Leviticus 19:1–2, 11–18 ; Psalm 19:8, 9,10, 15; Matthew 25:31–46
The first days of Lent feature scriptural selections that emphasize the lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Today Moses articulates the love of neighbor as part of God’s law. The people’s conduct is motivated by the holiness of the God they worship.
Jesus makes that motivation even more personal, in the famous Matthew 25 passage, in which he identifies himself with the poor and needy to whom we should minister in the world.
Frances of Rome, in the fourteenth century, can easily be patron of our lenten almsgiving, as we seek the face of Jesus in hungry, naked, homeless, ill, or imprisoned people. Married to a wealthy young nobleman, Frances teamed up with her sister-in-law to help the poor, with their husbands’ support. Frances balanced her charity with care for her family, but when a severe plague broke out in Italy and spread to the city of Rome, Frances turned all her possessions into alms for the suffering. After her two children died, she turned part of her home into a hospital.
Eventually, she received permission to found a society of women not bound to traditional vows of religious life, dedicated to serving the poor. After her husband’s death, Frances went to live with the society she founded, spending the rest of her life in finding Christ in those she helped.
Today’s Action
Choose some kind of lenten almsgiving that will involve you in hands-on service with the poor.
Prayer
Jesus, visible in our neighbor, visible in our neighbor, show us your face in the hungry and thirsty,
the naked and homeless, the prisoner and the stranger.
Move us to action so we may fulfill the ancient law to love God and neighbor.
Amen.
6 thoughts on “Lent with the Saints: Frances of Rome”
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I implore Saint Frances of Rome to pray for those Christians who have no rooms in their hearts for fellow man.
A few days behind, I found this Saint in my Liturgy of the Hours Lenten Missal, pages 1706-09, whose feast day is March 9. I thank God for her, because [as I shared those pages with my loving and caring family], I wrote: “As I battle with health issues, God, in all Wisdom, sends me a Saint whose intercession I am in much need, as I am sure you will all agree having seen my weakness. TBTG!”
Very happy to know Saint Frances of Rome is the patron of widows! My husband of 28 years died four months ago today on Nov. 12, 2022, and I did not know about Saint Frances. Now I am praying for her assistance as I cry each day! Her feast day is easy to remember as my older son was born on March 9. Thank you, my God, for leading me to Saint Frances in my needs!
Today I’ve learned that St Frances had her guardian angel as an Archangel.I pray through her intercession that I may win my spiritual battles.Amen
God put St.Francesca Romana in my path while I was overwhelmed with all the car/license issues I currently have & I’m trying to fix . Shockingly today is her feast day !!!GOD-incidence if I say so myself !!!! I ask for her intercession at this moment to help me navigate the issues I dug myself into & help me fix all that needs fixing in my life . Thank you Jesus for the life of St.Francesca , much love . St. Francesca pray for me