Today’s Word:
“Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring your love. Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord, and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.”
– Saint Francis
On This Date…
On October 4, 1965, a Monday and the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Paul VI addressed the United Nations on the 20th anniversary of that world institution established for peace; Pope Paul said, “Never again war, never again war. It is peace, peace, that has to guide the destiny of the nations of all mankind.” Before leaving New York, Pope Paul met with President Lyndon Johnson, celebrated Mass in Yankee Stadium, and visited the World’s Fair – all in one day. Pope Paul was the first pope to travel to the United States; he was beatified on October 19, 2014.
On October 4, 2015 Pope Francis opened the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome; the theme of the gathering of 279 bishops from 120+ nations is “The vocation and mission of the family in the church and in the contemporary world.”
On this Feast of Saint Francis, the Holy Father’s feast day, we can say with Saint Francis, “Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring your love. Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord, and where there’s doubt, true faith in you.” Pope Francis said, “If a person during his or her life does nothing else but reconcile and bring peace that person can be canonized; that person is a saint” (homily, September 4, 2015, in the Vatican).
– Father McLaughlin
