Dear Friend, Today we remember St. John Francis Regis, who dreamed of being a missionary in Canada but instead spent his life in the harsh regions of rural France. He preached in snowstorms, endured physical hardships, and yet was known simply as “the saint” by those he encountered. His story reminds me of something my friend Frank once said: “Every encounter is an opportunity to share Christ.” Sometimes our mission field isn’t the one we imagined—it’s the one right in front of us.
At Franciscan Media, we believe in meeting people in the unexpected places—on their phones, in the middle of grief, in moments of joy, in the midst of their ordinary scrolling. As St. Francis of Assisi said, “Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” We’re trying to do just that—offering Christ in places people didn’t even know to look. Help us continue this digital mission by becoming a monthly sponsor. |
Ela Milewska Director, Franciscan Media |
Saint of the Day for June 16: John Francis Regis (January 31, 1597 – December 30, 1640) Listen to Saint John Francis Regis’ Story Here Born into a family of some wealth, John Francis was so impressed by his Jesuit educators that he himself wished to enter the Society of Jesus. He did so at age 18. Despite his rigorous academic schedule, he spent many hours in chapel, often to the dismay of fellow seminarians who were concerned about his health. Following his ordination to the priesthood, John Francis undertook missionary work in various French towns. While the formal sermons of the day tended toward the poetic, his discourses were plain. But they revealed the fervor within him and attracted people of all classes. Father Regis especially made himself available to the poor. Many mornings were spent in the confessional or at the altar celebrating Mass; afternoons were reserved for visits to prisons and hospitals. The bishop of Viviers, observing the success of Father Regis in communicating with people, sought to draw on his many gifts, especially needed during the prolonged civil and religious strife then rampant throughout France. With many prelates absent and priests negligent, the people had been deprived of the sacraments for 20 years or more. Various forms of Protestantism were thriving in some cases while a general indifference toward religion was evident in other instances. For three years, Father Regis traveled throughout the diocese, conducting missions in advance of a visit by the bishop. He succeeded in converting many people and in bringing many others back to religious observances. Though Father Regis longed to work as a missionary among the Native Americans in Canada, he was to live out his days working for the Lord in the wildest and most desolate part of his native France. There he encountered rigorous winters, snowdrifts and other deprivations. Meanwhile he continued preaching missions and earned a reputation as a saint. Upon entering the town of Saint-Andé, one man came upon a large crowd in front of a church and was told that people were waiting for “the saint” who was coming to preach a mission. The last four years of his life were spent preaching and organizing social services, especially for prisoners, the sick and the poor. In the autumn of 1640, Father Regis sensed that his days were coming to a conclusion. He settled some of his affairs and prepared for the end by continuing to do what he did so well: speaking to the people about the God who loved them. On December 31, he spent most of the day with his eyes on the crucifix. That evening, he died. His final words were: “Into thy hands I commend my spirit.” John Francis Regis was canonized in 1737. Reflection John longed to travel to the New World and become a missionary to the Native Americans, but he was called instead to work among his own compatriots. Unlike many famous preachers, he isn’t remembered for golden-tongued oratory. What people who listened to him heard was his own fervent faith, and it had a powerful effect on them. We can recall homilists who impressed us for the same reason. More importantly for us, we can also remember ordinary people, neighbors and friends, whose faith and goodness touched us and brought us to deeper faith. That is the calling most of us must follow.
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We Are Loved through Our Pain Jesus, constricted in his divine mission by the fragility of flesh and blood, knows intimately how mental and physical fatigue impacts our ability to imitate him. We can struggle in prayer, tend to our basic needs and even retreat for quiet rest, but this is not enough. We also require the nurturing company of friends and family if we are to be fully refreshed and ready to serve again. We must take a break, but not always alone or on our own. We must be willing to ask our loved ones to “have a boat ready.” Perhaps the “boat” is a dinner hour without television, radio or smartphone; perhaps it is a ritual of a quiet evening walk together or a weekend away. The “boat” may change its format to suit life’s circumstances—such as COVID—but the existence of a “boat” and the importance of loved ones to help “have a boat ready” are vital aspects of a healthy life. We will need it to be able to fulfill our vocations. —from St. Anthony Messenger‘s “How Jesus Avoided Burnout“
by Dolores Puterbaugh, PhD |
Stop the Cycle Reflect “Why do the nations protest and the peoples conspire in vain?” The psalmist asks (Psalm 2:1), but he has no answer—and so it is still today. Newspaper headlines cry out protest and vanity, our phone screens distract us with so much rage and folly, our leaders seem to hide behind it, and we ourselves begin to despair, fearful of what will come, we may find ourselves sinking into it, drowning in so much protest and vanity. But that is just it, rage and folly arise from fear. They are the body’s natural instinctive reactions to fear: Rage arises to stir us to self-defense, which just leads to the folly of defensiveness and selfishness, which only leads to more fear. But how do we stop the cycle of rage and folly and fear? Only with love. Pray Jesus,
I trust in you.
Let me rest
in your love.
Amen. Act When you find yourself feeling anxious about the world, the economy, your job, even your life, take a moment to pause and recall who is really in charge. Rest in that truth, let it draw you into the very source of the love that makes all things new. Jesus, I trust in you. Today's Pause+Pray was written by Herman Sutter. Learn more here! |
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