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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 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 October 4th, 2024 Joyful Gospel Living
“All have one origin.”
 While driving home last week, I passed the historic John Woolman house on Branch Street in Mount Holly, NJ (Burlington County), where a large sign on their picket fence announced that the first Sunday of October was World Quaker Day. Knowing the history of the Quakers in our town and the annual celebration of this event, I checked the internet to see what the 2024 theme was. For their global celebration, the Society of Friends had chosen “Living the Spirit of Ubuntu.” The Zulu word “Ubuntu” declares “I am one because we are one.”
In their weaving document (tapestry) for the celebration, the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) wrote, “Ubuntu is about unity in our diversity. Our diversity is what makes us rich and vibrant: we are all equal and beloved in Christ Jesus.” This keen focus on community was a compelling call to work for justice, finding peace through listening to the stories of others and healing for past injustices.
In his letter to the Hebrews on the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, St. Paul describes the humility of Jesus in taking our human nature, with His willingness to suffer, so that we might learn the way of salvation: “He who consecrates and those who are being consecrated all have one origin. Therefore, He is not ashamed to call them ‘brothers’ [and ‘sisters’].” On this first Sunday of October, we Catholics can also appreciate the meaning of “Ubuntu” with our Quaker friends, because we all share one origin in God, who made us in the Divine image and loves us unconditionally. This openness to others is the very work of the Holy Spirit in making us one.
Ordinarily, the Church would joyfully celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7th. Sadly, though, this is the second year that this feast day is marred by the ongoing violence in the Holy Land where the Blessed Mother was born and gave birth to our Savior, Jesus Christ. The violence began with an unsuspecting terror attack on Jewish villages that led to death, destruction, and kidnapping of hostages. The war then continued to escalate, as well as in other parts of the world where people long to live “ubuntu.”
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a Franciscan friar who has ministered in the Holy Land for many years. In his September 26th letter to the faithful of his diocese, the Patriarch made this appeal for unified prayer, knowing that faithful Christians in Gaza and the West Bank have suffered greatly during the difficult months of war and deprivation:
“We too have a duty to commit ourselves to peace, first by preserving our hearts from all feelings of hatred, and instead cherishing the desire for good for everyone. By committing ourselves, each in our own community contexts and in the forms we can, we should support those in need, help those who are personally invested to alleviate the suffering caused by this war, and promote every action of peace, reconciliation, and encounter. Yet we also need to pray, to bring our pain and our desire for peace to God. We need to convert, to do penance, and to implore forgiveness. Therefore, I invite you to a day of prayer, fasting, and penance on October 7th, a date that has become symbolic of the drama that we are experiencing.”
In our daily prayers, we should strive to practice the “Little Way” of St. Théresè of Lisieux, who taught us to be childlike in our relationship with God. Through humility, we open ourselves to trust more fully in God and to allow His grace to penetrate our innermost being. As the Patriarch said so well, we do need to be converted from our self-centered focus and to imagine what God has planned for those who love Him. Just imagine the power of this prayer when people of good will throughout the world put their hearts, minds, and spirits behind the words…
Prayer for peace
Lord our God, Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Father of all mankind,
Who in the cross of Your Son and through the gift of His own life,
at great cost You wished to destroy the wall of enmity and hostility
that separates peoples and makes us enemies:
Send into our hearts the gift of the Holy Spirit,
that He may purify us from every feeling of violence, hatred and revenge,
enlighten us to understand the irrepressible dignity of every human person,
and inflame us to the point of consumption for a peaceful and reconciled world
in truth and justice, in love and freedom.
Almighty and eternal God,
in Your hands are the hopes of all and the rights of every people:
Assist with Your wisdom those who govern us, so that, with Your help,
they will become sensitive to the sufferings of the poor
and of those who suffer the consequences of violence and war;
may they promote the common good
and lasting peace in our region and throughout the earth.
Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope,
obtain the gift of peace for the Holy Land
that gave birth to you and for the whole world. Amen.
During this October month of the Holy Rosary, let us take time to pray for all those throughout the world who are suffering because of unjust wars, indifference, fear-filled evacuations for their safety, gross human indignities, and senseless loss of loved ones:
“May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives!”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
October 6, 2024
Posted By Teresa Redder, on June 9th, 2024 Blessings of peace and all good!
