I walk for exercise every day, but since the weather where I live is mostly hot and humid, I do a lot of it on a treadmill. However, when we do have days more conducive to being outdoors, I walk on one of the many trails around my neighborhood. I prefer walking outside because there is something freeing about it that opens my heart to God and provides for better attention to nature. My eyes and ears attune to Him with greater clarity, and believe it or not, with fewer distractions. An example of this took place on a walk last week when I noticed a Monarch butterfly fluttering around me. It provided much joy as it kept flying before me, flitting from left to right as if in a dance specially choreographed just for my pleasure. This went on for a few minutes, and I am sure that if anyone had observed my ‘interaction’ with the butterfly – (yes, I was talking to it!) – and the huge smile on my face, they might have thought I had ‘gone over the edge.’ I felt care-free like a little child, quite captivated by it. The joy lasted well after it finally went its own way. But the greatest gift was in the awareness of the presence of God in His creation: it was as if God was delighting in delighting me!

Pope Leo XIV recently declared 2026 as a year of Franciscan Jubilee to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi and to celebrate the long history and many contributions of the Franciscans over the years. The jubilee can also serve to invite the faithful into an examination and renewal of our spiritual lives, particularly our prayer and service, as well as to encourage growth in some of the virtues taught through Franciscan spirituality: Gospel-living expressed by simplicity, care for creation, and care for the poor. Perhaps a good way to think of the jubilee is that it is a way to embrace Gospel-living with intentionality, that is, to live with the attitude of St. Francis, a man who tried to live like Jesus as much as he possibly could. Perhaps this year can inspire us to try to become a little bit Franciscan in how we live. 

The jubilee calls our attention to the way of St. Francis. The spirituality that flowed from him and his followers can be characterized by daily prayer rooted in listening and silent reflection, seeking to meet God throughout the day both in the people encountered and in the beauty of creation. Franciscans often refer to creation as the ‘mirror of God’ and along with Sacred Scripture find this the most fertile way to find the Lord and to rejoice in Him. Therefore, with just a little commitment and intentionality, we can enter into the jubilee spirit by paying more attention to creation, finding joy in this gift. We can pray to grow in the graces of simplicity, kindness, and humility, (hallmarks of Franciscan life), and a deepened reverence for creation and for others, especially those who are marginalized or who we find most difficult to be with. 

​The Franciscan motto is “Pax et Bonum” (peace and all good): if we try to live this motto our focus will remain on living the spirit of the jubilee. St. Francis served in whatever way he could, including ministering to the poor, especially lepers, and in his efforts to evangelize through preaching.​* No matter what he did, all of his efforts were wrapped in prayer and characterized by deep joy. Prayers that are attributed to him and free-spirited actions such as joyfully preaching to the birds (or to anyone who would listen) are what attract many to  St. Francis today. We, too, can pray for this interior freedom, and we can pray to respond to the graces we receive, seeking to be a peacemaker, or to be a person who brings joy to others through our attitude and presence, wherever and however we are called. It does not matter how much or little we do, or even the exact nature of our service, but what matters is that we live as Jesus taught, becoming a better example by sharing kindness and joy rather than hiding the joy we possess in our relationship with Christ. Simply put, real joy attracts, being dour does not!

St. Francis was arguably the most Christ-like person in the history of Christianity. He was not perfect, and had a number of failures and sufferings, but his goal was to imitate Christ and to work for ‘peace and all good.’ The key to living the Christian life with the joy he exhibited only comes through a relationship with God. We do not have to live the radical lifestyle St. Francis chose, but like him we do need to heed the words of St. Paul: “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thess 5:17) In this year dedicated to honoring St. Francis and his spiritual followers we are reminded of a pathway to God which can bear fruit. What matters most is that we respond to God as He calls to us daily, and that we do not miss His gifts of love, mercy, and beauty which can come in ‘ordinary packages.’ Indeed, God wants us to know Him and how much He loves us; He wants us to delight in Him by delighting in the beauty He provides no matter what our circumstances. It is not always easy to see these gifts, but the more we seek, the more we will find, and the more we find, the more our faith will grow so that one day our joy will be complete.

