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Posted By Teresa Redder, on April 12th, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
April 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord give you His peace
and lead you through the mystery of His Passion and Death
to the joy of His Resurrection and our renewed Life in Jesus!
Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire, through whom you give us light in the darkness:
he is bright and lively and strong.
The Canticle was not composed in Francis’ youth, when he cheerfully embraced and cherished the beauty of created things and his freedom to enjoy them. The Canticle most probably was stirring in his soul for many years. Perhaps he may have remembered reading or hearing the story of the three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. They fearlessly accepted death rather than blaspheme the God of Israel. Unharmed in the flames, they gratefully praised God for His presence in all creation, even in the midst of the fiery furnace. And, God saved them (Daniel 3:56–57; 62–68; 75–81).
One thing seems certain: the Canticle is the labor of a spiritually mature Francis. He did not compose the song, or at least it was not written down, until he was able to let go completely of all that was separating him from true intimacy with God. This closeness with the Divine came through years of letting go, not just of material things, but of deeper personal attachments: his expectations and assumptions of how things should be, his privilege of social standing even within his Order, and his control over his own body. Francis had to pass through his “fiery furnace”. Shortly before letting go even of earthly life itself, Francis could finally break into singing his Canticle of Creation. Praise be You, My Lord! … even for Sister Bodily Death.
Along with Earth, Water, and Air, Fire is one of the four classical elements. But it’s not just a flickering flame. Fire is a powerful symbol of energy, change, and passion. Imagine it as the spark that lights up your spiritual journey, fueling everything from your deepest desires to your most profound transformations. Even a flicker of light in pitch darkness brings a feeling of hope and subtle joy.
Think about the sun for a moment. That giant ball of fire in the sky is more than just a light source. It is the life-giving and maintaining source God created it to be. Without the sun, we’d all be frozen solid. It’s no wonder many cultures see the sun (and by extension, Fire) as a symbol of life and vitality. Next time you enjoy a sunny day, remember, you’re basking in some serious spiritual Fire energy. Nevertheless, keep always in mind that the Son, the Son of God that is, Whom the leaders of Israel sought to “eclipse” in the mystery they could or would not fathom, was tortured and killed in history, but rose in glory that all might bask in the incandescence of his Eternal Light and Love. The Fire of God’s love enlightens us on the journey empowering us to be “lively and strong”. Francis’ Canticle is a hymn of praise that sees all creation as God’s way to keep us focused on the Creator. It is a Hymn of gratitude for God being God. He is God, Who manifests His limitless Love, Life, and Energy in all that we perceive.
How beautifully sincere does St. Augustine lament the time he wasted running after the things of creation rather than seeking their Creator. Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace (Confessions). This “confession” of Augustine’s wasted years before he acknowledged the beauty and power of God always before him, seems taken up by St. Francis in simplicity and awesome wonder and gratitude centuries later.
But, Fire isn’t all light and warmth. Fire is also about destruction and renewal. Just like a forest fire clears out the old to make way for new growth, Fire in spirituality helps us let go of what’s no longer serving us. It’s the force that burns away rubble from the past. We have a clearer vision to be able to rise from the ashes of the past with fresh perspectives and renewed purpose.
Fire has been revered in spiritual practices around the world for millennia. This Lenten Season began with the ashes of burnt palm from the year before. We received a sign made of those ashes in the form of a cross on our foreheads. This was done to set the tone for our journey from Ashes to Palms, to Golgotha and the Empty Tomb, to the Alleluia of awaiting a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21: 1). The ashes created by fire are used to help rekindle our faith. The act of faith becomes an active faith during this Jubilee Year of the Church. We are Pilgrims of Hope rooted in a convinced Faith spurred forward by confident Hope. The ardent Faith alive in us now leads us in the joy of possessing in our hearts what we still do not fully possess in our hands.
Thus, we become bearers/pilgrims of Hope. As beggars we share what we have received with others like ourselves. As spiritual “vagabonds”, as it were, we offer one another some of the charity each has received. We extend to each other the gifts of God’s love.
Faith is the hidden flame of knowledge that leads to Hope, the conscious burning desire that urges us onward to live in Charity, the eternal love of God. Inflamed with His good graces, we cannot help but be an instrument of the Father’s transforming Love. As Pilgrims of Hope we challenge others to hope beyond the enticements and lies of the world, to live in the sure promise of the One Whose Love for all was made manifest on Golgotha. It is Consummated (John 19: 30) are the last words of an agreement made with humanity millennia before and now “signed, sealed, and delivered”. The fire of Eternal Love consumed the Heart of Jesus Whose life sought only to bring humanity to this moment, the consuming power of God’s Love.
Fire, metaphorically or naturally, is an element to be respected with caution. Its powers materially can serve, enhance, purify or destroy. Spiritually, the sign of fire is offered as a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit Who appeared in form of tongues of fire and rested on the heads of those in the Upper Room after the Resurrection. It calls us to remember the ardor with which we are all expected to “burn” for the Lord at every moment of our lives. As ambassadors for Christ (2Corinthians 5: 20) we bring the flame of faith in our hearts and lives, and seek to enkindle others with a desire to be “aglow” for Christ and thus set the world ablaze (Luke 12: 49).
Fire is a powerful symbol in Scripture. It represents God’s presence, judgment, and even His love. Scripture speaks of Fire from the burning bush that spoke to Moses (cfr. Exodus 3) to Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came as flames resting on the Apostles (Acts 2: 3). Fire manifests the relationship and interaction of God with His people. It can be a source of comfort, purification, or warning. Understanding the meaning of fire presented in the biblical narratives can help us see and understand God’s message to us more clearly.
St. Francis understood the power of fire. He experienced its believed therapeutic value not long before he died. Francis complied with the doctor’s diagnosis and medical treatment. Francis received neither healing nor relief. In the Canticle we note the respect St. Francis had for Brother Fire, who gives light to the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong (Canticle of Brother Sun). The following paragraph is taken from the Desire of the Remembrance of a Soul, by Blessed Thomas of Celano, and it speaks of Francis’ personal encounter and “conversation” with “his Brother”.
A surgeon is called to the place, and when he comes he is carrying an iron instrument for cauterizing. He ordered it to be placed in the fire until it became red hot. But the blessed Father, to comfort the body, which was struck with panic, spoke to the fire: “My brother Fire, your beauty is the envy of all creatures, the Most High created you strong, beautiful and useful. Be gracious to me in this hour; be courteous! For a long time I have loved you in the Lord. I pray the Great Lord who created you to temper now your heat that I may bear your gentle burning.” When the prayer is finished, he makes the sign of the cross over the fire and then remains in place unshaken. The surgeon takes in his hands the red-hot glowing iron. The brothers, overcome by human feeling, run away. The saint joyfully and eagerly offered himself to the iron. The hissing iron sinks into tender flesh, and the burn is extended slowly straight from the ear to the eyebrow. How much pain that burning caused can best be known by the witness of the saint’s words, since it was he that felt it. For when the brothers who had fled return, the father says with a smile: “Oh, you weak souls of little heart; why did you run away? Truly I say to you, I did not feel the fire’s heat, nor any pain in my flesh.” And turning to the doctor, he says: “If the flesh isn’t well cooked, try again!” The doctor who had experienced quite a different reaction in similar situations, exalts this as a divine miracle, saying: “I tell you, brothers; today I have seen wonderful things!” I believe he had returned to primeval innocence, for when he wished, the harshest things grew gentle. (Desire of the Remembrance of a Soul, #166).
Francis had a rather different respect and relationship with creation than most do. He saw all things in God. Every created thing and being was sacred. Everything and everyone was to be treated with reverence, respect, and dignity. God is One and there is no other (Isaiah 45: 5). God’s Love as Creator called existence and life into being, thus everything and everyone, in some way, share in the attributes of God in their own unique manner.
1 – Fire whether physically or spiritually was seen as a sign of God’s Presence. – When we reflect on God’s presence in fire, we remember moments where He showed Himself through flames. Whether it was the burning bush or the fiery pillar guiding the Israelites, fire signifies God’s powerful presence. God still makes Himself known in our lives today, igniting our hearts with His love and guidance.
2 – Fire often was the sign of God’s Purifying Love. – Fire is often associated with purification throughout the Bible. It helps to remove impurities and to refine our faith. God uses fire as a means to prepare us for greater things ahead. The Penitents of Assisi and all other penitents of the time were associated with fire through the ashes that symbolized the passing of all things. Fire purifies so that only the pure element, without dross, would remain, a basic “requisite” for admittance to Heaven. We are reminded of the purifying fire of prayer, penance and almsgiving that “burn away the dross” to render us more “perfect”; and the fire of an obedient will that burns away – in our cases – the self-centeredness of the ego. It accepts “without gloss” to live fully and perfectly the Rule, thus rendering us authentic children of the Poverello.
3 – Fire was thought of as a means by which God made His Judgment known. – Fire often symbolizes judgment in the Bible. It serves as a reminder of God’s righteousness and justice. As we look at these verses, we recognize that God’s flames act not only as a warning but also as a call to repentance and holiness. Fire encourages us to live in alignment with His will to avoid judgment.
4 – Fire is a sign of Spiritual Passion urging us toward the object of our desires. – In our walk with God, fire can also symbolize spiritual passion. It describes the fervent love we have for Him in our hearts. It ignites our mission to spread His Word and the urgency we feel to live out our faith. These verses inspire us to fan the flames of our relationship with God into a magnificent blaze of energy and love.
5 – Fire is a sign of the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. – The Holy Spirit’s representation as fire connects to God’s sustenance in our lives. The Spirit ignites our hearts, offers guidance, and strengthens us. These verses highlight the importance of the Holy Spirit’s presence as a consuming fire that enlivens our faith.
6 – God’s Word is a transforming Fire that penetrates the soul and enlivens the person. – The Bible uses fire as a metaphor for God’s Word, depicting its transformative power. Just as fire can refine and purify, so can the Word of God shape our lives. Immersing ourselves in Scripture can spark growth in our faith and understanding of God and His Holy Word and Will.
The journey of faith is not always easy, but with the fire of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit lighting our path, we can grow stronger every day. Continue to seek Him and allow the Fire of His Tremendous Love to inspire us in our daily lives, igniting our passion for God, as we translate that into love for one another.
Fire is more than just a physical phenomenon. It’s a powerful, dynamic force. It penetrates and touches every aspect of our spiritual lives. Whether through transformation, passion, purification, or enlightenment, Fire has the potential to ignite profound changes within us. Nevertheless, Fire, like all elements, must be respected. It’s a force of nature, and sign of our spiritual energy in God, that can be both creative and destructive. Let us channel our spiritual Fire and human energy wisely.
