Have you heard this about St. Francis of Assisi?
From the book, The Life of St. Francis of Assisi written by St. Bonaventure:
“...he (Francis) came to the church of St. Damian, which, from its great antiquity, was fast falling into decay, and, by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, he went in thither to pray.
As he lay prostrate before the Crucifix he was filled with great spiritual consolation, and gazing with tearful eyes upon the holy Cross of the Lord, he heard with his bodily ears a voice from the Crucifix, which said thrice to him: 'Francis, go and build up My house, which, as thou seest, is falling into ruin.'...”
At the time, St. Francis interpreted this as God calling him to build up the physical church of St. Damian. But later, the Holy Spirit revealed that he was actually being called to build up the Church institution - the spiritual life of the Church.
St. Francis left his entire life behind to follow Jesus.
He went on to live an inspirational life marked by radical abandonment to the will of God.
This week we're talking about responding to God's will.
Can you imagine if St. Francis had said “no”? If he hadn't responded to His call?
Last week we talked about seeking His will, which is important. But our response is just as important. Remember we are called to have total dependence on God.
We need to seek His will and respond to it, confident that God knows best.
Even though His will may not be as clear as the message that St. Francis received, we still need to strive to follow God's path.
And in order to do this well, we need to have humility.
Humility is the opposite of pride:
✅ Humility says we need help
❌ Pride says we don't
✅ Humility says we can trust God
❌ Pride says we can't
✅ Humility brings peace to our restless hearts
❌ Pride perpetuates restlessness
Humility reminds us we're dependent on God, and how much we truly need Him. When we are humble, it is easier to respond to God's will.
To let go, and let God - that is true humility.
