|
|
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on December 1st, 2019 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 email: pppgusa@gmail.com
December 2019
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord give you his peace!
At the beginning of the Liturgical Year for the First Sunday of Advent, the Church prays in the Liturgy of the Hours: Proclaim the good news among the nations: our God will come to save us … Come let us worship the Lord, the King Who is to come. The season is filled with expressions of joyful expectation. The whole world waits for an imminent arrival of one who is to fulfill the hopes and desires of all people.
Advent truly places us into that ’heart-set’ of anticipation that brings an inner joy to all who allow themselves to ’live’ the liturgy they celebrate each Sunday, and even weekdays for those who make the effort. Christmas and what follows throughout the Liturgical Year offer us the opportunity to enter the mystery of Christ among us. We listen, as the first disciples, to learn, and then we are sent, as the first apostles, to proclaim. Learning and proclaiming, reflecting and sharing, entering and inviting … the first experience is for ’me’ and the result blossoms into an overflow of graces and gifts for others to share them as I have come to receive them. They, in turn, learn-reflect-enter so that they also might proclaim-share-invite. The journey, the ’process’, begins with the Advent-Christmas Season. We wait for the Master so that we might once again walk in His footsteps and experience the power of His love. Jesus is the ’Great Expected One’ Who is forever the ’Real Presence’ among us.
The liturgical seasons help to enhance our spiritual and intellectual journey through life. We deepen our faith and relationship with God as we enrich our knowledge of all He has revealed to us. The seasonal celebrations help us to focus on the mysteries of our Faith. Nevertheless, with all this, there is no need to wait for seasons and days to be with the Lord-Among-Us (Emmanuel). The Eucharistic Presence – the Real Presence, the Presence of the Prisoner of the Tabernacle – offers us all we could ever desire. The Eucharist is our pledge of future glory. We become one with Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit. Our hearts and lives feel His love in the mystery of the Faith that believes and the Hope that anticipates with certitude, until we see Him face to face in the fullness of His Love and Glory. The King Who is to come already lives among us and within us! Give Him the little you have and are. Surrender to His transforming love that never offends our freedom. Let His loving-grace perform the transforming miracle that makes us more and more like Him. All this in-with-through the Eucharist! All we have to do is take the time to be with Him!
The Eucharist is a mystery and a miracle. Through the power of the Holy Spirit created ’things’ are transformed into the reality of the Body and Blood of Jesus the Christ. Jesus is ’enfleshed’ in our nature each time the Eucharist is celebrated and the words of Consecration are pronounced. Participating in the Eucharist we accept and follow the example of our Mother Mary, to Whom we were given as children, and She to us as Mother, at the foot of the Cross of Jesus. The ’yes’ with which She responded to the Angel Gabriel in accepting the Father’s Will to allow the Incarnation to happen, is the same ’yes’ we offer at each Mass. Our ’yes’ allows an ’incarnation’ to take place that cannot be seen with the eyes of the body, but whose effects are made visible in those who live the Jesus they celebrate and receive. Through the hands of the priest we offer ourselves with the bread and wine. We are spiritually ’consecrated’ in the One Who is the Eucharist and Who lives with us, and abides within us.
The town of Bethlehem we ’reconstruct’ with our creches, represent on our Christmas Cards, indicate as the birthplace of the Son of God, is a constant reminder of Jesus the Christ our True Eucharist. The name of the town means ’House of Bread’. In this ’house’ the world was given the ’Bread of Life’. Each Tabernacle and the heart of each one who receives Him worthily are a Bethlehem where The Bread of Life dwells, nourishing us for life’s journey.
Our Seraphic Father writes in his Testament: I see nothing corporally of the most high Son of God except His most holy Body and Blood … I want to have these most holy mysteries honored and venerated above all things and I want to reserve them in precious places. The life of Saint Francis of Assisi, because he lived the Gospel ’without gloss’, was a life lived immersed in the reality of the presence of Jesus. Thus, the Real Presence of the Sacramental Lord in the Eucharist was his strength and life. The mystery of the Savior, Son of the Most High God, Who became one with humanity in time at Bethlehem and for all time in the Eucharist was a mystery St. Francis sought to live and proclaim throughout his life. Greccio was but a visible sign of the deep love for the mystery of the Incarnation repeated mystically at each Eucharist. The Christ he loved so much was the Christ Whose living image he became for all to see on Mount La Verna.
The night of Greccio was lighted with candles, embellished with hymns, studded with people from all walks of life who followed the Poverello to ’see’ the poverty of the One Who emptied Himself of His divinity that He might redeem our humanity and rekindle a world grown indifferent to His love. He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. But to those who did receive Him, He gave power to become the children of God ... (John 1:11-12) Those who experienced the wonderful simplicity and childlike representation of Bethlehem’s ’welcome’ into our world, were filled with emotions that made that night so memorable, that for centuries Christians of many religious denominations continue the practice St. Francis initiated at Greccio. The historical Christ, the Bread of Angels and Bread of men, born in Bethlehem of Judah, born in ’the House of Bread’ centuries before, seemed to come alive in the arms of St. Francis as he re-confirmed the total emptying of himself together with all who accepted the challenge of the Gospel Life. Greccio was but another expression of the Poverello’s response to the Cross of San Damiano.
