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A reflection and prayer to start the day with Fr Matt Roche Saunders, a Catholic Priest in the parish of Aberystwyth and and Aberaeron

Good morning. I had a wonderful family holiday a few years ago in a town in central Italy called Assisi, the birthplace of St Francis. As well as the beautiful sunshine (and a tour of a wonderful vineyard!), a favourite memory of mine was a visit to the chapel of the ‘Spogliazione’, or ‘stripping’ – this was the site on which Francis, having sensed God calling him to leave the world behind, tore off in front of his father the rich garments of his heritage, and responded to God’s call to complete poverty. It’s said to be on this day a couple of years later, in 1208, that Francis attended Mass and heard there some words of Jesus from the Gospel of St Matthew, calling his disciples to give away what was unnecessary for their mission. At this Francis declared, ‘This is what I wish; this is what I am seeking. This is what I want to do from the bottom of my heart.’

This radical poverty is in many senses alarming to a modern world, in which unwanted poverty is a reality for so many. Why would someone choose this way of life voluntarily? For Francis, poverty was not an end, but a means. It was the way by which he responded to God’s call whole-heartedly. Of course, not everybody is in a position to embrace such radical poverty, even if they wished to. But the lesson Francis leaves us with is his priorities, which we would do well to imitate: that when God comes first in my life, everything else takes on its right place, its lifegiving place.

Almighty God,
show us the places in our lives
that move away, and not towards you.
Give us courage to live your call to complete love,
complete trust.
Amen.