March 4 - Sylvester of Assisi

March 4

Sylvester of Assisi, Servant of God

Good day, good people!?May the Lord give you peace!

Today we welcome Blessed Sylvester into our spiritual home. Sylvester was born into a noble family, ordained a priest and lived as a canon in the Cathedral of San Rufino in Assisi. He was amazed to see that another nobleman named Bernard of Quintavalle renounced his wealth and gave his fortune to the poor.?So moved himself, he gave up his privileged life and joined Saint Francis becoming one of his original four disciples.?He zealously embraced the life of poverty.?He was the cousin of Saint Clare of Assisi and together they would pray for discernment for Saint Francis that he would know and follow the will of God. Perhaps he is best remembered for his life of prayer and preaching that brought peace to communities plagued by hatred and violence.

One need not look far to find many expressions of hatred and violence in our world today.?Hardly a day passes without some report of heinous crimes against humanity.?As the living memory of Sylvester visits us today, let’s join in his mission of peace-making.?Certainly, each one of us can pray fervently for an increase in the “peace content” in our world.?But let us not forget, we can all preach as well.?Sometimes we will use words and other times we will use actions.?Let us not pass up an opportunity to let the healing salve of Christ bring relief to our world today.?While never easy and sometimes unpopular, it can do much to advance the Kingdom of God.

Let us pray.?

God of every age, help us have hospitable hearts to welcome your life-giving spirit.?Through the prayers of Sylvester may we work through word and action to advance Gospel peace in our hearts, in our families, in our communities and in our world.?All this we ask of you in the name of your Son, Jesus, who lives forever and ever.?Amen.

Sylvester is a friend of God and the company we welcome today.?