Blessed Francisca de Paula de Jesus Isabel: Learning to Love Our Enemies

-
Francisca was born in São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 1810. Born into poverty (with no record of her father), she and her brother were orphaned when their mother died in 1820. Francisca never received any formal education and remained illiterate throughout her life. As she grew into adulthood, she chose to never marry and devoted her life to her faith, particularly her devotion to the Blessed Virgin.  
Blessed Francisca de Paula Jesus Isabel

In time, she won the love of the local people, who came to honor her as Nha Chica—“Aunt Chica.” She eventually settled in the village of Baependi and many came to ask her counsel and prayers. She received everyone with a spirit of true hospitality. In time, she used her meager resources to begin construction of a chapel in honor of the Virgem da Conceição (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), next to her small home. This chapel remains a popular place of pilgrimage.

Nha Chica died in Baependi on June 14, 1895, and was beatified 2011. The liturgical commemoration of Blessed Francisca is celebrated on June 14.

In today’s Gospel (Tuesday of the Eleventh Week of Ordinary Time), Jesus reminds us—in no uncertain terms—that we are to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors. For the Christian, being guided by the Gospel, there can be no “other.” Everyone we encounter is a neighbor, a brother, and a sister. This was certainly true for Blessed Francisca as she welcomed pilgrims, seekers, the sick, and the poor into her home and chapel. She welcomed everyone who came to her as a sister or brother and everyone was welcome to share what little she had.

As we continue to grieve the tragic and senseless loss of life that took place in Orlando this past Sunday, there are some who are trying to politicize these events, encouraging us to place blame on those whom they perceive to be “other.” For us, as Christians, this is never an option and that attitude will never help us realize the justice and peace we all so desperately desire.

Pray today for a sense of openness to those who might be different from you, recognizing that they too are our brothers and sisters, deserving of our love. Pray, too, that God will soften and convert the hearts of those who promote violence, hate, and division. Ask Blessed Nha Chica to help you to love as Jesus wants you to love.


Prayer +
O God, who declare that you abide in hearts that are pure, grant that through the intercession of the Virgin blessed Francisca we may be so fashioned by your grace, that we become a dwelling pleasing to you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: Common of Virgins—For One Virgin)

Originally written for www.Aleteia.org and published on their site on June 14, 2016.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Saint Lucina of the Catacombs of Callistus: Reflecting the Savior’s Kindness and Love

-
Image
Lucina (or Lucy) was a wealthy Roman woman who, according to ancient legends, was converted to the Christian Faith by Saint Peter. When the persecution of the Emperor Nero began (in the year 64), Lucina showed kindness to the imprisoned Christians, including Saints Martinian and Processus , who had served as Saint Peter’s guards while he was in prison awaiting execution. These two men were converted to the Faith by Peter and were executed a few days after the Apostle. Saint Lucina is remembered for courageously giving proper burial to the martyrs. She is believed to have suffered martyrdom herself and has been honored as a martyr since the fourth century.   She is buried in the Catacomb of Saint Callistus in Rome. Today, the relics of Saints Martinian and Processes are enshrined in Saint Peter’s Basilica . Detail of the Catacomb of Callistus In today’s Gospel (Thursday of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time) we hear how Jesus restored a paralyzed man to health. But t
Read more

For Christmas 2020

-
Image
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…  And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us,  and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.  —Luke 1:1-2, 14 The Gospel of the Christmas Mass “During the Day” Every Christmas we celebrate the truth that God became a human being. This belief is so essential that to deny it or to try to explain it away is to give up the foundational belief of Christians. The Solemnity of Christmas invites us to pause and reflect on what these words really mean.  It is one thing to simply repeat the words of the Nicene Creed: “and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man.” It is quite another to allow these words to effect a change in our lives. As Cardinal Basil Hume observed, “The words are simple and direct, but their meaning is far beyond our power to comprehend… But it is not flesh and blood that leads us to t
Read more

Blessed Maria Gabriella: The Saint of Christian Unity

-
Image
 " I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” —John 17:20-21 The divisions that exist within the Church today are a sad reality that most of us simply take for granted. Although we’re quick to identify ourselves as followers of Jesus, we’re equally as ready to qualify our commitment when we label ourselves as “Catholic,” “Orthodox,” and “Protestant.”   In his General Audience of August 27, 2014, Pope Francis spoke about this sad reality in a very direct way: If we look at the history of the Church, there are so many divisions among Christians. Even now we are divided. Also in history, we see Christians have made war among ourselves for theological differences… But, this is not Christian. We must also work for the unity of all Christians, to take the path of unity which is what Jesus
Read more