Today, as we celebrate the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, we are invited to reflect on the theme of connection—connection to God, one another, and the whole of creation. Most of us know the term "conference call. But that may be a bit of an old concept; we now have Zoom or team meetings" It means having several people talking or having meeting together on the telephone or a computer. The people talking are online with each other. In this way, you can meet people from all over the world. It is possible you can see and interact with each other online as if you are speaking with someone or others face to face.
Jesus Connects Us
In His time, Jesus couldn't use the term "online" or "conference call" as a metaphor. Yet, He was speaking about something like that when He said, "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." When you connect with Him, you are online with the Father. When you connect to people who listen to Jesus, you will be put through to Jesus and through Jesus to the Father. It is the kind of networking or connection we do in our communities when listening to the Good News He came to broadcast to the world. Jesus hopes that we all get online, receiving His signals faster and faster, and living our lives better and better according to the data we receive.
Saint Francis's Example
While Saint Francis and even Jesus didn't have these technologies in their time, they certainly understood and lived out a deep connection surpassing space and time's boundaries. Saint Francis of Assisi profoundly lived out this connectivity. He saw himself as part of a more extensive network of God's creation. He called the sun, moon, and stars his "brothers" and "sisters." He preached to birds, communicated with animals, and embraced the lepers and the outcasts. He acknowledged that he was connected to Christ through his connections to them. In doing so, Saint Francis was living out what we might call a "spiritual Zoom call"—one where every interaction brought him closer to God's love, wisdom, and compassion.
Seeing God in the Word
Augustine told the Christians of his time: "When the sacred Scriptures are read and explained, it is Christ who speaks to us." The Second Vatican Council repeated his words some 1,500 years later. Both Augustine and the Second Vatican Council were merely echoing the words of Jesus in today's gospel reading: "He who hears you, hears me." The reading of Scripture may not be polished. The homily may not be inspiring. The homilist may not be a dynamic speaker. But if we listen with open hearts and minds to God's word and the homily, God will speak to us through them, in His way and in his own time.
Receiving the Grace
Like a modern-day conference call, when we listen to Scripture or the homily, we hear more than just the voice of the lector or the preacher—it is Christ speaking to us. And if our hearts are open, we can be "online" with the divine, receiving the grace and insight we need to transform our lives.
On this Feast of Saint Francis, remember that genuine connection with God requires more than technology. It demands that we open our ears, eyes, and hearts to His presence. When we listen to the Scriptures, when we connect with others in love and compassion, when we embrace the beauty of creation, we are truly "online" with Christ and, through Him, with the Father.
- Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and Rosary) at the 30-minute mark on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
