Alexander Francis

Where in your life have you made room for God?

And where have you hidden the parts you doubt God could love?

A Christmas meditation on the stable behind the inn.

givingliturgical.substack.com/p/the-stable-behind-…

5 months ago | [YT] | 0

Alexander Francis

My mind wanders constantly when I try to pray. Work anxieties, revenge fantasies, wondering what's for dinner.

Here's what happened when I stopped fighting it:

open.substack.com/pub/givingliturgical/p/gratitude…

5 months ago | [YT] | 0

Alexander Francis

I have to remember that taking care of myself is unique to what I like, a unique formula of what gives me joy. While stressed out and neck-deep in the business, it's easy to reach for conventionally-sanctioned self-care: buying things and experiences.

But that's not what I need.

I need to read poetry, pet my cat, watch Star Trek, read to my Dad from "The Big Book of Jewish Humor."

Soul-feeding activities that make me no money, cost me no money, and give my life soul-replenishing depth.

7 months ago | [YT] | 2

Alexander Francis

Saw this beauty at the Met Museum yesterday. The Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, by an anonymous Dutch painter in 1515 AD.

My favorite is the Ascension: Jesus' feet disappearing into the top of the frame!

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7 months ago | [YT] | 13

Alexander Francis

The Hidden Hero in the Parable of the Dishonest Steward

The parable of the dishonest steward (Luke 16:1-8) is one of the strangest stories Jesus tells. On the surface, it seems upside down. A steward cheats his master, rewrites accounts, and secures his future by making friends at his master’s expense. And yet — the master does not punish him. He commends him. He admires him.

Most of the time when we hear this Gospel, the focus is on the steward: on his shrewdness, his urgency, his ability to use money in a way that builds relationships. And there is much for us to learn there. But today I want us to pause and look at the other figure in this story: the rich man.

Think about what the master does. By every worldly standard, he should be outraged. His property has been wasted, his trust violated, his wealth diminished. If this were a real business, the steward would be dragged into court. Yet the master does something utterly unexpected. He looks at his steward and, instead of saying, “How dare you,” he says, “You were clever.” He chooses to see something good in the very one who wronged him.

And in that moment, the rich man becomes a kind of hero of the story. Because what he does is exactly what our heavenly Father does with us. We are all dishonest stewards. God entrusts us with gifts — time, talents, creation itself — and we squander them. We misuse them. Sometimes we use His blessings in self-serving ways. And yet, when we turn even a little bit toward mercy, when we use our resources to forgive, to bless, to make peace — the Father does not condemn us. He commends us.

That is the radical charity of God. He is not looking for reasons to throw us out. He is looking for reasons to welcome us in. He is not fixated on the loss we have caused Him, but on the glimmer of goodness He can draw out of us.

And so this parable teaches us two lessons. From the steward we learn: be urgent, be shrewd, be resourceful with the things of this world, so that your wealth is turned into mercy and your possessions into love. But from the master we learn: be generous in your judgments. Be charitable in how you look upon others. Praise the good, even when it costs you. Choose mercy over retribution.

Imagine if we lived like that — shrewd with our possessions, charitable in our judgments. We would look very much like children of light, very much like our Father in heaven.

The master in this parable is not simply a background character. He is an image of God Himself — a God who looks at us, dishonest as we are, and says, “There is something worth admiring here. There is something I can use. There is someone I can love.”

Let us then make friends with what has been entrusted to us, and let us mirror the charity of our Father, who delights to commend even our faltering steps toward goodness.

Amen.

8 months ago | [YT] | 1

Alexander Francis

🎉 1,000 subs in under 90 days! 🚀

Thank you to everyone who has followed along for my experiments in making Catholic art and music.

Your recognition means the world to me. ❤️✝️

8 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Alexander Francis

🙏✨ We did it — 500 subscribers! ✨🙏

In just two months, this little channel has grown to over 500 people, putting us in the top ~5% of new creator channel growth on YouTube, and likely one of the fastest-growing religious/devotional channels in that window.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Let’s keep building together toward the next big milestone: 1,000 subscribers 🎉

Drop a 🙏 in the comments if you’ve joined recently — and let’s pray for each other as we grow.

#CatholicYouTube

9 months ago | [YT] | 1

Alexander Francis

So excited for 9/7! Here's a song I wrote for soon-to-be saint Carlo Acutis: https://youtu.be/G1feNpSIwCA

9 months ago | [YT] | 2

Alexander Francis

Yesterday was a Holy Day of Obligation: the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Did you go to mass?

9 months ago | [YT] | 1

Alexander Francis

Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries. Join me as we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary together—reflecting on the Passion of Christ and entering into His suffering and love. It’s a peaceful, meditative moment for our hearts and minds.

9 months ago | [YT] | 0