This has been a great Lent! I just finished reading a book by Susan Saint Sing, Ph.D. entitled, Francis and the San Damiano Cross, Meditations on Spiritual Transformations. Growing up in a Franciscan parish I have always had an affinity toward anything related to St. Francis, so this book immediately caught my eye at my local Barnes and Noble. Get a copy of this book and take a Lenten retreat at home. In each chapter Dr. Sing takes the reader on a journey into the inner world of St. Francis mirrored through reflections on the San Damiano Cross. The reader comes to understand that each heart must answer as Francis did at the end of his life, "I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you what you are to do". Living in these times, it is good to meditate on the life of St. Francis and the beautiful meditations offered in this book. We live in a world adrift in violence, greed, and unholy politics. Dr. Sing so poignantly reminds us, " Portals open and close around us each day, each moment, and we must grasp them, seize them, for they are the message of our lives. Like a tabernacle, the gold lining is seen only when the door is open. If we remain closed or refuse to yield our will to God, the lining of ourselves remain lackluster. . . We do not know where our journeys will end . . . or how many times we will be pierced through; but we can find consolation and joy in knowing that God is near, God is with us, God goes before us. We are never alone, and like Francis, we are called to come". Let this Lent lead me to an awareness of my daily portals so that Christ may teach me what is mine to do and grant me the courage to answer the call of Christ to come.
