Broken and Blessed

By Lucy Strohl OPA ~ March 9, 2009

Dominican Sisters of Great Bend, 3600 Broadway, Great Bend, KS 67530-3692

Phone: 620-792-1232  Fax: 620-792-1746  E-mail: sisters@ksdom.org

Readings: Daniel 9:4-10; Luke 6: 36-38

I have shortcomings, faults and troubles. I can deal with that. Admit -- like the people in the prophet Daniel’s time -- that I'm a sinner, that I'm rebellious, that I need to stop judging, be forgiving? Now that's a tall order the readings give us. I can be a forgiving, compassionate person. The fact is I'm also good at judging and criticizing others. My favorite brand of judgment is nitpicking. I can tear someone’s ideas apart with little effort. Of course, I keep that to myself. All the better to enjoy my "I'm right" position. I'm a giving person, too. Yet that can be attached to expectations of return. And sometimes isn't it a lot easier to be begrudgingly ‘nice’-- instead of truly forgiving and accepting? My actions and attitudes show me how I readily gloss over what we hear repeatedly in the scriptures.  Sincerely forgiving, not judging, and showing mercy require the door of my heart to be much more open and accessible. I so often forget how much of God's boundless love, as our sister St. Catherine of Siena would call it, is poured into my lap.

 St. Frances of Rome, whose feast we celebrate today, certainly exhibited tremendous compassion and faithfulness, in the face of much adversity. Her parents, against her decision to dedicate her life to God, arranged her marriage. And this life was not without grief. Two of the six children died due to the plague. Instead of turning bitter, Frances and her sister were really sensitized to the needs of the poor through this experience.

 With war and much sickness rampant, Frances opened the doors of her home, converting part of it into a hospital. Frances was remarkable for her humility and patience in the midst of much suffering. Because of this others wanted to pray and work with her. She founded the Oblates of Mary, a lay congregation of women, neither cloistered nor bound by vows. What opened Frances’ heart? ... Deep losses-- and a deeply contemplative outlook.  Frances knew who she was before God--a sinner and a servant of the poor.

 What breaks the door of our hearts open? What breaks the door of our hearts open enough to acknowledge we are sinners?  What breaks our hearts open enough so we can touch others-- like Frances of Rome? Is there a grieving parent, a neighbor, a coworker to whom we could be a blessing? Right now doors are closing and others are opening as we become part of the family of the Sisters of Peace. Fr. Kenneth Davis, OFM  further challenges us-- with these questions: "Can we dare to touch the wounded Christ in some unplanned, uncalculated way?  How could the Christ of the poor be saying, ‘touch Me’ today?"

Thankfully, the season of Lent continues, and we are blessed. We are blessed through our brokenness. Gifted with the broken and Living Bread before us, we come to see and touch who we really are before God. Maybe we’ll let go a little more of what’s convenient, predictable, familiar and consoling-- like Frances of Rome. Maybe we’ll more honestly admit we are sinners, too-- truly in need of God and each other -- again and again.