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Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 1st, 2015 Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
PEACE to each of your hearts!
The end of an old year and the beginning of a new one finds me rummaging. Trying to clear out the clutter to begin … at least in spirit … to be organized. This, of course, is not a resolution; I gave up on those a long time ago. It is, however, an attempt, however feeble, to get my house in order which, after this past year, is no small feat!
Resolutions, as admirable and well-intentioned as they may be, have a tendency to be very selfish things. I resolve to begin to exercise. I resolve to lose weight. I resolve to get organized. The resolutions can be endless but, possibly because they involve changes of habit, are short-lived. » Click to continue reading “From the Heart of our Minister – January, 2015” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 1st, 2015 Dear Brothers and Sisters,
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. My prayer is that the Lord Jesus fills your life in the coming year with an abundance of blessings.
Let us begin again this New Year to be at peace and love in our daily lives and in our Franciscan family. We need each other. Saint Francis with the help of God made us family – like-minded people to be filled with joy and love for each other and to be forgiving.
In the year 1965 Pope Paul VI spoke at the United Nations to make an appeal for peace and the end to all forms of warfare. His words were to the whole world, “Let the weapons fall from your hands,” he pleaded. “You cannot love with weapons in your hands.”
In a world that brings many challenges let us work together for peace and live the Gospel life and reach out to all in compassion for the good of our fraternities and in our world.
We can apply the message of Blessed Pope Paul VI to our daily lives as Franciscans, through the prayer he gave us – MARY TEACH US LOVE
MARY TEACH US LOVE.
WE ASK YOU FOR LOVE, MARY, LOVE FOR CHRIST,
THE ONLY LOVE, THE HIGHEST LOVE, TOTAL LOVE,
GIVING LOVE, LOVE AND SACRIFICE FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
HELP US TO LOVE IN THIS WAY.
OBTAIN FOR US, OH MARY, FAITH,
SUPERNATURAL FAITH, SIMPLE FAITH, FULL AND STRONG, SINCERE FAITH,
DERIVED FROM ITS TRUE SOURCE, THE WORD OF GOD, AND FROM ITS FLAWLESS CONDUIT,
THE MAGESTRIUM, ESTABLISHED AND GUARANTEED BY CHRIST, THE LIVING FAITH!
LOVE & PEACE
ROSIE
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 1st, 2015 
January 2015
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!
The Lord give you His peace and blessings now and throughout the New Year!
The prophet, speaking in the name of God, says, My Word will not return without fulfilling the purpose for which It was sent (Isaiah 55:11). From the very beginning of time, when the Almighty Creator and Father of all life brought out of nothing all that is and all that ever will be, there has been a yearning in creation for something, or better ‘Someone’. This ‘hope’ that groans until now (Romans 8: 22) is our constant companion on life’s journey that urges us to move forward into God’s Providence. We journey without knowing what the next moment will bring. We journey, and we trust. We trust because we believe. We believe because our hearts have been touched at birth by the Spirit of God Who enables us to see signs of the One greater than all. He encourages us to know Him more deeply as we see Him in and through the many gifts of His Creation. And, Jesus is the excellent and flawless example, the epitome of His magnificent creation. » Click to continue reading “Fr. Francis’ Greetings – January, 2015” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 1st, 2015 January 2015
All-powerful, most holy, Almighty and supreme God,
Holy and just Father, Lord King of heaven and earth
we thank You for Yourself, for through Your holy will
and through Your only Son with the Holy Spirit
You have created everything spiritual and corporal
… making us in Your own image and likeness,…
We thank You…
Following are excerpts taken from various Franciscan writings that refer to St. Francis lover of Chastity. Daily meditative phrases based on: – Readings from Pope John Paul II
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The truly clean of heart are those who look down upon earthly things, seek those of heaven, and, with a clean heart and spirit, never cease adoring and seeing the Lord God living and true (Admonitions, #16) – Let yourselves be charmed by Christ…attracted by his example…loved by the love of the Holy Spirit…fall in love with Jesus Christ.
2
We carry Him (Jesus) in our heart and body through love and a pure and sincere conscience; and give Him birth through a holy activity, which must shine before others by example. (Letter to Faithful) – Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!…Open to his saving power.
3
He taught them to mortify not only vices and to check the prompting of the flesh, but also to check the external senses, through which death enters the soul. (1Celano, chpt.16) – Human beings are called to become disciples of that Other One who infinitely transcends them, in order to enter at last into true life. » Click to continue reading “Fr. Francis’ Reflections – January, 2015” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 15th, 2014 Advent greetings of peace, dear Family!
I pray this finds you well and filled with the Lord’s peace in this week of honoring our dear Mother Mary. What I most love about our Blessed Mother is not only her YES to God to bear the Messiah, but also her love of justice. During her visit to her cousin, Elizabeth, she uttered the prayer of her ancestors, the Magnificat. She prayed for justice for those who were considered the lowest, the poorest and the most vulnerable. As Franciscans, this too is our prayer. We must collectively echo the words of our Mother Mary and seek justice and peace for all those who are abused and mistreated.