On June 9, 2024, Jennifer Drees, OFS (Regional Formation Director) presided at the Chapter of Elections for Blessed Sacrament Fraternity in Whiting, NJ. The ecclesial witness was Br. Noel Danielewicz, OFM Conv, the delegate for Fr. Francis Sariego, OFM Cap.
With great joy, we announce the next Executive Council for this fraternity for the next three years:
| Minister |
Rose Viragh, OFS |
Returning |
| Vice-Minister |
Tiffany Menendez, OFS |
Returning |
| Secretary |
Mira Welnowska, OFS |
Returning |
| Treasurer |
Margaret Garvin, OFS |
Returning |
| Formation Director |
Maureen Fantauzzo, OFS |
Returning |
| Councilor-at-Large |
Theresa Langan, OFS |
Newly Elected |
| Councilor-at-Large |
Frank Wagner, OFS |
Newly Elected |
 
Left to right: Br. Noel Danielewicz, OFM Conv (Ecclesial Witness); Tiffany Menendez, OFS (Vice-Minister); Margaret Garvin, OFS (Treasurer); Rose Viragh, OFS (Minister); Theresa Langan, OFS (Councilor-at-Large); Mira Welnowska, OFS (Secretary); Frank Wagner, OFS (Councilor-at-Large); Maureen Fantauzzo, OFS (Formation Director); and Jennifer Drees, OFS (SKD Regional Formation Director and Election Presider)
May God bless these willing and dedicated servant leaders with the Holy Spirit’s gifts to serve their fraternity and the Secular Franciscan Order with great courage and perseverance! We thank the five members of this fraternity who have returned to Council to serve their brothers and sisters, and we welcome the two new councilors-at-large into their new responsibilities of animating and guiding their fraternity with devotion to the holy Gospel!
Posted By Teresa Redder, on November 25th, 2023 Brothers and sisters,
Jen Drees, OFS (Regional Formation Director) has started monthly “office hours” with local fraternity formation directors. During their Zoom meetings, they have used a prayer resource from the National Fraternity USA website under “Pray with Us/Prayers for Fraternal Life.”
PRAYER-FOR-THE-SERVANT-LEADER
As many fraternities in our region prepare for their Chapters of Election, let us consider making this a part of our personal and communal prayer patterns. The very opening of this prayer is a testament to someone seeking out and desiring to do God’s will:
“Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Your own.”
Let us always be open to the Holy Spirit to guide and animate us at every level of fraternity!
Peace and all good,
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
St. Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Teresa Redder, on August 26th, 2023 Living the Good News
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
In the music issue of our parish hymnal (Today’s Missal), there is a beautiful hymn called “The Jesus Song” (#413). Tom Booth, the composer, based this song on the treasured Jesus Prayer and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. It seems like a simple song at first: two distinct parts that are repeated as a chant. Whenever I hear or sing this song, however, it reminds me of St. Peter affirming to Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” By singing from the heart, we tell Jesus that we trust in Him.
Earlier this month, my husband Jeff and I hosted a Zoom call for our monthly Franciscan Justice Circle. Each month, our Delaware Valley members choose a theme, and when we gather, we spend an hour in focusing on an important theme and sharing how it affects our lives.
In conjunction with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), the Catholic Climate Covenant organized a national conference between June 14th and July 27th with nine webinars. The theme for the conference was “Laudato Si’ and the US Catholic Church: A Conference Series on Our Common Home.” Several of our Circle members participated in these webinars. One of our members thought that the webinar on Ecological Spirituality was worthy of our attention in August, as it offered a spiritual prelude to the Season of Care for Creation (Sept. 1-Oct. 4). The presenter was Sr. Mary Beth Ingham, CSJ (General Superior, Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange).
The purpose of the national conference was to encourage a greater understanding of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform’s seven goals: (1) Response to the Cry of the Poor; (2) Ecological Economics; (3)Adoption of Sustainable Lifestyle; (4) Ecological Education; (5) Ecological Spirituality; (6) Community Resilience and Empowerment; and (7) Response to the Cry of the Earth.
This weekend, we are invited to reflect upon Christ in our lives—the Son of the living God. Where do we find Christ? Do we see God in all Creation? Are we good guardians of God’s Creation? Are we curious about Church teaching on how to care for our common home? If not, how do we get started?