May we become more like St. Francis by living with simplicity and kindness! May we seek to work for peace and all good! And may we learn to delight in the Lord who delights in us! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Pax et Bonum!

​                                   ©Michele L. Catanese

* It is said that one of the instructions St. Francis gave his followers was, “Preach the gospel at all times, and if you have to, use words.”
~ To help our reflection, here are some suggestions that might help in living the Franciscan spirit and which might also serve to increase our understanding:
Read the life of St. Francis or St. Clare of Assisi; dive into the writings of St. Bonaventure, a doctor of the Church (1221-1274), or the writings of Bl. John Duns Scotus (1265/1266-1308) the other 'heavy hitter' of Franciscan thought and spirituality. There are many Franciscan saints from whom we might learn such as Anthony of Padua, Thomas More, Angela of Foligno, Marianne Cope, Maximillian Kolbe, and Padre Pio. There are also ‘modern’ Franciscan writers, bloggers, speakers (on various platforms, YouTube and the like) whose work can enhance our reflection or actions. 
​You can find information on some Franciscan saints at franciscanmissionaries.com/12-franciscan-saints-know-besides-saint-francis/

Images: 
1. My photo; this is a moth, actually, on a hiking trail in Idaho. This creature also gave me great pleasure a couple of years ago while out hiking.
2. Painting; I Will Hold Out My Hand and My Heart Will Be In It - 1979, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. This image depicts St. Francis of Assisi after he received the stigmata. ​You can find this at fineartamerica.com/featured/i-will-hold-out-my-hand-and-my-heart-will-be-in-it-1979-william-hart-mcnichols.html
3. My photo; ducklings in a creek; I took this while hiking near Silverthorne, Colorado.
4. Painting; St. Francis of Assisi, by Jusepe de Ribera, 1642.
5. Painting; Celia Thaxter's Garden by Childe Hassam, 1890.
6. Painting; Bluebell Wood by Nicholas Hely Hutchinson.

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.

​In early January we often look forward to what a new year will bring. Therefore, this is a good time to reflect upon our spiritual progress, (something we should do often), since it provides an excellent opportunity to ponder how we might deepen spiritual awareness and grow in relationship with God, considering how we might better respond to His call. It is important to reflect upon the mysteries of creation, beauty, and most especially, who we were created to be. And it is important to remember that all of the answers we seek are found in God. However, we need to keep in mind that when we seek, we may discover more questions than we began with: it is wisdom to realize that the more we think we know, the less we really know, hence we continue to hunger for God to reveal Himself. Our trust in God must deepen so that we become content in the humility of simply being His child. And this is what the Baptism of the Lord is about: the humility of Jesus revealing whose Son He is, and His invitation to humbly grow in our understanding of being His Father’s child, too. 

As humans we have found many different ways to try to understand ‘the way things are.’ The sciences, such as biology, chemistry, and physics, are important ways to understand the intricacies of the universe and how we function within it. We must recognize, however, that all of these, no matter how much or little we comprehend, are different ‘languages’ by which God reveals Himself. That is, together with theology they are ways to express God’s revelation. As the Psalmist says, we are “wondrously made.” (Psalm 139:14) The sciences are not opposed to theology, but rather are ways to describe that which comes from the Creator who designed the way it all ‘works,’ and yet, who Himself is uncreated: He simply is “I Am Who Am.” (Exodus 3:14) To facilitate our response to beauty, that is, to God, we have the arts, including dance, music, visual disciplines like painting, sculpture, and photography, as ways to express without words. There is also language, spoken and written, including poetry, prose, essay, or simply the common parlance of speech. All of these, while grand or poor, are attempts to express the inexpressible, our response to beauty and the revelation of God. 