You have no doubt read or heard the massive yet disturbing report from the Senate Intelligence Committee on Torture. From the National Religious Campaign Against Torture:
“Torture violates the basic dignity of the human person that all religions, in their highest ideals, hold dear. It degrades everyone involved — policy-makers, perpetrators and victims. It contradicts our nation’s most cherished ideals. Any policies that permit torture and inhumane treatment are shocking and morally intolerable.”
I am writing to ask you to join with me and raise a collectively Franciscan voice.
- Check your daily print or online newspaper for stories on the coverage of the report.
- Write a letter to the editor. Mention that you are a member of the U.S. Secular Franciscan Order (or your Franciscan Province or Community).
- Forward me a copy of your letter with the name of publication, city and state.
There are talking points and suggestions on the NRCAT website. I will collect the letters and forward to NRCAT – or you can go on the website and inform them yourself. Just copy me whatever you do. If the link does not work for you, visit http://www.nrcat.org.
May the God of peace give you his peace as we await the coming of Emmanuel!
Wishing you Advent blessings of peace and all good,
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
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 3rd, 2014 The Longest Night, Waiting in the Darkness
Our Lutheran Brothers and Sisters invited our fraternity to participate in their “Longest Night” service last December. We are again invited on December 21st at 7:00 p.m. to Messiah Lutheran Church, Cape May Court House, to be with people who are not so very merry at Christmas, those who have lost a love one, those who have a child who is on drugs, whose marriage is on the rocks, those who can find little enthusiasm for the Charlie Brown Christmas Show or the endless Lifetime movies about having a happy ending by the end of the two hours with everyone coming over to the country house for hot chocolate and fresh chocolate chip cookies lighting up the TV screen like a Thomas Kincaide painting.
How true it is that we sometimes feel as though we are walking in the darkness, that we are far from home, far from where we want to be, estranged from family, This experience of night, feeling we are in a world soaked in darkness , has been experienced many times by many different peoples. Our Sacred Scriptures recount the Babylonian exile, the Jews oppressed by Pharaoh, the land of Palestine in Our Savior’ s time governed by the Romans. » Click to continue reading “JPIC News — December 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 1st, 2014 
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
PEACE to each of your hearts!
The season of the sleeping seed seems to be in turmoil since the temperatures expected for this time of year are not what they should be – one day it’s warm, the next it’s cold, the next it’s tepid, the next it’s frigid – what’s a ground … or a weeping willow … supposed to do?!
I guess there are many theories in response to this question – far more sophisticated than I can come up with – but I would say that, like Mary, the ground is just expected to be available. Available as in being open to God and His will as opposed to our own. Sounds like a lofty aspiration, until we consider that all we really need do is be available to God by being available to one another.
There are those of us who this past year have endured unbearable sorrow. Likewise, there are those among us who have enjoyed indescribable blessing and outrageous joy – such is the way of our God! In each instance we have, hopefully, been available to one another to share in those joys and enter into those sorrows because we are family.
Our Holy Father, St. Francis, reminded us, through his desire to recreate the scene of the Incarnation at Greccio, that we are ONE in our Lord. The question for each of us to consider throughout this season of anticipation is, what can we, as sisters and brothers to one another, do to rekindle the spark of the Spirit’s fire and enthusiasm within each of us and within our Fraternities so that we may open our hearts to hearing, healthing and healing one another so that together, as family, we can journey into the new year with open minds and open hearts to the direction of Him who has called us? May the Spirit of the living God grant us the grace to be available as Mary was so that we may respond to His call to rekindle the fire within us not only individually but fraternally, thereby doing what is ours to do in this time and in this place.
≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈ ≈
How wonderful it was to gather at St. Anthony’s parish hall for our Annual Meeting last month and how grateful and thankful are we to our sisters and brothers of Spirit of St. Francis Fraternity or their gracious and generous hospitality! We are likewise grateful to our sisters Kathy Agosto, OFS, Kate Kleinert, OFS, Stephanie Wiecer, OFS, and our brother and technowizard, Lee Potts, OFS, for their outstanding presentations.
We are very much looking forward to hearing from each of you regarding how you will be able to participate with our Regional effort at the World Meeting of Families in 2015. Our sister, Kate Kleinert, OFS, is eager to set up a committee to assist with our regional participation and fundraising has already begun. Look for further information on our regional website, www.skdregion.org.
Please continue to hold us in prayer and know that we do likewise. If there is anything we can do for you, please do not hesitate to let us know. We are here to serve you.
Peace, Advent blessings, and much love,
mattie♥
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 1st, 2014 December 2014
Let us desire nothing else, let us wish for nothing else,
let nothing else please us and cause us delight,
except our Creator and Redeemer and Savior,
the one true God, Who is fullness of Good,
all Good, every Good, the true and Supreme Good,
Who alone is merciful and gentle, delectable and sweet,
Who alone is holy, just and true, holy and right,
Who alone is kind, innocent, pure,
from Whom and through Whom and in Whom
is all pardon, all grace, all glory … Therefore, let nothing hinder us,
nothing separate us or come between us.
