Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, Doctor

Hebrews 8:6-13
Psalm 84(85):8,10-14
Mark 3:13-19

GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU FOR A PURPOSE

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, a figure emblematic of profound prayer and spirituality. His teachings emphasize the essential nature of remaining in divine love, encapsulated in his assertion that effective preaching is rooted in love itself. In contemporary discourse, there is an inclination to simplify Christianity to mere moral teachings, often overshadowing the necessity of an authentic, contemplative encounter with God.

The Vatican Council’s document Gaudium et Spes articulates this relationship succinctly: “The root reason for human dignity lies in humanity’s call to communion with God. From the very circumstance of our origin, we are already invited to converse with God. For man would not exist were he not created by God’s love and constantly preserved by it; and he cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and devotes himself to His Creator.” (GS 19 § 1). The biblical exhortation from John 15:9 further underscores this message: “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” Hence, the call to remain in God’s love is paramount.

The corresponding Gospel reading focuses on Jesus’s appointment of the twelve apostles. Analogous to the apostles, we are similarly commissioned to communicate the Gospel’s core themes—love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace—through both our verbal and non-verbal expressions. Our mission extends to guiding others towards a profound relationship with both God and fellow human beings, as we embody the hands and feet of Christ in today’s world.

Faced with the inevitable fluctuations of worldly joy, we are reminded that true fulfillment resides solely in the presence of Jesus. Consequently, we must reflect on the specific actions of love, peace, and forgiveness we intend to undertake today.

Fr Joseph Osho