October 4, 2004

Favorite

In our keeping of liturgical time, today honors Francis of Assisi. Of all the saints, he is probably the most popular and admired, but the least imitated. Two monks were walking along discussing that very matter when their conversation gradually shifted into the question of which of all the monastic orders might be most favored by God.

So they took their question in prayer before the high altar of St Peter in the Vatican. From dawn until early twilight, they knelt there, waiting and praying. Just as the sun’s rays through the majestic stained glass began to wane, there appeared faintly a small white card gently floating down and landing on the steps just within their reach. Hastily, they took it up and read there written upon it, “All monastic orders are equal in the eyes of God.” It was signed, “Jesus Christ, SJ.”

No Comments

RSS feed for comments on this post.