October 4, Memorial of St Francis of Assisi*, Jesus: "Come to me all you who labor and are burdened"
October 4, 2025, Memorial of St Francis of Assisi*,"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." Readings Galatians 6:14-18 Psalm 16:1b-2a and 5, 7-8, 11 Matthew 11:25 Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth; you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. Gospel Matthew 11: 25-30 At that time Jesus answered: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." *Saint Francis of Assis 1182-October 3, 1226 Small in stature and having an extrovert personality, Francis always had in his heart the desire to do great things. He demonstrated this in his 20s when he left for the war between Assisi and Perugia, and later to help end the conflict of the crusades. He was born in 1182 the son of a rich fabric merchant, Pietro di Bernardone, and a noblewoman from Provence, Pica, and grew up occupied with family duties and worldly affairs. When he returned from his war experience, he was ill and shaken, unrecognizable to all. Something left a deep impression on his soul beyond his experience of the war. The uncontainable joy unleashed by feeling loved and called by God helped strengthen the wish of young Francis to live by Providence, and in observance of the Gospel, he decided to give away all he had to the poor. At this point the distance between him and his father, Pietro Di Bernardone, became irreparable. His father denounced him publicly during an audience with Bishop Guido. Francis declared his deep desire to marry “Lady Poverty”, and he removed his clothes as a way of renouncing his father’s wealth. *see https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/... PODCAST OF EACH DAILY MASS READING FROM ONE OF THE FOUR GOSPELS IN THE BIBLE
