Reflection by Friar Michael Heine, OFM Conv.
This past February, I was present in Assisi for the exposition of St. Francis’s relics. It was the first time his mortal remains had been exposed publicly for veneration in the Basilica. Around 400,000 pilgrims filed past the glass reliquary during those days.
I cannot fully describe the feeling when the remains of St. Francis were carried from the crypt. For about two hours, friars from all the Franciscan families were able to pray in silence before Francis. It was powerful and deeply moving.
Then the doors opened, and the pilgrims came in waves — hundreds of thousands visited the Basilica in a matter of weeks. Yet, believe it or not, everything was organized beautifully.
What struck me most was what happened after the pilgrims passed before the remains of Francis. They were led into a nearby chapel to renew their baptismal promises — a deliberate movement from Francis’ life to their own lives. The message was clear: Francis does not point people to himself. He points them to Christ and reminds them of who they are called to become.
During this Jubilee Year commemorating the 800th anniversary of the transitus of St. Francis, we friars find ourselves at an important moment in the life of Our Lady of the Angels Province. This year’s Provincial Chapter is also a kind of renewal — a chance to begin again. As we move into the next four years, only God knows what the future holds.As we begin this new four-year term, we have recommitted ourselves first and foremost to one another. Our primary vocation is not simply ministry. Our primary vocation is fraternity. The fraternal life is the gift we offer to the Church and to the world.
In a world where peace is increasingly fragile, we hope people can look to us as witnesses that men of different backgrounds, personalities, cultures, and temperaments can actually live together in peace, reconciliation, and joy. We care for each other.
We friars promise to live the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience with the “help of my brothers.” That final line matters so much in our fraternal life. I believe the same goes for all we serve, no matter what their vocation. None of us can, friar or lay person, live this life alone.
It sounds so simple. Maybe even obvious. But it matters.
Today, I invite you to recommit yourself to your community. When our community life is weak, we look to vices for meaning and affirmation. Building strong communities helps us live the Gospel the way Christ intended.
Continue reaching out to those on the margins — the forgotten, the lonely, the wounded, the people no one else notices. St. Francis challenges us to heal wounds, to bind what is broken, to bring home those who are lost. Pope Francis’ image of the Church as a “field hospital” remains so powerful and relevant for all of us.
What I witnessed in Assisi reminded me that Saint Francis still has an extraordinary ability to draw people. But Francis never drew people to himself. He drew them to Christ. We are called to do the same.
And so, my brothers and sisters, we begin again.
