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Luke 10: 38-42
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Someone once said to me, “You may be the only bible a person ever reads.”
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Our words and actions either lend credibility to the Christian faith or detract from it.
Today we celebrate the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, a man who lived his life by the bible he read. No one had to read the Gospels to learn about who Jesus is; they could just look at Francis.
We all know his story: He was born into a wealthy Italian family in the 13th century, but he left everything behind in order to live a life of poverty and obedience. By the end of his life, he helped to reform the Church.
Perhaps what is less known about Francis is how literally he took Jesus’ words.
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One afternoon, in the middle of the public square, a teenage Francis declared before the bishop his desire to be of service to the Church. So, the bishop instructed him to renounce his father’s fortune.
On the spot, Francis removed the clothing he was wearing and placed all of his money on top of them.
Naked, he professed his faith – and lived it out for the rest of his life.
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On his deathbed, he said to his religious brothers – the first Franciscans – “I have done what is mine to do. Now you must do what is yours to do.”
That’s a timeless reminder to us all.
What has God given me to do?
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Whatever it may be, do it well. You may be the only bible a person ever reads.
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Image credits: (1) www.stfrancisofassisiparish.org (2) Ordo Fratrum Minorum (3) LetterPile