Earlier this summer, the ecumenical Season of Creation website posted planning materials for this year’s celebration. In the introduction to the planning guide, the organizers expressed their vision:
“Each year from September 1 to October 4, the Christian family unites for this worldwide celebration of prayer and action to protect our common home. As followers of Christ from around the globe, we share a common call to care for creation. We are co-creatures and part of all that God has made. Our wellbeing is interwoven with the wellbeing of the Earth. We rejoice in this opportunity to safeguard our common home and all beings who share it. This year, the theme for the season is ‘Let justice and peace flow.’”
What is ecological spirituality? In order to appreciate its value in our lives, it requires discernment on our part. Like the encyclical Laudato Si’, it asks us to see the connection between care for the Earth and care for the poor—an integral ecology. To live in the spirit of ecological spirituality, we are to respond to Christ’s call to ongoing conversion of heart. Sr. Mary Beth used a quote from St. Francis of Assisi to open our eyes and hearts to the challenges that we face:
“Be conscious… of the wondrous state in which the Lord God has placed you, for He created you and formed you to the image of His beloved Son according to the body, and to His likeness according to the spirit. (Admonition 5)”
From the moment of our Baptism, we are formed into the Body of Christ and become God’s sons and daughters. We witness to the living Christ powerfully through the sacramental action of our Church. When we celebrate the Eucharist as a community, the Word of God and the Eucharist send us into the world with renewed purpose: to bring the light of Christ to the world. Sr. Mary Beth’s Powerpoint slides can be found in their entirety at this link:
“Ecological Spirituality” (PowerPoint Slides)
In the Season of Creation planning guide, there is a section devoted to quotes from ecumenical church leaders about the theme of “Let Justice and Peace Flow.” Each input reflects a deep appreciation for Christ as the Son of the living God. Here is one that invites us to commit our lives to Christ:
“This Season of Creation will be an opportunity to pray, reflect and act together as the People of God for our common home. Like tributaries joining forces to become a mighty river, the ecumenical family will come together on a synodal path of care for our common home through justice and peace.” (Sister Alessandra Smerilli, Secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development)
The responsorial psalm (Ps. 138) is a beautiful acclamation of God’s constant love and presence in His Creation. In his encyclical, Pope Francis urged people of good will to treasure God’s gifts to us:
“The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.” (Laudato Si’, n. 13)
Let our hands work together as God’s hands:
“Forsake not the work of Your hands.”
August 2023-Joyful Gospel Living
Posted By Teresa Redder, on July 14th, 2023 Brothers and sisters,
Here is a helpful resource to use for your fraternity newsletters and preparations for fraternal gatherings. The PDF file comes from the CIOFS website.
Peace and all good,
Teresa
EN-Monthly-Intentions-2023
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on October 7th, 2022
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on May 22nd, 2022 Saint Katharine Drexel Region
Secular Franciscan Order (USA)
Justice, Peace, & the Integrity of Creation
May 2022
“A synodal Church, in announcing the Gospel, ‘journeys together.’ How is this ‘journeying together’ happening today in your local Church? What steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow in our ‘journeying together’?(Preparatory Document for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, 7 September 2021)
For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission
Jeffrey C. Redder, OFS
23 Shelter Rock Rd.
Eastampton, NJ 08060
jcredder@gmail.com 609-267-1460 (H)
609-667-3443 (M)
JPIC Reflection
As Catholics, Secular Franciscans should have great hope that we might soon see the overturning of the unjust Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized the right to abortion and denied the right to life to the unborn. It behooves us to pay attention to what may happen at the state level as federal guidelines change so that we continue to advocate for the dignity of human life (a fundamental Catholic social teaching) in the states where
we live and closely follow state legislative actions that are inconsistent with the teachings of our faith.
This year, the Catholic social lobby group Network marks its 50th anniversary. Founded by religious sisters, this agency has worked tirelessly to advocate for the poor, the homeless, immigrants and refugees, and the marginalized. Their most recent newsletter celebrates the many accomplishments of this Catholic lobby group over five decades and continues to put in the forefront the key issues that impact the dignity of human life in our country.
In August, the National Fraternity of OFS-USA will have a Quinquennial Congress in Phoenix, AZ, that celebrates our 100th anniversary as a national fraternity. As part of the congress, Secular Franciscans have
been asked to bring along fleece fabric and scissors to make hand-tied blankets for youth and the elderly in shelters and at the border. If you are not planning to attend the “Q,” your fraternity may desire to make a
donation toward the costs of materials.
