"Francis, go rebuild my house which, as you can see, is completely falling into ruin." These words broke the silence of the dimly lit chapel of San Damiano and changed the life of Francis Bernadone forever. A Voice spoke. Francis responded.
When the young Francis knelt down to pray in that little run-down church, he surely never expected to hear the voice of Christ speak to him from the crucifix. Although at first, he took these words literally and began rebuilding San Damiano with his own hands, in time the Holy Spirit would reveal the deeper meaning of Christ's words. Francis came to understand that this was a call from the Lord to rebuild, not a material church, but the Church of Christ, which was in spiritual ruins. Beginning with himself, Francis was to rebuild the Church by living out the Gospel in a radical way.
What about us? Is this call still resounding today? Is God inviting us to rebuild the Church in the Third Millennium? What does it mean to rebuild the Church?
Rebuilding the Church must begin with individual lives. It begins from the inside out. It starts by taking an honest look at oneself and asking, "Just what is it in me that needs rebuilding? What are the ruins within me?" It means seeking out God's will with a sincere desire to answer His call, whatever it may be. It is an invitation to step out in faith, willing to share in the sacrifice Christ made for His Body the Church. It entails being diligent in building our “houses,” that is, our lives, on a solid foundation. In these ways, we can contribute to the rebuilding of the Church.
In a talk to the youth of Poland in May of 2006, Pope Benedict XVI challenged young people to build their lives on the Rock of Christ. Our Holy Father's words shed light on what it means for us to take part in rebuilding the Church in our times.
Referring to the gospel text of Matthew 7:24-27, which relates the story of the house built on rock versus the house built on sand, the Holy Father said: “My friends, in the heart of every man there is the desire for a house...It is the place where the truth is the source out of which flows peace of heart.” How do we go about building this house? The Holy Father spoke of 12 aspects of building the house of life. Each point is worth pondering in order to draw out the wisdom and guidance it has to offer.
Pope Benedict said:
Building on the rock means, first of all, to build on Christ and with Christ.
To build on Christ and with Christ means to build on a foundation that is called 'crucified love'.
It means to build with Someone who, knowing us better than we know ourselves, says to us: 'You are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you' (Is 43:4).
It means building with Someone who is always faithful, even when we are lacking in faith...
It means to build with Someone who constantly looks down on the wounded heart of man and says: 'I do not condemn you, go and do not sin again' (cf. Jn 8:11).
It means to build with Someone who from the Cross, extends his arms and repeats for all eternity: 'O man, I give my life for you because I love you.'
Building on Christ means basing all your desires, aspirations, dreams, ambitions and plans on his will.
It means saying to yourself, to your family, to your friends, to the whole world and above all to Christ: 'Lord, in life I wish to do nothing against you, because you know what is best for me. Only you have the words of eternal life' (Jn 6:68).
Building on the rock also means building on Someone who was rejected...If in the process of building the house of your life you encounter those who scorn the foundation on which you are building, do not be discouraged! A strong faith must endure tests.
Building on the rock means being aware that there will be misfortunes... [It] means being able to count on the knowledge that at difficult times there is a reliable force upon which you can trust.
It means to build wisely...Maybe it is easier to build one's life on the shifting sands of one's own world view, building a future far from the world of Jesus and sometimes even opposed to it. Be assured that he who builds in this way is not prudent...
Building on the rock also means to build on Peter and with Peter. In fact, the Lord said to him: 'You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the powers of death will not prevail against it’ (Mt 16:18).
St. Francis heard God's call in a moment of silent prayer, and he responded in faith by giving his life to the service of the Church. The Voice of Christ continues to speak us today. It’s up to us to answer with the gift of our lives, so that we can be witnesses to hope, as Pope Benedict concluded in his talk to the youth: ...that hope which is not afraid to build the house of one's own life because it is certain that it can count on the foundation that will never crumble: Jesus Christ our Lord. May the words of Pope Benedict inspire us to respond with generosity and courage to God's call to rebuild the Church.