In today’s Gospel reading Jesus teaches about faith and service to God, reminding his followers about what it means to be a disciple. Each of us is called upon by God to believe that He can work miracles in our lives and that through him we can make a difference in the world. One such man, who took up this call with verve, was St. Francis of Assisi, who we commemorate this week.

Francis gave up a life of luxury when he received God’s call, but this simple, humble Jesuit monk was still rich with a faith that made him unstoppable in his pursuit of God’s glory. He dedicated his life to serving the poor and ministering to those too often ignored and discarded.

It is a call that we try to answer through our work, as we reach out to the most vulnerable and marginalized people in the world, those living on the periphery of hope, to deliver healthier lives, always with respect and love.

Many of us are not ready to make such a selfless commitment. In fact, most of us are more like the apostles in this Sunday’s gospel who call out: “Lord, increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5). Jesus’ response was not one of comfort. He did not acknowledge that having faith is hard, but instead calls out, “If your faith was even the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore tree ‘be rooted up and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”

This is a reminder that faith, even just a little, will enable us to achieve wonderful things. But in this gospel we are also reminded that we are servants to God and his plans, that even when God works wonders through us, we must not seek praise. Our participation in God’s plans is God’s graces to us – it is our obligation to God as faithful stewards.

This Tuesday, October 4th is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi – a day that commemorates his life. Today, it is difficult to hear the name St. Francis without thinking of another Jesuit/man who has taken an oath to living in commitment to the poor. That man is Pope Francis, whose name was selected in honor of the saint.

When asked why he chose the name, he explained that upon being elected pontiff, he was embraced by Cardinal Hummes who said, “Don’t forget the poor,” and he took these words to heart and he expressed his hope, “How I would like a church that is poor and that is for the poor.”

In celebration of St. Francis, we offer to you a special gift of powerful and uplifting words by the pope, which are a testament to the great faith these men share in common.

To learn more about CMMB and what we do, click here.

*Today’s reflection is inspired by and adapted from the Loyola Press Sunday Connection.