Today we gather to honour Saint Bernardine of Siena, a remarkable man whose life exemplifies what it means to faithfully hear and respond to the call of God and to extol Jesus’ name through a manner of conduct pleasing to God. As we reflect on the readings and the life of Saint Bernardine, let us open our hearts to the message of discipleship, obedience, and the courage to follow Christ wholeheartedly.
In the first reading from Acts, Peter proclaims boldly that salvation is found in Jesus Christ, the cornerstone rejected by the world but accompanied by the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Three, One God from everlasting to everlasting. Peter’s words are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, reminding us that our mission as followers of Jesus is to bear witness to His truth, even amid opposition. The psalmist echoes this call: "Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will." It speaks of a willing heart committed to God's plan, a theme central to Saint Bernardine’s life.
In the Gospel, Jesus challenges those who wish to follow Him by highlighting the sacrifices which will necessarily be involved. Following Christ requires detachment from worldly attachments and a readiness to prioritize the Kingdom of God above all else. Jesus’s words—"No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God"—call us to unwavering commitment. Let us always remember that we are all a work in progress and so we need to trust that God himself will help us to take the necessary steps towards a fuller commitment in following Jesus. He urges us to not procrastinate. Move forward, and learn through trial and error, but move forward.
Now, consider Saint Bernardine of Siena. He felt the divine call to serve God in a radical way, dedicating his life to preaching the Gospel with zeal and simplicity. Born in 1380, Bernardine experienced a profound awakening to the love of Christ and the need for salvation. He responded to this call by embracing the Franciscan way of life. What in the Franciscan way of life did he see different from any other kind of religious, given that there are so many beautiful congregations out there? What in Francis and the movement did he see which drew him in beyond the others? He saw a life marked by humility, poverty, and a passionate desire to serve others. He saw Francis leaving the honours of the world, so as to give his life to God, and to become a servant to those in need. But didn’t other founders of other religious movements do the same? Yes, but in Francis, Bernardine saw a humility unlike anything he had ever heard of or encountered, because whereas most other saints, after changing their lives, left their hometown and began their new life in Christ in another distant land, not so with Saint Francis. Francis stuck around in Assisi, where he suffered the disdain of not only his friends, but that of his biological father, Pietro Bernardone, who had a very noble and promising future for his son, but a future devoid of what really matters to God. It would have been easy
for Francis to have left, and start anew elsewhere, but he chose to stick, and suffer the derision of those closest to him, and he did this so as to imitate the Lord. This is another thing that Bernardine saw in Francis: an “Alter Cristos”… another Christ, which is a title the Church has given to only one saint in the history of its saints – Saint Francis. Bernardine, moved by all this, decided to become a friar in the Franciscan Order who would himself go on to do great things for the people of God.
Saint Bernardine’s deep devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus became his hallmark. He saw in the Name of Jesus the ultimate source of salvation, healing, and hope—much like Peter’s declaration in Acts. His preaching emphasized the importance of calling upon the Holy Name, which remains powerful and efficacious for all who believe.
So again, what inspired Bernardine to feel the call to be a Franciscan? It was a recognition of the Gospel’s call to radical discipleship. He understood that following Christ meant embracing a life of simplicity, sacrifice, and service. The Franciscan spirituality, with its emphasis on poverty and humility, resonated deeply with his desire to imitate Christ’s own life.
So I would like to do something in this homily which up until now, I have not done. I feel impelled to invite you… you, whoever you are that is listening to this. If you have dreamt of living a life totally consecrated to God, seeking, doing and loving his will, in humble chastity, poverty and obedience, and if you wish to be a means through which God can heal many suffering people around you, take the first steps, get in touch with our vocation office and tell them of your desire. Ask God to guide you as you discern this wonderful opportunity to live the gospel of Jesus in a way unlike any other – fully committed, and never looking back. Our Blessed Mother is with you. Your guardian angel is with you. All the angels and saints are on your side. Even the pilgrim Church here on earth—all of your brothers and sisters, are here to support you. Say yes to Jesus, no matter who may oppose or dishearten you. If there is one thing which Saint Bernardine is known to have repeated over and over again, it is this: earthly life is brief, but eternity awaits us all, and this life cannot compare to eternal paradise with God and his friends, where goodness and joy never end, and suffering and death are no more. Be strong, be wise, choose Christ today above everything else. And may the Lord, through the intercession of his Holy Mother, Saint Francis and Bernardine, bless you in a very special way this day. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. + Amen.
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