The world seemed to stop that night. Time was transported back twelve hundred years. Hearts were catapulted into thoughts of a loving God Who stopped at nothing to get our attention and to make us one with Him. The words St. Francis spoke and the Gospel he sang as Deacon at the Mass celebrated at Greccio came from a heart in love with God. That night, Love was contagious. If only it could have remained that way forever! To stay there would have been selfish. We must bring the joy we know and radiate it to others. With Mary, our Blessed Mother, Virgin Made Church, Francis offered his own ’yes’ that the Real Presence of the Eucharist, and the represented presence of the Incarnation-Birth of Jesus at Bethlehem in Greccio, would become ingrained in the hearts of all. Prayerfully praising the tremendous gift of the Eucharist, our Seraphic Father simply and magnificently offers a meditation on the wonderful exchange of the humanity and the divinity in Jesus, awesomely present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. The beauty of the prayer deserves to be read:
O admirable heights and sublime lowliness! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity!
That the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God, so humbles Himself
that for our salvation He hides Himself under the little form of bread!
Look, brothers, at the humility of God and pour out your hearts before Him!
Humble yourselves, as well, that you may be exalted by Him.
Therefore, hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves
so that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally.
We can see how intimately the Eucharist we possess today and everyday helps us reflect on the wonderful mysteries we celebrate at the beginning of the Church Year. We talk about proclaiming God Who comes to save us. The Eucharist is the God Who is already among us with the saving power of that Great Sacrifice offered once-for-all that those who look upon the one whom they pierced may be saved. We invite everyone saying, Come, Let us adore the King Who is to come. We adore Him hidden in the humility of the small Host and behind the closed doors of the Tabernacle. What our senses cannot perceive, our hearts know undoubtedly that …
His eyes see the depths of the soul,
His ears hear the yearnings of the heart,
His feet approach all who seek Him in truth,
His hands embrace the sincerely penitent and those in need,
His lips speak in the silence of our being,
His heart is open to welcome all into the Father’s loving embrace.
The simplicity of the Child of Bethlehem; the trusting faith of Mary and Joseph regarding all they were told about the Child; the poverty of the half-heartedly lent dwelling because there was no place for them at the inn; the confusion of the shepherds who had to go see this thing that has taken place that the Lord has made known to us; the probing curiosity of the Magi who said Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do Him homage; the intrigue of Herod who was greatly troubled at the news and with him all of Jerusalem; the heavenly joy of the angels who came to proclaim good news of great joy that will be for all people as they sang Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace … speak to us of the One Who was born to die so that we could be born to live forever.
His earthly life is repeated over the centuries at many times in various ways in the awesome ’Gift’ of the Eucharist. The angels proclaim His glory and adore His Presence. And, humanity responds as did the people at Jesus’ time! … joy, indifference, confusion, even open animosity. The history of Bethlehem and the continued ’Presence’ in the Eucharist speak to each one of us. We cannot separate the Crib from the Cross. The wood of the manger that embraced the Infant Jesus in Bethlehem was only a foreshadowing of the wood of the Cross that would lift Him up on Calvary. Hidden Glory! … to be revealed to humble searching hearts in the mystery of the sacraments until the fullness of His Glory is revealed at the end of time. Only searching humble hearts find and recognize Him.
St. Francis loved the feast of Christmas. The birth of Jesus at Bethlehem was a reality that St. Francis lived every moment of his grace-filled life. In the Eucharist he saw Jesus not born two thousand years ago, but vibrantly alive. He gazed upon the mystery of the Incarnation at each Eucharist. The whole story of the Birth of Jesus at Bethlehem, and the time that leads up to that moment, is an opportunity for us to follow the example of our Seraphic Father and enter into the song of creation once again as we become players in the great symphony of life that God has written.
As spiritual Children of St. Francis of Assisi, have we allowed the precious Body and Blood of the Savior to flow through and take over every fiber of our being? Have we allowed the Lord to be ’enfleshed’ in our lives so that each Christmas we celebrate the Savior present and alive within and among us, and not just a memory of some past event in time? Do we say with Mary, Jesus’ Mother, and with Jesus, Your Will and not mine be done? Do we strive each day, as Franciscans, to grow into a fresh and vibrant presence of Jesus Who makes Himself seen and known through us? Do we recognize our own incompleteness, vulnerability, and susceptibility so that we can share, support and encourage one another? Are we as enthused about being Spiritual Children of the Poverello of Assisi and Sisters and Brothers in the Franciscan Family and all that entails (fidelity to the Gospel Life, Church, Rule, Constitutions, one in mind and heart with the Fraternity, and so forth), as children are when Christmas comes around? Do we see the gift that we are to each other when we allow the spirit of our Seraphic Father to lead us closer to Jesus and Mary?
With these questions that are a frequent, if not daily, reminder for us all, be assured that you and your loved ones will be remembered in a special way in all the Masses I celebrate during this holy season. May God bless you; Our Lady and Good St. Joseph guide, guard and protect you; and our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi and she whom we can feel to be our “Mother” St. Clare of Assisi watch over each one of us, their Spiritual Children, with loving care.
In the Name of Jesus I wish all of you a Spirit-filled Advent and a Holy and Happy Christmas Season. And as you enter the new calendar year with all its expectations and uncertainties, may your hopes be fulfilled in a world renewed in Jesus and filled with His Spirit. A Child is born to us! A Savior is given to us! Come, let us adore Him! Fear not! It is I! I have conquered the world!
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on November 23rd, 2019
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on November 18th, 2019 State of the Region – Annual Meeting 2019
It’s been a busy, busy year and there is a lot to report on. First let’s talk about the changes at the Regional Level. Ted and Gretchen Bienkowski have resigned their positions on the Regional Council for personal reasons. I am very, very saddened at this but I understand that life happens and we need to roll with it. I would like to publicly thank Ted and Gretchen for everything they have done in the last 3 ½ years. They traveled many miles with me for visitations, elections and special visits with fraternities. You all know they live about 5 miles past God’s country and if we needed to be someplace early, they would come the night before and book a room at their own expense. We will certainly miss you and wish you well.
