I felt a tug on my heart to share a few things that I heard
at Mass today.
First, the new pope choosing the name Francis, coming from
St. Francis of Assisi, reminds us of how much we are in need of more peace and
love in this world. I’m sure many of you
have heard this prayer of St. Francis before, but may these words sink into our
hearts today just a little bit more so that we may live them:
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.
Tying into the St. Francis prayer where it talks about
forgiveness and understanding, I also wanted to share what we heard on the story
in the Gospel of John about throwing the first stone (John 8:1-11). This story is not really about the woman who
committed adultery, but about how we are to carry on Jesus’ mission. The scribes and Pharisees were testing Jesus
to see what he said should be done to this woman because of her sinning. Jesus responds by saying “Let the one among
you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus is trying to show the scribes and
Pharisees (and us) that the way we should minister to others and treat them is
by showing love and mercy. That long
after Jesus died, the way they were to continue Jesus’ ministry is by treating
others not with condemnation, but with love, mercy, dignity, and respect. The church’s mission is not to point the
finger, but to show mercy and forgiveness.
May we all strive to live this way each day.