We approach Brother Fire as we do all God’s gifts, with curiosity, respect, reverence, and joy. The spiritual journey ultimately must lead to joy if we are traveling through history in mystery to the glory of union with God. All creation serves to assist us on this journey. The Way of the Cross this season is the road less traveled or desired by so many. Nevertheless, it leads unmistakably to the fulfillment of our ultimate hope, Life with God. Let us fan the flame of an ardent love of Christ that urges us (2Corinthians 5: 14) to follow the Lord Jesus through the Cross to the Light (Pope St. Paul VI: Per Crucem ad Lucem). We move onward, perhaps tripping and even falling along the way.
Empowered with the Fire of God’s Love and our burning desire, like Francis, we praise God Who leads us through ardent prayer, purifying penance, and His passionate love for us to the point of dying on the Cross. The explosion of energy – as we are told by scientists who have studied the Shroud of Turin – imprinting the image of the Crucified on the shroud, reminds us of the “explosion of the eternal flame” of God’s love that imprints the image and likeness of Christ on our souls. The Resurrection is a marvelous reminder that we too, like our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi, are signed in our hearts with His love. We are God’s collaborators who seek to enkindle with the fire of our faith those whose lives have grown cold to the Lord. Transformation and New Life in the Resurrection of Jesus is the gift of His purifying Love for those who surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus when He breathed His last breath saying: Father, Into Your hands I commend my Spirit (Luke 23: 46). by His Spirit let us fraternally and lovingly remember one another in our prayers and especially during the great yearly liturgy of Holy and Easter Weeks. You will all be with me before the Lord in my prayers and liturgies (Masses and Hours). May you and all your loved ones be blessed with the joy of the Risen Lord, the energy of the Holy Spirit, and the loving embrace of the Father Who always keeps His promises.
Easter Peace and Blessings in the Risen Lord
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, OFM Cap
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Alleluia! He is Risen! He is truly Risen! Alleluia!
Posted By Teresa Redder, on April 12th, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
April 2025
Wherever we are, in every place,
at every hour, at every time of the day, every day and continually,
let all of us truly and humbly believe, hold in our heart and love, honor, adore, serve,
praise and bless, glorify and exalt, magnify and give thanks
to the Most High and Supreme Eternal God, Trinity and Unity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Creator of all, Savior of all who believe and hope in Him, and love Him,
Who, without beginning and end, is unchangeable, invisible, indescribable, ineffable,
incomprehensible, unfathomable, blessed, praiseworthy, glorious, exalted,
sublime, most high, gentle, lovable, delightful,
and totally desirable above all else for ever.
Amen.
(Prayer of Saint Francis taken from the Earlier Rule, chapter 23)
Daily reflections from Franciscan Sources continue from Assisi Compilation nos. 47-50
47 – THE BROTHERS AND STUDY
1 – It grieved the blessed Father when brothers sought learning while neglecting virtue, especially if they did not remain in that calling in which they were first called. He said: “Those brothers of mine who are led by curiosity for knowledge will find themselves empty-handed on the day of reckoning.
– Gratitude is a sign of noble souls.
2 – I would prefer that they grow strong in virtue, so that when the times of tribulation arrive they may have the Lord with them in their distress. For, he said, a tribulation is approaching, when books, useful for nothing, shall be thrown into cupboards and closets!”
– God has two dwellings. One is in heaven and the other in a meek and humble heart.
3 – He did not say these things out of dislike for the study of Scriptures, but to draw all of them back from excessive concern for learning, because he preferred that they be good through charity rather than be dilettantes through curiosity. Besides, he could smell in the air that a time was coming, and not too far away, when he knew learning would be an occasion of ruin.
– What we need is people who know God other than by hearsay.
4 – After his death he appeared in a vision to one of the companions who was once tending toward preaching, and he forbade it, commanding him to walk on the way of simplicity.
– People want to know how much you care before they care how much you know.
48 – HE DETESTED LAZINESS AND WANTED ALL THE BROTHERS TO WORK
5 – He used to say that the lukewarm who do not apply themselves constantly to some work, would quickly be vomited out of the Lord’s mouth. No idler could appear in his presence without feeling the sharp bite of his criticism.
– Disciples care more than others think necessary.
6 – This exemplar of every perfection always worked, and worked with his hands, not allowing the great gift of time to go to waste. And so he would often say: “I want all my brothers to work and keep busy, and those who have no skills to learn some so that we may be less of a burden to people, and that in idleness the heart and tongue may not stray.”
– Disciples trust more than others think wise.
7 – But he would not have profit or payment for work left to the whim of the worker, but entrusted it to the guardian or the family.
– Disciples serve more than others think practical.
49 – SAINT FRANCIS AND SAINT DOMINIC ARE GUESTS OF CARDINAL HUGOLINO
8 – Those two bright lights of the world, namely, Saint Francis and Saint Dominic, were once in the City with the Lord of Ostia, who later became Supreme Pontiff. As they took turns pouring out honey-sweet words about the Lord, the bishop finally said to them: “In the early Church the Church’s shepherds were poor, and men of charity, not on fire with greed. Why don’t we make bishops and prelates of your brothers who excel in teaching and example.”
– Disciples expect more than others think possible.
9 – There arose a disagreement between the saints about answering, neither wishing to go first, but rather each deferring to the other. Each urged the other to reply. Each seemed superior to the other, since each was devoted to the other.
– You see things as they are and ask, “Why?” But I dream things that never were and ask, “Why not?”
10 – At last humility conquered Francis as he did not speak first, but it also conquered Dominic, since in speaking first, he humbly obeyed Francis. Blessed Dominic therefore answered the bishop, My lord, my brothers are already raised to a good level, if they will only realize it, and as much as possible I would not allow them to obtain any other appearance of dignity.”
– What are riches compared to skill, wisdom, and understanding?
11 – As this brief response ended, Blessed Francis bowed to the bishop and said: “My lord, my brothers are called ‘lesser’ precisely so they will not presume to become ‘greater.’ They have been called this to teach them to stay down to earth, and to follow the footprints of Christ’s humility, which in the end will exalt them above others in the sight of the saints. If you want them to bear fruit in the Church of God, keep them in the status in which they were called and hold them to it.
– Until we lose ourselves there is no hope of finding ourselves.
12 – Bring them back down to ground level even against their will. Never allow them to rise to become prelates” These were the replies of the saints. When they finished their replies, the Lord of Ostia was greatly edified by the words of both and gave unbounded thanks to God. And as they left that place, blessed Dominic asked Saint Francis to be kind enough to give him the cord he had tied around him.
— Lord, help me to let go of whatever is keeping me from following you.
13 – Francis was slow to do this, refusing out of humility what the other was requesting out of charity. At last the happy devotion of the petitioner won out, and he devoutly put on the gift under his inner tunic. Finally they clasped hands and commended themselves to each other with great sweetness. And so one saint said to the other: “Brother Francis, I wish your Order and mine might become one, so we could share the same form of life in the Church.”
– Those who know others are learned. Those who know themselves are wise.
14 – At last, when they had parted from each other, Saint Dominic said to the many bystanders: “In truth I tell you, the other religious should follow this holy man Francis, as his holiness is so perfect”.
– Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully.
50 – HE EATS WITH A BROTHER WHO CLAIMS HE IS DYING OF HUNGER; AUSTERE WITH HIMSELF, HE WAS COMPASSIONATE WITH OTHERS
15 – One time in the very beginning, that is, at the time when blessed Francis began to have brothers, he was staying with them at Rivo Torto. One night, around midnight, when they were all asleep in their beds, one of the brothers cried out, saying: “I’m dying! I’m dying!”
– To ease another’s heartbreak is to forget one’s own.
16 – Startled and frightened all the brothers woke up. Getting up, blessed Francis said: “Brothers, get up and light a lamp.” After the lamp was lit, blessed Francis said: “Who was it who said, ‘I’m dying?’ ” “I’m the one,” the brother answered. “What’s the matter, brother?” blessed Francis said to him. ‘Why are you dying?”
– To love is to know the sacrifices which eternity exacts from life.
17 – “I’m dying of hunger,” he answered. So that that brother would not be ashamed to eat alone, blessed Francis, a man of great charity and discernment, immediately had the table set and they all ate together with him. This brother, as well as the others, were newly converted to the Lord and afflicted their bodies excessively.
– The only things necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.
18 – After the meal, blessed Francis said to the other brothers: “My brothers, I say that each of you must consider his own constitution, because, although one of you may be sustained with less food than another, I still do not want one who needs more food to try imitating him in this.
– When my spirit soars, my body falls on its knees.
19 – Rather, considering his constitution, he should provide his body with what it needs. Just as we must beware of overindulgence in eating, which harms body and soul, so we must beware of excessive abstinence even more, because the Lord desires mercy and not sacrifice.”
– The face of Christ shows us the one thing we need to know, the character of God.
20 – And he said: “Dearest brothers, great necessity and charity compelled me to do what I did, namely, that out of love for our brother we ate together with him, so he wouldn’t be embarrassed to eat alone. But I tell you in the future I do not wish to act this way because it wouldn’t be religious or decent.
– Who lives for himself is apt to be corrupted by the company he keeps.
21 – Let each one provide his body with what it needs as our poverty will allow. This is what I wish and command you.”
– We are rich in proportion to the number of things we can do without.
22 – The first brothers and those who came after them for a long time mortified their bodies excessively, not only by abstinence in food and drink, but also in vigils, cold, and manual labor.
– Ignore people who try to belittle you, they’re only trying to cut you down to their size.
23 – Next to their skin, those who could get them wore iron rings and breastplates and the roughest hair shirts, which they were even better able to get.
– Serve one another with what every gift each of you has received.
24 – Considering that the brothers could get sick because of this, and in a short time some were already ailing, the holy father therefore commanded in one of the chapters that no brother wear anything next to the skin except the tunic.
– Where love is, there is God also.
25 – We who were with him bear witness to this fact about him: from the time he began to have brothers, and also during his whole lifetime, he was discerning with the brothers, provided that in the matter of food and other things, they did not deviate at any time from the norm of the poverty and decency of our religion, which the early brothers observed.
– There is no security on earth, there is only opportunity.
28 – Nevertheless, even before he had brothers, from the beginning of his conversion and during his whole lifetime, he was severe with his own body, even though from the time of his youth he was a man of a frail and weak constitution, and when he was in the world he could not live without comforts.
