Dear Friends of The Franciscan Way,
As June begins, the Church turns our attention to the Feast of the Sacred Heart—a reminder that the human heart, with all its love, wounds, hopes, and struggles, has become forever united to the very life of God. For us in the Franciscan family, this is not just a devotional image or a pious sentiment. It is a powerful reminder that the human heart—fragile, passionate, wounded, searching—is always a part of the very heart of God.
Saint Francis’ whole life was centered on the Heart of Christ. He reflected on Jesus as one who “made Himself small” for our sake: born in a poor stable, eating with sinners, weeping at a friend’s tomb, suffering rejection, and dying on a cross. In Christ’s humanity, Francis saw the very heart of God. In this Sacred Heart, Francis saw a God who holds nothing back, who gives Himself completely. The Heart of Christ is the Heart that bends low to wash feet, that breaks with compassion over the poor and the excluded, that continues to pour itself out in every life lived in service.
For us, walking the Franciscan Way today, this has very practical implications. It means allowing Christ’s Heart to shape ours so that we can heal wounds, unite what has fallen apart, and bring home those who have lost their way. It means seeing every person as someone whose heart is precious to God, even when they are difficult to understand or love.
Perhaps that is why the writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once wrote: “It is only with the heart that one sees rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Many Blessings and may you always have a Franciscan Heart!