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Posted By Teresa Redder, on August 2nd, 2025 August 3, 2025
JOYFUL GOSPEL LIVING
“One’s life does not consist of possessions.”
From a variety of news sources that we choose to get our updates, there is always a vast amount of information that is shared: world and national events; health and science updates; sports statistics; weather forecasts and warnings; arts and entertainment happenings; and business trends that affect investors and employees. The world’s population lives as a consumer society that drives the global economy. Much of that demand is reflected in our possessions: clothing, cars, homes, hobbies, jewelry, collectibles, and lots of stuff that we have accumulated in our lifetime. In the first reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes, there is a wise understanding that it is vanity to imagine that any of these possessions has any importance after death. So, do they even matter in life?
In this weekend’s Gospel, a man approaches Jesus to get an opinion on a family inheritance. Jesus speaks to the crowd around Him when He replies: “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”
Jesus then tells the parable about a rich man who had such a bounteous harvest that he needed to build larger barns to store it. Little did he realize that God was watching him critically. We can only imagine what the crowd heard in that parable: “You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?” What did Jesus mean when He spoke about storing up treasures that are ‘rich in what matters to God’?
Why are people so fascinated by the lifestyles of the rich and famous? There have been many news stories this year of the lavish lifestyles of rich people that are beyond our imagination. When someone has worked with Catholic charities in ministry to the poor, they see firsthand the struggles that people encounter in daily living to obtain the basic necessities of life: food, clothing and shelter. As a contrast, though, it is well known that there is a Pyramid of Global Wealth that is updated periodically and shows the sobering statistics of wealth distribution:
| >$100 Million |
1.1% |
| $100K-$1M |
12% |
| $10K-$100K |
34.4% |
| <$10K |
52.5% |
This is also where we learn that 1% of the world’s population controls 40% of its wealth; the top 10% controls 80% of wealth worldwide. More than half of the world lives in poor circumstances. How do their lives compare in their meager possessions and their struggles to survive? How does that matter to God?
In our Catholic tradition, we have centuries of stories from the lives of the saints to teach us about what matters to God. From the very beginning of the Church, the believers valued a common life and looked out for one another. The earliest stories are in the Acts of the Apostles. They were such vibrant testaments to lives of love that inspired many people to join the Church to bring about God’s Kingdom.
One of the Church’s main charitable agencies to assist the poor is Caritas International. For the Jubilee Year 2025, Caritas invited Catholics of good will to enter into the spirit of jubilee by looking at the issue of world debt with a special campaign:
“The Turn Debt into Hope campaign carries forward Pope Francis’s call for us to mark the Jubilee year in the Catholic Church by addressing the debts of countries ‘that are in no condition to repay the amount they owe.’ Inspired by the Holy Father’s message of solidarity, this global call advocates for debt justice and transformative financial reforms to bring renewed hope to communities burdened by unsustainable debt. Today, more than 50 countries are facing a debt crisis, with many governments forced to spend more on debt repayments to private creditors than on schools, hospitals or protecting their communities from the worsening impacts of the climate emergency. In the face of aid cuts and rising tariffs, which are deepening poverty and inequality in countries already burdened by unsustainable debt, the need for debt relief has never been more critical.”
In the epistle to the Colossians, Saint Paul cautions the community to remain close to the risen Christ by always seeking what is above. He wants them to put to death the earthly things that separate us from God. He refers to greed as idolatry. During this Jubilee Year of Hope, we have many opportunities to reexamine our lives and see where our desires align with those of God for us. If we are ambitious, is it for goodness and justice? Are we generous toward others as God has been generous to us? Where do we find the daily opportunities to ponder what matters to God? As Secular Franciscans, we find wise counsel in our Rule:
Reflection (OFS Rule #11)
Trusting in the Father, Christ chose for Himself and His mother a poor and humble life[1], even though He valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let the Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the Gospel, they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children. Thus, in the spirit of “the Beatitudes,” and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the home of the Father, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power[2].
