St. Francis of Assisi - May 7

Spouses and Brethren of Christ

"We are his spouses when our faithful souls are wed to Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.  We are his brothers and sisters when we do the will of his Father who is in heaven."  --St. Francis, Letter to All the Faithful, Second Version

Scripture tells us that not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven--only those who do the will of God.  

St. Francis of Assisi - May 6

Feast of the Motherhood of Mary

"We are mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ when we carry him in our hearts and in our bodies, lovingly, and with a pure and sincere conscience, and give birth to him through the working of his grace in us which should shine forth as an example to others."  --St. Francis, Letter to All the Faithful, Second Version

I love the analogy of being the Lord's mother because we "give birth to him through the working of his grace in us."  Realizing this, would it spur us on to nurture Him in us better so that He will "shine forth" more clearly?

St. Francis of Assisi - May 5

Prayer to the Virgin Mary

"Holy Virgin Mary, there is no one like you among women.  Daughter and handmaid of the Most High Supreme King and Father in heaven, mother of our Most Holy Lord Jesus Christ, spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us."  --Office of Passion

All believers are saints.  We are called to pray for the saints who are living.  As a Protestant we do not pray to the saints who have gone before us, but instead look to their example as we endeavor to take their place in serving the Lord.

St. Francis of Assisi - May 4

To Mary and All the Holy Virtues

"Hail his palace, hail his tabernacle, his house.  Hail his vesture, hail his handmaid, his mother.  And hail all you holy virtues, who through the grace and illumination of the Holy Spirit are poured into the hearts of believers, so that you might transform unfaithfulness into faithfulness to God.   --Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The fact that holy virtues can be poured into our hearts through the grace and illumination of the Holy Spirit is what gives me hope to meet all of life's challenges, for I cannot do it alone, on my own.

St. Francis of Assisi - May 3

Mary, Virgin Made Church

"Hail, my Lady, Holy Queen, Mary, Mother of God.  You are virgin made church.  You have been chosen in heaven by the Most Holy Father.  With his Most Holy Beloved Son and the Holy Spirit he has consecrated you, so that in you is all fullness of grace and every good."  --Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary

To be chosen as the mother of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, cannot really be put into words adequately.  St. Francis's reverence for her was understandable.   I wonder if Protestants would have more respect for women if they revered Mary, too.  When the Protestants broke from the Catholic church they pretty much dispensed with everything connected with it.  This is the problem with "organized religion."  It seems to be all or nothing once the tenets of that particular religion are set.  It takes reformations and splits to make any changes which does nothing to unify the body of Christ.

St. Francis of Assisi - May 2

St. Francis's Devotion to Mary

"St. Francis embraced the Mother of Jesus with an inexpressible love because she it was who made the Lord of Majesty our brother.  He composed special songs of praise in her honor, he poured out prayers and offered her his affection.  He made her the Advocate of the Order and placed under her wings the sons he was about to leave, that she might cherish and protect them to the end."  --Celano, Second Life, 198



Here is one of the prayers St. Francis composed:

Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen,

Mary, Mother of God, ever Virgin.

You were chosen by the Most High Father in heaven,

consecrated by Him, with His most Holy Beloved Son and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

On you descended and still remains all the fullness of grace and every good.

Hail, His Palace.

Hail His Tabernacle.

Hail His Robe.

Hail His Handmaid.

Hail, His Mother.

and Hail, all holy Virtues, who, by grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are poured into the hearts of the faithful so that from their faithless state, they may be made faithful servants of God through you.

St. Francis of Assisi - May 1

St. Francis's Love for Mary

"He embraced the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ with indescribable love, because she had made the Lord of Majesty our brother and had obtained mercy for us.  After Christ it was Mary in whom he placed his trust and whom he chose as advocate, both for himself and his brothers."  --St. Bonaventure, Major Life, 9:3

Being Protestant I do not know the beliefs surrounding Mary from the Catholic point of view.  I do, however, believe that mothers in general should be venerated for their having carried and given birth to their children...and if they devoted themselves to raising their children to the best of their ability, then they deserve to be treated with even more respect and importance.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, endured more than most of us will ever have to.  When I think of the anguish she must have felt when Jesus was nailed to the cross, it breaks my heart for her.