Like St. Francis of Assisi, let us discover the love of Jesus

Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor.

By Father Perry D. Leiker, pastor

A reflection on the daily readings for the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi by Father Perry.

+ “You will rescue my life from the pit, O Lord” cries the psalmist.

The pit! A hole of mud and mire, and when fallen into is impossible to escape. It sucks you down. It holds you. Like “quicksand” it just won’t let go.

No one gets out alone — only with help. Only with someone or something else “pulling them out” and, simply put, rescuing them.

Everyone eventually falls into a pit or simply finds themselves in one.

Some, however, could be said to have created their own pits because of their stubbornness, their unwillingness to deal with life as it comes to them, their narrow way of looking at things, their lack of faith or trust, or their angers or fears that have stopped them from seeing the bigger realities of life.

Such was the case with Jonah. And the story (a wonderful story) necessitates the swallowing of Jonah by a whale — and living in the gastric juices of a whale’s tummy for three days, eventually (because God is good) being spewed out of the whale’s tummy and mouth and spit upon the shore — that Jonah could finally hear God, open to God, do God’s prophetic word to save the Ninevite people from their “pit” and be healed of their sin.

Great story!

Francis, too, was in a kind of “pit” for years that estranged him from his father and his father’s wealth.

I suggest this Wikipedia read on Francis; its a good description of Francis’ life.

Francis discovered the love that Jesus describes in today’s Gospel.

He loved the “Samaritans”; he found in life and gave away everything for and to them. Francis heard in his heart Jesus’ call and lived that call fully.

The love for God and others lifted Francis out of his “pit” and freed him into a life of the Spirit that was overwhelmingly attractive to others, which explains the “following” of so many into the Franciscan way of life.

Father Perry D. Leiker is the 13th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at pleiker@stbernard-church.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.