From the Gospel of Luke

"As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." And another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home." To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."
(Luke 9:57-62)


May we all have the courage to respond to God's will for us in our lives, no matter what the sacrifice. I'm not talking just about priests and consecrated religious, but rather all of us, for we are all called by virtue of our Baptism to follow Christ. Let us not make excuses but rather actively respond to the unique, personal, and particular call God has placed on each of our lives to "go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."


St. Francis of Assisi, you had the courage to leave behind everything to respond to the call of Christ in your life. May we imitate your example by putting Christ first in our lives and courageously living our lives in accordance with His divine plan for us. St. Francis, pray for us.