Saint of the Day
St. Francis of Assisi
Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone (1181–1226), born to a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, Italy, renounced his inheritance after a profound conversion experience. He founded the Franciscan Order, the Order of Poor Ladies with St. Clare, and the Third Order for laypeople. His identification with the poor and with creation culminated in his receiving the stigmata in 1224. He is the patron of animals, ecology, and Italy.
Scripture Reading
Luke 12:15
Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."
Reflection
St. Francis of Assisi heard this warning and took it literally — stripping himself of wealth, status, and comfort to discover a freedom the world cannot give. His radical embrace of poverty was not self-punishment but a wager that God alone satisfies the deepest hunger. In a world that measures worth by possessions, Francis stands as a joyful sign of contradiction. What might you release to find that freedom?
Prayer for Today
St. Anthony Helps find lost pets.
Dear St. Anthony,
you are the patron of the poor and
the helper of all who seek lost articles.
Help me to find the beloved pet I have lost
so that I will be able to make better use of the time that I will gain for God's greater honor and glory. Grant your gracious aid to all people
who seek what they have lost -
especially those who seek to regain God's grace.
Amen.
Dear St. Anthony,
you are the patron of the poor and
the helper of all who seek lost articles.
Help me to find the beloved pet I have lost
so that I will be able to make better use of the time that I will gain for God's greater honor and glory. Grant your gracious aid to all people
who seek what they have lost -
especially those who seek to regain God's grace.
Amen.
Amen.