[1] First Letter of St. Francis, 5
[2] Rom. 8,17; Vatican II, Const. on the Church, 7
In the Scripture readings, God is always speaking to us so that we might listen and do what is ours to do. For effective listening, the words need to penetrate our hearts so that we can be the love in the world that God desires so much:
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
The new statue by Timothy P. Schmalz titled “Be Welcoming” is displayed in St. Peter’s Square (Tuesday, April 15, 2025).
Credit: Victoria Isabel Cardiel/EWTN News
Posted By Teresa Redder, on August 2nd, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
August 2025
I behold the Lord.
I see His outstretched hands.
I see the blood from His wounds.
I see the love in the eyes of Jesus.
I see His gracious acceptance of me.
Jesus has come out of the tomb –
He still has the scars, but now they are glorious, with the glory of heaven.
Still looking at the Lord, I reach out and touch Him.
I hold the Lord – and I am held in His love.
Love enfolds.
It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me.
I am secure in the Lord.
I can look out, now, through the Lord’s eyes.
I can see the world as He created it, in His mercy,
I can see my sisters and brothers with His love,
and I can worship the Father through the eyes of the Son
in the Love of the Holy Spirit.
(Prayers of St Clare of Assisi)
Excerpts from Franciscan Sources taken from ASSISI COMPILATION, #62-#66
62 – HE REJECTS A MAN WHO GAVE AWAY HIS POSSESSIONS TO HIS RELATIVES
1 – Once blessed Francis went preaching throughout the province of the Marches. While he was preaching one day to the people of one village, a man happened to come to him. “Brother,” he said to him, “I want to leave the world and enter your religion.” Blessed Francis told him: “Brother, if you wish to enter the religion of the brothers, you must first distribute all your goods to the poor, according to the counsel of the holy Gospel, and then renounce your will in all things.”
– Endurance is the ability to bear a hard thing and to turn it into glory.
2 – When he heard these things, the man left hurriedly, and, led by the love of the flesh, he distributed all his goods to his relatives. He returned to blessed Francis, and told him: “Brother, I have expropriated myself of all my goods.” Blessed Francis asked him: ”How did you do it?” The man told him: “Brother, I gave all my goods to some of my relatives who needed them.”
– Little love, little trust.
3 – Through the Holy Spirit, blessed Francis immediately knew that the man was of the flesh, and told him: “Go on your way, Brother Fly, because you have distributed your goods to your relatives, and you want to live on alms among the brothers.” Refusing to distribute his goods to other poor people, he immediately went on his way.
– Jesus said, ‘I am the way’.
63 – HE IS FREED FROM A LONG-LASTING TEMPTATION
4 – At that time, while blessed Francis was staying in that same place of Saint Mary, it happened that a very serious temptation of the spirit was inflicted on him for the benefit of his soul. He was tormented inside and out, in body and spirit, so much that he sometimes withdrew from the close company of the brothers, especially since he could not be his usual cheerful self because of that temptation.
– Two men looked out through prison bars. One saw mud, the other saw stars.
5 – He inflicted upon himself not only abstinence from food, but also from talking. He would often go to pray in the woods near the church, so that he could better express his pain and could more abundantly pour out his tears before the Lord, so that the Lord who is able to do all things, would be kind enough to send him a remedy from heaven for this great trial.
– I just want to do God’s will.
6 – He was troubled by this temptation day and night for more than two years. One day while he was praying in the church of Saint Mary, he happened to hear in spirit that saying of the holy Gospel: “If you have faith like a mustard seed, and you tell that mountain to move from its place and move to another place, it will happen.”
– Great and mighty is our Lord, His wisdom cannot be measured.
7 – Saint Francis replied: “What is that mountain?” He was told: “That mountain is your temptation.” “In that case, Lord,” said blessed Francis, “be it done to me as you have said.” Immediately he was freed in such a way that it seemed to him that he never had that temptation.
– God calls where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger.
64 – HE CRITICIZES BROTHER JAMES THE SIMPLE AND AS A PENANCE EATS WITH A LEPER
8 – Once when blessed Francis had returned to Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, he found there Brother James the Simple with a leper covered with sores who had come there that day. The holy father had entrusted this leper to him, and especially all the other lepers who had severe sores. For in those days, the brothers stayed in the leper hospitals. That Brother James was like the doctor for those with severe sores, and he gladly touched, changed, and treated their wounds.
