Following Jesus with St. Francis of Assisi and Mary

This week, we celebrate two significant feasts that invite us to look again at what it means to follow Jesus.

October 4 is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. This year, October 4 falls on a Sunday, so the Sunday liturgy takes precedence over the feast of St. Francis. Even so, this year is especially significant: 2026 marks the 800th anniversary of St Francis’s death. To mark this anniversary, the Church has proclaimed 2026 a special Year of St Francis, inviting the faithful to look to his example of Gospel living

Many people know Franciscan spirituality through the blessing of animals and praising God for creation. These are meaningful expressions of faith, but they also point us towards the heart of Francis’ spirituality: his desire to follow the humble Jesus. When Francis looked at creation, he saw gifts from God, and his gratitude helped him praise the Creator.

Francis’ simplicity draws us to reflect on Jesus, who came close to us as true God and true man. Jesus was born in humble circumstances and lived among ordinary people. Francis gave up wealth and status because he wanted to follow Jesus more closely. Living simply helped him depend on God, meet people living in poverty as brothers and sisters, and find joy in gifts he might otherwise have taken for granted. For Francis, simplicity was a way of making room for Christ and for others.

As we remember St. Francis in this anniversary year, we might ask what it means to make room for Christ in our own lives. For most of us, this will not mean giving away everything we own, but it may mean looking more carefully at what we cling to, what distracts us, and where God is inviting us to greater generosity. Francis reminds us that holiness is found not in having more, but in receiving what we have with gratitude and using it in love of God and neighbour.

On Wednesday, October 7, we have another significant celebration: the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, our Parish Feast Day. Many of you may have heard that this feast traces its beginnings to the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. At the time, a Christian fleet known as the Holy League faced a much larger Ottoman naval force in the Mediterranean. Pope St Pius V called Christians to pray the Rosary for those going into battle. Following the Holy League’s victory on October 7, the Pope attributed the victory to the intercession of Our Lady and established a feast in thanksgiving. Over time, this became the feast we now know as Our Lady of the Rosary.

As we honour Our Lady of the Rosary, she leads us to Jesus. Praying the Rosary invites us to contemplate his life with her: the Son of God born as a child, living an ordinary life in Nazareth, and giving himself for us on the cross. The mysteries hold together joy, suffering, hope and glory, reminding us that no part of our lives is beyond the reach of God’s grace. They lead us to rejoice in his Resurrection, and teach us to remain close to Christ in every season of life.

While we reflect on these two feast days this week, we are reminded that we have something to celebrate every day: God’s presence with us and our response to His mercy. In the ordinary moments of life — a conversation with someone who is lonely, patience at home, or care for a person in need, we have opportunities to respond to His love.

In different ways, Mary and Francis both draw our attention to the incarnation of Jesus: Mary through her trusting “yes” to God and by leading us through the mysteries of her Son’s earthly life, and Francis by seeking to imitate Christ’s poverty, humility and closeness to others.

Their lives ask us to look at our own: What can I let go of so that I can give more freely? Where might God be asking me to say yes? How can my humility, simplicity and faith help others recognise the presence of Jesus, who is truly God and truly man, among us?

May St Francis’s example and Our Lady’s intercession help us follow Jesus with simplicity, gratitude and love.

Peace and love – Fr. Minje