the body, what does it profit?

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Matthew 25:31-46

The Judgment of the Nations. 31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,

and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, 32 and all the

nation will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from

another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will place the

sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34Then the king will say to those on

his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom

prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you

gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you

welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison

and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord,

when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38

When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the king will say

to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least

brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41 Then he will say to those on his left,

‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and

his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you

gave me no drink, 43 a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you

gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ 44 Then

they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a

stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ 45 He will

answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least

ones, you did not do for me.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but

the righteous to eternal life.”

James 2:14-17 14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have

works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and

has no food for the day,16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep

warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body,

what good is it? 17So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

1 John 3:11, 16-18 11For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love

one another, 16The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we

ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If someone who has worldly

means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love

of God remain in him? 18Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed

and truth.

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How was the lifestyle of St. Francis and his Friars Minor similar to

the lifestyle of the early Christian community?

Answer: Both communities had a total trust in God’s providence. They prayed, ate,

and celebrated the Eucharist together. They shared all that they had and did not keep

material possessions for themselves, but lived in common. People joined the early

Christian community and St. Francis and St. Clare’s orders in great numbers. Francis

followed Jesus’ actions literally when he sent his brothers out to preach the message

of the Kingdom of God and to take nothing for the journey.

For additional reading:

Acts 2:42-47 42They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the

communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43Awe came

upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would

sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to

each one’s need. 46Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in

the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals

with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and enjoying favor with all

the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were

being saved.

Acts 4:32-35 32The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed

that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. 33With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord

Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. 34 There was no needy person

among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring

the proceeds of the sale,35and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they

were distributed to each according to need.

Luke 9:1-3 1He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all

demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of

God and to heal [the sick]. 3He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,

neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a

second tunic.

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Where did Francis’ joy come from? How did it affect his

evangelization?

Answer: Francis’ joy came from being deeply in love with Christ and being filled with

the Holy Spirit. Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, evident in those who are filled

with his grace. Joy is also a fruit of charity, along with peace and mercy. Francis’

entire life was filled with charity and mercy, especially to the poor and suffering.

Francis abandoned himself totally to God and to his purposes with absolute trust in

the Lord, so he had no reason to be troubled. He was able to preach the Gospel and

bring others to Christ without fear or worry because he firmly believed that God would

provide all he needed. This deep faith gave him true freedom and the power to

accomplish his mission on earth.

For additional reading:

1 Peter 1:8-9 8Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see

him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.

Romans 15:13 13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you

may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit

Catechism of the Catholic Church 736

736 By this power of the Spirit, God's children can bear much fruit. He who has

grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear "the fruit of the Spirit: . . . love,

joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-

control." "We live by the Spirit"; the more we renounce ourselves, the more we

"walk by the Spirit."

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1832

1832 The fruits of the Spirit are perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as

the first fruits of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church lists twelve of them:

"charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness,

faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity."

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Catechism of the Catholic Church 1829

1829 The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy; charity demands

beneficence and fraternal correction; it is benevolence; it fosters reciprocity

and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion: Love

is itself the fulfillment of all our works. There is the goal; that is why we run: we

run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest.

Part II

How did Francis “restore the ‘flesh and blood’ to the mysteries of

Christianity”? Why was that particularly important at that time in Church

history?

Answer: During Francis’s time, there was much corruption in the Church and the

people were hungry for reform. Many Christian teachings had become theoretical

and conceptual, and did not translate into the way people lived their lives Francis

literally lived the way Jesus did, and created a large following who did the same,

proving that indeed the Christian life could be lived literally and lead to joy and

peace, as Christ promised.

In the video, Bishop Barron talks about two graces that Francis

prayed for about a year before he died. What did he pray for and how did

God answer his prayer?

Answer: Francis prayed that he would feel the pain of Christ’s passion and that

he would love Christ with the same love that made Christ sacrifice himself for us.

We know God answered his first request, as Francis received the stigmata shortly

thereafter. We have no sure way of knowing the type of love for Christ that was in

his heart; however, we have evidence that Francis loved his fellow man,

especially the poor and suffering, with a Christ-like love. As Francis is a saint, it

seems very certain that these two requests were granted by the Lord.

St. Francis embraced suffering with great joy, even seeming to

seek it out. Why do you think he did that? How is suffering related to

penance?

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Answer: Bishop Barron attributes Francis’ embrace of suffering to his desire to

be fully united with Christ in all things, to “take up his cross” and become like

Christ. As adopted children of God in Christ through baptism, we are all meant to

share in his suffering and death, as well as in his eternal life and glory.

In his apostolic letter Salvifici doloris (“redemptive suffering”), St. John Paul II

explains:

Down through the centuries and generations it has been seen that in suffering

there is concealed a particular power that draws a person interiorly close to

Christ, a special grace. To this grace may saints, such as St. Francis of Assisi,

owe their profound conversion. A result of such a conversion is not only that

the individual discovers the salvific meaning of suffering but above all that he

becomes a completely new person. He discovers a new dimension, as it were,

of his entire life and vocation. This discovery is a particular confirmation of the

spiritual greatness which in man surpasses the body in a way that is

completely beyond compare.

