Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

The Kingdom Among Us: Living the Example of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini

In today’s Gospel from Luke 17:20-25, Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about the coming of the Kingdom of God. They were expecting something dramatic, something visible and unmistakable. But Jesus responds, saying, ‘The Kingdom of God is among you.’ He redirects their expectations and ours, showing that God’s reign is not about spectacle but about presence—His presence among us and within us.

This message comes to life in a powerful way through the witness of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, whose memorial we celebrate today. She was a woman of deep faith and tireless action, the first American citizen to be canonized a saint. Born in Italy, she came to the United States in 1889 at the urging of Pope Leo XIII, who told her to go ‘not to the East, but to the West.’ She arrived in a country unfamiliar to her, filled with immigrants struggling to find their place and dignity. Rather than waiting for ideal conditions or grand signs, she saw Christ in the people around her and responded with love.

Saint Frances founded schools, hospitals, and orphanages—more than 60 institutions in her lifetime—all aimed at serving the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. Her work was not flashy, but it was transformative. She brought the Kingdom of God into the streets of New York, Chicago, and many other cities—not by might, but by mercy.

Saint John Chrysostom once said, ‘If you cannot find Christ in the beggar at the church door, you will not find Him in the chalice.’ Saint Frances lived this truth. She found Christ in the immigrant child, the sick mother, the homeless man. She did not wait for the Kingdom to arrive; she lived it.

This memorial is particularly special in the United States because Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini is not only a saint of the universal Church but also a saint of our land. She walked the streets of our cities, spoke our languages, and faced the challenges of our society. She is a reminder that holiness is not distant or abstract—it is possible here and now, in the very places we live and work.

Jesus tells us today that the Kingdom is not something to be observed from afar. It is not ‘here’ or ‘there’—it is among us. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini shows us that this Kingdom becomes visible when we serve others, when we welcome the stranger, and when we trust in God’s call even when the path is difficult.

Let us be encouraged by her example to live with the same courage, compassion, and faith. May we too help make the Kingdom of God present in our world. Amen.