God's Favorite in the Bucket

RICHARD ROHR REMINDS US  OF THE SACRED FRIENDSHIP OF FRANCIS AND CLARE.
THIS IS THE FEAST DAY OF SAINT FRANCIS.

"Like all saints, FRANCIS delighted in both his Absolute Littleness and his Absolute Connection in the very same moment. Of course, they totally depend on one another. Francis and Clare died into the life that they loved instead of living in fear of any death that could end their life. They were both so very eager to love, and they somehow knew that dying to the old and unneeded was an essential part of living this love at any depth. Most of us do not seem to know that—and resist all change.

Yet Francis’ holiness, like all holiness, was unique and never a copy or mere imitation. In his “Testament,” he said, “No one showed me what I ought to do,” [1] and then, at the very end of his life, he said, “I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours!” [2]

 What permission, freedom, and space he thus gave to his followers! Bonaventure (1217–1274) echoed that understanding of unique and intimate vocation when he taught, “We are each loved by God in a particular and incomparable way, as in the case of a bride and bridegroom.” [3]

 Francis and Clare knew that the love God has for each soul is unique and made to order, which is why any “saved” person always feels beloved, chosen, and even “God’s favorite” like so many in the Bible. Divine intimacy is precisely particular and made to order—and thus “intimate.”

SO-- whoever we are and wherever we are we can become God's favorites because our unique souls make us each special and unique in the eyes of God.  That is why Jesus compares the love of God to the love of a Good Shepherd who prizes each sheep and will search until He finds  each lost lamb. The search is propelled by His Love and also by the fact that he knows we are  Special.

I find this special part  sometimes very hard to see in myself and in others.  It is the special  aspect of our souls that causes God to seek us and watch for us to turn away from our PRODIGAL SON  IDENTITY  and to come  back to HIM-- to the source of our goodness.

I M NOT THERE YET. BUT I HOPE THAT I HAVE FOUND THE RIGHT PATH.

I try  not to despair because I  have faith that even if I am in a thicket He can find me and He will find me.