Reflect on the importance of prioritizing God's love and service over material pursuits, inspired by the life of St. Frances Cabrini.
Today's Gospel: Luke 17:26-37
We often go through our life making plans for a future that is not guaranteed for us. We work for the next promotion, furnish our house with nice things, buy a fancy car, or plan a family vacation. But all this could be taken away in the blink of an eye through an unexpected illness, accident, or natural disaster. The more we chase after the material things in life, the more we have to lose.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus cautions us to remember,
“Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it.”
The only thing promised to us is the opportunity to be reunited with Christ in heaven and to achieve this, we must embrace our responsibility to know God, love God, and serve God in our life. We are called to be present in the world, showing God’s love and mercy to each other, putting others' needs ahead of our own desires. Any other focus is a rejection of the grace, gifts, and talents God provides us.
St. Frances Cabrini, whose feast day we recognize today, received the gifts God gave her and used them for His goodness in this world, not thinking of herself, but striving only to accomplish what God asked her to do on His behalf. She spent her life fighting for others in a materialistic world, seeking to make life better for them through opening orphanages, hospitals, and schools. Her contributions to build up the Kingdom of God carry beyond her mortal life and continue to bring comfort to others.
When God calls us to Himself, when He changes our life, we go forward, and we say yes without looking back.
Ponder:
How do your plans serve the kingdom of God?
Pray:
Heavenly Father, draw us close to You in all that we do. Guide us in focusing our life on showing Your love and mercy to others.
Pray Together:
Pray the St. Francis Prayer: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
Copyright 2026 Shelly Henley Kelly
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