Penance is a type of reparation for sin. While Christ’s death merited forgiveness of

sins and eternal redemption for all who believed in him, there is still need for

temporal reparation for the effects of sin. St. Paul says that by our own suffering

and sacrifices, we can make up for what is lacking in the “body of Christ that is the

Church.” So we can offer our own suffering as penance for other members of the

Body of Christ, including those who have died and are in purgatory.

St. John Paul II goes on in the same encyclical mentioned above to explain:

Christ has accomplished the world’s Redemption through his own suffering. At

the same time, this Redemption lives on and in its own special way develops

in the history of man. It lives and develops as the body of Christ, the Church,

and in this dimension every human suffering, by reason of the loving union

with Christ, completes the suffering of Christ. It completes that suffering just as

the Church completes the redemptive work of Christ.

For additional reading:

Romans 8:16-17 16The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we

suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Colossians 1:24 24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up

what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the

church,

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Catechism of the Catholic Church 977

977 Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: "Go into all

the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and

is baptized will be saved." Baptism is the first

and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ,

who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that "we too

might walk in newness of life."

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1494

1494 The confessor proposes the performance of certain acts of "satisfaction"

or "penance" to be performed by the penitent in order to repair the harm

caused by sin and to re-establish habits befitting a disciple of Christ.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1434-35

1434 The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and

various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three

forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving,31 which express conversion in relation

to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought

about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of

sins: effort at reconciliation with one's neighbor, tears of repentance, concern

for the salvation of one's neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the

practice of charity "which covers a multitude of sins."

1435 Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation,

concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the

admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life,

examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering,

endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross

each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1032

1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead,

already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made

atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." From the

beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered

prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus

purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also

commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on

behalf of the dead:

Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their

father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead

bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who

have died and to offer our prayers for them.

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In what way would you describe St. Francis as a “reformer” during his

lifetime? How do you believe the reform took shape after his death from the

seeds he had planted?

Answer: Francis reformed the Church through his radical conversion and his

example of Christian holiness.

First and foremost, Francis reformed himself by repenting of his pride and

materialism, subjugating his ego to God’s will, and surrendering his whole life to

the providence of God. He lived publicly in the radical detachment from the goods

of this world and chose singular attachment to the purposes of God.

By the example of his and his brothers’ lifestyle, which embraced poverty,

simplicity, purity, and obedience, he showed all Christians what it truly means to

follow Christ. He redefined authority away from power and toward service. Church

leaders could not ignore the sheer number and commitment of his followers.

Through service to the poor and suffering Francis put into action Christ’s

command to “love one another.”

The Church bears many fruits of the seeds of Francis’ life. Some examples

include priority of serving the poor and protecting the innocent; reform to improve

the purity and simplicity of clerical life, many religious orders that follow a similar

rule, and sensitivity to our responsibility to care for all of God’s creatures.

For additional reading:

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1430-32

1430 Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before

him, does not aim first at outward works, "sackcloth and ashes," fasting and

mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion. Without

this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion

urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.23

1431 Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a

conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil,

with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time

it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's

mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is

accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi

cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart).24

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1432 The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give man a new

heart. Conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our

hearts return to him: "Restore us to thyself, O LORD, that we may be

restored!" God gives us the strength to begin anew. It is in discovering the

greatness of God's love that our heart is shaken by the horror and weight of

sin and begins to fear offending God by sin and being separated from him. The

human heart is converted by looking upon him whom our sins have pierced:

Let us fix our eyes on Christ's blood and understand how precious it is

to his Father, for, poured out for our salvation it has brought to the

whole world the grace of repentance.

Psalm 51:12 12A clean heart create for me, God; renew within me a steadfast spirit.

Romans 12:2 2Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of

your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and

pleasing and perfect.

“So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you

are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the

household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and

prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through

him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple

sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into

a dwelling place of God in the Spirit“.” (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Page 20

Peace Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your

peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so

much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal

life.

Amen.

Page 21

Closing Prayer

We are not meant to be solitary figures

walking a lonely path toward heaven.

We are meant for God and for each other.

We are one body with many parts,

sharing gifts and growing in faith.

Today we pray for the grace

to recognize the friends in our midst,

to open our eyes, our hearts, our minds

to the possibility of what God has planned.

We long for a community of friends

to journey with us, and we know now

that through trust and abandonment,

we will be given exactly what we need.

— by Mary DeTurris Poust from her book

Walking Together: Discovering the Catholic

Tradition of Spiritual Friendship

(Ave Maria Press – 2010)

Page 22

Closing Song

“I think people experience in St. Francis a disciple of Jesus whose love for Christ was such that it

made him an image of the Savior. The appeal of St. Francis is his likeness to Jesus Christ. I also

think that he manifests the pathos and glory of Christian witness in the world, not in the abstract,

but in real flesh and blood.” – Bishop Robert E. Barron

Based on the Study Program – Catholicism: The Pivotal Players by Bishop Robert E. Barron

Make Me a Channel of Your Peace

by St. Francis of Assisi

sung by Sung by Susan Boyle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gcxg4XQgaGg