Friday, October 4th, 2019

Winnipeg, Manitoba

We Love St. Francis

I guess I made a wrong turn early this morning for that daily stretch.  Nevertheless, I found another forest trail, different from the one anticipated.  And during that walk, thousands of geese heading south flew above me.  I was in awe.  What wonder these creatures are for us!

And I thought of St. Francis of Assisi, who was close to the animals.  He died at the age of forty-four on October the 4th.  Lucky me, I was invited to be the special guest speaker at an interfaith event held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish on Roblin Blvd.  The event, "Instruments of Peace," by Farida and husband, Noble, welcomed reps from Islam, Judaism, Christianity (of course), First Nations, Buddhism, Bahai, and Hinduism.

The Vice-President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Most Rev. Richard Gagnon Archbishop of Winnipeg, sat right next to me, and we chatted about some meaningful stuff at the end of the prayers, songs and speeches.  Also on board were Rev. Msgr. Maurice Comeault, and Rev. Msgr. Stan Jaworski—altogether a host of spiritualists.

Here is part of the universally popular prayer by St. Francis:

"Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console;

To be understood as to understand;

To be loved as to love...."

May the Source be with you!

5 km