– Pray to God, but row to the shore.
29 – One time, perceiving that the brothers had exceeded the norm of poverty and decency in food and in things, he said in a sermon he gave, speaking to a few brothers, who stood for all the brothers: “Don’t the brothers think that my body needs special food?
– Prayers travel more strongly when said in unison.
30 – But because I must be the model and example for all the brothers, I want to use and be content with poor food and things, not fine ones.”
– If you haven’t got charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.
Posted By Teresa Redder, on April 12th, 2025 April 13, 2025
“I am among you as the One who serves.”
On a personal level, this particular Lenten season has been very different because of the Jubilee Year 2025 and its message of hope. As we begin Holy Week, these words of Pope Francis in the papal bull “Spes Non Confudit” urge us to be renewed by the jubilee: “We need to recognize the immense goodness present in our world, lest we be tempted to think ourselves overwhelmed by evil and violence. The signs of the times, which include the yearning of human hearts in need of God’s saving presence, ought to become signs of hope.”
As we celebrate Palm Sunday, we hear the account of the Passion from St. Luke the evangelist, whose version of what happened with Jesus in Jerusalem gives us unique insights about our own call to discipleship.
Last weekend, I attended a Franciscan Regional Visitation at Daylesford Abbey in nearby Paoli, PA. Our three National Franciscan visitors included two Franciscan friars (from Washington, DC, and Pittsburgh, PA) and a lay Secular Franciscan from Louisiana. All of us were inspired by the spirit of welcome and the charism of the Norbertines, 40 canons who live in communal service to the Church and our local community.
When we checked into the retreat house, our welcome folders had an attached prayer card called “Becoming a People of Reconciliation.” One of our National visitors observed that we should pray that prayer twice on Friday before we went to bed. The opening of this prayer is connected to events in the Passion of Christ:
“Dear Lord Jesus, on the night before You died, You prayed for all Your disciples, ‘Father, may they all be one; that the world may believe it was You who sent Me.’ We know that this is the deepest desire of Your heart.”
During our visitation weekend, the Secular Franciscans celebrated the occurrence of multiple overlapping jubilees:
- The 2025 Jubilee year of Hope (2025 years of Christianity);
- the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea that gave us our Nicene Creed;
- the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures written by St. Francis of Assisi;
- the 30th anniversary of the establishment of St. Katharine Drexel Region Secular Franciscans;
- and the 25th anniversary of the canonization of St. Katharine Drexel, our patroness.
The Jubilee Year of Hope invites us to be people who are dedicated to reconciliation, just like the Norbertine prayer. In this weekend’s readings, we not only hear the Prophet Isaiah foretelling the Suffering Servant and St. Paul explaining what kenosis (self-emptying love) is, but we also listen to Jesus telling His followers, including us, that the humility of God is a reconciliation modeled on Him: “I am among you as the One who serves.” Are we ready to follow Christ?
During our Franciscan gathering, we shared insights from the Handbook for Franciscan Servant Leadership, which is based on a model of imitating Christ in serving others (washing of the feet). Passion Sunday helps us to appreciate the vision of Jesus for His Kingdom, which He proclaimed to be present here and now. That is the joyful Good News that we are to go and live in our world! God loves us so much, and we are to be His loving servants to one another.
 Good leadership is responsible for embracing a shared vision of the future, remembering it is meant to inspire the actions of today. As our weekend at Daylesford continued, I found myself wondering what the Norbertine vision was, so I searched their website and found the Vision Statement of the Order of Prémontré, approved at their General Chapter in 2006:
“Drawn by our merciful and Triune God, we are called as baptized to follow the poor and risen, Christ, in a radical and apostolic way of life according to the Gospel, the Rule of Saint Augustine and the charism of Saint Norbert, the founder of our Premonstratensian Order. Our way of life is marked by: a lifelong seeking after God through fraternal community, a never-ending conversion by giving ourselves to the church of our profession in communion with the self-emptying of Christ, in imitation of Mary pondering God’s Word, and in ceaseless prayer and service at the altar. From the choir and altar, we go to serve the human family in a spirit of simplicity, hospitality, reconciliation, and peace for the benefit of the Church and the world, especially where Christ is found among the poor, the suffering, and among those who do not know Him. We pray that what God’s Spirit has begun in us may be made perfect in the day of Christ Jesus.”
As we begin Holy Week, let us take time to contemplate the vision of Christ for His Church, remembering that He emptied Himself for our sake in obedience–even unto death on a Cross! The Norbertine vision is so full of Easter symbols: our baptismal call; fraternal communion; never-ending conversion in communion with the self-emptying of Christ; and ceaseless prayer, just as Mary embraced the Word of God.
Are we willing to serve God with humility and self-emptying? Jesus gave us our inheritance in this Gospel account, so let us decide what we are to do with this treasure that He gave to us:
”I confer a Kingdom on you, just as My Father has conferred one on Me.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Teresa Redder, on March 22nd, 2025 Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the Universal Patron of the Church – March 19, 2025
Fr. Francis Sariego, OFM Cap (Regional Spiritual Assistant) presided at a Mass at Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Aston, PA, for a rite of profession at St. John Neumann Fraternity on St. Joseph’s feast day. The two candidates who made their professions are:
Barbara A. Brooks, OFS
Mary Purner, OFS
 
May Mary and Barbara find great joy in their shared vocation of Gospel living and may God’s grace abound in their lives of service!
Posted By Teresa Redder, on March 16th, 2025 SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
“My brothers and sisters…stand firm in the Lord.”
 Whenever my husband Jeff and I have been on pilgrimages to other countries, we have had the privilege to meet many priests and religious who serve in the foreign missions. When Jesus shared the Good News with His first followers, He expected them to go out to all the world and share what they had seen and heard. In their limited understanding of the world at that time, though, those first disciples were limited by geographical borders that were known mainly by trade routes or conquests. So much of the world was still waiting to be explored!
Why was St. Paul compelled to tell the Philippians to “stand firm in the Lord”? Even in their time, people living ordinary lives in common society had to be reminded that people of faith, whose minds were occupied with earthly things, are citizens of heaven. During our Lenten journey, is our daily prayer helping us to stand firm in the Lord?
During our pilgrimages, the missionaries that we met shared many stories of their compassionate encounters with people in developing countries: education, health care, maternity services, cooperative projects for sustainability, and trauma relief for those who had seen great violence and destruction. In our Lenten experiences, most of us are safe from harm, comfortable with our food, clothing, and shelter, and far away from those who are suffering. A good question to ask ourselves during Lent: How does Catholic social teaching on solidarity shape our almsgiving? Do we hear the cry of the poor when they are suffering?
Before Ash Wednesday, I was on a special Zoom call hosted by the Franciscan Sisters of Philadelphia in Aston, PA. Their guest speaker was a staff member of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), who spoke about the need to continue funding programs that provide care all over the world. After the speaker’s opening remarks, we shared questions and comments. One of the elderly religious sisters (who participated on that call from Africa after midnight!) was a 30-year missionary to Kenya, where she had been working faithfully in AIDS ministry to children. Because of CRS support, she told us with gratitude that they no longer had any children who passed away due to AIDS. She was concerned about what would happen there when their current supplies of medicine are expended and there is no additional funding to obtain medicines.
Motivated by this Zoom call, the Franciscan Sisters’ Care for Creation Committee voted unanimously to focus the community’s Lenten almsgiving on the CRS Rice Bowl project. I visited the CRS website to see what kind of new insights were there for donors to appreciate the challenges better. The CRS Mission Statement resonates with the Gospel’s message of transfiguration:
“Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We are motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to cherish, preserve and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching.”
On the CRS home page, I found a special link that was posted on March 5th:
CRS’ Rice Bowl Program Celebrates 50 Years of Global Hunger Reduction | CRS
I can still remember the joy that our family had when our four adult children were growing up to fill the CRS Rice Bowl together during our Lenten journey.
As I thought about the Franciscan sisters, who take a vow of poverty, live in service to others, and made this a special Lenten priority because the need in the world is greater now than ever, I thought about God promising Abram that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars in the heavens. So many centuries later, his descendants (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim) number in the billions and live on five continents! Yet CRS reminds us that we must urgently take care of many of these brothers and sisters who need our compassion and generosity:
“According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, more than 580 million people could be chronically undernourished in 2030 – just five years away – if the trajectory is left unchecked. Elevated hunger levels are quickly becoming the new normal, causing long-term and generational harm to children, families and communities. More than 340 million people around the world are currently facing some level of food insecurity, with nearly 2 million facing catastrophic hunger – primarily in Gaza and Sudan. Many of these food crises involve overlapping issues that increase year after year.”
We can inspire our children and grandchildren to stand firm in our world that is too often preoccupied by earthly distractions by taking less than two minutes to watch this YouTube video about the CRS Rice Bowl’s history:
https://youtu.be/5QoPVNxKEGE
It is so easy to stand firm in solidarity with the poor:
Online: crsricebowl.org/give
Phone: 877-435-7277 (8 AM-11 PM ET) for CRS Rice Bowl
Mail (Please write “CRS Rice Bowl” on memo line of check):
Catholic Relief Services (Attn: CRS Rice Bowl)
P.O. Box 5200
Harlan, IA 51593-0700
May this CRS Prayer shape our Lenten desires:
“Jesus, Bread of Life, as we encounter You in the Eucharist this Lent, nourish us with Your love, unite us in communion with our sisters and brothers, showing us how we are connected. Transform [transfigure] our hearts, that we may be moved to share bread for life with our global family and work for a world where all can thrive. AMEN.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Teresa Redder, on March 2nd, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
March 2025
Most High, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me
true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity,
sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out
Your holy and true command. Amen.
(Prayer of St. Francis before the Crucifix)
(Franciscan Sources Daily thought from Assisi Compilation 37-46,
daily quotes from various sources)
1 – [He used to pierce eyes that are not chaste with this parable. “A powerful] and pious king sent two messengers to his queen, one after the other. The first returned and simply reported her words verbatim. Truly the eyes of the wise man stayed in his head and did not dart elsewhere. The other returned and, after reporting in brief words, launched into a long story about the lady’s beauty. ‘Truly, my lord, I saw a lovely woman; happy is he who enjoys her!’
– When I will what God wills, then I know my heart is right.