Over the last year, the National JPIC has been working on immigration issues and assistance to people who are being held in facilities at the border. Donna Hollis, OFS, the recipient of the 2021 JPIC Award, provides
regular updates to the regional animators. The need for immigration reform has existed for more than three decades, but we have made little or no progress as a country to address the moral issues.
Finally, I would like to share information about the Poor Peoples’ Campaign Moral March in Washington, DC, on June 18th. Franciscan Action Network has signed up as a mobilizing partner and is inviting anyone who would like to participate to gather at 9 AM at St. Patrick’s Church on 10th St. NW. On May 5th, FAN co-sponsored an informational webinar with Pax Christ USA, the Sisters of Mercy, and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious to provide information about
the march. The webinar is available to view on the FAN website.
Let us continue to pray fervently for a peaceful resolution of the war in
Ukraine and for all those throughout the world who have been displaced by conflict and violence!
May 20, 2022 (Feast of St. Bernardine of Siena)
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National JPIC Monthly Reflections on the Beatitudes Patricia Grace, a Secular Franciscan from southern California and a member of the National JPIC, started hosting monthly Zoom sessions on the spirit of the Beatitudes, which are so integral to the Secular Franciscan
Rule. The third session (Blessed are the meek) will be held on Saturday, May 21st, at 1:00 PM EDT. After the previous two sessions, Patricia published notes for those who could not be there. If anyone is interested in participating, please contact me.
Laudato Si’ Week (May 22-29)
Marking the seventh anniversary of the encyclical, Laudato Si’ Week will feature global, regional, and local events tied to one of the seven Laudato Si’ goals. On the day celebrating ecological education, footage from The Invitation, a new feature-length documentary film on Laudato Si’, will be shown to the general public for the first time ever during a live-streaming event. The Invitation will have its global release later this year. The event begins at 8:00 AM EDT (14.00 CEST) on May 27 (Friday). Registration is required at this link. It will be facilitated by Deborah Castellano Lubov, analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, contributor to EWTN, Salt & Light TV, and others, and correspondent for Vatican News.
World Meeting of Families (June 22-26, Rome, Italy and in local dioceses)
Before the decision to focus on JPIC, the OFS national fraternity had a separate apostolic commission for FAMILY. As Secular Franciscans, this vocation is especially meaningful to our life in society. While it is easy to argue that JPIC covers areas that have impact on families, the focus gets dwarfed by the graver issues of human trafficking, immigration, racism, war, violence, poverty, homelessness, etc. The XXX World Meeting of Families (WMF) has the theme “Family Love: A Vocation and a Path to Holiness.” In honor of the WMF event, Pope Francis invited families
this year to write and participate in the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) in Rome on Good Friday. Please take the time to read the reflections that were given at each station (PDF file at this URL):
https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/2022/documents/ns_lit_doc_20220415_via-crucis-meditazioni_en.html
For the 13th Station (Jesus dies on the cross), a Ukrainian and a Russian
woman held the cross together during the silent reflection.
On the Franciscan Action Network (FAN) website, there
is this definition of Franciscan Justice Circles:
“…local grassroots communities, inspired by the Franciscan
charism, that unite to advocate for social and environmental
justice. They are independent, ongoing, volunteer-led groups empowered to engage the issues in their communities that are important to them through advocacy and action. Supported by the Franciscan Action Network (FAN) and the national network of Franciscan Justice Circles, these groups explore more deeply the social justice path of the Two Feet of Love in Action, and engage important local issues, challenging policies that perpetuate injustice and advancing policies of peace, justice, and care for creation.” I am happy to report to the region that my wife Teresa and I co-facilitate the Delaware Valley Franciscan Justice Circle, which meets by Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 PM. Currently, we have about 12 members from PA, DE, and NJ, including five Franciscan sisters from the Aston community, as well as four Secular Franciscans. In our monthly gatherings, we have celebrated the Day of Prayer for Human Trafficking (March) Ukrainian nurse Iryna and Russian nursing student Albina, who are friends, hold a cross at the 13th station as Pope Francis leads the Way of the Cross outside the Colosseum in Rome April
15, 2022. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) May 20, 2022 (Feast of St. Bernardine of Siena)
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and devoted April and May to integral ecology in the spirit of Earth Day and Laudato Si’ Week. If you have questions or would like more information, please call or e-mail me. I also participate in FAN’s monthly