Cindy Louden who held the position of Councillor at Large has been appointed the Regional Vice Minister and there was a vote to accept by the Regional Council.. That leaves both positions of Coucillor at large open and the Regional Council will convene next week to discuss candidates for the positions.
The Venerable Matt Talbot Emerging Fraternity is as “emerged” as it needs to be. The speed bump keeping them from Canonical Establishment is getting the altius moderamen secured. When the group first came into being, they were sponsored by St. John the Evangelist fraternity who, at that time, was bonded to the TORs. As you know, the TORs no longer have a presence in this area and the St. Augustine Capuchins, do. In order to go forward with the Canonical Establishment of Matt Talbot, we are in negotiations with the St. Augustine Caps to take on their altius moderamen. The St. Augustine Caps recently elected a new Provincial, Father Tom Betz, and he is getting up to speed on every aspect of that job, not just what we are asking. In the meantime, I would like to congratulate Ken Johnston, minister of the Venerable Matt Talbot group for working so hard to get the group to where it is today.
Another great addition to the Region in the last year has been the Padre Pio Fraternity. They did not have to go through being a forming group and then an emerging fraternity because they started with enough professed people to form a Council. They are resurrecting the charter of the Cathedral fraternity which closed some years ago. The charter remains active for 100 years after the last member dies. The Padre Pio fraternity meets at the Padre Pio Prayer Center so we are working on getting them bonded to the St Augustine Caps who run the prayer center. They fraternity welcomed 3 new members at a Profession last Monday night. Carolyn Murray is the Minister at Padre Pio.
Queen of Peace fraternity has come to the conclusion that they must close. There are not enough folks left to make a fraternity. They certainly tried hard! St. Peter fraternity in Beverly, NJ, is also closing. Their numbers have dwindled as well and the remaining members are looking at local fraternities to transfer to.
That brings us to the difficulty of getting Spiritual Assistants when half of our fraternities are without one now. As I announced in May, the Lay Spiritual Assistant program concluded with 5 women being certified as Lay Spiritual Assistants. So far, we have been able to temporarily assign Liz Bueding as Spiritual Assistant to the Venerable Matt Talbot fraternity. However, it wouldn’t be Franciscan without miles of paperwork and that hurry up and wait M.O. we all know and love! The Provincial of the Order to which the fraternity is bonded must agree to the assigning of a Lay Spiritual Assistant. We are all but finished on this one. We are hoping to utilize a few more of our Lay Spiritual Assistants in the near future. We don’t have any plans at the moment to start another class. However, if there is enough interest, we can certainly talk about it. If anyone is interested in going through the program and becoming a Lay Spiritual Assistant, please let me know. Just remember, we will not assign a Lay Spiritual Assistant to his or her own fraternity.
One of our new initiatives in this last year came as a suggestion from Vince Iezzi. He suggested sending a card to members who are celebrating a significant anniversary of their profession. That would be one that is divisible by 5. Ted Bienkowski took on the task and has done a stellar job in sending the cards for anniversaries but also expanded it to sending cards for serious illnesses and a sympathy card to the families of a member who has passed and also sending a card to a member who has lost a family member. We took it a step even further by sending cards to the Ordinaries i.e, the Bishops of the dioceses that are covered by our Region. We celebrate the anniversary of their Ordination, their birthday and the date of their being named a Bishop. To date, 120 cards have been sent. Thirteen of them have come back as undeliverable but several of those were resent with an updated address. Three thank you notes have been received in response to the cards being sent at the death of a loved one. All in all, this has been a hugely successful effort and Ted is the reason for its success. I have also sent each of the Bishops a report of the fraternities within their diocese outlining where and when those fraternities meet and how to reach the minister. I also have taken the list of apostolates from your annual reports and included them in the report to the Bishops so they know what good things you are doing! Several bishops answered that they were happy to get this information.
In addition to the regular elections and visitations, I have made a concerted effort to get out to the fraternities to just spend time with them. Some folks are suspicious of my motives………..Why is she here???………. but for the most part, these “friendly” visits are well received. I have been to several Professions and anniversaries of Fraternities. If you invite her….she will come. Although it keeps me rocking and rolling most weekends, it’s good to get out and spend time with folks without an official reason.
I’d like to switch gears and talk about some of the things that have come out of the NAFRA Chapter that was just held in Corpus Christi. There is a new Transfer form. It’s now FOUR pages long. I will mail a copy out to each minister. We have lost people in the shuffle with using the old form and hopefully this will help keep better records for all of us.
One of the things that is discussed every year is the Duns Scotus Fund. Below are my notes from the NAFRA Chapter.
Duns Scotus Fund
- John the Baptist Province sold property and they set up a trust fund for Seculars. The funds are to be used for formation and the Friars had “oversight” of the account. The oversight was to last 20 years.
- The 20 years are over and we take over the account in its entirety.
- The fund will be known as Duns Scotus Formation Fund
- Local requests should be presented to Regional before going to National
- Individuals can apply as well as fraternities
- After the Regional Council has seen the proposal, the requester calls or contacts one of the people on the Duns Scotus board to see if the proposal has been done correctly and if the idea will pass
- Proposal then goes to the Board and an answer is given within two weeks
- One of the purposes listed for applying for these funds is Leadership Training. I am proposing that we apply for our Council Boot Camp workshops (copying expenses, stipends for church hall or meeting room etc)
The Fair Share, as you have heard, is not being increased this year. We are the lowest Region in the Nation for Fair Share. One of the Regions has a Fair Share of $75 per person!
