Franciscan University of Steubenville

Here is our fourth reflection on what it means to be Franciscan:

Saint Francis of Assisi wrote more about the Eucharist in his writings than anything else. Francis was enthralled by the gift of the “holy body and blood of the Lord” and he was a man deeply devoted to the Sacramental Eucharist and the mystical Body of Christ, particularly the poor and the marginalized. When you walk onto the campus of the Franciscan University of Steubenville we believe you walk onto a campus that is deeply devoted to our Eucharistic Lord and the Mystical Body of Christ. The best time of our day is celebrating Mass together where we worship the Lord with reverence and vibrance. Eucharistic Living flows out of the other Sacraments of the Church, and our campus life emphasizes the gift of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We have the blessing of Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist on our campus where we invite our University community to adore our Lord any time of the day or night.

Eucharistic living extends to our neighbor. As Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reminds us in Deus Caritas Est: “A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is intrinsically fragmented”. An example of this a group of students visiting a local nursing home weekly. It was an incredible experience to watch our students during the pandemic standing outside open windows at a safe distance from the residents and singing to them to remind them that they were not forgotten. We also take the Gospel out to the world as Francis did. We recently commissioned a group of student missionaries to share the love and joy of Christ with the people of Erbil, Iraq. Eight hundred years after the meeting of Francis and the Sultan, our students came to see how the Catholic Christians of Iraq are literally rebuilding their Church after the devastation of ISIS just a decade ago. We participated in this rebuilding by speaking encouragement and recognizing Christ’s presence in our midst. The Eucharist is our unity and our lifeblood as a World, a Church, and a Catholic and Franciscan University.

Many thanks to those at Franciscan University of Steubenville who wrote this reflection. We still have several to go! Have a great day! Fun fact: two months until Christmas!