Let us all, wherever we are … Glorify and exalt, magnify and give thanks
to the Most High and supreme eternal God … Amen.
(St. Francis of Assisi)
The month of December celebrates The Expectation and Birth of Jesus at Bethlehem of Judea. Following are excerpts taken from: A Collection of Sayings of the Companions of Blessed Francis (Late 13th – Early 14th Century). Daily reflections are taken from Walk With the Wise.
1
When St. Francis delivered the second Rule to the Lord Pope Honorius for confirmation at Christ’s command…he said to Blessed Francis: Blessed is he who, strengthened by the grace of God, will observe this Rule happily and devotedly, for all the things written in it are holy and Catholic and perfect. – Many find plenty of time to gossip about and/or criticize others, but so little time to spend and speak with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
2
(When asked to modify certain aspects of the Rule) Blessed Francis answered: It was not I but Christ who put these words in the Rule. He knows best what is useful and necessary for the salvation of souls and of the brothers, and for the good state and preservation of the religion … – Separation from earthly things, ambitions, and even friendships at times, often is the mysterious material that cements a soul closer to God.
3
(St. Francis continued): All that will happen in the future to the religion and to the Church is clear and present to Him (Christ). I must not and cannot change the words of Christ … – Do not be concerned what place you hold but how you hold that place. (St. Therese of Lisieux) » Click to continue reading “Fr. Francis’ Reflections – December, 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 1st, 2014  December 2014
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
May the Infant Jesus grant your heart the Peace you desire.
May His Star enlighten your mind with the splendor of His Truth.
May His Love consume your heart so that it beats solely for Him.
God’s Word for the first Sunday in Advent speaks of the Lord’s unexpected return to close the experience of time and opens for us the reality of eternity. The Scripture passages for this Sunday may have different effects on those who read them. Some may feel that the words are only figurative, intended to convey the need for people to change their lives or be responsible for the consequences of their choices in this life. Others may read the words and see in them a warning about a real event to take place in the immediate future, thus instilling a sense of fear, trembling and a “forced” changed of heart… (Can any heart be changed by force!?)…Then there are those who read the words as they have been read for centuries. These read them as a reminder and a loving warning of what will come about for all human beings created to share in eternal life. This is a reminder and a warning to be heeded but not feared for those who have striven to be faithful to God. » Click to continue reading “Fr. Francis’ Greetings – December, 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 1st, 2014 
“THE JOY OF SAYING YES”
Servant Leadership In the Secular Franciscan Order
Brothers and Sisters, after reading the article in TAU USA written by our National Minister Tom Bello, OFS, I could not help but think of my journey and also others who have served for a long time.
When you think of those who say “No” to leadership in fraternity election after election, I ask where is the Holy Spirit if we by our faith, at our Baptism, have been called to Holiness – a deeper relationship with God and the realization that we are called to be a community of love and loyal to our Bishop and our Holy Father. All of these are components to living the Franciscan way of life in joy and in service. Some say they are not worthy to serve for they are not as educated as some of those who serve. There is no statement farther from the truth than this. I completed 12 years of High School. As far as my calling to the Secular Order I prayed that the Lord would direct me where He wanted me to go and what He wanted me to do. Through discernment, with the aid of the Holy Spirit. I was led to the Secular Franciscan Order and this is where I have found my peace and my joy.
I think it is exciting and a joy when, after completing the process of initial formation, you reach the day of your Profession day and proclaim the words, Yes this is what I want in response to the questions asked of you. I did not have the privilege of an Initial formation program as it is structured today. I was asked to read the Secular Franciscan Catechism, answer the questions at the end of the chapters and live by my means. With joy I did so. I especially loved to meet other brothers and sisters from Saint Ladislaus Fraternity in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The first time I saw The Liturgy of the Hours and the current Ritual was at St. Peter Fraternity in Riverside, when I had been invited to a Day of Recollection. A year later after my profession I was asked to be Prefect of my Fraternity and, through the grace of God, have continued to serve our Order in many capacities since that time. At each step, I could feel the joy of the presence of God in my life more than I ever had before. Of course, I did not walk this journey alone. I was inspired by members of my family – my mother and grandmother – Sr. Clare Andre, OSC, and many sisters and brothers in Fraternity who have accompanied me on this journey. I specifically recall Kay Sirak, OFS, who enhanced my inspiration to live my Franciscan call.
I do not regret serving our Order for up to now I have done nothing. If you feel are truly called to serve then pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. He will show you how to prioritize and organize what you are to do. Have no fear, since you will not walk this path alone. If called to service, you will have the help of the outgoing council members which will enable you to put your gifts into action. How many times have we heard these words, Do not be afraid.
God Bless you All in the Holy Season of Advent and may the Infant Jesus bless you abundantly in this coming year.
May I just share my most beautiful Christmas Hymn with you,” Lo How a Rose Ere Blooming”
May the darkness of our hearts be enlightened when we hear the beautiful words of this hymn and may we be formed into His likeness.
Love,
Rosie
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