And now to that dreaded subject………..the Annual Report. I will be sending out this year’s report within the next week. Please use the report that I send and not an older version that you might have on your computer. There will be NO demographic information collected this year. The drop dead deadline is February 1. I must have all the information consolidated and to National by March 1. This isn’t a “would you like to do an Annual Report request”. This is we ALL must do one. No one out there considerers it more of a pain in the neck than I do.
What is coming in the next year………
We would like to take a look at the Districts and even them out some. During the Memorial Service, you may have noticed that when I called PA Central, there were many more people coming up. The locations and numbers of fraternities have changed since these borders were drawn.
We are also actively preparing for a “Boot Camp” for Councillors workshop. Our March weekend in Easton is March 27 to 29 and we will be working on each of the positions of Council, what the duties are and putting together a small handbook of See Spot Run directions and resources. It isn’t restricted to current Council members but is open to everyone especially those who think they might be willing to run for a position the next time their fraternity has elections. Once we have the weekend workshop, we will pare it down to a one day version and take the show on the road for all those who were not able to attend the Easton weekend. All Council members are being asked to attend one of the workshops which will be held at different locations throughout the Region. Stay tuned for more details on that.
Now……..are there any questions that you would like to ask?
Before we end with our closing prayer, I would like to especially acknowledge the Carisios who were sitting here waiting for me yesterday morning to help me set up the room. Most especially to Theresa who went through the room with the big mop, checked the bath rooms for toilet paper, and volunteered to bring water and a fruit tray. God bless you both!
And most especially to Father Francis Sariego, OFM Cap who so graciously allowed us to meet here!
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on November 1st, 2019 You Can’t Blow a Kiss to Your Leper
We are often asked “who” or ‘what’ our leper is. That can be a tough question or one that is glaring at us from every angle. Once we figure it out, how do we approach our leper?
When St. Francis heard God command him to rebuild His church, Francis didn’t contact United Builders Local 500 and ask them to put in a bid for the job. No, Francis rolled up his sleeves, scrounged for materials and got down and dirty. Literally.
When Pope Francis was newly elected, there was a phrase being bandied about “Smell Like Your Sheep”. I have it on a tee shirt. And back in the day, the shepherd did smell like his sheep. He slept with them, he herded them to a place where food was more plentiful, he tended to their needs. And he smelled like them. The sheep were comforted by that. No strangers here…..he’s one of us! You never see a collie herding sheep from the sidelines – they are always in the middle of the fray.
The ultimate example, of course, comes from Jesus. There was only once (that we know of) where he cured someone from a distance (the Centurian’s servant) and that was done to teach faith. Otherwise, He is face to face with those He is ministering to.
How do we live that part of the Gospel?? The first article of our Rule states:
The Franciscan family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by the Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all members of the people of God — laity, religious, and priests – who recognize that they are called to follow Christ in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi. In various ways and forms but in life-giving union with each other, they intend to make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and mission of the Church.
The words that jump out are life-giving union with each other. That phrase isn’t directing us to walk past the homeless on the street, or ignore the person holding the sign and walking among the stopped cars at any given intersection. Life giving union doesn’t necessarily mean to bring the homeless home with you, but when you hand that person a few dollars or a blessing bag, look into their eyes and ask what their first name is. And then say…”____________ (Joe, Jane, whatever) I’m going to pray for you.”
Life giving union……Life giving dignity! We ignore the homeless because we don’t’ want to be bothered or put on the spot for a donation. If I don’t look at them, they don’t exist. And the homeless embrace that treatment as being a necessity of living on the streets. No identity, no address, no one caring. If the light is still red and there is time, more often than not, Joe or Jane reply “I’ll pray for you, too:”
I’m sure there are many definitions of Life giving union. This is only my own interpretation. Remember our plea to God to ‘make me an instrument’ No instrument can be played unless it is willing, warmed up, and ready to deliver God’s music.
You cannot play an instrument from the sidelines. You cannot kiss a leper without getting close. Maybe Francis (we) got the message wrong in the beginning – Rebuild my church – Life giving union – or just maybe God wants us to start with getting our hands dirty – the Franciscan way. Look people in the eye when you tell them God cares for them. If we are truly living the Gospel life, when that person looks back at us, he or she will see God shining through us! May the Lord give you peace. And may you give it to someone else!
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on November 1st, 2019 November 2019
Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honor, and all blessing,
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.
Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun, … Sister Moon and the stars, …Brother Wind, …
Sister Water, … Brother Fire, … our Sister Mother Earth, …
Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love, …
Praised be you, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death,
from whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most holy will,
for the second death shall do them no harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility.
Amen.
(Canticle of the Creatures [abbreviated] by Saint Francis of Assisi)
Excerpts from: The Tree of the Crucified Life of Jesus
(Ubertino da Casale)
Daily reflections are taken from various sources
1
(St. Francis) did indeed come down from where the sun rises, as, ever rising from strength to strength, following the deeds of Christ as he grew in his humanity, he configured his holy way of living to the life of Christ. – We were made for heaven. The Christian life means journeying here below with our hearts turned upwards, toward our heavenly Father’s house.
2
This reached the high point of his carrying the seal of the living God; he lived to become worthy to have on his body the imprints of the wounds of the Crucified. – Pray fervently for the dead, for their family members, and for all our brothers and sisters who have died, that they may obtain the remission of the punishments due to their sins and may hear the Lord’s call.