2 – And the king said, ‘You evil servant, you cast your shameless eyes on my wife? It is clear that you would like to buy what you inspected so carefully!’ He then called back the first messenger and asked: ‘What did you think of the queen?’ And he answered: ‘I thought very highly of her, for she listened gladly and then replied wisely.’ ‘And don’t you think she’s beautiful?’ the king said. ‘My lord,’ he said, ‘this is for you to see; my job was simply to deliver messages.’
– Lord, enlighten my mind to see my sinfulness.
3 – And the king then pronounced his sentence: ‘You, chaste of eyes, even more chaste in body, stay in my chamber. Let that other man leave my house, so he does not defile my marriage bed.’ ” He used to say: Who would not fear to look at the bride of Christ?
– Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
38 SOMETIMES HE BROKE OUT SINGING IN FRENCH, ENDING IN ECSTASY
4 – Sometimes he used to do this: a sweet melody of the spirit bubbling up inside him would become on the outside a French tune; the thread of a divine whisper which his ears heard secretly would break out in a French song. Other times—as I saw with my own eyes—he would pick up a stick from the ground and put it over his left arm, while holding a bent bow in his right hand, drawing it over the stick as if it were a viola, performing all the right movements, and in French would sing] about God.
– Body of Christ, save me.
5 – All of this dancing often ended in tears, and the cry of joy dissolved into compassion for Christ’s suffering. Then the saint would sigh without stopping and sob without ceasing. Forgetful of lower things he had in hand, he was caught up to heaven.
– Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
39 HIS PRAYER FOR THE ORDER
6 – In order to preserve the virtue of holy humility, a few years after his conversion, at a chapter, he resigned the office of prelate before all the brothers of the religion, saying: “From now on, I am dead to you. But here you have Brother Peter of Catanio; let us all, you and I, obey him.” And bowing down immediately, he promised him obedience and reverence.
– Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
7 – The brothers were weeping, and sorrow drew deep groans from them, as they saw themselves orphaned of such a father. As blessed Francis got up, he joined his hands and, lifting his eyes to heaven, said: “Lord, I give back to You the family which until now You have entrusted to me. Now, sweetest Lord, because of my infirmities, which You know, I can no longer take care of them and I entrust them to the ministers.
– Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
8 – If any brother should perish because of their negligence, or example, or even harsh correction, let them be bound to render an account for it before You, Lord, on the day of judgment.” From that time on, he remained subject until his death, behaving more humbly than any of the others.
– O Good Jesus, hear me.
40 HE REFUSES TO HAVE COMPANIONS CHARGED WITH CARING FOR HIM
9 – Another time he consigned all his companions to his vicar, saying: “I don’t want to seem singular because of this privilege of freedom; any brothers can go with me from place to place ‘as the Lord inspires them.’” And he added: “Why, I have seen a blind man who had no guide for his journey except one little dog.” This indeed was his glory: he gave up any appearance of being singular or important, so that the power of Christ might dwell in him.
– Within Your wounds hide me, Good Jesus.
41 GOOD BROTHERS PUNISH THEMSELVES FOR AN OFFENSE AGAINST CHARITY
10 – He used to affirm that the Lesser Brothers had been sent from the Lord in these last times to show forth examples of light to those wrapped in the darkness of sins. He would say that he was filled with the sweetest fragrance and anointed with strength from precious ointment whenever he heard of the great deeds of holy brothers in faraway lands. It happened that a brother once threw out an insulting word at another brother in the presence of a nobleman of the island of Cyprus.
– Good Jesus, do not allow me to be separated from you.
11 – But when he saw that his brother was rather hurt by the impact of that word, he took some donkey manure and, burning with rage against himself, put it into his mouth to chew, saying: “Let the tongue that spat the poison of anger on my brother now chew manure!”
– Lord Jesus, defend me from the wicked enemy of my soul.
12 – At seeing this, that man was thunder-stuck, and went away greatly edified; from that time on, he put himself and all he had at disposal of the brothers. All the brothers observed this custom without fail: if any of them spoke an upsetting word to another, he would immediately fall to the ground and embrace the feet of the one he had offended, even if unwilling, with holy kisses.
– Good Jesus, at the hour of death call me to Yourself.
13 – The saint rejoiced over such behavior, when he heard the examples of holiness that his sons themselves produced, and he would heap blessings worthy of full acceptance on those brothers, who, by word or deed, led sinners to the love of Christ. Zeal for souls, which filled him completely, made him want his sons to resemble him as a true likeness.
– Grant, good Jesus, that I may praise You with all the saints forever and ever.
42 A DESCRIPTION OF THE GENERAL MINISTER
14 – As he neared the end of his call to the Lord, a brother said to him: “Father, you will pass on, and the family of your followers will be left behind in this vale of tears. Point out someone in the Order, if you know one, on whom your spirit may rest, and on whom the weight of the general ministry may safely be laid.” Saint Francis, drawing a sigh with every word, replied as follows: “Son, I find no one adequate to be the leader of such a varied army, or the shepherd of such a widespread flock. But I would like to paint one for you to show clearly what kind of person the father of this family should be.
– No one can produce great things who is not thoroughly sincere in dealing with himself.
15 – “He must be a person of very dignified life, of great discernment, and of praiseworthy reputation. He must be without personal favorites, lest by loving some more than others, he create scandal for all. He must be a committed friend of holy prayer, who can distribute some hours for his soul and others for the flock entrusted to him. He must put the sacrament of the Mass first, early in the morning, and with prolonged devotion commend himself and his flock to divine protection.
– My sense of sin is linked to my sense of God.
16 – “After prayer, he must make himself available for all to pick at him, and he should respond to all and provide for all with meekness. He is someone who does not create sordid favoritism toward persons, but will take as much care of the lesser and simple brothers as of the learned and greater ones. Even if he should be allowed to excel in gifts of learning, he should all the more bear in his behavior the image of holy simplicity and nourish this virtue. He should loathe money, the principal corrupter of our profession and perfection. As the head of our [religion, offering himself to others as someone to be imitated, he must never engage in the abuse of using any money pouch.” – The closer I am to God, the more aware I am of my sinfulness.
17 – “For his needs,” he said, “a habit and a little book should be enough for him and, for the brothers’ needs he should have a pen case and seal. He should not be a book collector or too intent on reading, so he does not take away from his duties what he spends on his studies.
– Distance from God reduces the contrast necessary for me to recognize my true condition.
18 – Let him be someone who comforts the afflicted, and the final refuge of the distressed, so that the sickness of despair does not overcome the sick because he did not offer healing remedies. In order to bend rebels to meekness, let him lower himself and let go of some of his rights that he may gain a soul for Christ.
– They are two kinds of people: the righteous who believe themselves sinners, and the rest who believe themselves righteous.
19 – As for runaways from the Order, let him not close the heart of mercy to them, for they are like lost sheep; and he knows how overpowering the temptations can be which can push someone to such a fall.”
– O Lord, reform our world, beginning with me.
20 – “I want all to honor him as standing in Christ’s place, and to be provided for in everything with all the kindness of Christ. He must not enjoy honors, nor delight in approval more than insults. If he should need more substantial food, he should not eat it in secret but in a public place, so that others may be freed from embarrassment at having to provide for their weak bodies.
– Voice of Jesus, you called me when I strayed from You.
21 – It especially pertains to him to discern what is hidden in consciences and to draw out the truth from its hidden veins. Let him never weaken the manly norm of justice, and he must feel such a great office more a burden than an honor. And yet, excessive meekness should not give birth to slackness, nor loose indulgence to a breakdown of discipline, so that, loved by all, he is feared nonetheless, by those who work evil.
– Arms of Jesus, you raised me when I slipped and fell.
22 – I would like him to have companions endowed with honesty, who], with him, [show themselves an example of all good works, strong against difficulties, and yet friendly in the right way, so that they receive all who come to them with holy cheerfulness. There,” he concluded, “the general minister of the Order should be like this”.
– Heart of Jesus, You loved me even when I sin.
43 HE RESPONDS TO A BROTHER ASKING WHY HE ABANDONED GOVERNING THE ORDER
23 – Once a brother asked him why he had renounced the care of all the brothers and turned them over into the hands of others, as if they did not belong to him. He replied: “Son, I love the brothers as I can, but if they would and would not make myself a stranger to them. For, there are some among the prelates who draw them in a different direction, placing before them the examples of the ancients and paying little attention to my warnings. But what they are doing will be seen in the end.”
– The great thing in this world is not where we are, but in what direction we are going.
24 – A short time later, when he was suffering a serious illness, he raised himself up in bed in an angry spirit: “Who are these people? They have snatched out of my hands my religion and that of the brothers. If I go to the general chapter, I’ll show them what is my will.”
– God will not look you over for medals, degrees, or diplomas, but scars
45 HE WAS NOT ASHAMED TO BEG EVEN MEAT FOR SICK BROTHERS
25 – Blessed Francis [was not embarrassed to go through the city’s public places to find some meat for a sick brother. However, he also advised the sick to be patient when things were lacking and not stir up a scandal if everything was not to their satisfaction.
– It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are held accountable.
26 – Because of this he had these words written in one of the Rules: “I beg all my sick brothers that in their illness they do not become angry or upset at the Lord or the brothers. They should not anxiously seek medicines, nor desire too eagerly to free the flesh that is soon to die and is an enemy of the soul.
– Lord, teach me about death, that it may teach me about life.
27 – Let them give thanks for all things and let them desire to be however God wills them to be. For God teaches with the rod of punishments and sicknesses those whom he has destined to eternal life as he himself has said: ‘Those whom I love I correct and chastise.’
– One cannot prepare for death too soon, because one cannot be sure when too soon will be too late.
46 PRAISE OF THE RULE
28 – He burned with great zeal for the common profession and Rule, and endowed those who were zealous about it with a special blessing. He called it their Book of Life, the hope of salvation, the marrow of the Gospel, the way of perfection, the key of Paradise, the pact of an eternal covenant. – Ever notice how everybody wants to go to heaven and nobody wants to die?
29 – He wanted all to have it, all to know it, in all places to let it speak to the inner man, as encouragement in weariness and as a reminder of a sworn oath. He taught them to keep it always before their eyes as a reminder of the life they should lead, and, what is more, that they should die with it.
– Unexpressed gratitude is like winking at someone in the dark, You know how you feel about them, but they don’t.
30 – This teaching was not forgotten by a certain lay brother whom we believe should be venerated among the martyrs, since he gained the palm of glorious victory. When he was taken by the Saracens to his martyrdom, he held the Rule in his uplifted hands, and kneeling humbly, said to his companion: “Dear brother I proclaim myself guilty before the eye’s of Majesty of everything I ever did against this holy Rule!”
