Set Yourself Free

A man who walked the earth 800 years ago is still remembered for his simplicity… Picture this: A young man from medieval Italy with a life of parties, fashion, and everything a man could have wanted back then. But suddenly, something changes. A pivotal moment, an ‘aha’ moment that takes his life on a whole new path. Meet Saint Francis of Assisi, the ultimate party animal who became a spiritual superstar! He is known for his flowing brown robe and love for nature. He had a way with animals that could make even Doctor Dolittle envious. Birds gathered around him, rabbits hopped at his feet, and even ferocious wolves turned into cuddly companions in his presence. Talk about a real-life superhero! Heroic Life Saint Francis, a hero with a heart of gold! He wasn't the type of superhero to wear capes and shoot lasers; his true superpower was compassion. Francis had a way of finding joy in helping others, especially those less fortunate. He was like a real-life Avenger (but without the violence), fighting poverty and spreading love wherever he went. Instead of a Batmobile, he rocked a humble robe and sandals, zooming around town to lend a helping hand. Whether it was feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, or even talking to animals (yeah, Snow White vibes!), Saint Francis showed us that being a hero isn't about fame or fortune but about using our powers for good. Picture Francis, the peace guru, strutting down the city streets in his Jordans and a t-shirt that says 'Peace, Love, and Avocado Toast.’ Yeah, he's just like us, not literally (that would have looked like madness 800 years ago), navigating the chaos of modern life with a calm and centered vibe. Saint Francis knew that finding inner peace in our fast-paced world is like navigating a crowded subway during rush hour—challenging but possible. He wasn't a mystical guru on a mountaintop; he was a real human who faced our daily struggles. From deadlines to traffic jams, he understood that peace starts within us, even amidst the hustle of everyday life. Saint Francis always sat in silence and prayer, talking to God while all the animals listened. He had a peace that we can only dream of. We must ask Saint Francis to give us this peace; I promise it’s worth it. We can learn many lessons from the life of Saint Francis, some of which are simplicity and humility. He is a man who lived a life of poverty but was still able to care for people experiencing poverty. This concept of poverty is often misunderstood or even dismissed by many young people today. The youth of this generation are sucked into a world of social media, expectations, and possessions, often spending hundreds of dollars on shoes, clothes, and phones just to ‘look cool.’ Take a look at Saint Francis’s life; he was the son of a wealthy businessman, he had lots of money and worldly pleasures, but he gave everything up to follow Jesus. He took a vow of poverty and dedicated his life to Jesus. He might not be new-gen, but there are so many lessons to learn from his life–his simplicity, humility, peace, and inner transformation. We might think that it’s the Jordans and iPhones that matter, but is it really? Saint Francis reminds us to prioritize what truly matters—genuine connections, selfless service, and inner peace. By embracing his teachings, we can find fulfillment in leading simpler lives, extending kindness to others, and nurturing our own well-being. Saint Francis' example serves as a guiding light, encouraging us to step away from the noise and busyness of modern life and reconnect with the essence of what it means to be human. Let us carry forward his legacy, incorporating his wisdom into our daily lives and making a positive impact on the world around us.

Tom Holland’s magnificent book Dominion develops in detail what amounts to a very simple proposition—namely, that Christianity is responsible for many of the central values that we take for granted and that we assume to be universal. In point of fact, he avers, our insistence upon the dignity of the individual, fundamental human rights, the principle of equality, and perhaps above all that the poor, the marginalized, and the victimized ought to be specially cherished, flows from basic Christian convictions. What prompted Holland to investigate this claim initially was his extensive work in the history of ancient Rome. The longer and more deeply he looked at Roman society, the stranger it seemed, the less like our own time. And the more he studied the great heroes of Rome, the more alien and morally problematic they appeared. To give just one example among many, he urges us to consider perhaps the most impressive of ancient Roman personalities, Julius Caesar. Eager to enhance his political reputation, Caesar embarked on a military campaign in Gaul (present-day France). His remarkable success in subduing this land and making it a Roman province served to cover him in glory and became the subject of his book The Gallic Wars, which is read to this day. But what is rarely remarked upon is the staggering fact that in the course of this conquest, Caesar killed, by conservative estimate, one million people and enslaved another million or so more. Now, Caesar had a boatload of enemies in Rome who suspected him of lusting after kingly power. But what Holland finds fascinating is that none of his opponents were scandalized by his murderous rampage through Gaul. In fact, all of Rome praised him for it. So the question arises: Why would we today consider someone who killed and enslaved on such a massive scale a scoundrel while even the best and brightest in ancient Roman society considered Caesar a hero? The answer, in a word, is Christianity. What the early Christians brought to Roman culture was the belief in the one God who made every human being in His image and likeness and who thereby endowed them with rights, freedom, and dignity. Moreover, the Christians taught, the Creator God became human and went willingly to the very limits of suffering and degradation, in Saint Paul’s words, “accepting even death, death on a cross.” They proclaimed a Savior who was a victim of Roman tyranny and whom God raised from the dead. And by this proclamation, they brought all the tyrannized, all of the victimized, all of the weak and forgotten from the margins to the center. These beliefs were, of course, initially regarded as absurd, and the early Christians were brutally persecuted for them. But over time, and through the witness and practice of courageous people, these beliefs soaked into the fabric of Western society. So deeply did they penetrate our consciousness that we came, as Holland has argued, to take them for granted and to mistake them for general humanistic values. Now, why is all this important to us today? We live in a time when the Christian faith is rather regularly denigrated by those in the upper echelons of elite society, in the universities, and in the media. Moreover, armies of people, especially the young, are disaffiliating from the churches and ceasing to engage in religious ritual and practice. Harmless enough, you might think, or even to the advantage of a society reaching maturity through secularization? Think again. As Christian faith and praxis evanesce, the values that Christianity has inculcated in our culture evanesce as well. Cut flowers may bloom for a time once they’ve been ripped from the soil and placed in water, but they will fade soon enough. We delude ourselves if we think that the values instilled in us by Christianity will long survive the demise of Christianity itself. Signs of the emergence of a neo-paganism in fact abound. In many states in our country, as well as in Canada and many European countries, a regime of euthanasia holds sway. When elderly or sick people become inconvenient, they can and should be eliminated. And, of course, in most countries in the West, when a child in the womb is judged to be a problem, he or she can be aborted at any point in pregnancy, up to the moment of birth. In my home state of Minnesota, a proposal has been made to enshrine this ‘right’ to the murder of the unborn in the constitution. How like this is, by the way, to the ancient Roman practice of exposing unwanted newborns to the elements and the animals. And how fascinating, in light of Tom Holland’s analysis, that the early Christians got the attention of the environing Roman culture precisely by their willingness to rescue and take in these abandoned babies. So, what is the needful thing? Christians must raise their voices in protest against the culture of death. And they must do so by claiming and publicly proclaiming the values that come from their faith. For too long, believers have been cowed into silence by the insinuation that religion is a ‘private’ matter. Nonsense. Christian values have informed our society from the beginning and have provided the coherent moral framework that most of us still take for granted. Now is not the time for quietude. It is time for us to shout our convictions from the rooftops.