– Repentance is sorrow converted into action toward a new and better life.
9 – As if reproving Brother James, blessed Francis told him: “You should not take our Christian brothers about in this way since it is not right for you or for them.” Blessed Francis used to call lepers“ Christian brothers.”
– A mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom.
10 – Although he was pleased that Brother James helped and served them, the holy father said this because he did not want him to take those with severe sores outside the hospital. This was especially because Brother James was very simple, and he often went with a leper to the church of Saint Mary, and especially because people usually abhorred lepers who had severe sores.
– Reverence for life leads us into a spiritual relationship with the world.
11 – After he said these things, blessed Francis immediately reproached himself, and he told his fault to Brother Peter of Catanio, who was then general minister, especially because blessed Francis believed that in reproving Brother James he had shamed the leper.
– People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway.
12 – And because of this he told his fault, to make amends to God and to the leper. Blessed Francis said to Brother Peter: “I tell you to confirm for me the penance I have chosen to do for this and do not oppose me in any way.” Brother Peter told him: “Brother, do as you please.”
– Faith knows the way. Hope points the way. Love is the way.
13 – Brother Peter so venerated and feared blessed Francis and was so obedient to him, that he would not presume to change his obedience, although then, and many other times, it hurt him inside and out. Blessed Francis said: “Let this be my penance: I will eat together with my Christian brother from the same dish.”
– What is upsetting with one who lies is that that person can longer be believed.
14 – While blessed Francis was sitting at the table with the leper and other brothers, a bowl was placed between the two of them. The leper was completely covered with sores and ulcerated, and especially the fingers with which he was eating were deformed and bloody, so that whenever he put them in the bowl, blood dripped into it. Brother Peter and the other brothers saw this, grew very sad, but did not dare say anything out of fear of the holy father. The one who wrote this, saw it and bore witness to it.
– Confession of evil works is the beginning of good works.
65 – THE VISION OF BROTHER PACIFICO IN A CHURCH AT BOVARA
15 – At one time blessed Francis was going through the valley of Spoleto together with Brother Pacifico, from the Marches of Ancona, who in the world had been known as “King of Verses,” a nobleman and courtly master of singers. They stayed in the lepers’ hospital at Trevi.
– The greatest truths are the simplest, and so are the greatest people.
16 – Blessed Francis said to Brother Pacifico: “Let’s go to the church of Saint Peter in Bovara, because I wish to stay there tonight.” That church was not too far from the hospital, and no one was staying there, because at that time the town of Trevi had been destroyed, so that no one lived in the town or the village.
– If you judge people you have no time to love them.
17 – On the way there, blessed Francis said to Brother Pacifico: “Go back to the hospital because I would like to remain here alone tonight. Come back to me at dawn tomorrow.” So blessed Francis remained there by himself. After he said compline and other prayers, he wanted to rest and sleep, but could not do so, and his soul grew afraid and he began to feel diabolical suggestions.
– Every child comes with the message that God is not discouraged with us.
18 – He immediately got up, went outside the house, signed himself, and said: “On behalf of Almighty God, I tell you, demons, do whatever the Lord Jesus Christ has permitted you, to harm my body. I am prepared to endure anything. Therefore, you will be avenging me on my opponent and enemy.”Those suggestions stopped immediately and, when he returned to the place where he had been lying, he rested and slept peacefully.
– Kindness is the music of life.
19 – When morning came Brother Pacifico returned to him. Blessed Francis was standing in prayer in front of the altar inside the choir. Brother Pacifico stood and waited for him outside the choir, in front of the crucifix, praying to the Lord at the same time. As he began to pray, Brother Pacifico was taken up into an ecstasy, whether in the body or out of the body, God knows, and he saw many thrones in heaven, one of them higher than the others, glorious, resplendent adorned with every precious stone.
– Even in the most difficult people there is a child asleep in their hearts waiting to be awakened.
