“I have come to set the earth on fire…”
Ten days ago, I went on a reconnecting journey with my dear friend and fellow music minister Mary Verme to St. Francis Inn in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Departing early so that we could attend the daily 8:30 AM Mass, we parked our car on a side street. Immediately, we noticed how many homeless people were now sleeping on the sidewalks close to the Inn, where they felt safer and welcomed.
After entering the chapel, we gave silent greetings to familiar staff members and then watched about a dozen high school girls coming in for worship. Many of them wore T-shirts that said “Visi” on them. This was their last day of volunteering at the Inn.
During the homily, Fr. Michael Duffy, OFM, expressed gratitude to the teens for their week of service at the Inn, noting the many daily challenges that they had experienced in the various ministries of this vibrant community. We learned that these students came from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory Academy in Washington, DC, founded in 1799 by three “pious ladies” from Philadelphia. In 1815, this school received permission from the Vatican to affiliate with and become the first US Visitation community (an order founded by St. Jane Frances de Chantal in 1610 in France). Through the vision of their high school experience, these students were learning how to set the earth on fire for Christ.
One of my favorite Gospel quotes is found in this weekend’s reading, as Jesus says to His disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” What a great visual that gives to us of God’s love that Jesus desires to be revealed in our world today and every day! However, Jesus warns the disciples that if we follow Him without reservation, then we can expect division among us. This is because worldly values are always in such diametric conflict with God’s desires. When called by God to bring messages to the people, every prophet learned the dangerous challenges and even persecutions that accompanied those missions. The prophet Jeremiah understood this all too well.
After the morning Mass, Mary and I sat with Katie Sullivan, the Executive Director of Franciscan Volunteer Ministry (FVM), who coordinates the visits of high school and college students on mission to the Inn, as well as overseeing the intentional community of FVM volunteers who spend 1-2 years in volunteer ministry in Philadelphia or Durham, NC (Note: Mary served as a FVM in Philadelphia).
Katie is an alumna of Georgetown Visitation, so there is a special bond with these students during their annual visits. On mission trips like these, the students’ daily encounters with those who are on the margins of society due to poverty, homelessness, addiction, mental illness, and many other societal hardships can be both inspiring and also overwhelming. How can the faithful help Jesus to realize the fire that He so desires in our world? As community, we need daily reminders that every encounter is an opportunity to bring God’s love to others. Christ calls us into communal action.
After our visit, I did some internet research about Georgetown Visitation, so committed to the Salesian spirituality of Saints Francis de Sales and Jane Frances de Chantal. These high school students share a very simple imperative that they must learn by doing: Live Jesus. In blog testimonies on their website, students shared the difficulties in learning to trust God and to practice the “Little Virtues” that shape the Salesian witness to Christ:
- Kindness
- Gentleness
- Thoughtful Concern for Others
- Humility
- Simplicity
- Hospitality
- Gratitude
- Patience
- Generosity
- Honesty
- Cheerful Optimism
Looking at these highly desirable virtues to make Christ’s Kingdom visible here and now, we might wonder why there would be division in the world or within families when someone intentionally chooses to live in God’s love—to live Jesus. It makes no sense whatsoever that there are people who make choices that are the opposite of those little virtues. Perhaps daily prayer to the Holy Spirit would help to remind us of their necessity. Daily decisions sometimes create a moral dilemma for us:
- Whose example will we follow?
- Are we prepared for opposition when we choose to follow Christ?
- Will we trust in God for courage and fortitude?
- How can we welcome the difficulties that we will encounter as pilgrims of hope?
- Will we recognize Christ at the door?
The “Visi” community is bound by an inspiring prayer:
Direction of Intention (St. Francis de Sales)
Oh my God, I give You this day. I offer You now all of the good which I shall do. I promise to accept for love of You all of the difficulty which I shall meet. Help me to conduct myself during this day in a manner most pleasing to You.
Church history clearly tells us that there have been generations of people who listened to the Word of God and committed their lives to tending to the fire of God. If we get discouraged, St. Paul reminds us that their lives paved the way for us to serve Christ today, even amid divisions:
“We are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” (Heb 12:1)
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
St. Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
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