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A MOMENT FOR TRUTH

FRANCISCAN VIRTUES
GOOD EXAMPLE

By Brother Patrick

This is a moment for truth. In the Gospel of Matthew (7:12), Jesus says: “In everything, deal with others as you would have them deal with you.” In the First Letter to Timothy, Saint Paul (4:12) writes: “Serve as an example to the believers in your speech, your conduct, your love, your faith, and your purity.”

To be an example, a good example, is to be a person whose words and works build-up, inspire, and encourage. To be an example, a good example, is to be a person worthy to be imitated in thought, word, and deed. In my life, I am blessed with many good examples. But I am troubled about being a good example; about my words and my silence; about my action and my inaction. In the autumn of life, I am uneasy about the growing tension between my vocation as a hermit and my vocation as a Christian disciple. One calls me to prayer, silence, and solitude. One calls me to speak and stand in solidarity with the poor, the persecuted, and the unjustly imprisoned.

After an examination of conscience, this is my truth: I lack courage. I am afraid. I am not a good example. In the Early Rule, Saint Francis of Assisi says: “Let the ministers and servants remember…that if any soul should be lost through their fault or bad example, then they must give an account before Christ on the day of judgment (4).” In this moment for truth, I fear this judgment.

Consider the issue of immigration. Many of my neighbors are immigrants. Many of my fellow parishioners are immigrants. Two of my closest friends are immigrants. My grandmother was an immigrant. Six of my great-grandparents were immigrants. Mine is an immigrant family. We survived by grace, hard work, and the helping hand of government. Look, each of us is the product of our family history. I love my family. I am proud of its immigrant and working class heritage. So, I have strong feelings about our government’s treatment of immigrants, migrants, and refugees. But what have I said? Almost nothing. What have I written? Almost nothing. What have I done? Absolutely nothing.

This is a moment for truth. Consider these truths, these facts. At least two ICE detention centers operate within the borders of the Archdiocese of Boston. Credible accounts from prisoners, their families, and our congressional representatives give witness to crowded conditions; barely edible food; lack of pastoral care; lack of basic necessities; extreme temperatures of hot and cold; concerns about access to medical and pre-natal care; concerns about adults and minors being confined together.

According to the City of Boston, twenty to thirty percent of all people living in Eastern Massachusetts are immigrants. According to the Boston Foundation, eighty percent of all undocumented immigrants in Greater Boston are Christians. They are our brothers and sisters. And yet, too many bishops, pastors, and faith leaders have no comment on conditions at the ICE detention centers in their own backyards. Too many bishops, pastors, and faith leaders have no plan to provide the sacraments or spiritual counseling to the prisoners in these detention centers.

We are urged to be prudent in our comments about these issues. But rightly understood, prudence is not caution. Prudence is a cardinal virtue. It is the ability to discern right from wrong. It is the ability to choose what is good and true.

This is a moment for truth. What is happening is a threat to human life. What is happening is an affront to human dignity. What is happening is an insult to the letter and spirit of the Good News of the Poor Christ. What is happening is sinful. Sins of commission. Sins of omission.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) often said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, then you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Silence is not neutral. Silence is apathy. It is indifference. Silence affirms. It empowers. It excuses. Silence speaks volumes. As a diocesan hermit, my rule of life is rooted in prayer, silence, and solitude. Silence can be a virtue. It can also be a vice. And in the face of injustice, silence is sinful.

In a recent interview, Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe conceded that immigration is a complicated issue. At the same time, he denounced mass deportations. He denounced detaining human beings like livestock. He denounced denying any person basic rights and necessities. He denounced such policies as “against the Gospel.” Archbishop Wester then said: “The important thing is for bishops, priests, deacons, and lay leaders to speak the truth (National Catholic Reporter, 2-26-26).”

This is a moment for truth. And truth is not easy. Saint Oscar Romero (1917-1980) once said: “We are all sinners and we all have contributed a grain of sand to the mountain of crime and violence in our country. Some people think that the Church meddles in politics and other areas where it has no business. But we must understand that the Church is simply preaching the Kingdom of God, which means pointing out the sins of society, even when the sin is found in money or politics (3-23-80).”

Last fall, Pope Leo XIV met with American bishops. He said to them: “The Church cannot be silent.” To be a Church that is faithful, we must pray. To be a Church that gives witness, we must speak. To be a Church that makes a difference, we must act. Jesus says: “I have given you an example. Just as I have done, you must also do (John 13:15).” And so we pray: “Lord, grant [us] the grace, the perseverance, and the courage to always be a good example to others. Amen (Franciscan Virtues, 40).”

Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us! Pope Francis, pray for us!


Art Credit: Blankabosokov – iStock – 165796877

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THE ASSISI PROJECT
A FELLOWSHIP OF FRANCISCANS IN SPIRIT
INTERCESSORY PRAYER MINISTRY

Members of the Assisi Project, ranging in age from 18 to 102, pray each and every day for all who ask for our prayers. If you would like our fellowship to pray for you or your special intention, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. In communion with Pope Leo XIV and in solidarity with people of faith and goodwill everywhere, we also pray for peace, truth, and justice. In addition, we pray for all migrants and refugees; for the courage to speak truth to power; and for the poor, the persecuted, and the unjustly imprisoned. Please join us in prayer by clicking the link below! Thank you for your prayers! May God bless you! May the Risen Lord give you peace!

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ABOUT US

Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers throughout the world. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. We are also dedicated to promoting a devotion to Pope Francis (1936-2025) as a patron of peace, mercy, and fraternity in our sick and suffering world.

The Assisi Project is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization. Please support our ministry via Pay Pal (see link below) or mail a tax-deductible donation to the Assisi Project, Post Office Box 3158, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931-3158. The Assisi Project Podcast is produced by the Assisi Project, Inc. Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. May the Lord give you peace!

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