"Lord, what do you want me to do?"

In the 12^th century, at the beginning of his conversion experience Francis of Assisi asks: “Lord, what do you want me to do?” L3C 6 That is a big question. Fortunately, a good and generous God provides the answer.

In the Old Testament we read “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. (emphasis added) Deuteronomy 6:4-8

In the New Testament we read “Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.” (emphasis added) Mark 12:29:31.

Having discovered the answer, 1,200 years later to lay men and women throughout the world, St. Francis of Assisi preached “All those who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with their whole strength (cf. Mark 12:30) and love their neighbor as themselves (cf. Mt 22:39) and hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worth fruits of penance: Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them….” (emphasis added) Francis of Assisi, First Letter to the Faithful, 1:1

Today, in the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church Catholics are reminded that “The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and everyone of His disciples of every condition. He Himself stands as the author and consumator of this holiness of life: "Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect".(216)(2*) Indeed He sent the Holy Spirit upon all men that He might move them inwardly to love God with their whole heart and their whole soul, with all their mind and all their strength(217) and that they might love each other as Christ loves them.(218) ….” (emphasis added) Lumen Gentium 40 (Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, Solemnly Promulgated by his Holiness Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964)