National FJC Zoom call where other circles share their experiences and build common energy for the common good. Justice, Peace, and Human Development-US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
Fraternities can benefit from the resources to be found on the USCCB’s website for the Department of Justice, Peace, and Human Development, which promotes awareness of Catholic social teaching and opportunities
to live the Baptismal call to love God and neighbor. Efforts include the anti-poverty mission of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, as well as advocacy in support of poor and vulnerable persons and
communities, in the U.S. and abroad. A valuable link from this department contains excellent videos (approximately 3-4 minutes long), introduced by respected US episcopal leaders such as Franciscan Cardinal
Sean O’Malley and Bishop Robert Barron, along with study guides in both English or Spanish (2-page handout) to appreciate the Church’s Catholic Social Teaching:
https://www.usccb.org/offices/justice-peace-human-development/catholic-social-teaching This type of personal and fraternal reflection can benefit the types of apostolates in which fraternities choose to engage. Koinonia 2022.1 (The Journey of the Secular Franciscans in the Synodal Church) In CIOFS’ first quarterly edition of the International Spiritual Assistants’ newsletter Koinonia, Br. Carlos Ginés
C. Julve, TOR, gives a thoughtful reflection titled “Communion: A Challenge of the Gospel Life of the OFS” in which he explores our deep Franciscan roots in the Church’s understanding of the word communion. In his direction to Secular Franciscans for the Third Millennium, he challenges us not only to a heartfelt encounter with Christ in prayer, but also to find our missionary action in the world: “The Saint of Assisi [Francis] understood that all the gifts and charisms that God gives must always be placed at the service of the Church, which is the Body of Christ. Communion requires paying attention to the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, praying, asking for and discovering the gifts and charisms that the same Spirit arouses in the Church, in each one of the members of the people of God, and nourishing oneself and participating in an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. Synodality is a call to co-responsibility and the participation of those who make up the great
People of God. It is an invitation as a member of the People of God to live in this way. The God of St. Francis is not the result of speculation or a studied theology, but He is the God revealed in His life, felt as a saving force, light, life, love, an unprecedented and always attractive reality. The unceasing prayer of Saint Francis is based on the certainty that God is
the supreme good, all good.
1 The synodality-communion to which Pope Francis invites becomes a pastoral challenge for the Secular Franciscan Order to contemplate St. Francis more deeply in order to take initiatives like him. This leads us to
rebuild church-communities, to be available, to have initiatives that take us to the Muslim world and to the marginalized, initiatives that involve us in the formation of priests, initiatives that lead us to speak and listen to the bishops and the Pope. Initiatives that lead us all together to live the dream of God, One and Triune. It is a challenge not to leave the world
but to enter more and more into it and from there to make God’s dream possible: synodality is witness to divine life.”
Questions for personal and fraternal reflection:
 How would you specify some of the challenges presented in this reflection?
What other challenges do you think we have as a Church?
What do you think is the dream that God is inspiring Pope Francis about you?
ADSUMUS – PRAYER OF INVOCATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
Every session of the Second Vatican Council began with the prayer Adsumus Sancte Spiritus, the first word of the Latin
original meaning, “We stand before You, Holy Spirit,” which has been historically used at Councils, Synods and other
Church gatherings for hundreds of years, being attributed to Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – 4 April 636). As we are
called to embrace this synodal path of Synod 2021-2023, this prayer invites the Holy Spirit to work within us so that we
may be a community and a people of grace. For Synod 2021-2023, we propose to use this simplified version, so that any
group or liturgical assembly can pray more easily:
1 Cf. Vicente Valtueña, Juan. M. Revista Seminarios, Volumen 55 – año 2009.
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on May 2nd, 2022 May 2022
O virgin mother, daughter of your Son, humble beyond all creatures and more exalted;
predestined turning point of God’s intention;
Your merit so ennobled human nature that its divine Creator did not scorn
to make Himself the creature of His creature.
The Love that was rekindled in Your womb sends for the warmth of the eternal peace
Within whose ray this flower has come to bloom.
Here to us, you are the noon and scope of Love revealed;
and among mortal men, the living fountain of eternal hope.
Lady, you are so near God’s reckonings that who seeks grace and does not first seek you
would have his wish fly upward without wings.
Not only does your sweet benignity flow out to all who beg,
but oftentimes your charity arrives before the plea.