3
Now, as to Christ’s life itself, an attentive survey of the gospels will reveal its salient features, its most striking notes: the crucifixion, the profound humility, the extreme poverty, the fervor of charity shown by desiring our salvation in undergoing the torment of the cross, as well as by the sheer graciousness of His stooping to compassionate sinners and the afflicted. – The ’little ones’ according to the gospel are those who know they are God’s creatures and shun all presumption. They expect everything from the Lord and so are never disappointed
4
Yet the crowning perfection of Christ’s life lay in His interior cultivation and consummation of divine charity. In one continuous act, on His own behalf and that of all His members, He duly paid the service of worship to the divinity, to which in His own person He was united. – This is the basic attitude of the believer: Faith and humility are inseparable.
5
The fact is that the Blessed Jesus, virginal Son born of virginity, saw fit to transfuse purity into (Francis), since complete cleanness cannot live in tainted flesh without a continuous crucifixion of self. That is why the most pious Jesus…afflicted His own sacred flesh…Francis, his true son and imitator, taking this to heart, disciplined himself so rigidly… – Justice and peace are not abstract concepts or remote ideals. They are values that dwell in the heart of every individual.
6
So, he called his frail body an ’ass’, gave it endless hard work to do, provided it with coarse coverings and a bed of straw, and fed it with small amounts of inferior fare. – Individuals, families, communities, and nations, all are called to live in justice and to work for peace. No one can claim exemption from this responsibility.
7
In order to achieve full purity of heart he completely abstained from all familiarities which might inwardly defile him and give bad example to others. – Freedom is not only the choice for one or another particular action; it is also, within that choice, a decision about oneself and a setting of one’s own life for or against the good, for or against the truth, and ultimately for or against God.
8
He had become so candid in mind, so clean in heart, that he seemed to have attained the state of innocence at that time … he had practically all creatures, even the inanimate, at his command; a level of grace, indeed, in which he surpassed natural innocence … Thus did the elements put themselves at the service of the unspoiled Francis – If we truly love with the love of God, we will also love our brothers or sisters as God loves them. This is the newness of Christianity: One cannot love God if one does not love one’s brethren.
9
He so perfectly imitated Christ that his wish was to place himself and his Order at the feet of everybody. In order to be the least of all, he did not want to have any of the Church’s authority, except her authority for observing the holy Gospel. – The indispensable source of energy and renewal, when frailty and weakness increase, is the encounter with the living Christ, Lord of the covenant.
10
He certainly wanted to promote the salvation of souls, but only through the virtue of humility, not with pompous power. And though … he had several Supreme Pontiffs … who held him in the highest regard, sincerely convinced of his sanctity … he would never ask for or accept any privilege that might diminish his being a humble subject. – Develop an intense spiritual life and open your soul to the word of life.
11
For this reason, Francis, in his holy Testament, forbids all brothers, prelates, and subjects, to ask for any letter from the Apostolic See either to facilitate the work of preaching or to avoid persecution. The humble Francis used to say that when they meekly ask permission of bishops and priests, they were by their example edifying the very pastors of the Church – To pray is not to escape from history and the problems that it presents. On the contrary, it is to choose to face reality not on our own, but with the strength that comes from on high, the strength of truth and love, which have their ultimate source in God.
12
Even if permission were refused, patience and humility will bring them to change their minds; meanwhile they themselves, by bearing refusal patiently, will keep intact a virtuous and flawless way of acting. – Human perfection consists not simply in acquiring an abstract knowledge of truth, but in a dynamic relationship of faithful self-giving with others.
13
To brothers who troubled him over their reluctance to be a this level of submissiveness to everyone, he replied in deeply plaintive terms: ’My brothers, my brothers, what you want of me is to give up overcoming the world. For Christ sent me to overcome the world by being subject to everyone, so that by love I might draw souls to Him through the example of humility’. – Let yourself be charmed by God, the Infinite, who appeared among you in visible and imitable form.
14
‘My brothers, humble yourselves before others, and you will convert them all. Those who persecute you unjustly will turn to Christ, having seen your patience tried, and they will be anxious to kiss your footprints…’ – Fall in love with Jesus Christ, to live his very life, so that our world may have life in the light of the gospel.
15
‘But if I were to use the salvation of others as a pretext for wanting some prerogative, it would mean my forfeiting the humblest of positions which belongs to the condition I am in. And it is through that I advance in virtue, and the people advance in the mercy that save them’. – Love is the principle of divine life in the soul. Love is the law of our abiding in Christ.
16
He wanted to rule out for them all affectation to ecclesiastical dignity and maintain them in their lowly existence. For this reason he called them ’lesser’, so that they would not presume to become ’greater’, and in no way did he wish them to aspire to the rank of prelacy. – Only genuine evangelical love will be strong enough to help communities pass from mere tolerance of others to real respect for their differences.
17
For everybody knows well enough that their ascent to rank spelled their descent from virtue…what they sought in promotion was not so much an improvement of other’s conduct as a life of relaxation for themselves. For, self-denying once, they have turned into gluttons; poor men once, they have become grasping and greedy; thought nothing of once, they have ended up proud and arrogant. – Only Christ’s redeeming grace can make us victorious in the daily challenge of turning from egoism to altruism, from fear to openness, from rejection to solidarity.
18
Oh, what a true prophet Francis was! … The humble Francis, in order to keep himself on the lowest possible level and to confound the ambitions of the future, had no desire to be promoted to the priesthood. As he saw it, the guidance of souls was not to be conducted through prelacy, if it were to be beneficial, but rather to be committed to the spirit of poverty. – We need more heart.
