From Riches to Rags

JOnah 3:1-11; Ps 130 If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand; Lk 10:38-42

What is happiness?

St. Thomas Aquinas dedicates a whole section of his Summa Theologia on Happiness of man.

His conclusion: final and perfect happiness can consist in nothing else than the vision of Divine Essence. He goes on to add that a certain participation in happiness can be had in this life, but perfection and true happiness cannot be had in this life. Though rectitude of the will is necessary for Happiness; since it is nothing else than the right order of the will to the last end.

The will has to be rightly ordered. Hence "Seek ye first the kingdom of God."

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Francis. He is known through out the world as probably one of the happiest men you will ever know.

There are many advertisements about the most interesting man in the world. St. Francis is the most interesting man in the world.

We often hear of stories of people going from rags to riches, well St Francis went the other way, from riches to rags.

He gave up his family's inheritance, his wealth, his fame, his fortune and all to boot. He even gave back the clothes on his back to his father and walked away from it.

But he really wasn't walking away from anything, rather he was walking toward someone, walking with someone, Jesus Christ.

IT was in this movement toward Christ, he discovered what happiness could be. He embraced poverty so that he could truly set his heart and mind on that which matter most of all. Unhindered, his will could then "seek first the kingdom of God."

He often spoke about Lady Poverty as the one companion that would assure that his will was always fixed on Christ.

Poverty isn't just about not owning any property or having any money, rather it is about being unhindered in seeking the kingdom.

What hinders us? What distracts us from seeking the kingdom of God? What runs interference in our life? What are we attached to in life? This is where Lady Poverty can lead us forth!

This is what St. Francis models for us even today some 800 years after his death. He let nothing get in his way of achieving the goal of seeing God face to face, where true happiness is found.

His actions, his words, his discipline, his renunciations, his lifestyle all reflected that one movement of the soul, a will longing to see.

What about us?

As we encounter in the first reading and the gospel today. Especially we hear it in the words of JEsus to MArtha, Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken form her.

Have we chosen the better part?

St. Francis pray for us