In you is pity, in you munificence, in you the tenderest heart,
in you unites all that creation knows of excellence!
This prayer appears now and then in our monthly letters or calendars. It is part of a Cantico of the Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri. An Italian poet of the 13th century whose love for St. Francis of Assisi urged him to become, as we are told, a member of the Third Order of Penitents of Assisi, as the Secular Franciscans were called in the beginning. He expresses in these words he writes in the Paradiso part of his Divine Comedy, a prayer he places on the lips of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. He presents so beautifully in prose what St. Francis of Assisi proclaimed in prayer regarding our Blessed Mother Mary. Our love for Mary should never lessen. She is the One Whose Motherly love will assist and lead us closer to Jesus, Her Son and our Lord and Savior. Through Mary we have the opportunity of approaching one another as spiritual siblings in the Blood of our Older Brother, Jesus, in Whom we have become the redeemed children of God the Father gifted with His Holy Spirit. One can never say enough or too much ofMary. De Maria Numquam Satis! – (You can never get enough of Mary – free translation). First said by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, then taken up by other saints and people of faith, we are invited to enter Her Immaculate Heart and be embraced by Her Motherly Love.
Chapter XVII
THE DEATH OF BLESSED FRANCIS
AND HOW TWO YEARS EARLIER HE RECEIVED THE STIGMATA OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
1
After twenty years of clinging most perfectly to Christ, and of following the life and footsteps of the apostles, in the one thousandth, two hundredth, and twenty-sixth year of the Incarnation of the Lord, on the fourth of October, a Sunday, Francis, that apostolic man, most joyfully passed to Christ, winning eternal rest after many labors, and fittingly entering into the presence of the Lord. One of his followers, renowned for his sanctity, saw his soul like a star as big as the moon with the brilliance of the sun, rising up above the great waters, and borne up to heaven by a brilliant cloud. – Endurance bears what is difficult and turns it into glory.
2
For he had worked intensely in the Lord’s vineyard, eager and fervent in his prayers, fasts, vigils, sermons, and wholesome journeys, in care and compassion for his neighbor, and in disregard of himself. From the beginning of his conversion to the day of his passing to Christ, he had loved Him with his whole heart, constantly keeping the memory of Him in his mind, praising Him with his mouth, and glorifying Him with his fruitful deeds. – Repentance is sorrow turned into action, movement toward a new and better life.
3
For he loved God with such enthusiasm from the depths of his heart that, on hearing His name, completely melting within, he would burst forth saying that heaven and earth must bow at the Lord’s name. – Reverence for life offers a new relationship with creation.
4
While he was still alive in the flesh, the Lord adorned him with a wonderful prerogative of a unique privilege, wishing to show the whole world the fervor of love and the incessant memory of the Passion of Christ which he carried in his heart. – Faith knows the way; hope points the way; love is the way.
5
For when he was taken above in the seraphic ardor of desires into God and into Him, he who, by a boundless love, wanted to be crucified, was transformed by a compassionate sweetness. – The confession of evil works is the beginning of good works. (St. Augustine)
6
One morning, around the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, while he was absorbed in prayer on a slope of Mount La Verna, two years before his death, a seraph with six wings appeared to him. – The greatest truth are the simplest and so are the greatest people.
7
Within its six wings there was the form of a very beautiful, crucified man, whose hands and feet were extended after the manner of a cross, and whose features were clearly those of the Lord Jesus. – Imitate Mary, you will not go astray. (St. Bernard)
8
Two wings covered his head, two, the rest of his body down to the feet, and two were extended as if for flight. – Pray to Mary, you will not despair. (St. Bernard)
9
When the vision disappeared, a marvelous glow of love remained in his soul, but, even more marvelous, an impression of the stigmata of our Lord Jesus Christ appeared in his flesh. – Think of Mary, you will not err. (St. Bernard)
10
Until his death, the man of God, unwilling to divulge God’s sacrament, concealed it to the best of his ability, although he was unable to cover it completely since it became known to at least his intimate companions. – Supported by Mary, you will not fail. (St. Bernard)
11
After his most happy passing, all the brothers who were present, as well as many seculars, clearly saw his body unmistakably adorned with the wounds of Christ.- Embraced by Mary, you will be saved. (St. Bernard)
12
They saw in his hands and feet, not just the holes of the nails, but the nails themselves formed by his own flesh, taking shape from it, and showing the dark color of iron. – If you judge people, you will have no time to love them. (Mother Teresa)
13
His right side appeared as if pierced with a lance, covered with a red scar from a very real and very visible wound, which, even while he was living, frequently poured out sacred blood.- Every child come with the message that God is not discouraged with us.