19
To men of perfection…nothing should be a source of bother except what would drive them to sin, to which, of course, no one is forced against his will. – God’s love is love which is freely given … He loved us first. He took the initiative.
20
Apart from Jesus, his most humble Mother, and the college of the Apostles, never should the world have in it such a profound expression of lowliness as that of this status of poor lesser ones, nor indeed such a gross deformation of it as that of those who fall away. – To heal the wounds of a recent bitter and painful past, one needs patience and wisdom, a spirit of initiative and honesty.
21
And because Francis crushed pride underfoot with his humility, he held off the proud demons with authority. Therefore he was showing that his status was blasting away pride from the world. – The Christian vocation is walking with men and women as brothers or sisters, sharing their joys and hopes, difficulties and sufferings, offering them the road word which rekindles hope in their hearts.
22
For whoever, like Francis, keeps the humility of Jesus continually before his eyes and is delighted to resemble Him in meekness of heart, will subject himself to everyone and loathe issuing commands and prohibitions. The blessed Francis did commend humble obedience in the strongest terms, and observed it to the extent of always wanting to obey his brother companion. – Selfishness makes people deaf and dumb.
23
(Francis) put a restraining clause (in the Rule) to protect subjects, when he told ministers not to command them anything that is against their souls and our Rule, and subjects to obey in all things which they have promised the Lord to observe and are not against their souls and our Rule. – Love opens eyes and hearts, enabling people to make that original and irreplaceable contribution which … can change the tide of history.
24
The obedience of Francis cannot contain a greater purity, integrity, or depth, since it obeys in all things and refuses to obey false traditions that destroy the Rule, for to obey them is to apostatize. Because it follows from the fact a prelate (superior) derives his authority from the Rule, that to command or obey something contrary to it is to apostatize from the Rule. – The future of evangelization depends in great part on the church of the home.
25
But, do we want to go further with Francis’s idea of obedience? He himself, after all, was in everything the least of all the lesser ones. Well might we compare him to the tiniest of infants … or to the smallest of all seeds … or to the least of all the saints … or to Benjamin, the smallest of his brothers, who in many ways was a type of Francis… – Every authentically religious person is obliged to ask God for the gift of peace, with renewed determination to promote and build peace together with other believers.
26
O Francis, true Benjamin! The first-born Joseph had you seated at the table of evangelical life with your other holy brothers. There your portion exceeds the others by the five portions of the sacred wounds … – It is not easy to proclaim the gospel in a world that claims not to need God. Yet we are bound by the compelling words of St. Paul: ’Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel’
27
He leads the whole Church of the people of Israel to the evangelical life and the full news of Christ … Humble and despised, the cup of your brothers’ evangelical wisdom and observance of the Rule and your most holy witness is contained, hidden, in the sack of observance of poverty. – The desire for unity is born and grows from the renewal of the mind, the love of truth, self-denial, and the free outpouring of love.
28
How Francis proved himself the friend of the bridegroom, by striving to conform himself to Jesus through the fervor of his charity and desire for the salvation of those to whom he was brother, is evinced by the fact that from the beginning of his conversion to the end he blazed continually like a fire with an ardent love for Jesus. – If you want peace, reach out to the poor!
29
Fanned by the breath of the Holy Spirit, he kept the furnace of his heart ever ignited, so that once he heard the love of God mentioned he was excited, moved, and animated as the beloved spouse … – God loves everyone, … wills the good of everyone, … and offers to everyone the gift of peace!
30
All things created were a means by which he fired this love of his. Through looking on things of beauty he would contemplate the Beautiful; in frail creatures he would recognize the infirmities which Jesus in His goodness bore for our salvation. He made a ladder of everything by which he could reach the One he loved. – Every day dedicate some time to conversing with God. This is a sincere proof of your love for him, for love always seeks to be near the beloved.
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on November 1st, 2019 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
November 2019
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord give you His peace!
Is it possible to live the Gospel to the letter, with all of its divine demands, crucifying renunciations, and blessed certitudes? Yes! … but with a condition! We must allow ourselves, as St. Francis of Assisi did, to be seduced by the love of Christ. We faithfully embrace, learn, and live this love more deeply when we love the Church as Mother, Teacher, and Queen of our life. The Gospel is not a dream. The Gospel is a reality that can transfigure not only the individual but also history itself.
There are billions more non-Christians than Christians who do not accept the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Word of God. Nonetheless, when the Gospel is lived, when Christ, through the Church Universal and the individual Christian, proclaims and is proclaimed to others, His Word begins to achieve its goal. My word will not return without having fulfilled the purpose for which It was sent. These prophetic words should be an encouragement for us all to enter God’s will and be available to the prompting of His Holy Spirit.
Franciscanism is a life experience as understood and lived by those who accept the challenging example and words of St. Francis of Assisi. At the center of this experience is the Humanity (never minimizing the essential reality of His Divinity) of Christ, Son of God, Messenger-Message and Bearer of the Father’s Love. The Humanity of Christ reflects the face of the Father, and speaks to men and women in the language of God’s creatures.
Francis picked up on this wonderful insight and ran with it. It was a love that filled every fiber of his being. The love for Christ in St. Francis of Assisi was contagious. He sought the Father’s will through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and allowed the ’overshadowing’ power of the Holy Spirit to lead him into living a more personal relationship with Jesus. He built this relationship on the Gospel. He was concrete and passionate. St. Francis did not limit this conformity to Christ as something purely interior. He felt the need to conform himself in all things to Christ, even in the reality of his daily activities. Our Seraphic Father lived this ’spiritual tension’ from the beginning of his conversion.