– Some complain that God put thorns on roses; others give thanks that God put roses among the thorns.
31 – The stroke of the sword followed this short confession, and with his martyrdom he ended his life, and afterwards shone with signs and wonders. This brother had entered the Order so young that he could hardly bear the Rule’s fasting, yet even as a boy he wore a harness next to his skin. Oh happy child, who began happily to end even happier!
– Gratitude is a sign of noble souls.
Prayer of King Mannasseh
Lord Almighty, God of our ancestors, You made heaven and Earth with all their beauty.
You set limits for creation by Your powerful and glorious Name.
All things stand in awe in Your presence,
because no one can endure the splendor of Your glory.
Your promised mercies are beyond measure and imagination, because You are the highest,
Lord, kind, patient, and merciful, and You care for Your children who suffer.
You, Lord, according to Your gentle grace,
promised forgiveness to those who are sorry for their sins.
In Your great mercy, You allowed sinners to turn from their sins and find salvation.
Lord, God of those who do what is right,
You always offer us chances to change our hearts and lives.
You offer me, the sinner, the chance to change my heart and life.
My sins are many, Lord. I am not worthy to look up, to gaze into heaven.
I bow down before You from deep within my heart, imploring Your kindness.
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me. For You, Lord, are God of those who turn from their sins.
In me You’ll show how kind You are.
Although I’m not worthy, You’ll save me according to Your great mercy.
I will praise You continuously all the days of my life,
because all the hosts of heaven praise You.
The glory is Yours forever and ever. Amen
(adapted abbreviated form of the Penitential Prayer of King Manasseh of Judah,
an apocryphal Scripture found in St. Jerome’s translation)
Posted By Teresa Redder, on March 2nd, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
March 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord grant you His peace.
With Lent already upon us, we have probably determined the “penances” we are going do, the prayers we are going to say (pray?), the charitable acts and donations we budgeted our time and “treasures” to be able to “afford to donate” to those in need. Careful praiseworthy planning leads to an effective charitable demeanor that may be of help to others, but how helpful to us? The question does not doubt the value of both attitudes. The question is how well it truly helps us to grow in the Lord. The attitude and heart underlying the practices is what makes them spiritually effective.
Lent is a time for us to recognize that we have come from “ashes”, or if you will, the dust of the earth. Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Genesis 2: 7). The truth of Genesis offers a reality check that is intended to humble not humiliate. The beauty of the story reminds us that no matter how low our origin, God breathed His own Life into us. We are His creation, called to existence and life in grace. The abuse of the great gift of free will – Original Sin – interferes with this intimacy and thus, through history, challenges us to be and do what is necessary for us to regain the gift. God always loves us. We must respond to God’s Love by seeking to know His Will and striving to live it. The penances, prayers, and acts of charity are the spiritual and practical “tools” we make use of during a lifetime to be restored to the person we were created to be.
Lent is a more intense period in the life of the Church for us to focus on this responsibility. Advent as well, though in a less intense way for most, offers us the same spiritual opportunity. Two penitential seasons each year call us to reflect, repent, repair, and be fully restored in our relationship with God.
We understand this intense yearly journey offered by the Church’s establishment of these two seasons. Taking time each day to see the world and people around us and also the world and people we may never see, and the beauty and awesomeness of God’s Loving Presence and Providence become overwhelming, almost frightening. Oh, we are not frightened of the Goodness of God but of our own stubborn pride that puts humanity into the “mess” life seems to be at times.
The Canticle of the Creatures, we Franciscans are meditating upon this Franciscan Jubilee Year of the Canticle, is the expression of the heart of a penitent, our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi. He never forgot his past. He always was aware of God’s immense love. He bore the signs of God’s loving response to the prayer Francis offered so often: My Lord Jesus Christ, two graces I beg you to grant me before I die: the first is that in my lifetime I may feel, in my soul and in my body, as far as possible, that sorrow which you, tender Jesus, underwent in the hour of your most bitter passion; the second is that I may feel in my heart, as far as possible, that abundance of love with which you, son of God, were inflamed, so as willingly to undergo such a great passion for us sinners. Amen
Only in heaven with God can we ever experience as much as we are capable of experiencing, by God’s grace, the love of which St. Francis speaks. Nevertheless, Francis understood that the Passion-Death of Jesus was the human-divine sign of the extreme love of total self surrender. Through Jesus’ suffering and death, the depth of His love is manifest. St. Francis was willing to experience “death” – death to himself, death to the world and all its allurements – that he might rejoice in Jesus’ Life, Eternal Life with God. Daily dying to ourselves as well, though less recognized or understood by most, helps us to praise, bless, and glorify God in, with, and through life for all God is. Praise be you, my Lord God. Again we see the spirit of the Canticle at this juncture in St. Francis’ life.
His body is deteriorating rapidly. The pain from the Wounds, as years later our brother St. Pio of Pietrelcina would say about his wounds, were not given to him as ornaments. No pain no gain, to put it bluntly. There can be no Resurrection with no death. Francis’ pains and proximity to eternity, help him to view creation from a totally different perspective. The Canticle we are meditating is an example of this.
Having praised God in the mighty signs of the heavens – sun and moon and stars – Francis praises the Wind that is a sign and synbol of the transforming presence of God and empowering “breath” of the Holy Spirit. Having come from the heavens to the winds and air that surround us, Francis now praises another element so necessary for life: Sister Water.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water, who is very useful, and humble, and precious and chaste.
We have several ways to consider the praise of God for Sister Water. We consider water as essential element for the origin of life. We consider the various ways water is useful to humanity and how we learn to respect what it gives and even more what it can do. We consider water from a sacramental as well as liturgical perspective. Sister Water has so much to tell us, if we would only listen to her speaking in the rain, the snow, the rivers, the lakes, the streams, the vastness of the oceans and so much more. Do we take time to really open our eyes to listen? What we see speaks volumes, and loudly. Water is so common that we fail to recognize and value “her” as we should.
The praises that Francis gives to God for the gift of Sister Water really needs no explanation at first. We know that the body cannot live without water. We can live much longer without food than we can without water. Water and other properties is the environment in which a baby lives before he/she is born. Without this fluid there is no life. But there is also another reality that goes beyond this essential truth.
The poet in St. Francis remembers his walks through the hills and mountains. If you have ever seen the source of a spring, or cupped your hands to drink from a mountain spring, unadulterated by the care-less-ness of humanity, you would understand the adjectives Francis uses. They express his respect for the gift of water. They express his awareness of how God speaks to us through creation. In use, misuse or abuse, we reap the harvest of how we treat God’s gifts. God is the source of good. Use what is good badly and the consequences can be devastating.
Praise to you, my Lord, for all your gifts. May we be grateful enough for your goodness to respect and use appropriately all you entrusted to us.
Francis says that Sister Water is humble, precious, and chaste. Just think of Water here as a symbol of our lives each consecrated to the vocation we have received and accepted: humble obedience to God’s Word, precious poverty and detachment, chaste acceptance of the dignity and respect due of all human beings. The crystalline freshness of water at its source is a sign and symbol of the spiritual freshness and transparency of the love of those who surrender themselves totally consecrated to the Will of God: single, married, religious, priest, and so on. For the transparency and freshness of a life consecrated to fulfilling God’s Will, we all are called to listen to one another (obedience), to value the person more than things (poverty) and to respect the dignity of each person (chaste).
Humble – Water surrounds and protects us from the beginning of our existence. It cleanses our bodies, helps in cooking, needed for drinking to stay allive. The water that cleanses helps to heal certain injuries, and helps to avoid contracting some illnesses and diseases. St. Francis was quite aware of the tragedy of leprosy that destroyed lives because of filth and malnutrition, among other things. Water is soothing, refreshing, restores life. Without water you die! Hospitals learned relatively recently in medicine that the washed clean hands of a doctor was the cause of many patients be saved. This is why politicians in developing countries promise to bring clean water and water purifying plants. Even the uneducated in science and medicine know that water can save lives for the reasons given above, and so much more. Water is so humble because it lets itself be used in many versatile ways for the benefit of others who often take it for granted.
Precious – Suffice the few examples above to note how precious water is to life and the well being of people and animals.
Whether minimal moisture or the rains at the proper season, without water, food that sustains the world and keeps animals healthy and alive dies. What can be more precious than this?
St. Francis knew how cutting a water supply to a city was the beginning of its downfall during the city-state wars, in which he also took part. His first-hand knowledge remained more vivid.
Water was not destroyed in Noah’s time. Water was God’s the instrument of His purifying will.
The water creatures continued to live, and the world was submerged (cfr Genesis 6 and 7) until such time as the purification by water had succeeded.
The Waters of the Red Sea that opened for the People of God to pass safely to freedom from slavery, the purifying baths of the High Priests and Levites, the water turned into wine at Cana, the healing waters of Bethesda, and other examples, all point to the sacredness of water as well as its power.
But a word St. Francis uses can be somewhat revealing of deeper thoughts regarding this essential in life. She is chaste.
Chaste – The word itself may be used in various ways. Chaste may mean to be totally itself with nothing extra. It also can meantransparent, clear, pristine, lucid, and more. Nevertheless, praising the transparency and freshness of the waters from on high that refresh the body and give pleasure to the soul, one cannot help but imagine St. Francis seeing St. Clare in this imagery. She truly lived her name. According to Thomas of Celano, Clare was Clara nomine, vita clarior, clarissima moribus (clear by name, brighter by lifestyle, resplendent in character). Clare was Clara in natura, clarior in fama, clarissima in gratia (transparent by nature, brighter by fame, and resplendent in grace). How could St. Francis not have thought of St. Clare whom he and the friars admired and loved as a sister? They often asked her advice and readily sought her prayers and that of the sisters with her.
The Order came from a number of individuals, each with his own story. Clare seeks the solitude of the Gospel Life in the clarity of its basic form, to live Jesus. Consider St. Francis nearing death. His eyesight fails but not his foresight and insight. He recognizes the clarity of soul in Clare. The crystalline water is a reminder of the beauty and freshness of creation unadulterated by human disregard and that of Clare’s beautiful soul.
His soul takes flight thinking of God’s goodness in creating the refreshing gift of water that is also the means of our Re-birth in Baptism. Water is necessary for human life, and it is so also essential for our Spiritual Life. In the waters of Baptism we become children of God blessed to share in the redeeming Blood of Jesus.
