Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God,

To be a Christian is to be estranged in this world, a sojourner on the way to somewhere else.

To be a Christian is to enjoy the company of all the saints and the citizenship of heaven.

However the compassionate Christian has been sent into the world as an ambassador of God. She knows that those who appear to own this earth – the arrogant, violent, vain and abusive -- are also displaced. They are strangers to themselves, aliens without a sense of place. They are homeless in their palaces and unwelcome in their hearts.

This is why Saint Francis of Assisi made such an astonishing impact on our world. Renouncing every entitlement that came with his wealthy family, persistently following Jesus in the way of poverty even as popes and kings sought his friendship, he owned nothing -- and everything. Without a home he lived as the animals of the forest, relying on God for shelter, food, clothing and protection. He ate when he was given food, and fasted when there was none to eat. He refused every provision for tomorrow; and always preferred the road less taken. He lived as Jesus had lived, as the birds of the air who neither toil nor spin but their heavenly father cares for them.

He was a brother to every living creature, a citizen of both earth and heaven.