God gave His ’seal of approval’ when St. Francis was signed with the wounds of the Passion of Jesus on La Verna. What was imprinted in his heart at San Damiano eventually was made visible and imprinted on his body for all to see at La Verna. Thus he became a living image of the Christ he so ardently desired to know, love, and serve wholeheartedly in his life. This is where we encounter the radical evangelical life that is so characteristic of St. Francis of Assisi. He accepted the Gospel as his concrete form of life in all things, without gloss, in it purity and integrity.
The key words to consider are ’without gloss’. They have challenged the Family of St. Francis for centuries. During the life of our Seraphic Father the friars experienced strong tensions in how they were to live the Rule. History recalls two basic directions the ’Conventuals’ and the ’Spirituals’. Though the ’dialogue’ could have been rather heated at times and even quite ’physically expressive’, friars on both sides of the discussion were basically good men seeking to live a life in emulation, if not imitation, of our Seraphic Father.
In the Church there are various types of ’religious’ life offered those who seek to deepen their personal relationship with God within the Church. The ’within’ does not necessarily exclude contact and interaction with others ‘outside’ the Catholic Church ‘jurisdiction’. On the contrary, even the solitary life of the Carthusian, hermit, or even the recluse, demands an openness in charity to all creation if it is to be complete and fully express the mandate: Love God with your whole being and love your neighbor as yourself. Like our Seraphic Father, we are called to disarm our hearts to all. We are called and have accepted the Gospel command to love. Our ’outreach’ brings the effects of the evangelical life beyond the boundaries of the community even to those outside the Church, outside the faith, and even to adversaries of the faith.
Our Franciscan vocation is a way of life, not a ministry. You live in the world but not of the world. You are truly a light put on a lampstand but even more yeast that is kneaded into the dough of everyday life. The Secular Franciscan lives the same spirit of commitment as that of their vowed sisters and brothers. In both cases, vows or promises, a good motto to remember is: ’You are as good as your word’. The First, Second, Third Regular, and Secular Franciscan Orders, and we might even add in acknowledgement the ‘fourth order’ of those who are not professed but journey with us and participate and assist in our charism in many ways, attract to the Franciscan life by example.
When we allow complacency to rule our hearts and indifference to control us, our Franciscan life and ideals suffer and may even ’die’. When we fail or refuse to accept our call as a true vocation, or we consider our profession as a formal affiliation in some ’monthly prayer group’ we permit those attitudes to gnaw away at the beauty of what our Seraphic Father believed and fought for in all its original dignity.
We are called to faithfulness. The question is to what are we called to be faithful? Profession in the Franciscan Order introduces us to a whole ’lifestyle’ that is not limited to pious devotions, particular activities, personal particular interpretation of the Rule of Life and Constitutions. Jesus and His Gospel are our ’devotion’, living the life of Christ is our ’activity’, and Christ speaking to us through the Church and the Order indicate and challenge us how to live our life in fraternity, secular or otherwise.
Our Franciscan charism, so beloved by God and the Church, is a powerful instrument in God’s loving plan for the edification and salvation of millions down through the centuries. Our life is to LIVE THE GOSPEL … LIVE JESUS!
Christ among us is the Center of our lives; we are Eucharistic. The Word made flesh is our life; we are a Gospel People bound in the Holy Spirit’s love to be a fraternity, a family of hearts and souls; we are an evangelical community. Mary is the Virgin Made Church our Queen and Mother loved and proposed by St. Francis to all the Order; we are Marian. The Church is our Mother and Teacher on earth with the Holy Father as Vicar of Christ and Successor to Peter who presides over the family of God redeemed in the Blood of Christ; we are totally Catholic as was our Seraphic Father who admonished all to be faithful to the Church. This list could go on and on to remind us of our unity with the Church of Christ founded on the Apostles, and of our profession to be a Gospel People whose life envelopes all that makes us one with Christ and His Church.
We Franciscans are simple in our lives of minority and transparent in our desire to be detached from all that could possess us, particularly our own will. Without the Eucharist there is no Church, without the Church there is no Eucharist. We are the Church and through the ministerial priesthood we continue the mystery of the Mystical Body of Christ of whom we are the essential ’body parts’. With Mary as the Mother of the Christ she is the Mother of the Christian and thus of the Church for whom we have a particular love and to whom we are particularly devoted. The Gospel and Apostolic writings of the New Covenant tell us the story of Jesus, Mary and the first Christian community, teaching us through the Apostles’ writings all that makes us Christian. These facts and many others have always been professed and practiced ’without gloss’ by the followers of our Seraphic Father. To be Franciscan is to be totally Catholic with all that entails.
We are children of the Poverello of Assisi. While our manner of affiliation may differ from the canonical perspective, our hearts and souls are one. We are centered and rooted in the Gospel Life following Jesus in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. Let us strive to be “true to our word”, for we are as good as our word. Let us remember always that God is faithful in His Word, Jesus the Christ. He called us to hear, listen and respond. May our response always be “Yes”, as was that of our Heavenly Mother who believed the humanly impossible and gave birth to God-made-man in Jesus. Jesus Who calls us and then sends us to be a living Gospel in today’s world. May we be faithful and strive to fulfill well what we have promised.
God bless us; Mary, Queen and Mother of our Seraphic Family, keep us in the depths of Her Immaculate Heart; and Our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi and our Holy Mother St. Clare of Assisi watch over each one of us, their Spiritual Children, with loving care.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on October 22nd, 2019             What a perfectly perfect day!! In spite of the rain, more than 130 folks attended the 25th anniversary of St. Katharine Drexel Region! It truly was a family reunion. The Mass, celebrated by Father John Frambes, OFM, was beautiful. The church itself was filled….filled!!…. The choir sounded great with Brother Kip providing phenomenal harmony. In an effort to be inclusive, the petitions were read in both English and Spanish which was comforting to all.
Back to the Hall and let the fun begin! The potluck dishes provided such a grand variety of food with something to entice everyone. There were a Franciscan nun and Friar with their faces cut out providing a picture opportunity and a few laughs. Justin Carisio, OFS, gave a very informative presentation on St. Katharine Drexel. So many folks were heard saying they learned lots of new info about our patron. Thanks, Justin!
The gift bag that everyone received had a logo that Justin’s son, Sebastian created for us commemorating the anniversary. The bag itself contained a coloring book with a page for each fraternity and a box of crayons, some mints that were made with water from the shrine at Our Lady of Lourdes, a pen, bookmark created for the occasion and prayer card of Mother Katharine Drexel.
Everyone left well fed and happy! What more can we ask!? May the next 25 years bring us as much joy as the anniversary party did!!
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on October 14th, 2019 For the month of October, CIOFS has asked us to pray for the National Chapters of Election for
Croatia and France and for the National Visitation in the Philippines.
Our own NAFRA Gathering begins 10/14. Please pray first for the safe travels of all us headed to Corpus Christi and second that we may be guided by the Holy Spirit in all decisions that will be made to shape the coming year.
The general intention is: That the breath of the Holy Spirit engender a new missionary “spring” in the Church.
Let us do what we are called to do….
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on October 11th, 2019 
I was in the middle of a “man-about-the-house” job and loving every minute…..NOT….when I realized I needed longer zip lines. The closest place is Walmart and it was dinner time – either the best or worst time to go to Walmart. Was everyone home eating dinner or did they all decide to postpone dinner and get to Walmart right away.
It was the worst time to go. Figures. I found what I needed and decided rather than make a U-turn in that aisle to go to the checkout counter, I would go down the next aisle which had Fall and Halloween decorations. There was a flat wooden pumpkin with the words Choose to be Grateful painted on it. Yes, that is it, pictured above because I did buy it along with the longer zip lines. I was intrigued by the pumpkin because what has Autumn or Halloween have to do with being grateful and the bigger question….when did Walmart start selling inspirational items???
Choose to be Grateful? You mean it’s an option??? YES! Just like we choose to be upset and choose to be angry or hurt or wounded.
Yesterday, I drove my sister to an appointment. She is going through something right now and was in no state to follow these complicated directions to get to the office she needed. I was happy to help. We arrived in enough time that we sat in the car and talked for a bit. She went in for her appointment and I walked around the back of the building to deadhead the marigolds that were planted there.
A woman came out the door and said “Oh! You are stealing the plants!” Like a guilty kid with her hand in the cookie jar, I immediately held out my hand to show what I had and assured her I was only picking the dead ones. She laughed and said she was only kidding but I still felt the need to explain. “See, (holding up my Tau Cross) I’m a Franciscan and we are doing a project with these seeds. I’m only picking the dead ones because that is where the seeds are.” She thought it was a nice idea and started walking to her car. Halfway across the parking lot, she stopped and turned back to me. “Can you say a prayer for me?” she asked. “You bet I can! What’s your first name?” It turned out to be Marian and she was so grateful for the promise of a prayer. She has been having severe pain in her back and that day the doctor decided she needed an injection at the Pain Intervention Center. The first appointment is November 14; a long time to wait in pain.
I returned to the car to see my sister coming out of the building, visibly upset and shaking. While I was deadheading marigolds, she was going all over the building looking for the right office only to find out that they had moved. We were at the wrong place. Her cell phone rang and it was the person she was supposed to meet with and he was apologizing for not giving her the right address and directions. The appointment was not an easy one to make and she was afraid she had missed her chance. The man said he would see her as soon as we got to the right place. Now she was feeling guilty that she was holding me up and that we would be going home in rush hour.
I chose to be grateful. First, I told her it was never a waste of time to be with her which calmed her down some. Then I told her about picking marigolds and having an opportunity to pray for someone. Both things to be grateful for. If we had not been at the wrong place, I wouldn’t have more marigold seeds, or have met someone who needed to hear from God. Make me an instrument….
I could have been upset about losing more time when I have so much to do right now. I could have been annoyed with my sister for not having the right address, and I could have been very angry being stuck in rush hour traffic on the Blue Route. But I chose to be grateful…grateful for how God used me to reach out to a woman who is scared and in pain. And grateful that God allowed me to spend time with my sister who I dearly love. Yes, being grateful is a choice. Not always an easy one. But something I want to continue to work on. I feel a lot better choosing to be grateful than being tied up in knots on the Blue Route! While you are trying to choose to be grateful, say a prayer for Marian. She could use it!
Posted By Kate Kleinert, on October 6th, 2019     
Today, October 6, 2019, St. Francis, LBI, fraternity celebrated their 90th anniversary and were kind enough to invite me to celebrate with them. The Mass, celebrated by Father John Frambes, OFM, was beautiful. A wonderful reflection on the fraternity was given by Carole Infante, OFS. And then there was food………….lots and lots of food! The fourth picture is of the remaining living ministers with yours truly and Father John. And the ocean…………I can’t remember the last time I was at the shore so on my way home, I stopped to hear the seagulls and breathe in that salt air. Thank you, LBI, for a truly great afternoon. May you have 90 more anniversaries!
|
|
Comments are closed 