The following reflection on the Biblical Meaning of Water: A Deep Dive into Its Spiritual Significance is worth reading for its simplicity and depth. It was posted by Sophia Rose on 02/21/2025
Water is one of the most recurring and powerful symbols in the Bible. It’s everywhere—from the creation story in Genesis to the final vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation. But what does water really mean in a biblical context? Why does it hold such a profound spiritual significance? If you’ve ever wondered about the deeper meaning behind this essential element, you’re in the right place.
Let’s explore the biblical meaning of water together, and by the end, you’ll see it in a whole new light.
Water as a Symbol of Life
When you think of water, what comes to mind? For most of us, it’s the essence of life. Without water, nothing can survive. The Bible echoes this truth. In the very beginning, in Genesis 1:2, we see the Spirit of God hovering over the waters. Water is present even before light, land, or living creatures. It’s the foundation of creation.
In John 4:14, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Here, water symbolizes eternal life—a gift from God that quenches our deepest spiritual thirst.
Think about it: just as your body needs water to survive, your soul needs the living water of Christ to thrive. It’s a beautiful reminder that God is the source of all life, both physical and spiritual.
Water as a Symbol of Cleansing and Purification
Have you ever felt the need for a fresh start? Water in the Bible often represents cleansing and purification. In the Old Testament, water was used in rituals to purify people and objects. For example, Leviticus 14:8-9 describes how a person cleansed from a skin disease must wash their clothes, bathe in water, and be pronounced clean.
This theme continues in the New Testament with baptism. When John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17), it wasn’t just a symbolic act—it was a powerful declaration of repentance and new beginnings. Baptism represents the washing away of sin and the start of a new life in Christ.
Even today, when you see water used in baptism, it’s a reminder that God can wash away your past and give you a fresh start. It’s a tangible expression of His grace and forgiveness.
Water as a Symbol of God’s Provision
Have you ever been in a desert—literally or figuratively? In the Bible, water often appears in moments of desperation, symbolizing God’s provision. Take the story of the Israelites in the wilderness. After fleeing Egypt, they found themselves in a barren land with no water. They cried out to Moses, and God provided water from a rock (Exodus 17:6).
This miracle wasn’t just about physical survival; it was a lesson in trust. God was showing His people that He would provide for their needs, even in the most impossible situations. When you feel like you’re in a desert season, remember this story. God can bring water—hope, provision, and relief—even in the driest places of your life.
Water as a Symbol of Chaos and Judgment
While water often symbolizes life and blessing, it can also represent chaos and judgment. In the story of Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6-9), God uses a flood to cleanse the earth of its wickedness. The waters here are both destructive and purifying—a reminder that God is sovereign over all creation.
Similarly, in Revelation 21:1, John sees a vision of a new heaven and a new earth, where “there was no longer any sea.” Some scholars interpret this as the absence of chaos and evil in the new creation. Water, in this context, serves as a reminder that God’s justice will ultimately prevail.
Water as a Symbol of the Holy Spirit
One of the most profound meanings of water in the Bible is its connection to the Holy Spirit. In John 7:37-39, Jesus stands up on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles and declares, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The Gospel writer explains that Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit.
This imagery is powerful. Just as water sustains life, the Holy Spirit sustains our spiritual lives. He refreshes, renews, and empowers us to live out our faith. When you feel spiritually dry, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you like a flowing river.
To help you visualize the different meanings of water in the Bible, here’s a handy table:
| Symbolism |
Biblical Example |
Key Verse |
| Life |
Creation, Jesus as living water |
John 4:14 |
| Cleansing/Purification |
Baptism, ritual washings |
Matthew 3:13-17 |
| Provision |
Water from the rock, Elijah and the widow |
Exodus 17:6 |
| Chaos/Judgment |
Noah’s flood, parting of the Red Sea |
Genesis 7:11-12 |
| Holy Spirit |
Rivers of living water |
John 7:37-39 |
1.Why is water so important in the Bible? – Water is a universal symbol of life, cleansing, and renewal. In the Bible, it’s used to illustrate spiritual truths, such as God’s provision, the cleansing of sin, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
- What does “living water” mean in the Bible? – “Living water” refers to the spiritual life and refreshment that comes from Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It’s a metaphor for eternal life and the transformative power of faith.
- How does baptism relate to the biblical meaning of water? – Baptism uses water as a symbol of repentance, cleansing, and new life in Christ. It represents the washing away of sin and the believer’s identification with Jesus’ death and resurrection.
- What does water from the rock symbolize? – Water from the rock (Exodus 17:6) symbolizes God’s provision and faithfulness. It reminds us that God can meet our needs, even in the most challenging circumstances.
- Why is there no sea in the new heaven and new earth (Revelation 21:1)? – The absence of the sea in the new creation symbolizes the end of chaos, evil, and separation from God. It represents the perfect peace and order of God’s eternal kingdom. (here ends the work of Sophia Rose)
Francis was a man whose whole life was centered on the Word of God in Jesus, the Gospel. The words of the Word Incarnate confect, through the priest, the bread and wine to become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. The waters of Baptism brought us into not only the proximity of friendship with God but also the intimacy of being one with the Son of God Whose very Person becomes one with those who receive Him in the Eucharist. Francis knew the awesome power of water, both physically and above all spiritually. How could he not remember the beauty God manifests, celebrate it in his canticle, and surrender himself to the Great I AM yesterday, today, and always? Through the purity of water, he saw the vastness of the transforming revelation of God and His Word, clarification of our relationship with Him through Christ in the Holy Spirit, and the promise of future glory that is for all who receive the saving waters.
Praise be You, my Lord God, for the freshness of the waters of your grace that cleanses us, refreshes us, and make us whole.
May the Lenten Season be a journey of joy fulfilled in Him with Whom we share the journey from Ashes to Golgotha. As we die with Him to ourselves, may the Easter joy we will celebrate in April be an ever-resounding hymn in our hearts and lives.
Happy Lent to all the Penitents of Assisi.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 16th, 2025 JOYFUL GOSPEL LIVING – FEBRUARY 16, 2025
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
“Blessed are you…”
Bronze Sculpture “Angels Unaware” by Timothy Schmalz
Installed in St Peter’s Square (Vatican City – Rome, Italy) on September 29, 2019 (105th World Day of Migrants & Refugees)
My parish is very blessed to have a large and active Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) ministering in our local community. Through the actions of many dedicated volunteers and generous donors, SVDP provides temporary and ongoing assistance to families who experience many challenges with critical food supplies, affordable housing, and basic needs for survival. This ministry is a mutual blessing–to the guests who come for aid and to those volunteers who are a Christ-like presence of solidarity to them..
This weekend, our Scripture readings remind us that we are called to live a God-centered life. When we completely place our trust in God, we are truly alive. Our daily experiences are transformed because we see things differently. We become aware of the blessings in our midst. This awareness then fills us with gratitude while re-ordering what we value in life.
Because we are in the liturgical cycle of the Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus offers us four blessings (“Be-Attitudes”) and four woes in this weekend’s Gospel, promising that those who are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, and insulted will rejoice and be glad. God notices those people with great love and attention, and He bestows blessings upon them. Alternatively, the woes are a caution for those who may not be paying attention to the needs around them.
The Beatitudes are the blueprint for the Church’s teachings on social justice. There are seven themes to Catholic Social Teaching, all based on the Church’s understanding of human life and human dignity. They play a central role in shaping pastoral priorities throughout the Church—for the rich and the poor alike.
On February 20th, the United Nations will mark the World Day of Social Justice. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has 19 committees that carry out specific mandates in support of its spiritual goals. One of those committees is the International Justice and Peace Committee, led by Bishop Elias Zaidan, Bishop of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon. This committee, focused on social justice, also has eight other diocesan bishops or auxiliary bishops who support this mission:
“Sharing and promoting the social teachings of the Church, especially on global solidarity, human development, human rights, religious freedom, and war and peace.”
When we meet people who experience great need, whether domestic or international, we are called to act with justice and to care for our neighbors with love and mercy (Hint: This is an ancient and enduring message from the Prophet Micah of the Hebrew Scriptures). Sometimes, Christ’s Gospel can put us into conflict with secular or political agendas. From our baptism, though, our sacramental life in the Church sends us forth as disciples (and prophets) on Christ’s mission to build the Kingdom of God here and now.
A link on the USCCB’s Justice and Peace website calls Catholic disciples on mission to put Two Feet of Love in Action. This program was inspired by two encyclicals of Pope Benedict XVI, with a vision of putting Christian charity into daily practices. What does it mean to put two feet in action? It is a deliberate walk of discipleship:
Concerns the social, political, and economic aspects and, above all, the structural dimension of problems and their respective solutions” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 201). We step with this foot when we work to address the root causes of problems facing our communities by advocating for just public policies and helping to change the social structures that contribute to suffering and injustice at home and around the world.
Charitable Works are our “response to immediate needs and specific situations: feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for and healing the sick, visiting those in prison, etc.” (Deus Caritas Est, no. 31). We step with the Charitable Works foot when we work to aid or assist others both locally and globally to meet their immediate needs. Examples include engaging in direct service or providing food, clothing, shelter, or monetary assistance to help those in need.
As we hear Jesus’ teaching this weekend, what can we do to be better disciples? First, we need to become better listeners, but with an attitude of listening to the voice of God rather than other voices that may not embrace the Church’s fundamental teachings. We also need to see the world differently with eyes that look for the concealed needs that are waiting for us to notice. To hear and see differently, it helps to pray regularly for God to bless us with understanding hearts (prayer resource from the USCCB website):
Loving Father, open our hearts to hidden realities:
Your love for all people,
Your presence in the community,
Your call to justice and peace.
May the sacraments stir in us
that same love for those with whom we worship
and all members of our human family.
Christ Jesus, help us to imitate Your example:
healing the sick, welcoming the stranger, assisting the poor and vulnerable.
May the sacraments remind us of Your love and self-giving,
which we strive to imitate.
Holy Spirit, make visible to our eyes what is invisible:
Your call to Your people,
Your summons to live our faith daily as witnesses of justice and peace.
May the sacraments move us to engage in love-inspired action that transforms us and the world.
Amen.
As the Jubilee Year 2025 continues, pilgrims of hope are on a shared journey of solidarity and openness to God’s goodness. The responsorial psalm is a great jubilee reminder of how we can walk with two feet:
“Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.”
Peace and all good,
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 11th, 2025 St. Katharine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
February 2025
Pope Francis Prayer for the Holy Year 2025
From within both humanity and the Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us in Your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity
enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of Your Kingdom.
May Your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,
when, with the powers of Evil vanquished,
Your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace
spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
To You our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise for ever.
