Minister's Note for February

Surrounded by Love

In his book, Surrounded by Love: Seven Teachings from St. Francis, Fr. Murray Bodo speaks of seven ‘teachings:' Jesus Christ as the fullness of the Incarnation of God, the Paradox of Evangelical Poverty, Living the Gospel, Repairing God’s House, Making Peace, God’s ‘house’ being all of Creation, and the Joy of humble praise and service to God.

     Fr. Bodo explores each of these teachings, especially from the lived experience of Francis in a fresh and passionate way. Each chapter is almost like a love story. A story of the love with which Francis joyfully dances with God. And in a sense of falling in love with this incredible person Francis and taking his hand and joining in that Divine Dance.

     Then Fr. Bodo expounds on the ‘Teachings of all Teachings.’ The foundation of all Francis’s ‘teachings’ is Love. He examines all the key stories of Francis’s life and wonders if underneath each one, Francis found a call to Love. Fr Bodo says that ‘Francis fell in love with the love who is Infinite Love, a love that made him cry out: “May the fiery and honey-sweet power of your love, O Lord, wean me from all things under heaven, so that I may die for love of your love, who deigned to die for love of my love.”

    Let us all strive, to live our Rule and be those followers of Jesus in the footsteps of St. Francis, who love the Lord with our whole hearts, our whole souls, and our whole minds. To live in ‘wholeness’ and ‘holiness.’ Let us, in each interaction, to see the face of Christ in ‘the other’ – perhaps people of other ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status, or political affiliation - and to reach out to each other in Love.

Pace e Bene +
Laura Chun, OFS
Minister, San Luis Rey Fraternity