Saint/Virtue of the Month: October

Each month at Our Lady of Sorrows is dedicated to a particular saint (generally chosen from the month) and virtue (generally taken from the fruits of the Spirit—Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Corinthians 6:6, Ephesians 5:9, and 2 Peter 1:5-7). The saint and virtue are incorporated into our morning prayer, religion bulletin boards, and religion classes. This focus on one saint and one virtue complements our Words of Wisdom, and serves as a supplement to our religion curriculum. This month we focus on St. Francis of Assisi and the virtue of Patience.

St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment, but there is much more to Brother Francis then an ecological concern for our planet. One of his largest contributions to Catholicism was his desire to live his life as close to Jesus’ as possible.

He fell in love with Lady Poverty early on in life, so much so that even when he was living surrounded by his family’s wealth he had times in his life when he would go off alone to pray, or take everything he had on him and give it to someone who needed it more. He tried to radically live Jesus’ prohibition against putting our trust in stuff and instead trusting God (through the kindness of strangers and benefactors) to provide anything and everything he needed.

He was so patient with others that people marveled at him, and his humility and gentleness shone through to everyone he met, from beggar to world leader. He made his peace with life and death, so much so that he could talk about Sister Death gently and lovingly coming to lead him (and everyone else) into God’s presence.

Our virtue for the month is patience. In a world of fast food, instant messaging, streaming movies, disposable items, and sound bites that masquerade for news, patience is in short supply. Yet Jesus reminds us that no one can rush the growth of crops—it happens at its own pace. We are reminded this month to slow down, to savor the experiences of the moment, to marinate in the present instead of always looking to the future, and to let God unfold our lives as He sees fit.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo De La Rosa III