stories from St. Francis and St. Clare

“God calls all of you to take the path of the inner truth- and that means taking responsibility for everything that’s in you: for what pleases you and for what you’re ashamed of, for the rich person inside you and for the poor one. Francis of Assisi called this, “loving the leper within us.” If you learn to love the poor one within you, you’ll discover that you have room to have compassion “outside” too, that there’s room in you for others, for those who are different from you, for the least among your brothers and sisters.”

– Richard Rohr, “Simplicity”

 

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"While I was in sin, it seemed very bitter to me to see lepers. The Lord led me among them and I had mercy upon them (literally, "I did mercy") And when I left them, that which seemed bitter in me was changed into sweetness of soul and body."

-St. Francis quoted by Fr. Rusty Shaughnessy, OFM

 

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"Last night, as I was sleeping,

I dreamt blessed vision!

that I had a beehive

here in my heart;

and the golden bees

were making

from all my old sorrows

white wax and sweet honey."

-Antonio Machado

 

~

 

"The notion of sin is superfluous..."

-Thich Nhat Hanh, quoted by my friend Chrisitine

Done