THE MOMENT OF CONVERSION - 10/04/22 (Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi)

Luke 10:40-42

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”  

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100422.cfm

Blessed Memorial of St. Francis of Asisi! When Jesus entered the village, He was welcomed by St. Martha. However, when Jesus was already in her house, Martha became too focused and preoccupied with the act of service and with her chores that she forgot what's more important, and that's to be in the presence of Christ. This event shows us the importance of prayer with St. Mary Magdalene as an example. At the same time, it's important to notice that this was also a conversion moment for St. Martha who learned to trust in God even more after this encounter with Christ. God gives many moments of conversion to people whom He calls to the life of holiness. One example is St. Francis of Assisi. 

St. Francis of Assisi was not initially poor. At first, his heart was not totally for God. He chose to enter the military, but he had am experience where Jesus told him that St. Francis would lead a different warfare. It's the spiritual warfare against the devil and other evil spirits. This was one of the many moments that helped St. Francis of Assisi to deepen his relationship with God. As he meditated on the sufferings of Jesus Christ, he decided to go against the world, to renounce his possessions and do whatever God told him to do. There was a time when St. Francis saw a leper, and at first, he was disgusted, but as he repented of his sin, he went back to the leper, embraced him, and helped him with his needs. As he started travelling, he decided to look back at the leper, but he never saw him again even though the plain was clear. From this moment, St. Francis chose to give his life totally to God in a radical way. 

God doesn't just call Martha, Mary, and St. Francis of Assisi to holiness through many conversions. The truth is that He calls all of us to the life of holiness. We also have our own personal stories which we may be aware of or not. They may include the times when we become aware and conscious of God's mercy for us, when God reveals in our conscience our sins for us to be humble, when we witness the heroic deeds and virtues of the saints, when we see the emptiness of the pleasures of worldly things and many more. Why does God give us these moments? It's because He loves us. He knows our thoughts. Because God is aware of our thoughts which are contrary to His will and plan, He makes many ways to bring us back to Him. Our Lord sees our potentials because the truth is that we can become saints if we depend on Him as what all saints do. 

What should we do after knowing the conversion moments that God give us? Let's persevere by God's grace to turn away from our sins. Like St. Martha, we may be so busy with other distractions such as work or studies that we may forget the importance of  a daily prayer life. Others may be consumed by the ideologies and belief systems they see on TV and social media. God is inviting us to reflect on our sinful tendencies and make His teachings and the teachings of the Catholic Church to be our principle in life. Let's not dwell on the entertainment, but let's make a choice to dwell on the presence of God in our prayers. St. Francis of Assisi became the founder of Franciscans, and he bore the wounds of Christ as an offering for conversion of sinners. God has a plan for us, and God will make us saints as long as we are open to His mercy. We may not be an exact copy of St. Francis. After all, we're unique individuals. But, this doesn't change the fact that God has a unique plan for us which, if we follow, will enable to contemplate on God, both on earth and in heaven. May we never forget to examine our thoughts, words and deeds every day and during the many moments of our days in prayers. By doing this, through the intercession of St. Francis of Assisi, God will guide us to our path to everlasting life. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Life of St. Francis of Assisi:

https://sanctoral.com/en/saints/saint_francis_of_assisi.html

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls