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Posted By Teresa Redder, on March 1st, 2015  March 2015
Dear Spiritual Children of St. Francis of Assisi,
The Lord give you His peace!
For what profit comes to a man from all the toil and anxiety of heart with which he has labored?… All his days are sorrow and grief are his occupation. (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23) Even the plebeian suffered the same as the king. (Wisdom18:11) Come, all you who pass by the way, look and see whether there is any suffering like my suffering. (Lamentations 1:12) Why does Sacred Scripture deal with suffering and sorrow so much? The easiest response is the obvious fact: Suffering is at the center of every human experience.
In his Encyclical Salvifici Doloris, Pope St. John Paul II writes: Suffering, in fact, is always a trial – at times a very hard one – to which humanity is subjected. The Gospel paradox of weakness and strength often speaks to us from the pages of the letters of St. Paul, a paradox particularly experienced by the Apostle himself and together with him experienced by all who share Christ’s sufferings. Paul writes in the second letter to the Corinthians: “I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12: 9) In the second letter to Timothy we read: And therefore I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed. (2 Timothy 1: 12) And in the letter to the Philippians he will even say: I can do all things in him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4: 13). The distinction St. Paul conveys, that Pope St. John Paul II repeats, is: I believe the person and thus live his words (for I know whom I have believed); I believe in him and thus trust his power to save (I can do all things in him).
Suffering has touched all of us in some way or another. We suffer at the news of a loved one who has an incurable disease. We are saddened when a family happily awaiting the birth of a child is told that this new life will be burdened with physical or psychological challenges for all his/her life. We feel inadequate and helpless when we see suffering in our loved ones and have no power to help them. We suffer with our own spiritual and physical vulnerabilities. What about the terrible social, economic, meteorologic calamities that affect whole families, cities, nations?! Suffering is around us and in each one of our lives. How do we respond to this universal ‘companion’?
Some years ago a physician stated: We respond to suffering with a fatalistic and passive attitude that blindly accepts what cannot be changed permitting this cruel destiny (to overwhelm us). This pagan perspective seems to pervade in every age. Other attitudes are: resigning one’s self to fate and giving up the fight; overcoming suffering by trying to eliminate all desire and passion in life; trying to play ‘mind over matter’ games like some ‘superperson’; despairing and just giving up; attempting to overcome suffering by ‘buying our way out of it’; forgetting troubles by going ‘head over heels’ into the pleasures of life; rationalizing suffering away by denying it. So many other ‘methods’ have been tried, but to no real success… It matters not how we try to eliminate suffering from our lives; suffering will always be there at one time or another, in one form or another.
How did our Seraphic Father St. Francis respond to suffering? How did our Mother Clare respond to the reality of suffering? They found an unusual happiness in their afflictions. They suffered and were willing to accept even more if that was the will of God. They did not fear suffering, because they did not fear death. Death for them and all souls surrendered to the will of God was the moment they would be united by indissoluble bonds to the heavenly Bridegroom of their souls. They were fully aware and convinced that in embracing their crosses, they were fulfilling their earthly mission to embrace the cross and follow Jesus to Calvary.
Suffering for the sake of suffering is foolish and certainly not centered in God. When we are enveloped with suffering or just have to bear some serious inconvenience for a time, we are being entrusted with a “mission”. The “mission of participating in the Redemptive Passion of Christ, the ultimate gift that every true Christian is asked to perfect in his/her life. When we enter the celebration of the Eucharist with heart, mind, and soul totally focused and intent on the Sacred Action of re-presenting the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s Passion-Death-Resurrection, we too, through our baptismal consecration as re-born in Christ through the Holy Spirit, become spiritually victims with the Victim and victors with the Victorious Redeemer.
The Lenten journey we have begun introduces us each year into the Mystery of the Suffering Servant of God. We are asked to listen to His words and follow in His footsteps. This ‘following’ can be frightening when we understand what the call entails and when we recognize our weaknesses. But, it can be uplifting when we acknowledge the One Who has preceded us and invites us to follow me. Lent encourages us to participate in the ministry of the Person of The Suffering Servant – Jesus. We are asked to be not only spectators but protagonists of the Mystery of Calvary. We are offered the opportunity to ‘be one with Christ’ in the whole work of our salvation. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2: 20).
He Who created us without our will, will not save us without our consent (St. Augustine). God can save anyone He so wills to save. However, although Jesus died once for all on the Cross, we must continue to make up in our bodies what is still wanting in the passion of Christ, as St. Paul tells us (Colossians 1:24). The continuation of the Mystery of Calvary in our lives is an ongoing process of healing with, through, in Jesus. We continue a spiritual process to eradicate whatever in our life may be harmful to our growth in God’s grace. We strive to control whatever could lead us astray from our relationship with God.
Lent is a time for us to seek spiritual healing that ultimately affects our very lives. We may try to accomplish this by very practical ‘sacrifices’: foods, TV programs, entertainment, and the like. We may increase the prayers we recite, or the time we spend reading Scripture or some other spiritual writing. We may offer our time, talents and ‘treasures’ to assist the needy with Corporal or Spiritual Works of Mercy. These practices and many others are commendable. We participate in the sufferings of Christ by accepting to bear these small crosses each day as we prepare for the celebration of New Life in Jesus at Easter. Nevertheless, there is something we still must do if all these practices are to be effective, if they are to achieve the purpose for which they are intended. We must start from where we want to arrive if we ever expect to eventually get there! We must Come to the Center!
Come To The Center! We must get to the ‘core’ of things. We must get to the ‘heart’, the Heart of God, that Heart opened for us on the Cross that we might enter the Father’s loving embrace – the Heart of Jesus, the Heart of the Eternal High Priest Who is both the Lamb of Sacrifice and the Priest Who offers the Sacrifice. It is in this Sacrifice that we enter the ‘heart’ of the matter and the Heart of the Lord, Whose footsteps we seek to follow and Whose Cross we are asked to bear according to the strengths allotted us by Divine Providence. It is the Eucharist and all that the Eucharist means that is the point of departure as well as the point of arrival of any worthwhile ‘sacrifice’ and ‘penance’. To make our lives sacred (sacrifice=make sacred) we must do ‘penance’ (penance= metanoia = change of mind/heart). Thus, Lent is a time to be holy by changing our hearts. To do this we must…
Come to the Center! Jesus is the ‘Center’. The Tabernacle, the Eucharist, that is where our focus should be, not just during Lent, but always. It is there that we re-present the great Mystery of our Redemption in the Paschal Mystery, the Passion-Death-Resurrection of Jesus. It is the Eucharist, celebrated, received worthily, and adored with love, that gives meaning to what we do, and fills our hearts with the divine graces necessary to grow in our faith and relationship with God.
Our Seraphic Father St. Francis was enamored with the Eucharist. Jesus was the very center of his life. He became so much one with Jesus that he was gifted to bear the wounds of the Passion of the Savior. The prayer of St. Francis repeated by most Catholics, especially during Lent when they pray the Stations of the Cross, tells us of St. Francis’ love for Christ and the Cross, and the Eucharist: We adore You most holy Lord Jesus Christ, (here and in all Your churches throughout the world,) and we bless you, because by Your holy Cross, You have redeemed the world. Always centered on the Eucharist, St. Francis even prayed this prayer kneeling outside a locked church door when access to the interior was impossible.
Come to the Center! The Eucharist is not a devotion; the Eucharist is not ‘another sacrificial practice’; the Eucharist is not an ‘option’ among many others. The Eucharist is Jesus! What greater experience could we allow ourselves to deepen, that in turn would transform us, than to focus on the Eucharist and make our Sacramental Jesus, Eternal High Priest and Lamb of Sacrifice, the Center of all we seek to do and become during the Lenten Season.
As Brothers and Sisters in St. Francis of Assisi, his Spiritual Children, remember that the Eucharist was central to our Father’s life. His strength came from his love and total surrender to his Lord, the Center of his life. What about us!? If we do only a few ‘things’ for Lent, let us make an effort to deepen, sincerely and with commitment, our participation in and love for the Eucharist. This may take herculean efforts for many because this requires daily and/or concentrated and regular preparation before, focused participation during, and calm centered praise and thanksgiving after the celebration of the Eucharist, each day if possible. From this will flow abundant graces and unimaginable strength to meet the demands of life and to live in a peace and serenity that only God can give. I hope that all of us, Spiritual Children of the Poverello, will make the Eucharist the first and foremost goal of our Lenten journey. Let our cry and goal be: Jesus, and Jesus alone!
Come to the Center! Let Jesus be the focus of your Lenten journey, because Jesus is the real goal of this season. In the Eucharist, we re-live the awesome experience of our Redemption in His Passion-Death-Resurrection. Only in Jesus, does anything we ‘do’ make sense, and any sacrifice we ‘make’ have a lasting and meaningful effect.
May this holy season fill you with the graces necessary to strengthen your resolve to become holy through ‘sacrifice’, in a profound change of mind and heart through ‘penance’, by a daily resolute decision to Come to the Center – Jesus! Come to the One from Whom all graces flow and to Whom all life must go if we are to grow in the New Life we celebrate at the end of this holy season. What a wonderful opportunity we are offered. Let us make the effort Lent asks of us.
God bless you; Our Lady guide, guard, and protect you; and St. Francis of Assisi our Seraphic Father watch over each one of us, his Spiritual Children, with loving care.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on March 1st, 2015 March 2015
Embrace the poor Christ.
Look upon Him Who became contemptible for you,
and follow Him, making yourself contemptible in this world for Him.
… gaze, consider, contemplate desiring to imitate …
‘Who though more beautiful than the children of men became,
for your salvation, the lowest of men’,
was despised, struck, scourged untold times throughout His entire body,
and then died amid the suffering of the Cross,
(St. Clare of Assisi, The second Letter to St. Agnes of Prague)
Following are excerpts taken from poverty and Joy The Franciscan Tradition by William J. Short, OFM. Daily reflections are taken from the words of Pope St. John XXIII.
1
What the Poverello wished to do was to bring again to our notice the science of holy love … And in fact, from the ‘bubbling-up well’ of his heart there has come a whole school of spirituality. – Peaceable folks do not stand idly by, they are the active builders of peace.
2
The Franciscan Family has included from its very beginning a rich diversity, and seems to resist even the most earnest attempts to turn it into a ‘system’. – Man must first pray for peace, and then learn to live in peace.
3
Francis himself seemed to many in his day a new kind of Christian, one who did not fit easily within the categories of his day. – Christian peace is rooted in faith, hope and charity, and is strengthened by prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.
4
Instead of accepting one of the well-established forms of Christian life … he chose the more difficult way, creating a new ‘form of life’, as he called it, different from the prevailing … forms then in favor. – True peace can come from God alone.
5
What drove that desire to create something new was his deep conviction that it was ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’ himself who was guiding him. – Good will is the sincere intention to … be faithful to the truth.
6
Followers soon arrived … They formed a fraternity, followed a form of life based on the gospel. In part contemplatives, in part popular preachers, they lived and worked with their hands, frequently with the sick, and begged when they needed to. – Peace is first found and enjoyed in the family … (through) understanding and generosity.
B
Clare of Assisi … developed the new ‘form of life’ in a women’s community marked by sisterly communion, prayer and manual labor, with no stable sources of revenue. – What counts is the love with which we do the will of God.
8
Combining elements of monastic life with the life of lay women penitents she created her own unique expression of ‘life according to the Holy Gospel’. – He is truly great who has great love.
9
Its innovative character, especially Clare’s insistence on work and begging to support her sisters, alarmed church authorities, who time and again attempted to convince her to accept a more secure, more traditional lifestyle. – He is truly great who is humble of heart and sets no store by greatness or honors.
10
Forty years after beginning her ‘evangelical experiment’, Clare’s own Rule was approved, the first of its kind, written for women by a woman. – He is truly prudent who rejects as dross all earthly things, in order to win Christ.
11
As Francis reflected upon his life as he was approaching death, he left us in his Testament a remarkable and simple account of how the Franciscan tradition began: ‘The Lord inspired me to begin to do penance in this way …’ – There are so many people who have sight and yet do not see!
12
The great discovery for Francis … was as old as the Gospels themselves. The Lord had inspired in him the desire to live the kind of life that Jesus lived with his disciples. This may seem commonplace to us today … Not so in Francis’ day … – There are so many who get lost chasing after…trifles…of no account, and forget God, their own souls and righteousness.
13
In Francis’ day religious communities sought to imitate the early Christian community at Jerusalem … With its orderly rhythm … Francis was inspired to follow a life that was less settled … – Have courage!
14
Francis was inspired to follow a way of life … that would resemble more closely the life of Jesus himself, shared with Mary and the disciples during the brief years of their mission in Galilee and the surrounding territory. – Be generous in the tasks which await you.
15
The reference to Jesus, Mary and the disciples is intentional: Francis saw in them the pattern of his own life, and that of his followers. ‘The Lord Jesus Christ was a poor man and a transient and lived on alms, He and the Blessed Virgin and His disciples. – Work in charity and peace.
16
This life of transients, dependent on the generosity of others while they travel, struck a chord within Francis. In their poverty, Jesus and the members of His community were the best examples of what it means to proclaim the reign of God and live in its presence. – Purity of heart carefully and constantly guarded becomes the rule and radiance of our whole life and of every word and deed.
17
Jesus instructs his disciples to preach the reign of God, instructing them to travel without silver or gold, extra tunics, without sandals or walking-sticks … Francis cries out ‘This is what I want, this is what I desire, this is what I long for with all my heart’. – Purity of heart is the serene atmosphere which surrounds every earnest vocation.
18
(Clare) considered her life with her sisters a ‘mirror’ of the gospel, reflecting the face of Christy to the world, particularly to the violent and troubled world of Assisi itself. Clare and her community preached the gospel by their living example of poverty and peaceful unity. – Purity of heart must be the breath of the love of God.
19
(Francis) combined austerity of life with an infectious joy, service of the poor with lyrical delight in creatures, popular preaching with silent contemplation, and missionary journeys with long periods in mountain hermitages. – Purity of heart enables us to enjoy the incomparable happiness of long conversations with God in his holy tabernacle.
20
(Francis stigmata set him apart) from earlier saints, making him seem in flesh and blood, a living image of Christ, one perfectly conformed to the Lord he strove to follow. – The world cannot do without Christ.
21
The life of the Poverello may seem more cheerful and more peaceful than that of some of the other saints. But the truth is that he was the saint of excesses: excess in sacrifice, excess in love: and it was by reason of his excesses that he held to the happy medium, because his disregard for moderation worked both ways … – The Church treasures the words of Jesus.
22
Others received something from Francis … It was the experience of knowing Francis himself: he was the message … He taught ‘by word and example’ … He was a living example of what he taught. He edified his listeners by his example as well as his words; ‘he made his whole body a tongue’ … – Love governs the mutual relations of Christians and inspires our openness to all.
23
More than someone who prayed, he had become a prayer … That is, his whole person had become the message he was trying to communicate. – The Lord continues to love all his redeemed, in spite of the insults and ingratitude with which they reward his kindness.
24
And what was this message? In a word, it was Jesus … For Francis, the discovery of Jesus, ‘Our Lord Jesus Christ’, was the ongoing revelation of his whole life in the twenty years after his conversion. – Let us not talk about the duties of others, but try to think more seriously about our own.
25
In his early years he discovered Jesus as the one who led him among the lepers, and made their presence ‘sweet to him’, rather than ‘bitter’. He then discovered Jesus the preacher of conversion, announcing the reign of God. – The divine rule about not serving two masters means not being of two minds.
26
Over the years he began to see more clearly Jesus as the Incarnate Son of God .. As the Lord of all things, raised up in glory after his death. And in this Lord, the glorified Son, he also understood the Trinitarian God. – Be aware of what’s going on around you.
27
It is through ’the Lord Jesus Christ’ that Francis understands Mary, the Church, the Scriptures, priesthood, the poor, his brothers and sisters, and all creatures. – God has engraved his law on men’s hearts.
28
If there is one word which does complete justice to Franciscan theology and spirituality, it is ‘Christocentric’, and they have this as their distinguishing feature, because the faith and holiness of St. Francis were totally centered on Christ. In Jesus Christ the revelation is made to us of what the world as a whole and in all its parts, means to God. – Everything is in the Lord’s hands
29
What unites Clare and Francis is not an identical experience of Christ, but different experiences of the same Christ. – Human life must be founded on virtue and not on the hope of some gain or advantage.
30
More than a disciple, Clare is also a creative architect of the tradition she lived. – We are not put into this world to dissipate our energies or amuse ourselves, but to do the will of God.
31
Poverty, or ‘living without grasping’, marks the writings and lives of both Francis and Clare. A key to their understanding of Christ, poverty also became a source of division among their followers. – Body and soul must go forward together; whoever does so will be worthy, good and honest.
Posted By Teresa Redder, on March 1st, 2015 Dear Sisters and Brothers,![assisi09%20021[1]](http://www.skdregion.org/wp-content/uploads/assisi09-0211-225x300.jpg)
Peace and all good to you!
It is said that father Francis who, when in prison, started his conversion, took the words of the Gospel of Mark 6:7-13 literally. Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick – no food, no sack, no money for their belts.
St. Francis took the Lenten season very seriously, as we read in Chapter 7 The Little Flowers of Francis of Assisi, a new translation by Robert H. Hopcke and Paul A. Schwartz:
Saint Francis, true servant of Christ, was in many ways like Christ himself, given to the world for the salvation of all people. Thus, God willed that Saint Francis conform to the example of his only son Jesus Christ in his choice of twelve companions, as we have seen, in the wondrous mystery of the Sacred Stigmata, and in his Lenten fasting, which he observed in the following manner.
Having been lodged at the house of a faithful follower near the Lake of Perugia during the time of Carnival, Saint Francis was inspired by God to observe Lent that year on one of the islands in the lake. So Saint Francis asked his devoted son, for the love of God, to take him on Ash Wednesday in his boat to the uninhabited island by night, so that no one might see them, which the man did readily out of the great love and devotion he held toward Saint Francis. Bringing with him only two small loaves of bread, Saint Francis enjoined his friend to tell no one that he was there and to come back for him no sooner than Holy Thursday, at which his friend took leave of the island, leaving Saint Francis there by himself.
As there were no houses on the island to be used as shelter, Saint Francis was content to use a large, thick bush overgrown with vines and plants as a kind of den or hut for himself. There he prayed and contemplated heavenly matters, staying there throughout all of Lent without food or drink, eating no more than half of one of the small loaves he had brought with him, and his faithful friend found him on Holy Thursday upon his return to the island. Upon seeing a loaf and a half of bread still untouched, he believed that the saint ate the half loaf he did eat out of sheer reverence for the fasting of the blessed Christ, who ate nothing for forty days and forty nights, wishing to follow the example of Christ’s fast but setting aside any temptation to vainglory by eating this half loaf of bread as an act of intentional humility.
Afterward, God began to perform miracles in this place where Saint Francis had observed his Lenten abstinence in such a wondrous fashion. People came to this island, building houses and living there, until finally a town grew up, along with a community house for the friars, and all in this place where Saint Francis observed Lent felt great devotion for him and reverence.
Praise be to Jesus Christ and to his poor servant Francis. Amen.
For the remainder of Lent let us pray with joyful hearts, giving to those in need and denying ourselves so that we as Franciscans, who share in the cross, can share in the glorious resurrection on Easter Sunday. Glory be to God.
For further reflection, be sure to read Pope Francis’ Lenten Message, Make Your Hearts Firm. The message was signed on Oct. 4th, 2014, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis makes reference to three Biblical texts which applies to the above and ourselves as the Church and Franciscans.
Love, Rosie
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 21st, 2015 I received a letter today from the secretary to His Eminence, Sean Cardinal O’Malley in response to my request that the Cardinal mention the Secular Franciscans when he speaks at the World Meeting of Families next September.
Here is what he said:
The Cardinal holds the Secular Franciscan vocation in high regard and is grateful for your dedication to this important ministry, which enriches the lives of many people.
As we look toward the events being planned for the World Meeting of Families this coming September, we will be happy to determine how the secular vocation can be included in the Cardinal’s participation, to provide recognition for the members and to encourage a greater awareness and increase of this means of living one’s faith. As you note, this could be particularly helpful for providing young people an effective and fulfilling means for responding to the Lord’s call in their lives.
We are most grateful to Cardinal O’Malley for his kindness in recognizing the value of the Secular vocation.
Kate
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 15th, 2015 Greetings of peace, dear brothers and sisters!
I pray this finds you well and filled with the Lord’s peace on this Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes!
Well, it is that time again! Yes, Lent is one week away; and in preparation I wanted to send this out to give you time to pray and plan your Lenten activities. As our Holy Father Pope Francis says, lent is a time of grace and renewal. Lent is a wonderful opportunity to begin again!
Please use the links below to open and dowload the 2015 Lenten Edition of the Animator Notes with some Lenten activities for you and your communities to partake. There are also some Lenten Resources, including my Lenten Season of Peace, for you to go deeper into prayer, fasting and giving alms.
One of the activities is a global one. On March 16th, Catholics here in the United States are asked to fast for creation. I am asking you to individually and fraternally join with me (and my emerging fraternity here in South Carolina) to fast in honor of Sister/Mother Earth. You can fast from fast food, excessive water, paper, or electronics use. There is no shortage of ideas to fast. Then, feast on the goodness of our loving Creator God and our Sister/Mother Earth! WooHoo! That’s Latin for Praise the LORD! (said no one ever!)
Anyway, I beg of you to please share with me, in the form of a paragraph, pictures or a video of your Lenten fasting experiences. I would be so grateful.
Feel free to email me with questions or comments anytime. This weekend, I am fasting from conflict and violence in a Restorative Circles Workshop – so limited email access. Stay tuned for more on that.
I wish you all a very blessed, joyous and peace-filled Lenten Season!
Carolyn
Animate Peace
“Peace begins within each of us. It is a process of repeatedly showing mercy to ourselves, forgiving ourselves, befriending ourselves, accepting ourselves, and loving ourselves. As we learn to appreciate ourselves and accept God’s gift of peace, we begin to radiate peace and love to others.” ~ Rev. John Dear
Animator Notes – 2015 Lenten Edition
Lenten Season of Peace by Carolyn Townes, OFS
Catholic Relief Service Rice Bowl – 2015 Lenten Calendar
Interfaith Power and Light – Lenten Carbon Fast 2015
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 8th, 2015 Dear Brothers and Sisters, attached is a special edition of Hearts and Hands Across the Region. It deals with all we are doing to prepare for the World Meeting of Families and the Pope’s visit next September.
Safe and warm blessings to all as we get through this winter!
kate kleinert, ofs
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 2nd, 2015  Dear Brothers and Sisters
Greetings of love and peace to you!
Looking ahead to the season of Lent which will be upon us shortly, I think Chapter 6 in the text Franciscan Prayer, “The Heart Turned Toward God,” by Ilia Delio OSF, would be very appropriate for Ongoing Formation although it was not written specifically for lent. While I cannot physically include the whole content of this chapter, I would like to at least point out a few excerpts which can be used for discussion. If you already have the text, go for it. You may approach the chapter differently. If I can be of any help to you I am always available.
The heart is the center of the whole personal life of the human person. If we tend to clutter our hearts with those things that really do not matter, we will not be able to encounter God, this is where God reveals himself to us. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel “where you treasure is, there will be your heart be also (Luke 12:34). Francis believed that the heart is the seat of the will, the root of sin, and the place of conversion.
Francis in his Admonitions indicated that the heart must not turn away from God under “pretexts” of occupations. We too often complain we do not have enough time to pray or we are too busy to pray. When we are too busy, Francis’ admonition calls to mind that our hearts may turn away from God.
Francis placed a great emphasis on the Word of God, as a living Word, the Word of life. This is the Word that took flesh in Jesus, the Word that comes to us in the Scriptures and in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and the Word that fulfills our lives when it dwells in our hearts. As a life-giving Word, Francis made every effort to ensure that the Word became his life, and he called his followers to do the same.
For Bonaventure, the heart is the place of knowledge and rest, as well as the place of love. It is the place where one enters into solitude and fosters the desire for God. “Be sure always to guard your heart well” he writes.
Clare of Assisi had a clear focus on the crucified Christ as the spouse of transforming love and only in union with Him can we be transformed to the beauty of God’s image in our lives.
So how can we as Franciscans apply the above during our Lenten journey? Everyday?
Article VII of our Rule gives us some direction – United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance,” and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of radical interior change which the gospel itself calls “conversion.” Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily. On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace.
Peace,
Rosie
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 2nd, 2015
 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: www.skdregion.org email: pppgusa@gmail.com
February, 2015
Dear Spiritual Children of St. Francis of Assisi, The Lord give you His peace! In a brief time from the end of the Christmas Season, the Church begins the solemn Lenten Journey that takes us from the Ashes of humility to the Palm and Olive Branches of praise, and from the Calvary of betrayal and death to the Empty Tomb of Resurrection and glory. If ever there were a time for us to see the intimate connection between the Crib and the Cross, it is now. The wood that enveloped the Child at Bethlehem was a preparation for the wood that would hold him up before the whole world. Mary presented Jesus to the world at Bethlehem when the Wise Men from the East arrived seeking the newborn King. Mary associated Herself with the Sacrifice of Her Son on Calvary and offered Him to the Father with a love and total surrender that only a Mother can personalize within her heart and express in her life. The words of the prophet Simeon – and your own heart will be pierced with a sword that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Luke 2: 35) – were finally totally fulfilled. The Feast of the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, celebrated at the beginning of this month on February 2nd, prepares us for all that follows during the next forty days of our lenten journey; and, it reminds us of the intimate relationship of Mary with Her Son Jesus, sharing with Him the most solemn moment of His life. Lent helps us to prepare for the transition from childhood to adulthood in the Spirit. We journey in Word and Sacrament throughout this holiest of Church Seasons. We open our ears and our hearts to the Word of God calling us to a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in Whom all creation is restored. We are reminded that the Christian, as another Christ in the Spirit, is called to take up his cross daily and journey to Calvary and beyond. The ‘beyond’, and where it leads, is determined by the depth of desire and decisiveness we have to make up in our personal lives what is still lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His Body the Church (Colossians 1: 24). Lent helps us to re-focus and re-evaluate those areas that may have affected or be affecting our soul’s journey through Christ to the Father in the Spirit. All this may sound like ‘nice’ words for spiritual reading but not necessarily food for our everyday lives. There is nothing further from the truth! It is a question of Spirit and Life! The Spirit prompts within us and life responds to the urging of the Spirit. It is only when our hearts and souls are balanced that our lives become less dysfunctional, our values and principles less compromising, our actions less burdensome, our decisions less patronizing, our prayers less formal and spiritless, our relationship with God and others less self-centered and more open to the working of the Spirit and the Will of God. When our spirit is in shape, then the whole person is truly – even though somewhat distorted and infinitely less – an image of the invisible God. We begin Lent with the acceptance of ashes on our foreheads. This has always seemed a little strange to me because of the Gospel we hear read and preached on Ash Wednesday: Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see (Matthew 6: 1). It is interesting how people will make every effort to go to Church ‘to get ashes’ on Ash Wednesday, but often indifferent to what is expressed by their reception. This sacramental signifies the passing state of life, the nothingness of so many material things for which we express great concern and desire, and our willingness to reflect upon our lives to refocus on the priorities and the great gift of salvation celebrated in the Passion-Death-Resurrection of Jesus. Ashes in the ancient world and still today in many areas of the globe are used for scouring and cleansing tough stains. For us, they are the sign of a willingness and availability to permit God’s grace, through our collaboration, to scour and cleanse our hearts and souls so that we may enter the Easter Season renewed in the Spirit, with lives better directed to everything a Christian has promised and is expected to be and do. The three tools that we are reminded of during this holy season are: prayer, sacrifice, and almsgiving (charitable acts). These are traditional terms still meaningful and effective for anyone attempting to make his/her Lent a fruitful experience of growth in grace. Unfortunately, so many view these three positive elements as negative and ‘old fashioned’. Prayer is often understood as repetitious ramblings of the pious words of others and/or form prayers required to ‘make God hear us’; the more we say the better – even if taking more time to recite these prayers our responsibilities may suffer! … Sacrifice is the act that refuses legitimate things often with the thought that the more we suffer physically the greater God blesses our soul. While at times there can be a truth in that, pain for the sake of pain is never a blessing … Almsgiving or Acts of Charity opens our wallets/purses, refrigerators, check books, signs petitions to legislators and speaks powerfully in favor of the downtrodden, and so forth, but often fails to recognize the person of Christ in the one whom we have made an object for our own good feeling and sense of altruism. Some reflections regarding the three companions still necessary for a fruitful Lenten Season of Renewal might help us to acknowledge them more positively, and view them from a different perspective: Prayer – Prayer is a posture of dialogue between the creature and the Creator. It is an intimate exchange that places us in the presence of God and allows the Love of God to envelop us and speak to our heart. It does not take eloquence or long drawn-out discourses. When you pray, go to your room … and pray to your Father in private (Matthew 6: 6) … do not rattle on (Matthew 6: 7) … All it takes is the time to be quiet with God; to speak to Him from the heart about whatever we know He already knows but that we need to emphasize in our own hearing to recognize our greater need for God in the matter; to speak less and listen more to the God Who speaks to our hearts and souls; to reconfirm our trust in God’s Providence and our desire to always live in His Will. This type of prayer requires only love, and the response we experience brings us peace and serenity. Sacrifice – Sacrifice for Lent has always been wrapped up in denials. The word itself – “sacrifice” – actually comes from two Latin words: sacrum (sacred) and facere (to make). Thus, the reason for ‘sacrifice’ is to make something or someone ‘sacred’ or ‘holy’. This was the command God Himself gave His People in the desert after they left Egypt for the trek to the Promised Land. Be holy, for I, your God, am holy (Leviticus 11: 45; 1 Peter 1: 16) . Holiness, as we read in the Gospels and the Letters of the Apostles, has little, directly, to do with food, clothing, activities, or the like. What the word does entail is that we seek ways to free our spirits and lives from the slavery of being controlled by things, even legitimate things, which can, continued and exaggerated, addict the person in such a way that the person no longer has time to focus on his/her God and his/her relationship with Him, or makes him/her so self-centered on personal needs and wants, that he/she fails to notice the sisters and brothers in need. The need for physical ‘sacrifice’ (in the common understanding of ‘relinquishing things’) has also been proven very helpful and spiritually and physically healthy for the body, mind, heart and soul. The prime purpose for sacrifices must be the spirit; we must direct our priorities correctly, otherwise a good act, done for the wrong reason, is worth little or nothing. Almsgiving – Almsgiving is an old term that merely means ‘charitable acts’ of giving, materially meeting another’s needs from our own resources. The first thought here that some may have is that of special collections or money gifts provided for those whose lives are socially, financially, ethnically, legally … challenged. Even here, the thought is commendable, but when done for more social reasons and not because we recognize the suffering Christ in our sister or brother in need, our acts benefit the other, but are not a true expression of faith in Divine Providence Who exercises Its beneficence through God’s Children. Prayer, Sacrifice and Almsgiving (Charitable Acts) really do follow a logical sequence that fills the soul with a serenity in its advance on the road that leads to our resurrection and renewal in the Spirit at Easter. Prayer creates an atmosphere of calm and quiet, an openness and availability to God Who speaks. Sacrifice, in response to God’s Voice, helps us to differentiate between our needs and wants, and allows us to recognize how blessed we are recognizing everything we have and do not have as a gift of Divine Providence. Almsgiving (charitable acts) is the natural response done from the heart and not the head to offer others the opportunity to know how blessed they are because of God’s Goodness offered them through us, because we have recognized God’s Goodness and our call to be His Providence to others. These three Lenten Companions teach us that: – Prayer helps us discover that humility, contrition and prayer make the distance between man and God disappear. They act in such a way that God descends to man, and man ascends to God, so that both understand, love, and possess one another. – Sacrifice humbles us lovingly before God. Distancing things that distract us or that we have allowed to “possess us”, we will hear more clearly the “voice” of God Who speaks to those who truly have a humble heart before him, and enriches that heart with His gifts. In the course of life, mortifications will not be lacking. We should love them, and embrace them with a cheerful heart. Suffering is the mark of those who have chosen a Crucified God as their inheritance. – Almsgiving or Acts of Charity opens our heart to others and leads us to treat them as we would want to be treated. We see all as “our neighbor”. Our Seraphic Father St. Francis reminded the brothers in his Testament: and the Lord gave me brothers – brothers and sisters, whoever they may be in creation, are God’s gift to us. We must love them in fact and not just in theory. We are called to “embrace the leper”. Have we tried to enter a more personal relationship with God? Do we pray from our hearts, or must we always use books or vocal prayer? Do we feel uncomfortable in silent prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament? Do we believe that the power of prayer can transform ourselves and even the world? Do we believe in the necessity of prayer to recognize God’s kingship over us and our need to detach ourselves from all that hinders our journey to God? Are we prudently reasonable in the sacrifices we perform during Lent? Do we propose Lenten ‘sacrifices’ that will help us: control our exaggerated desires, let go of legitimate acts and things that tend to or in fact control our daily routine, or help us to prioritize our needs and wants, so that we can recognize more deeply the presence of God’s Providence in our life? When we respond to the needs of others, do we offer out of ‘compassion’ (seeing our suffering sister or brother entitled to our concern and loving response – love looks across – horizontally) or out of ‘pity’ (seeing a lesser member of society so that we can ‘feel good’ in materially helping someone without considering them as an equal in need – vainglory looks down – vertically)? Is our willingness to be of service an openness of heart or just a ‘seasonal’ series of acts that will have no lasting effects on our perception of those less fortunate – in any way – than we? Do we ‘buy’ our way into the lives of others rather than empathize and enter into the hearts of others, allowing them to enter ours? Now that we have begun this holy season, I pray that it may be a spiritually fruitful journey for us all. Let us ‘Hurry up slowly’ through this Season. Let us do little things well, with our hearts focused on the true meaning of ‘Repentance’ and ‘Renewal’. Little, simple, consistent, faith-filled acts and attitudes can help us deepen our awareness of God’s love in the Passion-Death-Resurrection of Jesus and strengthen our spirits to become more authentic Christians in our lives. May God bless you; Our Lady guide, guard, and protect you; and our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi look over each one of us, his Spiritual Children, with loving care. The beginning of the month we heard Simeon proclaim Jesus a Sign of Contradiction (Luke 2: 34). Through the graces and practices of this holy season, may we too be “signs of contradiction” – as was and still is Jesus – to a confused world. In the spirit of the Poverello, may we be an uplifting presence for the many whom we encounter on our journey. Happy and fruitful Lent to all the Penitents of Assisi! Peace and Blessings Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap. Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 2nd, 2015 February 2015
All-powerful God,
everlasting, just and good,
of ourselves we are nothing but poverty;
but grant, for your own sake,
that we may do what we know is your will,
and always desire what is pleasing to you…
Amen.
(Conclusion of the Letter to the Entire Order)
Following are daily excerpts taken from various Franciscan writings. Daily meditative phrases from various sources.
1
His sermons were not vain and shallow but they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit (Major Legend, chpt.2) – God’s mercy, if we only let him take over, will take us much farther and higher than our own scant justice.
2
He began to preach all over with great commitment and assurance. He did not have recourse to reasoning founded on human wisdom, but based his teachings on the doctrine and virtue of the Holy Spirit, faithfully proclaiming the kingdom of God (Three Companions, chpt.54) – God’s predilection for the humblest and lowest emphasizes the point that he likes to make of upsetting men’s calculations and betraying expectations based on rank, merit, age or tradition.
3
His style was not as one preaching but as one who is conversing…he spoke clearly and respectably (Thomas of Spalato) – Self-reliance will get us nowhere…the whole process is better looked after when placed in he hands of God than when held tight in our grip as though we were bent on seeing it through at all costs by ourselves.
4
His words were like an ardent fire that penetrated the depths of the heart and filled the mind with admiration; … (his preaching) had the aroma and essence of divine revelation (Major Legend, chpt.12) – The fact that we fall is not important, but the hopeful effect of the fall to make us turn to God…is such a necessary lesson that it outweighs the fall and soothes the hurt.
5
He always used simple and very practical examples when preaching to the uneducated people, for he realized that virtue is more important than (stylish) words (Major Legend, chpt.12) – When faith joins hands with reason, their union bears the happiest fruits of spiritual understanding and heavenly wisdom; but the way to that union is paved with difficulties.
6
When proclaiming the word of the Lord before thousands of people, he was calm and confident, as though he were speaking with his brother and companion (2Celano, chpt.107) – Human weaknesses do not hinder God’s work in the soul, while human pride does.
7
From the purity of his heart he acquired the self-assurance of his words; even when he was unexpectedly invited to preach, he spoke marvelous things that had not been heard before (2Celano, chpt.107) – Pray in faith and you will obtain all you need…Jesus never disappoints.
8
He did not offer excuses for those living sinful lives, but he chastised them firmly, having himself practiced what he was now asking others to do (1Celano, chpt.36) – Faith is the greatest power on earth, and prayer its exercise.
9
He was speaking with such fire of spirit that he could not contain himself for joy. As he brought forth the word from his mouth, he moved his feet as if dancing, not playfully, but burning with the fire of divine love, not provoking laughter but moving them to tears of sorrow. (1Celano,chpt.27) – Petitionary prayer increases faith…Grow in faith by practicing prayer; and practice prayer by asking God for what you need…
10
Let no brother preach contrary to the rite and practice of the Church or without the permission of his minister. Let the minister be careful of granting it without discernment to anyone. (Earlier Rule, chpt.17) – It is not easy to ask, because petition is submission, is dependence, is humility and is commitment.
11
Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds. No minister or preacher may make a ministry of the brothers or the office of preaching his own, but, when he is told, let him set it aside without objection. (Earlier Rule, chpt.17) – To pray is to anticipate the parousia. May the Kingdom come today in token and in sign, so that it may come one day in its fullness.
12
I admonish and exhort those brothers that when they preach their language be well-considered and chaste for the benefit and edification of them people, announcing to them vices and virtues, punishment and glory, with brevity, because our Lord when on earth kept his word brief. (Later Rule, chpt.9) – The danger of prayer is that we very correctly pray for ‘the right things’, with no desire to receive them.
13
He wanted ministers of the word of God to be intent on spiritual study and not hindered by other duties. He said that these men were heralds chosen by a great king to deliver to the people the decrees received from his mouth. (2Celano, chpt.122) – Prayer, when made with sincerity, brings us face to face with God and makes us deal with him as person to person…
14
The preacher must first secretly draw in by prayer what he later pours out in sacred preaching; he must first of all grow warm on the inside, or he will speak frozen words on the outside. (2Celano, chpt.122) – When we have some years behind us and look back on life, and come to realize how wise God was in not granting some of our prayers, we may even thank Him for not giving us what we did not know for what we were asking.
15
We should honor and revere all theologians and those who minister to us the words of God, as those who minister to us ‘spirit and life’. (2Celano, chpt.122) – Our view of things is of necessity short, biased and selfish, and we grab impatiently the quick relief when the true benefit would be the long endurance.
16
He…directed himself to invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly he began to overflow with such effective eloquence and to move the minds of the high-ranking men to compunction with such force and power that it was clearly evident it was not he, but the Spirit of the Lord who was speaking. (Major Legend, chpt.12) – God can well answer a prayer for escape with a grace to endure. Instead of removing the trial, God grants the strength to go through it.
17
In the presence of the Cardinal, Francis addressed himself to the brothers and said: ‘Christ…has told me: ‘I want you…by word and work to preach the folly of the cross’. (Angelo Clareno) – ‘Lord, give me what is best for me’…can you pray this without conditions or hesitating?
18 – Ash Wednesday
We are mothers when we carry Him in our heart and body through a divine love and a pure and sincere conscience and give birth to Him through a holy activity which must shine as an example before others. (Letter to the Faithful, chpt.1) – The courage to pray in the face of rejection brings us close to Jesus himself in the deepest moment of his life.
19
A person is as learned as his actions show; and a religious is only as good a preacher as his actions show; for a good tree is known only by its fruit. (Mirror of Perfection, chpt.1,#4) – Every unanswered prayer is Gethsemane.
20
As you announce peace with your mouth, make sure that greater peace is in your hearts. Let no one be provoked to anger or scandal through you, but may everyone be drawn to peace, kindness, and harmony through your gentleness. For we have been called to this: to heal the wounded, bind up the broken, and recall the erring…(Three Companions, chpt.14) – Faith has to be tried in order to be itself, and the greatest trial for the believer is to feel abandoned by God.
21
A preacher must be wept over, as over someone without real piety, who in preaching seeks not the salvation of souls, but his own praise, or who destroys with the depravation of his life what he builds up with the truth of teaching. (Major Legend, chpt.8) – Suffering is not a problem to be discussed, but a reality, dark and painful though it is, to be lived.
22
The lord Pope confirmed their Rule and authorized them to preach in whatever church they so desired, after, out of respect and reverence, they requested permission from the prelate of the place. (Jacques de Vitry) – Life, whatever it is, is a test, and our reactions to its vicissitudes mark the path to our future, whatever again that may be.
23
He (Pope Innocent III) granted what was asked and promised even more. He approved the rule, gave them a mandate to preach penance, and had small tonsures given to all the lay brothers, who were accompanying the servant of God, so that they could freely preach the word of God (Major Legend, chpt.3) – The one redeeming trait of suffering is that it helps to bring out love.
