Today the Church remembers Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first United States citizen to be canonized, whose extraordinary life of service to immigrants, orphans, and the poor offers a striking answer to today’s Gospel.
In Luke 17:26–37, Jesus warns against becoming so absorbed in ordinary life that we forget eternity. People were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, and building. None of those activities is necessarily wrong. The danger is allowing them to become everything.
Mother Cabrini spent her life attending to very ordinary needs: shelter, education, food, clothing, and care for the sick. Yet she never mistook those things for the ultimate purpose of her work. She saw Christ in the people who needed them.
On this Friday morning, we bring before God our responsibilities, our worries, our possessions, and our plans. We ask for the grace to take ordinary life seriously without forgetting what lasts forever.
Today’s memorial, Gospel, and Morning Prayer assignments have been checked against the U.S. liturgical calendar.
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Opening Verse
Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth shall declare thy praise.
Invitatory
Antiphon: Come, let us adore Christ the Lord, who is glorified in his saints.
Psalm 94 (95) — Venite, Exsultemus
Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our saviour.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
For in his hand are all the ends of the earth: and the heights of the mountains are his.
For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
Come let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord that made us.
For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts:
As in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me, they proved me, and saw my works.
Forty years long was I offended with that generation, and I said: These always err in heart.
And these men have not known my ways: so I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon: Come, let us adore Christ the Lord, who is glorified in his saints.
Psalmody
Psalm 50 (51) — Miserere
Antiphon 1: Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my iniquity.
Wash me yet more from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me.
To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee: that thou mayst be justified in thy words, and mayst overcome when thou art judged.
For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me.
For behold thou hast loved truth: the uncertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast made manifest to me.
Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
To my hearing thou shalt give joy and gladness: and the bones that have been humbled shall rejoice.
Turn away thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Create a clean heart in me, O God: and renew a right spirit within my bowels.
Cast me not away from thy face; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.
I will teach the unjust thy ways: and the wicked shall be converted to thee.
Deliver me from blood, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall extol thy justice.
O Lord, thou wilt open my lips: and my mouth shall declare thy praise.
For if thou hadst desired sacrifice, I would indeed have given it: with burnt offerings thou wilt not be delighted.
A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Deal favourably, O Lord, in thy good will with Sion; that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up.
Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations and whole burnt offerings: then shall they lay calves upon thy altar.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon 1: Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Old Testament Canticle — Tobias 13
Antiphon 2: Rejoice, O Jerusalem, for the Lord shall gather his people and fill them with peace.
The assigned Friday Week IV canticle, rendered in the Douay-Rheims tradition.
Bless ye the Lord, all his elect, keep days of joy, and give glory to him.
Jerusalem, city of God, the Lord hath chastised thee for the works of thy hands.
Give glory to the Lord for thy good things, and bless the God eternal, that he may rebuild his tabernacle in thee, and may call back all the captives to thee, and thou mayst rejoice for ever and ever.
Thou shalt shine with a glorious light: and all the ends of the earth shall worship thee.
Nations from afar shall come to thee: and shall bring gifts, and shall adore the Lord in thee, and shall esteem thy land as holy.
For they shall call upon the great name in thee.
But thou shalt rejoice in thy children, because they shall all be blessed, and shall be gathered together to the Lord.
Blessed are all they that love thee, and that rejoice in thy peace.
My soul, bless thou the Lord, because the Lord our God hath delivered Jerusalem his city from all her troubles.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon 2: Rejoice, O Jerusalem, for the Lord shall gather his people and fill them with peace.
Psalm 147 (147B) — Lauda, Jerusalem
Antiphon 3: Praise thy God, O Sion, for he hath sent forth his word upon the earth.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem: praise thy God, O Sion.
Because he hath strengthened the bolts of thy gates, he hath blessed thy children within thee.
Who hath placed peace in thy borders: and filleth thee with the fat of corn.
Who sendeth forth his speech to the earth: his word runneth swiftly.
Who giveth snow like wool: scattereth mists like ashes.
He sendeth his crystal like morsels: who shall stand before the face of his cold?
He shall send out his word, and shall melt them: his wind shall blow, and the waters shall run.
Who declareth his word to Jacob: his justices and his judgments to Israel.
He hath not done in like manner to every nation: and his judgments he hath not made manifest to them. Alleluia.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon 3: Praise thy God, O Sion, for he hath sent forth his word upon the earth.
Short Reading — Romans 12:1–2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God.
Short Responsory
The just shall rejoice in the sight of God.
The just shall rejoice in the sight of God.
They shall be filled with gladness.
The just shall rejoice in the sight of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
The just shall rejoice in the sight of God.
Gospel of the Day — Luke 17:26–37
The Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke.
And as it came to pass in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
They did eat and drink, they married wives, and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark: and the flood came and destroyed them all.
Likewise as it came to pass, in the days of Lot: they did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and built.
And in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.
In that hour, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner, let him not return back.
Remember Lot’s wife.
Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it.
I say to you: in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Two women shall be grinding together: the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left: two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
They answering, say to him: Where, Lord?
Who said to them: Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.
The Gospel of the Lord.
Praise be to thee, O Christ.
Benedictus — Canticle of Zachary
Luke 1:68–79
Antiphon: Whoever does the will of my Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:
And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant:
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:
Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:
To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,
The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us
That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,
In holiness and justice before him, all our days.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:
To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins:
Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:
To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon: Whoever does the will of my Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Intercessions
With Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini and all the saints, let us turn to Christ, who calls us to live in this world with our hearts fixed upon heaven.
Response: Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
For our Holy Father, our bishops, priests, deacons, and all who serve the Church: that they may proclaim the Gospel with courage, humility, and love, and lead souls toward the kingdom that cannot pass away, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
For immigrants, refugees, strangers, and those who have been separated from their homes: that they may find safety, friendship, justice, and the charity that Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini showed so generously, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
For our nation and for all entrusted with public responsibility: that they may protect the dignity of every human person, seek peace, and remember those whose voices are seldom heard, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
For those beginning their day’s work, for parents caring for children, for teachers, students, farmers, tradesmen, and all who labour: that their ordinary duties may become offerings of love and service to God, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
For our homes and families: that we may not become so occupied with possessions, schedules, and worldly success that we neglect the people God has entrusted to our care, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
For the sick, the lonely, the grieving, the unemployed, and those facing uncertainty: that the Lord may sustain them through their trials and send compassionate people to their assistance, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
For the faithful departed, especially those who died forgotten by the world: that the Lord may forgive their sins and welcome them into the joy of his eternal kingdom, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
For ourselves: that we may recognize the passing nature of earthly things, repent of our sins, and use the time given to us for love, mercy, and holiness, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, make us faithful in the things that last.
Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Concluding Prayer
Almighty and merciful God, who called Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini to leave the familiar comforts of home and bring the love of Christ to those in need, grant that we may follow her example of courage, perseverance, and charity.
Keep us from placing our trust in possessions that perish or achievements that fade. Teach us to recognize thy presence in the people we encounter, to serve thee faithfully in the work before us, and to prepare our hearts for the coming of thy kingdom.
May we lose nothing of eternal value through our attachment to passing things, but find in thy love the life that cannot be taken away.
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
Amen.
Blessing
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
The Paradox of the Day
The only way to keep what matters forever is to stop holding on to what cannot last.
Chesterton for the Morning
The way to love anything is to realise that it might be lost.
— G. K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles, “The Advantages of Having One Leg.”
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A Chestertonian Meditation
The Things We Cannot Take With Us
There is something wonderfully revealing about cleaning out an old drawer.
We begin with a practical intention. Perhaps we are looking for a screwdriver, a receipt, or the spare key that has somehow disappeared into the household’s private museum of lost objects. Instead, we discover a collection of things that once seemed indispensable.
There are old instruction manuals for appliances we no longer own. There are batteries of uncertain age, keys to forgotten locks, and carefully saved bits of string. There may even be a mysterious electrical adapter that we dare not throw away because we remain convinced it must belong to something important.
Human beings are remarkably talented at accumulating things.
We are rather less talented at remembering why.
Today’s Gospel takes this ordinary human habit and turns it into a question of eternity.
Jesus describes the days of Noah and Lot. People were eating and drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, and building. In other words, they were doing precisely what people do.
The remarkable thing is how ordinary the list sounds.
There is no dramatic catalogue of extraordinary wickedness. Jesus does not begin with murderers or tyrants. He begins with dinner, marriage, business, agriculture, and construction.
The trouble was not necessarily what people were doing. It was what they had forgotten.
They had become so occupied with the business of living that they had lost sight of the meaning of life.
And then comes one of the shortest and most unsettling commands in the Gospel:
Remember Lot’s wife.
Three words.
A whole sermon.
Lot’s wife had been given the opportunity to escape destruction, but she looked back. The old world still held her attention, even as she was being led toward safety.
It is easy to imagine that we would have behaved differently.
Yet how often do we look back toward things that God is asking us to leave behind?
We cling to old resentments, abandoned ambitions, familiar sins, and possessions that have quietly become masters rather than servants. Sometimes we even prefer a comfortable unhappiness to the uncertainty of a better life.
We know the old road. We have travelled it for years. The new road requires trust.