Q – Later this year, my brother is getting civilly married to another man. I am very close with my brother, but I know that marriage is between a man and a woman. Would I be allowed to attend his wedding? A—This question is becoming increasingly pressing, as so many of our family and friends live lifestyles that contradict God's revealed plan for our fulfillment. Such a quandary can cause great angst since we want to love our family and support them, even if we disagree with their choices. At the same time, we cannot betray what we know to be true, as we believe that God’s plan leads to authentic happiness. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (Paragraph 1868) deals with this when it speaks about ways in which we can cooperate in someone else’s sinful choice. We participate in someone else’s sin when we ‘praise or approve’ of the sinful action. In the case of someone making a lifestyle choice that goes against our Catholic Faith, it would be morally wrong for us to in any way congratulate or celebrate this choice, which ultimately harms their relationship with God and puts their salvation in jeopardy. So what would be the best course of action? I would recommend an honest conversation with your brother. Share your deep love for him, and how you desire this relationship to continue being close. At the same time, share with him how your faith and conscience teach you that you cannot approve of things that you know to be wrong. Do not attend the wedding, send a gift, or congratulate him, but be sure to let him know that you are still there for him. Emphasize that it is not out of ‘hate’ or ‘bigotry’ that you cannot attend the wedding, but out of a firm and unchanging belief that God created marriage as something sacred between a man and a woman. This may or may not cause strife and conflict in your family. But we must never forget that Jesus promised: “Not to bring peace, but the sword”. He said that we must follow Him above any other relationship, including that of family and friends. This is certainly one of His difficult teachings, but we remember that truth and love are never in opposition, and to truly love your brother, you must love him according to the truth that Christ reveals. Never forget, too, the power of prayer and fasting. Pray and fast before your conversation with your brother so that his heart may be open to your goodwill, and pray and fast after the conversation so that he may experience a deep conversion to Christ, Who alone fulfills the human heart. Do not be afraid to choose Christ over your family, and continue to love your family— in and through Christ— regardless of your brother’s reaction. Do not be afraid, but continue to love in truth.

In the year 1240, Emperor Frederick II of Sweden was at war with the Pope, and he sent his warriors to attack Italy. The cruel soldiers decided to break into the cloistered convent of San Damiano, which was located on the border of the town of Assisi. This was where Mother Clare and the nuns under her care resided. The poor nuns were terrified and immediately rushed to their Mother to share the news. Mother Clare was bedridden, but with the help of the sisters, she got up and calmly went to the chapel. Prostrating herself in front of the Eucharist, she tearfully implored God to protect the helpless sisters. Suddenly, she heard a voice from the tabernacle: “I will always protect you!” Filled with confidence and trust, she took the ciborium containing the Blessed Sacrament and went to face the invaders. As she raised it in front of them, the soldiers were thrown into confusion and utter fear. They instantly fled the convent, abandoning their evil schemes. To the nuns, their mother’s unwavering devotion to the Holy Eucharist was a great lesson. Saint Clare, in her great humility, instructed the sisters not to reveal the voice they heard from the Blessed Sacrament until after her death. Let us, inspired by Saint Clare, grow in our devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist and put our complete trust in Him.