14
The undeniable truth of those stigmata appeared most brilliantly through sight and contact not only in his life and in death, but also after his death, the Lord revealed their truth even more brilliantly by many miracles shown in different parts of the world. – Be quiet and God will speak to you.
15
Through these miracles, the hearts of many who did not look kindly on the man of God and doubted the stigmata were also moved to a great assurance of faith. – There is a child asleep in the heart of the most severe people. (Dom Helder Camara)
Thus, those who had been his detractors, by God’s active goodness and the undeniable weight of evidence, became faithful heralds and promoters of his fame. – What begins in the heart of God is complete only when it enters my heart.
Chapter XVIII
HIS CANONIZATION
17
In various parts of the world blessed Francis was becoming resplendent because of the light of new miracles. – Jesus is the condescension of divinity and the exaltation of humanity. (cfr. St. Leo the Great)
18
And from far and wide, those who, through his merits, enjoyed unique and extraordinary benefits from the Lord, hurried to reverence his holy remains.- The recognition of sin is the beginning of salvation.
19
After consulting the cardinals and many other prelates, and approving the miracles which the Lord wrought through his intercession, the Lord Pope Gregory enrolled him in the catalog of saints, ordering that his feast be solemnly celebrated on the day of his death. – When the soul lays down its faults before God, it feels as though it had wings.
20
These things happened in the city of Assisi, in the presence of many prelates of the Church, an exceptionally large representation of rulers and barons, and a vast crowd of people from all parts of the world whom the Lord Pope had invited. – If you want an increase of Jesus, there must be a decrease in self.
21
This took place in the year one thousand two hundred and twenty-eight, the second year of the Lord Pope’s pontificate. – You may not have been responsible for your heritage, but you are responsible for your future.
22
The Sovereign Pontiff, who loved the saint very much during his lifetime, not only honored him through an extraordinary canonization, but also laid the first stone of the church to be built in his honor, enriching it with sacred gifts and precious appointments. – The world is round, and the place which seems like the end may be the beginning.
23
To this new church, two years after his canonization, the saint’s most sacred body was solemnly transferred from the place where it was first buried. – Positive anything is better than negative nothing.
24
He sent to the church a golden cross, decorated with precious gems and containing wood from the Lord’s cross.- Half the confusion in one’s life comes from not knowing how little one needs.
25
He also sent appointments, vessels, and many other furnishings for the service of the altar, together with many precious and solemn vestments. – God in heaven let me feel my nothingness, in order to feel more powerfully the greatness of your goodness.
26
Exempting the church from any inferior jurisdiction, the Sovereign Pontiff, by apostolic authority, proclaimed it “the Head and Mother” of the whole Order of Lesser Brothers, as is clear in an official public document that was undersigned by all the cardinals. – What I have will belong to another someday. But what I am will be mine for all eternity.
27
It would mean little to honor the saint of God with material things, had not the Lord willed to work through him, physically dead but spiritually alive in glory, numerous miracles of conversion and healing. – Why is it that so many church members say “Our Father” on Sunday and go around the rest of the week acting like orphans?
28
After his death, both men and women, through his intercession, were converted to the Lord. Many nobles and their sons put on the habit of his Order, and their wives and daughters entered the monasteries of the Poor Ladies. – When we look for the best in others we find the best in ourselves.
29
Many learned and exceptionally educated men, some laymen, others holding ecclesiastical offices, wholeheartedly renounced the allurements of the flesh, the absence of piety, and the lust of this world.- The little things! The little moments! They aren’t little
30
They entered the Order of the Lesser Ones, obliging themselves to follow, according to the particular grace given them by God, the poverty and the footsteps of Christ and his most blessed servant Francis. – How well does the light of your faith radiate to those with whom you live and work?
31
What was written of Samson can fittingly be said of him who lives a life of glory: those he killed at his death were more than those he had during his lifetime. Through the merits of our most holy father Francis, may He who lives and reigns forever bring us to this same glory. Amen. – When the world seems at its worst, Christians must be at their best.
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