At its core, our desire to know is actually spiritual hunger. Therefore, we can marvel at that which we do not fully understand, and we can praise God for the magnificence and mystery of it all. This praise leads to a deepening of love and gratitude, since we deserve none of it, and yet the reality is that He created it all for us.* According to His plan, even after Adam and Eve destroyed the original beauty of Eden through disobedience, (bringing original sin into the world), God sent His only Son to save us from the power of sin and death, enabling the gifts which we are able receive through Baptism. As we just celebrated at Christmas, Jesus is the Son of God, true God and true man: He is fully divine as the Son of the Most High, and as the Son of the Immaculately conceived mother, Mary, He is also fully human, but without sin. So why then, did He begin His ministry by being baptized? He certainly did not need it!

​Among other things, the answer lies in humility and in love. Jesus came into the world in the deepest humility; God ‘leapt down’ from Heaven to enter our world of imperfection, experiencing pain, suffering, and death. It therefore makes sense that also in humility He would do that which He wants for us to do as well. But further, Jesus changed the nature of John’s baptism so that it became a Sacrament which by the power of His Holy Spirit cleanses all sin and ultimately changes our status to that of sons and daughters of God. As St. Paul pointed out, we became adopted sons and daughters of God when we were baptized.** Thus, we share the Father with the Son in a deeper way through the Holy Spirit. This sharing opens our capacity for faith, hope, and love, the graces which come from Baptism. Finally, we observe that the Father’s voice was heard saying how pleased He was in Jesus; and the Holy Spirit rejoiced, too, as He was seen like a dove hovering over Jesus. (Luke 3:21-22) This was the way God wanted to point out that indeed Jesus was the One for whom we had waited and that we should pay attention, learning from Him as we become His disciples.

In Jesus’ Baptism, we can observe virtues in addition to humility. He was obedient to the Father in being baptized without the need of it; He exhibited fortitude in His acceptance of His ministry, opposed long before He said a word and ending in death; He lived with prudence and temperance in how and when He did everything; we observe justice in His teaching and in His final victory, giving insight into how God’s justice is different than ours. Therefore, through Jesus' baptism we learn the virtues we must have to grow in the Christian life, graces offered by the Father to assist us in persevering in the faith and in our call. As we reflect upon what we hope for in this new year, we can draw upon what we have been given, approaching the Lord in prayer that our hunger for Him might increase.

May we adopt an attitude of humble, spiritual hunger, knowing that it can only be fulfilled in God! May we continue to drink from the wellspring of our own Baptism, that we might grow in faith and hope especially when we are most challenged! And may we strive to grow in mercy and love just as Jesus taught! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!

                                        ©Michele L. Catanese

* The first chapters of Genesis reveal that we are to have dominion over everything, insofar as we are stewards, and we are meant to enjoy it all.
** John’s baptism was for forgiveness of sin, but he could not cleanse original sin; his baptism did not forgive in the sacramental sense. John's baptism was about repentance as he was readying the way for Jesus who could give us sacramental Baptism which imparts grace and changes our status to adopted sons and daughters of God. (See Galatians 4:3-7; Roman 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:4-5) Only God can impart grace, something John knew: “I baptize you with water, but there is one among you whom you do not recognize, the one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” John went on to explain that while he baptized with water, Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. (John 1:26-34) ~ There are many more reasons that Jesus was baptized though He did not need it, but I am only focusing on this aspect for the purpose of this reflection.

Images:
1. My photo; The Baptism of the Lord, by Giotto. Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy.
2. Image; Hebrew Name of Yahweh-Adam Kadmon, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. If you would like to purchase a copy of this, go to fineartamerica.com/featured/hebrew-name-of-yahweh-adam-kadmon-183-william-hart-mcnichols.html
3. My photo; grotto garden in Portland Oregon.
​4. My photo; Spey River in the Highlands of Scotland, near Grantown-on-Spey.
5. Print; The Cardinal Virtues, artist unknown. This medieval print depicts Patience and Temperance on the top, left to right; Fortitude and Justice on the bottom, left to right. 
6. Oil painting; Louveciennes, Chemin de Creux (Winter Landscape in Louveciennes) by Camille Pissarro, 1872. Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
​
Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.