24
The brothers must not have large churches built in order to preach to the people or for any other reason, for there is greater humility and better example when they go to other churches to preach.(Mirror of Perfection, chpt.1,#10) – God has come to do what he could not do in his heaven: to suffer with man. The cross of Christ is the meeting point of suffering humanity.
25
On Sundays and Feast Days, they leave their small dwellings and go to preach the word of life in the parish churches. (Roger of Wendover) – The infiniteness of God in the concreteness of a man, a few years that span eternity, a limited presence that fills creation…is Jesus!
26
The prelates of the church saw these documents (Papal documents approving the Order and the brothers’ preaching) and having verified their authenticity, generously permitted the brothers to build, live and preach in their dioceses.(Three Companions) – If the Son of Man can make the Father present, so can we, in our smallness and poverty, reflect his glory till he comes.
27
He used to say that, because of the office of prelacy or of zeal for preaching, they should not abandon holy and devout prayer, going for alms, working at times with their hands, and performing other humble tasks like the other brothers, for good example and for the benefit of their souls, as well as others. (Mirror of Perfection, chpt.3,#73) – We are signs in the Sign.
28
The blessed father knew through the Holy Spirit and even repeated it many times to the brothers, that many brothers, under pretext of edifying others, would abandon their vocation, that is, holy humility, pure simplicity, prayer, devotion, and our Lady Poverty…because they will think themselves to be more imbued and filled with devotion…and enlightened by knowledge of God because of their understanding of the Scriptures. (Mirror of Perfection, chpt..3,#72) – Faith is the capacity to be disturbed, to let God into one’s life, to cope with the unusual and to be surprised into glory.
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 28th, 2015 On Christmas Day, my daughter, Nicole, was sporting a new sweater, a gift from her big brother. Although a little tight on her, it was the perfect thing for her for it read “This is a girl who still believes”.
This was so perfect because she is the one who plays Christmas songs on the radio beginning Halloween, decorates a 7 foot Christmas tree with hand painted glass ornaments, takes her mother to Longwood Gardens to see the lights, attends an Ugly Sweater Party each year and watches a host of Christmas favorites on TV and often sings along to the Grinch Who Stole Christmas as she knows all the words. Of course, she also remembers the religious significance and this is paramount; being with family is all she ever wants for Christmas. But my point is she, not Macys, does BELIEVE.
But so do I in a quieter way, for each January, ever since I drug my family to Peddlers’ Village a few years ago on the coldest, bleakest day in winter, and became enamored of paper whites. The Miracle Grow Website proclaims “Paperwhite Narcissus will grow happily and bloom with nothing more than water and stones or beach glass.
Fill a 3 to 4 inch deep bowl or shallow container without drainage holes with crushed rock, pebbles or decorative stones. Pack your Paperwhite bulbs into the container and push them down into the stones so the tips stay upright. “
And from experience, I know that you will see flowers well before the Philadelphia Flower Show, and hopefully this little exercise will get you through winter until Spring.
Believe. As JPIC coordinator, as a Secular Franciscan, I try hard to keep believing
- That world peace could be a viable goal
- That each baby born is a sign that God has not thrown up His Hands in despair over the human race
- That people will write their Congressman at least one time in life
- That our fraternities will get new vocations, people who want to do penance, experience interior conversion, change the way they think about things and people, incarnate the words of the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis
- That one day, the city of Camden will again be a great place to live
- That one day, people of all ethnic groups and races will people our fraternities
- That torture will go out of style
- That people in authority will serve and protect all our citizens
- That human traffickers will go out of business because people find other things to watch other than pornography
- That families will eat dinner with each other and have enough to eat and will want to linger over their meals and talk to each other
- That people will take the part about resting on the Sabbath seriously and they will take vacations, not just to work on laptops on the beach, but to play with their kids and neck with their spouses
- That one person can make a difference.
Perhaps you have heard of the story of the boy who was observed throwing beach starfish back into the sea. When someone told him that his efforts were for naught for there were so many beached starfish , he replied that “ it was important to that one (starfish) “.
I do believe and am “ claiming it “, like a good Protestant would, that one day we will replenish our fraternities not only with mature pious people but also with enthused , wild and a little crazy, tattooed, ear ringed, long haired, faded jean , goofy, smart, idealistic, unrealistic, passionate , wannachange the world people who love God and want to learn about Francis.
And when they come, what will we say to them when they ask us “Well, what exactly do you do? At these meetings you all have, I know you pray and talk about Francis, but please tell me, what do you do? “
Anticipating all of this, I humbly ask that we start to do things in 2015 like we never did before. First off, there is a Mass for Human Trafficking on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at Noon at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Let’s go. Let’s car pool. No big deal. Don’t even think too hard about it. We don’t need to get a bus. Let’s just drive to Washington and sit together and pray together for our Immigrant church, made up of people who are poor and marginalized.
Later this year, maybe in July, let’s have a gathering to talk about JPIC. I can bring the sandwiches, you can bring the drinks, etc. easy …
Let’s get out of our comfort area. Invite people we meet to Come and See. Do a project with us.
Volunteer. Write letters to the Editor about the Assisted Suicide Bill in Jersey or Fracking in PA.
I have some ideas for speakers and kind of a theme maybe something like: What can one Person do?
Let’s help Kate Kleinert man the information table at the World Meeting of Families in Philly in September. Let’s talk up the Order and get excited about it.
We have kicked around some ideas about the young adults at the colleges. What will stop us JPIC people from getting together for a coffee house to watch a video and talk about a response to a movie? Perhaps we can sponsor a movie/coffee house in conjunction with the Campus Ministry, the Newman Centers. Maybe we can get some interest in having the young people plant Liberty Gardens in the inner city (who remembers that title ?) , clean the beaches, have a soup can drive on Super Bowl Sunday or download a poster to prevent Human Trafficking (from Franciscan Action Network today ) and put it in your local church on Super Bowl Sunday ? Let’s visit the colleges, let’s go to Theology on Tap and just listen to what the young people are saying. What do you say?
I recently visited a fraternity and was talking about doing JPIC and a woman said to me “Oh, aren’t we all supposed to be doing that? And there is such diversity in how we all do it. She was right on.
Kathy Agosto, OFS
JPIC Animator, One of Many
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