Amen
Daily excerpts continue from the Assisi Compilation 23-36, daily quotes from various sources
23-26 THE DWELLINGS OF THE BROTHERS SHOULD BE POOR; ABOUT FURNISHINGS, BOOKS, AND BEDS
1 – He taught his] brothers to make poor little dwellings out of wood, and not stone, and how to build these huts according to a crude sketch. He did not want the brothers to live in any place unless it had a definite owner who held the property rights. He always wanted to have the law of pilgrims for his sons.
– God says to us: With your very wounds I will heal you.
2 – This man not only hated pretense in houses; he also abhorred having many or fine furnishings in them. He disliked anything, in tables or dishes, that recalled the ways of the world. He wanted everything to sing of exile and pilgrimage.
– Never fear shadows. They simply mean there’s light shining somewhere nearby.
3 – He taught that in books the testimony of the Lord, not value, should be sought, edification rather than elegance. He wanted few books kept, and these should be available to the brothers who needed them.
– All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.
4 – Finally, beds and coverings abounded in such plentiful poverty that if a brother had a ragged sheet over some straw he considered it a bridal couch.
– Give me faith, Lord, and let me help others find it.
27 HE REBUKES A BROTHER WHO TOUCHED COINS LEFT AT THE PORTIUNCULA
5 – While this true friend of God completely despised all worldly things, he detested money above all. From the beginning of his conversion, he despised money particularly and encouraged his followers to flee from it always as from the devil himself. He gave his followers this observation: money and manure are equally worthy of love.
– Lord teach me to be generous.
6 – Now it happened one day that a layman came to pray in the church of Saint Mary of the Portiuncula and placed some money by the cross as an offering. When he left, one of the brothers simply picked it up with his hand and threw it on the windowsill. What the brother had done reached the saint, and he, seeing he had been caught, ran to ask forgiveness, threw himself to the ground, and offered himself to be whipped.
– A humble knowledge of myself is a surer way to God than a search after learning.
7 – The saint rebuked him and reprimanded him severely for touching coins. He ordered him to pick up the money from the windowsill with his own mouth, take it outside the fence of that place, and with his mouth to put it on the donkey’s manure pile.
– If I saw myself as my friends and other people see me, I would need an introduction.
8 – While that brother was gladly carrying out this command, fear filled the hearts of the rest who heard it. From then on, all of them held in even greater contempt what had been so equated with manure and were encouraged to despise it by new examples every day.
– It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it I a calamity not to dream.
28-30 HIS EXHORTATIONS ABOUT AVOIDING SOFT CLOTHING AND ENDURING LACK OF NECESSITIES
9 – Clothed with power this man was warmed more by divine fire on the inside than by what covered his body on the outside. He detested those in the Order who dressed in three layers of clothing or who wore soft clothes without necessity.
– It is better to be patient than powerful.
10 – As for “necessity” not based on reason but on pleasure, he declared that it was a sign of a spirit that was extinguished. “When the spirit is lukewarm,” he said, “and gradually growing cold as it moves from grace, flesh and blood inevitably seek their own interests.
– It is better to win control over yourself than over whole cities.
10 – When the soul finds no delight, what is left except for the flesh to look for some? Then the base instinct covers itself with the excuse of necessity, and the mind of the flesh forms the conscience.”
– I thank God for my handicaps, for through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God.
11 – And he added: ”Let’s say one of my brothers encounters a real necessity: he is affected by some need. If he rushes to satisfy it, what reward will he get? He found an occasion for merit, but clearly showed that he did not like it.”
– Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things “turn out”!
12 – With these and similar words he pierced those who would not tolerate necessity. He taught that not bearing patiently with need is the same as returning to Egypt. He did not want the brothers to have more than two tunics under any circumstances, and these he allowed to be mended with patches sewn on them. He ordered the brothers to shun fine fabrics, and those who acted to the contrary he rebuked publicly with biting words.
– Bing shots are only little shots who keep shooting.
13 – To confound them by his example, he sewed sackcloth on his own rough tunic and at his death he asked that the tunic for his funeral be covered in cheap sackcloth. But he allowed brothers pressed by illness or other necessity to wear a soft tunic next to the skin, as long as rough and cheap clothing was kept on the outside. For he said: “A time will come when strictness will be relaxed, and tepidity will hold such sway, that sons of a poor father will not be the least ashamed to wear even velvet cloth, just changing the color.
– Make sure the thing that you’re living for is worth dying for.
31 HE GIVES AWAY A MANTLE TO A POOR WOMAN
14 – In Celano at winter time, Saint Francis was wearing a piece of folded cloth as a cloak, which a friend of the brothers had lent him. While he was at the palace of the bishop of the Marsi, an old woman came up to him begging for alms. He quickly unfastened the cloth from his neck, and, although it belonged to someone else, he gave it to the poor old woman, saying: “Go and make yourself a tunic; you really need it.”
– Nothing is profane down here for those who know how to see. On the contrary everything is sacred.
15 – The old woman laughed; she was stunned—I don’t know if it was out of fear or joy—and took the piece of cloth from his hands. She ran off quickly, so that delay might not bring the danger of having to give it back, and cut it with scissors.
– A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands.
16 – But when she saw that the cut cloth would not be enough for a tunic, she returned to the saint, knowing his earlier kindness to a degree, and showed him that the material was not enough. The saint turned his eyes on his companion, who had just the same cloth covering his back. “Brother,” he said, “do you hear what this old woman is saying? For the love of God, let us bear with the cold! Give the poor woman the cloth so she can finish her tunic.”
– God’s presence is not discerned at the time that it is upon us, but afterward when we look back.
17 – He gave his; the companion offered his as well; and both were left naked, so the old woman could be clothed.
– God exists within us even more intimately than we exist within ourselves.
32 RETURNING FROM SIENA HE GIVES A MANTLE TO A POOR MAN
18 – Another time, when he was coming back from Siena, he met a poor man, and said to his companion: “We must give back to this poor man the mantle that is his. We accepted it on loan until we should happen to find someone poorer than we are.”
– God is an unutterable sigh, lying in the depth of the heart.
19 – The companion, seeing the need of his pious father, stubbornly objected that he should not provide for someone else by neglecting himself. But he said to him: “I do not want to be a thief; we will be accused of theft if we do not give to someone in greater need.” So his companion gave in, and he gave up the mantle.
– Lord, put into my heart an unshakeable conviction that you have a place for me, even though I might not yet know it.
33 AT THE “LE CELLE” DI CORTONA THE BROTHERS HAVE TO RANSOM HIS MANTLE FROM A POOR MAN
20 – A similar thing happened at “Le Celle” of Cortona. Blessed Francis was wearing a new mantle that the brothers had gone to some trouble to find for him. A poor man came to the place weeping for his dead wife and his poor little family that was left desolate. The saint said to him: “I’m giving you this cloak for the love of the Son of God, but on the condition that you do not hand it over to anyone unless they pay well for it.”
– Ideal are like stars, you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but following them you will reach your destiny.
21 – The brothers immediately came running to take the mantle away and prevent this donation. But the poor man, taking courage from the father’s look, clutched it with both hands and defended it as his own. In the end the brothers had to redeem the mantle, and the poor man left after getting his price.
— Unless there is within us that which is above us, we shall soon succumb to that which is about us.
34 HE GIVES A MANTLE TO A POOR MAN, ON THE CONDITION THAT HE PARDON HIS MASTER
22 – Once when he was at Colleb in the county of Perugia, Saint Francis met a poor man whom he had known before in the world. He asked him: “Brother, how are you doing?” The man malevolently began to heap curses on his lord, who had taken away everything he had. “Thanks to my lord, may the Almighty Lord curse him, I’m very bad off!” Blessed Francis felt more pity for the man’s soul, rooted in mortal hatred, than for his body.
– All people should learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.
23 – He said to him: “Brother, forgive your lord for the love of God, so you may set your soul free, and it may be that he will return to you what he has taken. Otherwise you will lose not only your property but also your soul.” He replied: “I can’t entirely forgive him unless he first gives back what he took.”
– People may doubt what we say, but they will believe what we do.
24 – Blessed Francis had a mantle on his back, and said to him: “Here, I’ll give you this cloak, and beg you to forgive your lord for the love of the Lord God.” The man’s mood sweetened, and, moved by this kindness, he took the gift and forgave the wrongs.
– Lord, put into my heart the desire to get involved in your plan, regardless of what it may cost me.
35 – 36 HE EXPLAINS A PASSAGE FROM EZECHIEL TO A BROTHER PREACHER
25 – While he was staying in Siena, someone from the Order of Preachers happened to arrive; he was a spiritual man and a Doctor of Sacred Theology. He visited blessed Francis, and he and the holy man enjoyed a long and sweet conversation about the words of the Lord.
– What most people tend to forget is that we have unbelievable control over our destiny.
26 – This teacher asked him about the words of Ezekiel: If you do not warn the wicked man about his wickedness, I will hold you responsible for his soul. I’m acquainted with many people, good father, who live in mortal sin, as I’m aware. But I don’t always warn them about their wickedness. Will I then be held responsible for their souls?”
– Today’s decision is tomorrow’s reality.
27 – Blessed Francis then said that he was an unlettered man, and it would be better for him to be taught by the other rather than to answer a question about Scripture. But that humble teacher replied: “Brother, it’s true I have heard these words explained by some wise men; still, I’d be glad to hear how you understand it.”
– The enemy of the best is not the worst but the good enough.
28 – So blessed Francis said to him: “If that passage is supposed to be understood in a universal sense, then I understand it to mean that a servant of God should be burning with life and holiness so brightly, that by the light of example and the tongue of his conduct, he will rebuke all the wicked. In that way, I say, the brightness of his life and the fragrance of his reputation will proclaim their wickedness to all of them.” That man went away greatly edified, and said to the companions of blessed Francis: “My brothers, the theology of this man, held aloft by purity and contemplation, is a soaring eagle, while our learning crawls on its belly on the ground”.
– Life is God’s novel. Let God write it.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, OFM Cap
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 11th, 2025 St. Katharine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
February 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord grant you His peace.
An author was describing a childhood experience that left a lasting remembrance in him. He recounted that while walking one summer camp evening he became aware of the silence and how beautifully the birds were singing. He wondered why he had never heard them sing like this before. Continuing to walk, he came to a field. Everything was quiet and still. As he stood there, watching the sun slip into the horizon, he felt inclined to kneel down. It was as though God were there in a tangible way. He wrote later: “Now that I look back on it, it seems to me it was one of the decisive moments of my life”.
