Devotions from October 4 to 10, 2021
“Love life! Love it with the depth and passion of Francis of Assisi. Love it in the beauty of nature, in the joy of friendship, in the achievements of science, in the generous struggle to build a better world” (Saint John Paul II).
In this week, when we celebrate the patron saint of Italy, we are called to celebrate and to love life with all our being. Saint Francis said: “Where there is sadness, let me bring joy; where there is darkness, let me bring light.” Let us too become luminous people who share the joy of being part of God's wondrous plan. Let us look to the example of the saints we remember this week and feel ourselves to be “God's co-workers” in carrying out his plan of salvation.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
Saint Francis of Assisi
The example of poverty and holiness set by Saint Francis has always inspired and continues to inspire fascination and admiration; he is probably among the best-known and most beloved saints. Everything in Francis comes from his personal encounter with Jesus: his choice of poverty, the kiss of the leper and his subsequent care for lepers; his immense respect for churches and priests, his unconditional love for the Eucharist. Likewise, his encounter with the Gospel gave rise to the greeting of peace he offers to everyone, his itinerant preaching of penance, fraternity, the outward imitation of Jesus' life, and the urgency of listening to the Successor of Peter. Francis is a lover of God, whom he sees in the human flesh of Jesus. Only for this reason could he have conceived the idea of the living nativity scene, and for this reason the stigmata of the Lord's Passion were imprinted on him. Indeed, only there is the source of that joy which, even in moments of physical and psychological suffering, made him sing the “Praises of God.” We need Francis. We need him to live the values of the Gospel, to believe in the explosive power of the encounter with Christ.
On Pope Francis's name day, let us pray that the Lord may grant him a deeper rooting in the charity of Christ, the Risen One, the Living One, the Lord of history and life.
To learn more:
• Prayers of Saint Francis and Saint Clare
• The little flowers of Saint Francis
• Francis, the Little Poor Man of Assisi
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 4
Beginning of the novena to Our Lady of Fatima
In 1930, the Church officially recognized the supernatural nature of the apparitions of Fatima, which began on May 13, 1917, and ended precisely on October 13 of that same year. “Do not be discouraged. I will never abandon you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the path that will lead you to God”; during these nine days of intense prayer, let us often repeat these words full of tenderness that Mary said to Lucia dos Santos during the second apparition.
To learn more:
• Novena to Our Lady of Fatima
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
In her diary, Saint Maria Faustina (1905-1938) writes that she wants to move through life like a child, taking small steps, focused on the present, trusting only in Jesus’ mercy: “O present moment, you belong to me completely; I desire to use you to the extent of my ability and, although I am small and weak, you grant me the grace of your omnipotence.” What Jesus asks of us is to entrust ourselves to him and place our fears and weaknesses in his heart. He will give us his strength to fight them. This is the invitation Jesus extends to Sister Faustina and, through her, to all of us: “to live in the shadow of the rays of his heart,” according to the words of a brief prayer he had taught her: “O blood and water that gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in you!”
To learn more:
• Saint Faustina and Divine Mercy
• Jesus, I trust in you
• Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. Divine mercy in my soul
• 2022 tear-off calendar. Jesus, I trust in You
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary
This Marian memorial, originating in devotion, is linked to the victory at Lepanto (1571), which halted the great expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Saint Pius V attributed that historic event to the prayer that the Christian people had addressed to the Virgin in the form of the Rosary. Let us renew, if necessary, our esteem for the Rosary and pray it with devotion and love.
To learn more:
• The Holy Rosary. Mary guides us to meet Jesus
• The Rosary for discovering the face of God’s love
• Blessed Bartolo Longo
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
Beginning of the novena to Saint Gerard Majella (ends on October 15)
Born in Muro Lucano (Potenza) in 1726, he entered the order of the Redemptorist Fathers and manifested various mystical phenomena. His lifestyle was marked by penance and service to the poor and the sick. He died in the convent of Materdomini (Avellino) in 1755. His life speaks to us of nothing other than the power of the Redeemer, who, through the gift of the Spirit, frees us, heals us, and renews us; his teaching is a faithful echo of the Gospel; the horizons toward which he leads us are those opened by the cross and resurrection of Christ. To turn to Gerard means wanting to fix our gaze, ever more intensely, on Christ; to recognize him as our only teacher (cf. Mt 23:10); to repeat to him with Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68).
To learn more:
• Saint Gerard Majella. The little friar who played with God
“Amid the noisy din of the waves, I sail calmly and confidently, and look ahead without fear, like a child, because You, O Jesus, are my light.” Saint Faustina Kowalska wrote this. Yes, Jesus is our light; therefore, we can walk confidently along the paths of life, even under the gaze of his tender Mother.
Have a good journey!
