The Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111320.cfm
In our first reading for mass today, we hear from St John talking about what is central to what it means to be followers of Jesus
Christ: love of neighbor. John tells us that this is not a new commandment, but
rather one we have had from the beginning: love one another.
This message from John reflects the central teaching
& message of Jesus in the gospels. In the gospel of St. Mark, chapter 12,
our Lord tells us to love the Lord our God with all our minds and all our
strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our Lord clearly points out
that there are no greater commandments than this: to love God and to love our
neighbor.
The saint that we commemorate today, St. Frances
Xavier Cabrini, attempted to follow out this command of love of God and
neighbor by entering religious life as a nun. After being rejected by two
congregations, Frances formed the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart and
were sent to the United States to bring this gospel of love of God and love of
neighbor to the Italian immigrants coming to this country. These Italian
immigrants lived in the slums, poorly educated and in clear need of not only
physical help to get them out of poverty, but needed help spiritually to know
and love God.
Mother Cabrini and her sisters would go on to
establish schools, orphanages, and eventually hospitals across the United
States and eventually to Latin America. In her audience with Pope Leo XIII, he
told her to “hurry all over the earth if possible, in order to take the holy
name of Jesus everywhere.” By being obedient to the pope, she was able to bring
the love of God to those who needed to hear it here in the United States.
Mother Cabrini died on December 22, 1917, and was
canonized in 1946, with a feast day of November 13th. Mother Cabrini
was a naturalized American citizen, and as a result is the “first citizen
saint” of the United States.
We are called to follow Mother Cabrini’s example by
bringing Christ to those in our lives by showing them the love that God has for
each of them. By showing the love of God to those in our lives, we are
following what St. John says in our first reading: “love one another.”
Lord Jesus Christ, help us to bring your holy name to all we meet today!
Amen. Mother Cabrini is a wonderful saint & role model. An amazing woman who endured about 30 trips across the ocean in spite of her fear & worked tirelessly to establish schools, hospitals & orphanages out of her love for God & love for people, demonstrating God's love working through her constantly.
ReplyDeleteIn our nation we are in need of immigration that is just & compassionate to many decent people in need, some of whom violated our immigration laws & at the same time prudent to protect our nation & its borders from terrorists, sex traffickers, drug dealers & other criminals. We need Mother Cabrini'a intercession to give our leaders Wisdom & discernment & a spirit of cooperation to make the best decisions that will show God's love in welcoming the many decent needy people and in protecting our own citizens from harm's way