Earth is crammed with heaven, and every common bush aflame with God, and only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries (E.B.Browning).
What a wonderful world we live in, yet it can get so complicated and even frightening. The Act of Creation was majestic yet quite simple. God spoke and everything came into being. The exact way is not really important. What matters is the fact that Creation is the gift of God’s overflowing love. All elements of God’s creation worked in harmony with the will of the Creator. The elements we take for granted, in their pristine state, formed a wonderful image and likeness of the Creator. Each element enhanced the wonder and magnificence of the One Who spoke them into existence with His original let it be… and so it is … world without end.
In a world as beautiful as it was created to be, and as confusing as it seems to have become, we continue to strive, tripping along the way, to regain what we lost. God’s mercy knows no limits. Nevertheless, we must never presume God will treat us as “robots” who have no say in their own destiny, even if it concerns the eternal. God is with us all the way. God wills we be saved for eternity, not as puppets, but as His children informed and fully equipped to choose correctly whatever we truly will. We are awesomely made a little less than the angels (Psalm 8: 5), with a wonderful and dangerous personal power to say “no”, even to God, Our Father (Matthew 6: 9-13) and Creator (cfr 2 Maccabees 7: 23).
The Canticle of St. Francis praising God “in” and “through” God’s Creation follows a rather simple, yet logical and powerful procession of elements that are the foundation of life. The Canticle of the Creatures is an act of Faith St. Francis of Assisi puts into words. He reminds us that all creation speaks of God. The harmony in creation reminds us how everything works to lead us closer to a God Who is always with us. The sacredness of every time, place, thing, creature, and human is expressed so simply and beautifully in the Canticle of Brother Sun.
When St. Francis composed the Canticle of the Creatures, he was blind, in constant pain, and knew that his days were numbered. Yet his heart was filled with joy. The inner serenity and peace were with him because he recognized the awesome beauty of God and His creation. The Canticle is St. Francis of Assisi seeing with the eyes of his heart and singing the Lord’s praises. He understood that Brother Wind helps us to regain our composure by “shaking us up” from the lethargy of boredom, indifference, discouragement, and the like.
St. Francis praises God for being God. His praise soars to heaven. Similar to the Gospel of St. John, St. Francis acknowledges the eternity of God and praises the Lord for all He is as Eternal God. St. Francis praises God for being God: Highest, omnipotent good Lord! Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honor and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No human lips are worthy to pronounce Your name. St. Francis recognizes the attributes of the Creator in all creation. Their very existence manifests God’s overwhelming and Self-extending Love, God’s Mercy that encourages everything and everyone to support and complement one another in the diversity of creation and all creatures, God’s Providence establishes instinct and reason to seek what sustains and enhances life and all creation. He praises the God of Life in whom life is assured not just for survival in time but for fulfillment for all eternity. The Eternal One, Origin and Goal of all life, is present in mystery and history as creation journeys in time to a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21) in eternity. Praise be You my Lord God in all creation!
Once St. Francis acknowledges God’s wonder from above (Brother Sun and Sister Moon and the stars), he now turns to the created world in which he concretely lives. Praised be You, my Lord Through Brothers Wind and air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which You give sustenance to Your creatures.
The Brother Wind often signifies God’s presence, strength, and will for His people. The wind has an undeniably significant role to play in the life of all creation. The wind is a powerful sign of God’s sovereign power, capable of bringing about significant change in the world and people’s lives.
-When the Israelites were trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land (Exodus 14: 21). The Israelites walked between the water columns to safety and liberation from slavery ready to begin a new life. (freedom)
-Elijah, feeling alone and discouraged, sought the Lord. A great wind tore the mountains and broke rocks to pieces. It preceded the still small voice (1Kings 19: 12) of God’s reassuring presence. (security)
-The mighty winds over the Sea of Galilee threatened the lives of the Apostles riding in the boat. Jesus walks on the water toward the boat and with a word calms the storm for the Apostles (Mark 4: 35-41, Matthew 8: 23-27, Luke 8: 22-25) demonstrating his authority over creation and his ability to bring peace in the midst of life’s storms. (safety)
-The Acts of the Apostles describes a sound like a mighty rushing wind (Acts 2: 2) shaking the place where the disciples were gathered and marked the outpouring of the Spirit and the birth of the Church preparing believers for their mission in the world. (empowerment)
-The Book of Revelation speaks of the four angels holding back the four winds of the earth (Revelation 7: 1) symbolizing God’s control over the forces of judgment and His timing in bringing about the end of the age. (fulfillment)
St. Francis was quite aware of the power of the wind and a certain sequence of events when the Wind leads the way. After the storm comes the calm. Struggling through and challenged by the strength of the “transforming breath of God in nature”. The atmosphere calms, the air is cleansed of debris. The freshness, calm and serenity that follow allow us to be grateful the tense moments have passed. We understand the invisible yet tangible nature of the Lord’s work in the world and in our lives. We become more attentive to the subtle movement of God’s Spirit and we marvel at His awesome power.
The word for wind, found in the original manuscripts of the Bible, refer to wind of nature, breath of life, and spirit of God or of the soul. The intimate connection in Scripture between God’s Spirit and the wind suggests that wherever we experience the wind, we can be reminded of God’s presence.
–The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2). We are reminded of God’s creative power and His active presence at the very beginning of all things. (creative)
-The Prophet Ezekiel at God’s command cries out: Come forth from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain that they may live (Ezekiel 37: 9). (resurrection)
–The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit (John 3: 8). The sovereign unpredictable nature of God’s work in our lives, reminds us that while we may not always understand or control the Spirit’s movement, we can trust in its transformative power. (transformation)
-Pentecost manifests the most dramatic power of the wind. The Holy Spirit is described as a sound like a mighty rushing wind that filled the entire house (Acts 2: 2). This marked the fulfillment of Christ’s promise and empowering the Church for Her mission. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28: 19-20).
(great commission)
As we cultivate a sensitivity to the “divine wind (breath)” in our lives, we learn to discern God’s guidance and empowerment. This Divine Breath of God’s Spirit drives us even into the unknown. The “Wind” has cleared the way for us. We experience the “air” through which we live and move and have our being (Acts 17: 28). The “air” praised in God by St. Francis, can be seen as nothing less than our lives cleared by the powerful breath (wind) of the Spirit of God. Gifted with that Spirit we minister in His Name.
Both wind and air often refer to the Holy Spirit. One speaks of the power to transform. The other speaks of the simplicity in which we can minister. The clouds darken the power of the sun and are usually dissipated quickly because of the sun’s rays. We accept the challenges of each day. We accept even those days that are not as clear and fulfilling as we would hope. Nevertheless, the winds have cleared the atmosphere and with the freshness of the air that surrounds us, we continue to witness our faith. Even the storms of life like the storms of nature are actually helpful at their own time. Had we only stopped trying to artificially affect and had respected the God-given powers of nature, we may not have seen as many tragic “natural” tragedies. Nature follows “its nature”. If we respect the forces of nature created by God, nature will respect us.
St. Francis was composing his Canticle not as a meteorologist but as a faith-filled poet and lover of God. His song was the exuding joy of a heart enamored with God. The Winds of earth no doubt reminded him of the contentious “winds of dissention” he encountered among the brotherhood concerning the Rule: these “winds” demanded he alter aspects of the life God asked be lived without gloss, without gloss, without gloss; these “winds” that shook the hearts of those struggling with authenticity, austerity, and adaptability made St. Francis even prophesy the severe shake up of the Order through the centuries; the winds of Church assistance/interference which challenged the authority of the founder concerning the authenticity of his spiritual experiences with God; the winds of growth in the Order that demanded a more global awareness of the Brotherhood and the modifications being demanded by friars, which seemed to “prompt Jesus” to give our Seraphic Father (feeling sad for what seemed a rejection of the Gospel Life the Lord him to live) what he heard-believed-was living) a “stand-up-for-Jesus-talk”. The voice of Jesus spoke to St. Francis saying: Francis whose Order is this, mine or yours? The winds that shake the very roots of a person, family, Order, Church, world are not always evil. These moments and experiences serve to open our minds and hearts to see clearly the truth of what we believe, and offer us the opportunity to be transparent and candid in our response.
Once we’ve “weathered the storm”, we are able to enjoy the freshness of the air, calm and serene, even on cloudy and inclement days, because we bask in the light of the Son of God. He fills our lives with a freshness that is like wings under our feet raising us to new heights that praise God in all His varied ways of being present to us. Once the spiritual air we breathe has been rid of all that could stifle us, we can now walk swiftly with soft step (St. Clare letter to St. Agnes of Prague) in the gentleness of the atmosphere that surrounds us wherever we go. The air we breathe, freed by the powerful wind of God’s Spirit, envelopes us with God’s providence, refreshes us with God’s mercy, and restores us in God’s love. The wind changes the atmosphere of clutter, so the air may caress the soul and one’s very life with new spirit and life (cfr. Ezekiel 36: 26; Romans 8: 2).
The Canticle of the Creatures has so many thoughts that fill the hearts of the spiritual children of St. Francis of Assisi. What an encouragement it must have been for St. Francis to write at least part if not all of the Canticle at San Damiano. The gentleness and love of our holy Mother St. Clare was a strength and consolation for St. Francis. Like gentle breeze, Clare gave a sense of serenity and peace to Francis. She was a woman of strength. Her faithfulness to the Gospel Life and total surrender to God in prayer, contemplation, and distancing from the world, were and encouragement for St. Francis not to doubt what he believed and suffered for, even from his own friars. Clare had given all she had to follow the ideal of the Gospel Life. Now, resting and reflecting in this place of contemplation, his body was worn, but his spirit took flight into God as he saw God everywhere. You cannot experience what you are not willing to bear and offer. To reflect and summarize so beautifully an expression of such love for God in all creation, one must be in love with love and see all as loveable.
Praise be you, my Lord, for all that is. In You we live and move and have our being. Through the simplest to the most complex You are the one constant that makes all be, happen, become, live!
May we Franciscans never lose that childlike “lunacy” of the Poverello of Assisi. He challenges us to see the world with the eyes of Christ. God-made-man sees creation as a part of let-it-be and knows that all is a participation in the life of the Great I Am!
My Sisters and Brothers, may God bless us in Himself and all creation. May our Mother Mary and good St. Joseph intercede for us. May our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi and our Holy Mother St. Clare guide, guard, and protect us and all our loved ones.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, OFM Cap
Regional Spiritual Assistant
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