Radiance

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Daily verse:

"Cast all your worries upon Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5,7

The life of St. Frances:

If there were planes back then, no doubt Frances would have been dubbed "the flying nun." She took successive trips, crossing the ocean 25 times, founding institution after institution for the benefit of the poor. Brooklyn, Newark, Scranton, Philadephia, Chicago, then, keeping the push westward, Denver, Seattle, Los Angeles, Central and South America, and eventually closing the loop with England, France and Spain. 

One can wonder how Frances was apt to establish that many institutions. Was it thanks to her human qualities, or because of her discipline as a nun? Was is a matter of a mere human desire for success? No. In reading her extensive correspondence, it appears that Frances had no other ambition than doing what God asked of her. Her order was not rich nor resourceful, but Frances knew where to place her trust: in the Divine power to move the hearts of those who have money and resources. 

By reading Frances' story, one can easily mistake her with some hyperactive workaholic. While she was indeed always "on the go" to assist the needy, there was nothing compulsive or impatient about her. She was a contemplative, deeply prayerful, at the example of her model, the Blessed Virgin. 

Ultimately, Frances sought only one glory, the glory of the Heart of Jesus. Seeking the glory of the Heart of Jesus means to offer all that He yearns for, our love, our trust, our surrendering, our thanksgiving. That is what Frances and her sisters embraced and expressed in their works of mission all throughout the world, allowing them to realize wonders. 

Quote by St. Frances:

We must pray without tiring, for the salvation of mankind does not depend on material success; nor on sciences that could the intellect. Neither does it depend on arms and human industries, but on Jesus alone.

Prayer

O most holy heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing, I adore you, I love you, and with lively sorrow for my sins I offer you this poor heart of mine. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to your will. Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you. Protect me in the midst of danger. Comfort me in my afflictions. Give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death. Amen.

Pictures:

1) St. Frances - CC0.

2) Frances in a room in the hospital she founded in Chicago, in 1905 - Source.

Community prayer

Give to my heart, O Lord

Give to my heart, O Lord, Compassion and understanding. Give to my hands kindness and gentleness. Give to my ears the ability to listen. Give to my lips words of comfort. Give me, O Lord, Strength for this selfless service. And enable me to give hope To those I am called to serve. Amen.

Thank you! 32 people prayed

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. Col 4:6

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A week with Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

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