This is where today’s saint becomes particularly interesting.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini was born in Italy in 1850. She became a religious sister, founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and eventually crossed the Atlantic to serve immigrants in America.
She did not arrive with the security of an established institution, an enormous bank account, or the promise of an easy life.
She encountered poverty, prejudice, difficult conditions, and an extraordinary amount of work.
Yet she built schools, orphanages, and hospitals. Her mission expanded across cities and continents.
The irony is striking.
Here was a woman who left behind the security of home and proceeded to build homes for other people.
She gave up the familiar and created places of welcome for strangers.
She did not cling to security, and through her work thousands of others found it.
That is a genuinely Christian paradox.
The world often tells us that security comes from holding tightly to what we possess. Mother Cabrini demonstrated that an extraordinary amount of good can come from opening our hands.
Of course, this does not mean that Christians should be careless with money, neglect their families, or abandon their responsibilities. Mother Cabrini was anything but careless. Her work required planning, fundraising, organization, persistence, and an immense capacity for dealing with practical difficulties.
She understood that holiness does not eliminate the need for competent administration.
Indeed, anyone who has ever tried to establish a school, operate a hospital, or keep an organization financially solvent might reasonably consider her one of the patron saints of impossible budgets.
But the difference was the purpose behind her work.
She did not build institutions merely to have institutions.
She built them to serve people.
The buildings mattered because the people mattered.
And the people mattered because they were made in the image of God.
That is the distinction today’s Gospel asks us to recover.
There is nothing wrong with building a house. There is something wrong with allowing the house to become more important than the people living inside it.
There is nothing wrong with earning a living. There is something wrong with forgetting what the living is for.
There is nothing wrong with planning for tomorrow. There is something wrong with acting as though tomorrow belongs to us.
Chesterton understood this peculiar danger of taking good things for granted.
His observation that we learn to love something by realizing it might be lost is not simply a warning about mortality. It is an invitation to gratitude.
Consider an ordinary Friday morning.
The kitchen is quiet. Coffee is brewing. Somewhere outside, a car starts, a dog barks, or a school bus makes its familiar rounds. The day ahead contains errands, work, appointments, and probably a few difficulties we would rather avoid.
Nothing particularly remarkable seems to be happening.
But imagine that we could see this morning as God sees it.
The person sitting across the breakfast table is not merely someone we have known for years. That person is an immortal soul.
The work waiting for us is not merely another obligation. It may be an opportunity to practice patience, honesty, craftsmanship, or generosity.
The stranger we encounter may be someone for whom a small act of kindness will make an enormous difference.
Even the inconveniences of the day may become occasions for grace.
This does not mean that suffering is imaginary or that every hardship conceals some pleasant surprise. Real suffering deserves real compassion. Mother Cabrini understood that hungry children needed food, not merely encouraging words.
But it does mean that ordinary life contains possibilities far greater than its outward appearance suggests.
The Gospel’s warning about the coming of the Son of Man is not intended to make us fearful of every passing hour. It is intended to awaken us.
We are not told to stop living.
We are told to begin living with eternity in view.
And this brings us to the central paradox.
Jesus says that whoever seeks to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses it shall preserve it.
At first, this sounds like a contradiction.
Surely saving something means keeping it.
But love has always worked according to a different arithmetic.
A parent gives away years of time and energy to raise a child, and discovers that those years were not wasted but fulfilled.
A teacher gives knowledge to students and loses none of it.
A person forgives an injury and finds freedom where resentment had established a prison.
A missionary leaves home and discovers a family far larger than the one she could have imagined.
The things we give away in love are often the very things that endure.
And the things we try desperately to possess are often the things that slip through our fingers.
One day, every drawer will be emptied.
Every house will belong to someone else.
Every carefully preserved collection of useful objects will be examined by a younger generation wondering why anyone thought it necessary to save so many mysterious adapters.
But the love given within those walls will not have been wasted.
The kindness shown to a stranger will not have been forgotten by God.
The prayers offered, the sacrifices made, the forgiveness extended, and the lives quietly changed will belong to a kingdom that does not pass away.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini understood this.
She spent her life building things she knew she could not keep, because she was working for something she knew she could not lose.
Perhaps that is the best way to begin this Friday.
Not by throwing everything away.
Not by abandoning our responsibilities.
But by remembering which things are temporary, which things are eternal, and why we have been given the temporary things in the first place.
The old drawer can wait.
There is a whole world of immortal souls outside the front door.
Closing
Lord, teach us to hold lightly the things that pass away, to love deeply the people thou hast placed in our lives, and to spend this day preparing for the life that has no end.
Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for us.
Amen.
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