Every saint is a facet of the Diamond who is God.  And every saint who has founded a religious congregation has given that facet to his or her followers. We call that facet a charism, meaning a gift to the world. A charism is the way a particular person or group follows Jesus Christ, thus incarnating Christ in our world today.  The facet of the Diamond God who was Francis was joy and freedom in following the Gospel strictly by seeking out the poor and sick and freely vowing poverty and nonviolence. Francis’ charism turned worldly values upside down.

Almost 800 years later Pope Francis is turning values upside down. He, too, is a man of joy and freedom. Let us pray for Pope Francis today, as well as all Franciscans. And let us consider our own charism.  What is your gift to the world?  What facet of the Diamond God are you?   (credit for this post goes to Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider, SND)