making room for God
Today we remember St. Francis of Assisi. Francis saw his life
as one of penance. We often think of penance as some kind of action or punishment
we inflict on ourselves as an outward expression of our repentance for
wrongdoing. It’s not very fashionable today. In “The Art of Letting Go” Franciscan
priest and writer Richard Rohr suggests Francis understood penance as “making
room for God”. That is a very different thing. Making room for God is the letting
go of all that distracts us from seeing God in our everyday lives. And as
Francis shows, the more we practice making room the more we see God. In the end
Francis saw God at work in all people, even thieves, lepers and Muslims; all
creatures, even a ferocious wolf; and all creation, including the birds who he
commanded to “beware of the sin of ingratitude and be always eager to praise
God”.
The Gospel reading from Luke (17:11-19) of the ten
lepers healed, invites us to make room for God to teach us through those outside
our faith, or through those we might describe as enemies. An accursed Samaritan
is the one who turns back, breaks the law, and gives praise to God. It is the
accursed Samaritan who shows how to love our neighbour. Can we make that much
room for God?
As we reflect on the invitation to make room for God, how
might that shape our relationship with those we struggle with; with our pets
and those animals who provide our food; and with God’s creation where because
of our actions, and inaction, the web of life is unravelling and we see the
pain and suffering in God’s creation.
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