Gaze Into the Mirror of Life

During this Jubilee Year of St. Francis, which marks exactly 800 years since his passing from earthly life to eternal glory, we are called to pause and gaze deeply into the mirror of his life. For an intercultural Catholic community like ours, this year is not a distant historical memory. It is a living map of how we are called to exist today as the Body of Christ. St. Francis did not leave a blueprint for a static monument; he left a fire destined to burn in every language, culture, and continent.

To grasp the depth of St. Francis’s message for our diverse community, we must return to the moment he stripped himself of his wealth before the Bishop of Assisi. In that radical act, St. Francis did not merely reject money; he rejected the rigid social stratification, political tribalism, and cultural divisions of medieval Italy. By laying aside his fine clothes, he declared that his identity was no longer defined by his social class, his city-state, or his earthly heritage. He became, quite simply, a brother to all.

In our community, we bring together a beautiful and complex tapestry of origins, traditions, languages, and histories. However, the Jubilee challenges us to ask ourselves: What must we shed to truly see ourselves?

First, the armor of comfort: We are invited to leave behind the cultural assumptions and prejudices that keep us isolated in our comfortable groups.

Second, the poverty of separation: True Franciscan poverty is not just material lack; it is emptying ourselves of pride to make space for the unique gift of our neighbor’s faith.

And third, a common fatherhood: When we strip away our spiritual defenses, we discover that beneath our diverse expressions of piety beats the same human heart, saved by the same Savior.

Saint Francis is often idealized as a saint who spoke to birds, but his most revolutionary act was reaching out to those whom society considered “the other.” During the Crusades, an era of intense religious warfare and cultural hatred, Saint Francis crossed enemy lines into Egypt to meet Sultan Al-Kamil. He did not go with a weapon or an attitude of cultural superiority. He chose the vulnerability of the Gospel.

That encounter changed the course of history because two men from warring worlds recognized the image of God in each other. As an intercultural parish, we are the living fruit of that Franciscan vision.

First and foremost, our community is called to be a sanctuary where different cultures not only tolerate one another but actively encounter one another.

Second, we are a living mosaic. Around our altar, the diverse sounds of our native languages do not create confusion but harmonize into a single, beautiful hymn of praise.

And third, when we share the Eucharist together, Christ erases the borders we have built, reminding us that we are one family, sharing one Bread, and on our way to a heavenly home.

Eight centuries ago, the San Damiano crucifix spoke to St. Francis, saying, “Go, rebuild my house, which is falling into ruin.” Today, in this jubilee year, that same voice echoes in the corners of our modern world, so often fractured by division, loneliness, and polarization.

We rebuild the Church when we open our doors wide to immigrants, foreigners, and the lonely. We rebuild the Church when we learn to pray in a language that is not our own, honoring the spirituality of our brothers and sisters. We rebuild our home when we care for Laudato Si’, our common home, recognizing that the earth and its poorest inhabitants suffer together.

May the Lord always give you his peace.

Fr. Lalo Jara, OFM
Pastor, Mission San Luis Rey Parish