The desire for God is written in the human heart
a Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
The title of this Reflection is from paragraph 27 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which says:
“27. The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for: The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator.” (from 2nd Vatican Council)
Over the last couple of months, I’ve encountered a number of people who questioned their belief in God. They were former Catholics, that is, raised in the Catholic Faith but “fallen away” as young adults. This choice is most unfortunate. People who fall away sometimes drift into areas of concern, poor choice of friends, crime, drugs, etc. If you feel uncertain of the road ahead, keep going to church, attending Holy Mass, frequent Confession, pray the Rosary, then your faith will strengthen and you’ll know what to do.
In the Gospel of Mark (10:15), Jesus said: "Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." This child-like relationship simply does not allow judgment of others. St. Francis of Assisi knows himself and that his relationship to God is solid. He knows that in his continual spirit of compassion and forgiveness of others, he is obedient to God's Will. He knows he is a son of the Father, as we all are, and this relationship is unbreakable.
Treating every person as the unique human being he or she is, is a paradigm shift for most beginning Franciscans. As I look back on my life to date, treating every person as a unique being, was and still is, one of the most difficult and challenging concepts to embrace.
Some people seem to have a natural inborn capacity for loving other people, not for material reasons, but solely because they are who they are: "As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ." (Rule of St. Francis #13, Secular Franciscan Order)
Life is full of missed opportunities. We wanted to do so much, but ended up doing so little. Did we try, at least? Not everyone is born a Saint Francis of Assisi, or a Saint Teresa of Calcutta, or a St. Elizabeth of Hungary - all people who excelled in valuing the other person. It takes a lifetime, sometimes, to treat people as we're taught to treat them by these good saints.
So here you are, approaching someone who obviously needs help ... could be an elderly person trying to cross a busy street, or some poor guy who looks miserable and lost. What do you do? It is easy to offer to help the elderly person cross the street, but one is more apprehensive of helping the poor guy, in this very realistic example. Stop thinking that every person who looks poor, slovenly dressed, is looking for a hand-out. That's not important enough to go into an avoidance pattern. Franciscans will go to this poor guy, and ask "How can I help?" and if he holds up his hand for that dollar bill, give him five (if you can). Nevermind what he might do with that money. Not our concern. I've heard people talk about this, and say "when they get some money they run to the liquor store to get some cheap wine." That's a non-issue. When you perform charity, it is not important what happens to the gift. What is important is to use that gift to show concern on your part. To tell that poor guy - hey, I care!
Not all encounters with other people happen on the street between strangers. Most happen among people we know, family, friends, members of a prayer group, and yes, people in our Franciscan fraternities whom we consider sister and brother, just as we consider in an ever-widening circle anyone in our Faith community as sister and brother. So encounters or opportunities to be charitable occur close to home.
Most of the people we come into contact with are people of ordinary means, people we don't know personally, but whom we know from sight in our neighborhood. I am not afraid to ask for help, should I really need it, but for most people I know, hell would freeze over before they seek help. We are (we think) very self-sufficient. Wouldn't want to be a bother... right? I used to be more independent then I am now. I ask many people to pray for me. But usually I say "Let us pray for one another," seeing a need in them also. Jesus will sort it all out. How He does that I have no idea! Can you imagine Jesus sitting in Heaven with a ledger trying to sort out who has asked for help and who is still thinking about asking? No way! But He does bring healing and solace to all who ask, and when we're really suffering, His helping hand comes fast.
People seeking help, ask - "Why hasn't God relieved some of my pain?" - to which I might reply - He has! Think back to this afternoon ... surely there was a time that you didn't feel the arthritic pain in your knee - that could be where Jesus brought relief! When we look for the positives in our daily lives, we will find such moments of Grace, and then thanking Our Lord for His help, we build on that. Whole spiritual relationships are sustained on the daily "little miracles" in our lives. Some will respond, "the doctor healed me", or, "I took some pills" -- Our Lord provides all that. He is the ultimate Creator! Let us offer our little frustrations up to Him, for the healing of others.
So you've helped someone in a direct way. Don't let it go to your head ... you will find out gradually, how you can best help others. But don't dwell on this too much, because we want to be spontaneous, guided by the Holy Spirit, so we don't stop and wonder "Now what did I do with this other fellow who had a similar problem, last month?" - each person is unique, each person has unique problems, which demands a special custom-made answer. Even if it's only a smile, a handshake and a hug, or even a tear. Showing compassion often involves tears - that, folks, is not a sign of weakness. Not at all. Any emotion is a reflection of our level of concern, compassion, empathy, and more than that: Faith in God's Providence for yourself or for the person who has asked for help.
Every human being is unique. The Father knows us by name, a special name given us by a loving Shepherd of souls. As Franciscans we should be more aware than most that we have agreed by our Rule to the obligation to treat each and every person with dignity as all are precious in the sight of God.
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
May 2, 2026