Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi “I Want to Follow You!”

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."

Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I come to you today with faith and humility, thanking you for so many gifts. Above all, thank you for calling me into existence, for calling me out of sin and for calling me to serve you in my life as your true disciple.

Petition: Lord, grant me the generosity to follow you wholeheartedly in my particular vocation.

1. My Vocation. Jesus calls each one of us to a particular vocation. Has he called me to the married life? Has he called me to be a parent? Has he called me to the consecrated life? Has he called me to be a priest? The words of this Gospel passage are directed to me: “Follow me.” The most important thing we can do before this invitation of Christ is to be generous. We should respond like Mary: "May it be done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

 2. Excuses. It is so easy to make excuses. What attitude does Jesus expect from us? Generosity. The Lord will be pleased if we put him first in our lives. The things of God should have priority in our lives and everything else -- family, friends, possessions, duties, careers, etc. -- should be relative to God’s plans. All of these will have meaning only in relation to God’s plan. We must first seek the Kingdom of God, and once we set our hand to the plow, there is no looking back.

3. St. Francis. St. Francis of Assisi is a wonderful example of someone who put God first in his life in order to follow his vocation. He was popular and wealthy, from one of the top families in the Italian town of Assisi. However, when he heard the call of Christ to rebuild the Church, St. Francis responded in a radical way. He left his possessions, family and friends in order to dedicate his life fully to Christ. We can all follow the example of St. Francis by responding, seeking to do God’s most holy will in our lives, no matter what the sacrifice.

Dialogue with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank you for the example of so many saints throughout the history of the Church. I believe that I am called to be a saint too. Help me to live my vocation with the spirit of St. Francis, imitating Christ’s attitude before God’s will: “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

Resolution: Lord, today I resolve to stop and pray. I will reflect on my vocation and tell you that I would like you to be “number one” in my life.