The Feast of St Francis Borgia SJ | Thursday 3 October 2024

Today is Thursday the 3rd of October, the feast of Saint Francis Borgia SJ, in the 26th week of Ordinary Time.

Salt of the Sound sings, ‘Peace I Leave With You’, the words that Jesus spoke over his followers. Can you let these words soak into you today?

Peace, my peace
Peace I leave with you
My peace I give
Not as the world gives
Not as the world gives, I give to you
My peace
Do not let your hearts be troubled
And do not be afraid
Do not let your hearts be troubled
No, do not be afraid
Peace
Peace


Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 10:1-12

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

The scripture passage for today describes Jesus sending out the seventy disciples to prepare the way for his coming. Today, we celebrate the life of St. Francis Borgia. In the beginning, a nobleman with a life of privilege, Borgia underwent a profound conversion after witnessing the death of Empress Isabella. He embraced a life of humility and service, much like the seventy who were sent out with no provisions, relying solely on God's grace.

Jesus instructs the disciples to take nothing with them. This physical poverty encourages his friends to trust entirely in God's provision.

How might you respond to this instruction?

Jesus tells the disciples to offer peace to each house they enter. There is just one mission – peace. We encounter many different situations in our day. At these times, how often is ‘peace’ at the forefront of your mind?

Jesus also prepared for the possibility of rejection and instructed his friends to shake the dust off their feet and walk away: to have confidence in the knowledge that "the kingdom of God has come near."

Perhaps you have had this experience?

As you listen to the passage again, consider the example of St. Francis Borgia, who, like the seventy disciples, left behind a life of comfort to serve God.

‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.'

Take a moment to share your thoughts with the Lord now, with confidence that you are chosen, just as the seventy were chosen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.