St. Frances of Rome

            

    When I was beginning the process of Confirmation, and they told me I had to pick a saint to be my very own patron, I was more than a little intimidated by the task. How in the world was I supposed to pick which one I liked the best? How could I judge them? I felt awful going through the lists and marking names off as if I was some sort of holiness Simon Cowell. However, the Lord guided me to find the perfect role model for me, St. Frances of Rome.

                This woman, as beautiful, wonderful and relatable as she is, is not that widely known. A part of me is a little bit saddened by this. A bigger part of me likes that she is less widely known, though, because it means I get to talk about her, and introduce her to so many people! Which, as you probably guessed, is what I am doing now. You’re welcome, by the way, in advance.

Before I really get started, just know, I cannot do her incredible, holy life justice here (if you do want her whole story you can find it here http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=49). However, I do just one to share a few elements of her life that inspire and help me every day.

At the age of eleven, St. Frances knew that her calling in life was to be a nun. However, her wealthy and noble father had other plans for her, and arranged her marriage to a man from an equally influential family in Rome. Frances resisted and fought this, constantly praying that the Lord would prevent this marriage. Her confessor finally pointed out to her that she was praying for God to do her will, not for the desire to do God’s will. And so, after a period of miserably starving and straining herself, nearly to the point of death, she consented to the marriage, and the brand new lifestyle that came with it.

Now, it is key to know that Frances was born at the end of the 1300’s and grew up into the 1400’s, in Rome. As many church history geeks know, this was a time that was more than a little difficult for the Catholic Church. With multiple people claiming to be the pope, Rome became a battleground, and not just one for souls. At one point, St. Frances’s husband, the influential and noble man that he was, had been injured and captured and her oldest son, Battista, was to be taken as ransom for another family member’s life. When her son was taken, she ran immediately to a church and began praying unceasingly. As she was doing this, the kidnappers were trying to make away with her son, but every horse they put him on refused to move, no matter what they did. They had no choice but to set the boy free, and he found his mother in the chapel, praying through her tears.

There is something about these two little elements of St. Frances’s life that gives me hope. Here was a woman who had a stubborn streak wider than my own, and fought God on everything in her life. It took her nearly dying to trust in the Lord once, and even then she needed constant reminders to seek out His will and not her own. Maybe this is what gives me hope though- despite her stubbornness, she let God’s will be done in her. She let God take over her life time and time again, and trusted him to care and provide for her.

St. Frances gave herself and her own desires up, only to discover God’s greater plan for her life. God did eventually grant her request to become a nun, in her own order. But through her marriage, he gave her the resources to help the sick and the poor in ways she never could have in a convent. She converted the souls of her husband’s family, through her love and service, proving that God had better things in mind for her than she could ever have dreamed of!

St. Frances could also have just run off with her son, upon hearing the threat of his kidnapping, but she didn’t. In doing so, she was able to spare her family member's life, and no harm was done to her son. If she, with her headstrong ways can trust the Lord to the point of giving up her own son, then surely I can trust the Lord with my degree plan! Then surely I can let the Lord’s will be done in my daily life!

This woman who fought God on every issue is now someone who the Church holds up as an example for holiness. She is someone who we can point to and say “Look, she overcame her own stubbornness, and the Lord rewarded her for it! What is to stop me from doing the same?” The Lord wants amazing things for us, things we cannot even imagine. He knows who we are, what we need, and who we can become, before we are even born!

If St. Frances, in all her struggles, can become holy through trusting the Lord, then what is to stop each and every one of us from becoming a saint as well?

St. Frances of Rome, help us to see the difference between what we want to do, and what God wants us to do. Help us to discern what comes from our will and what comes from God’s desire. Amen.

Keara King gets excited about the little things in life-like bagels on Friday and swinging on swing sets. She is a sophomore student at SFA, from Flower Mound, Texas. She is a social work major, and her dream is to work with children at St. Jude's. 

I Do!

I can't exactly speak for the males, but I know as a young girl I always imagined my dream wedding. It would be like a fairy tale; doves flying when the nuptials were sealed, wedding bells ringing out with joy, and pristine white horses awaiting to whisk us off to wedded bliss. I think this outlandish fantasy comes from watching one to many Disney movies in which the girls gets the prince and ends up with the perfect happily ever after.  It all seems simply out of reach. There are no horses, no flourishing of bells, no doves….dreaming of this tale is just that a dream.

What if this dream is a reality though?

What if there really are bells, doves, the whole nine yards?

What if there is really a prince out there waiting to give everything for his one true love….which is me and you?

What is he already gave it all?

Picture this.  You are dressed in white, a sign of chastity and beauty, flowing delicately to the floor which you walk upon weightlessly. A veil drapes over your face, to keep your true glorious beauty a surprise for your beloved. You are delighted and can hardly wait to no longer be two persons, but united as one.   Actually the feelings you have can't be explained…you are in love. The sounds of melodious strings alert your new beginnings. Making your way down the aisle you glance and smile upon your guests, not really identifying them from under your veil. You attention has been taken by the sight of your beloved standing before you at the altar. Oh the joy that springs forth from your heart at the sight of him! Nothing can contain it! Your beloved turns and looks into your eyes with more love than was ever imaginable!

The eyes you looked upon…are the eyes of Jesus Christ.

Sappy imagination, I know. But the reality is so much more! We are all told probably a million times growing up that Jesus loves us. We all sang the lullaby…"Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so…..". Did we take that to heart? I know I didn't. I looked upon the fact that Jesus loved me as simply that - a hard fact. There was no fluff to it, it just was. Any of you thought of Jesus's love like that too? Like it was just a plain fact, like there is a Pacific Ocean and trees grow leaves, and Jesus love me.  Let me tell you this…it's not just a plain fact. Jesus LOVES YOU. I have found that my goal in my journey of becoming a stronger Catholic woman is falling in love with Christ. Truly falling in love with him in the way I always imagined (above). I personally want to fall in love with the Lord so nothing can break us apart, we really are one. The Bible , the Church, and Jesus himself refer to Christ as the "Bridegroom".

Marriage Like Christ and the Church

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

-Ephesians 5:22-31

The passage continues on saying that Jesus is talking about himself and the church, not just a worldly man and wife. Jesus talks about himself being the bride groom and the church the bride…but people - who is the church?!?! Christ talks constantly about how the husband should love and cherish his bride, and the bride will do the same in return. People, he is talking about us! WE ARE THE CHURCH!!!! Jesus loves us so passionately and unconditionally that he would DIE FOR US!!!! Think about the person you love the most…would you marry then? Would you do anything for them? Would you die for them? Question now is…would they die for you?

Just as Christ met the Samaritan woman
at the well, so he waits for you at the altar.

Jesus awaits for you at the altar. He awaits for you to fall so madly in love with him. He has already fallen madly in love with you… There is no question in his heart of whether he would give up anything or everything. He does not second guess his actions, or would ever have to think about reliving his Passion again for you.

Wrapping your head around his eternal love is not an easy task, especially if you have never broken down your walls and truly loved another. When you sets your sights on love though, you are rewarded. Set your sights upon Christ's love, and trust me - you will be rewarded. To even get a true taste of the love Christ has for you blows you away.

You do deserve the fairytale…..because it is real. There is a chorus praising when you become united in Christ.

-Written by Liz Anglin