When Jesus entered Martha and Mary’s house, Mary gave him her full attention, content as she was to sit at his feet and listen to the ever sweet, infinite power of his divine and human voice. She needed nothing else, for all possible love, truth, beauty and goodness was present there before her.
Homilies
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order, is perhaps best remembered for the life of sanctity, simplicity, and poverty he deliberately chose as a young man in strong opposition to the wealthy, pampered circumstances in which he was raised. Given the cultural context of today, there’s a great deal we can learn from the way Francis chose to live for God.
Bearing Forth the Light of Christ
Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.”
The Last Will Be First, The First Will Be Last
The parable of the workers in the vineyard speaks of Christ, who is the landowner offering eternal life to those who work in his vineyard, bringing first themselves under his rule, then their families, neighborhoods, and societies for the purpose of building up the kingdom of Christ. All who enter this vineyard at the landowner’s invitation and labor therein will receive the generous and unfathomable gift of everlasting life.
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Catholics venerate the cross as a symbol closely associated with the saving passion and death of Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ offered himself on the Roman cross in a sacrifice of perfect obedience of his human will to God the Father in order to atone for sin and effect the redemption of humankind—something no mere man could do.