First Reading: Isaiah 61:1-3a
Responsorial Psalm: 28 (27):1,3,6,9
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 2:22-26
Gospel according to Saint Luke: 12:22-34
Today, May 19, we celebrate the feast of Saint Francis Coll, our beloved Founder, within the context of the “Congregational Vocation Year,” marking the 170th anniversary of the foundation of the Dominican Sisters of the Anunciata.
The readings for this feast invite us to reflect on God’s Providence, on the mission, and on the way the believing disciple should act.
The first and second readings speak to us about the mission of the servant of God, totally dedicated to the most disadvantaged, and about the way he must behave so that his witness may be credible and in accordance with the Good News.
In the Gospel, Jesus calls us to place radical trust in divine Providence, abandoning excessive and anxious concern for material goods. He does not condemn diligent work or responsible foresight, but rather the excessive anxiety that steals peace and proves useless, since we cannot prolong our lives even a little. He illustrates this with two examples from creation: the ravens, which neither sow nor reap, yet God feeds them, emphasizing that provision depends not only on human effort but also on divine grace; and the lilies, which neither labor nor spin, yet are clothed more splendidly than Solomon himself. If God cares in this way for the passing grass, how much more will He care for us! Trusting in the Lord, trusting that He knows our needs, changes our priorities: “Seek rather His Kingdom, and these things will be given to you besides.”
Fr. Coll, as many testimonies confirm, showed absolute trust in God throughout his life; it sustained him in trials and encouraged his projects. Let us remember two of his best-known phrases that reflect this: “The Aunciata is God’s work” and “If it is God’s will that I be blind, even if I could regain my sight by touching my eyes with my fingers, I would not do so.” And what about us? Do we trust in the Lord? Do we abandon ourselves to His grace? Or, rather, do our worries crush us?
The passage concludes with a note of hope and practical action. The “Little Flock” is a term of tenderness. It recognizes the numerical and emotional fragility of the disciples in a hostile world, yet Jesus assures them that the Father is “pleased” to give them the Kingdom, removing fear of the future. The Kingdom is not conquered, nor is it a reward for merit, but a gift of God’s love. How is our hope? Do we perceive the Kingdom as a gift or as something we must conquer through our own effort and sacrifice?
Selling in order to give: Jesus invites us to radical generosity. By sharing with those in need, we “make purses that do not wear out” and store up an inexhaustible treasure in heaven. The way a person uses material goods reveals where his or her true hope lies. Jesus concludes His teaching with a fundamental truth: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” And where is our heart?
May the Spirit of the Lord strengthen our trust in Him, and may we, as daughters of Father Coll, imitate his virtues and follow his teachings.
Sr. M. Núria Cuéllar
(“Sant Francesc Coll” Community. Vic – Residence)