20 – As he admired its beauty, he began to wonder what kind of throne it was and whose it might be. All at once he heard a voice telling him: “This was Lucifer’s throne and blessed Francis will sit on it in his place.”
– When the soul has laid down its faults at the feet of God, it feels as though it had wings.
21 – As he came back to himself, blessed Francis came out to him. He immediately prostrated himself in the form of a cross at the feet of blessed Francis. Because of the vision he saw about him, he considered blessed Francis as if he were already in heaven, and said to him: “Father, forgive me my sins, and ask the Lord to forgive me and have mercy on me.”
– To have an increase of Jesus you must have a decrease in self.
22 – Extending his hand, blessed Francis lifted him up, and he realized that he had seen something in prayer. He appeared almost totally changed and spoke to blessed Francis not as if he were living in the flesh, but as if he were already reigning in heaven. Afterwards, as if on another point, because he was unwilling to speak about the vision to blessed Francis, Brother Pacifico asked him: “What do you think of yourself, brother?”
– You are not responsible for your heritage but you are responsible for your future.
23 – Blessed Francis responded: “It seems to be that I am a greater sinner than anyone in this world.”
– The world is round and the place that seems like the end may be the beginning.
24 – And immediately Brother Pacifico was told this in his heart: “In this you can know that the vision you saw is true. For as Lucifer was cast down from that throne because of his pride, so blessed Francis will merit to be exalted and to sit on it because of his humility.”
– Positive anything is better than negative nothing.
66 – HE HEARS THE MUSIC OF A LUTE IN THE HOUSE OF TEOBALDO SARACENO IN RIETI
25 – Once, when blessed Francis was in Rieti because of the disease of his eyes, he was staying for a few days in a room of Teobaldo Saraceno. One day he said to one of his companions, who while in the world knew how to play a lute: “Brother, the children of this world do not understand divine things. Contrary to the will of God, they use instruments such as lutes, the ten-stringed harps, and other instruments, for the sake of vanity and sin, which in times past were used by holy people to praise God and offer consolation to souls.
– Half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need.
26 – Therefore, I would like you to obtain secretly from some upright person a lute on which you could play for me a decent song and, with it, we will say the words and praises of the Lord, especially because my body is tormented with disease and pain. So I wish by this means to change that pain of my body to joy and consolation of spirit.”
– God in heaven let me feel my nothingness in order to feel the more powerfully the greatness of your goodness.
27 – For, during his illness, blessed Francis composed some Praises of the Lord which he had his companions recite sometimes for the praise of God, the consolation of his spirit, and also for the edification of his neighbor. “Father,” the brother answered him, “I would be embarrassed to get one, especially because the people of this city know that I played the lute when I was out in the world. I fear they will suspect me of being tempted to play the lute again.”
– What I have will belong to another one day, but what I am will be mine for all eternity.
28 – Blessed Francis told him: “Then, brother, let’s let it go.” The following night, around midnight, blessed Francis was keeping vigil. And behold, around the house where he was staying he heard the sound of a lute playing a melody more beautiful and delightful than he had ever heard in his life. The one playing it would go some distance away so that he could barely be heard, and then returned, but was always playing. And he did this for over an hour.
– Why is it that so many church goers say “Our Father” on Sunday, and go around the rest of the week like orphans?
29 – Blessed Francis, considering that it was the work of God and no to any human being, was overjoyed, and with an exultant heart with deep feeling he praised the Lord who was so kind as to console him with such a great consolation.
– Look for the best in others and you will find the best in yourself.
30 – When he arose in the morning he said to his companion: “My brother, I asked you for something and you did not grant it. But the Lord, who consoles His friends in their sufferings, was kind enough to console me last night.” He then told him everything that had happened.
– The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little!
31 – The brothers were amazed and considered this a great miracle. And they knew that it was truly a work of God for the consolation of blessed Francis, especially since, by a decree of the podestà, no one dared go about the city, either at midnight or even after the third ringing of the bells. And because, as blessed Francis said, it came and went in silence, without a word or a noise from its mouth, for more than an hour to console his spirit.
– Those who would transform the world, must first transform themselves.
Posted By Teresa Redder, on August 2nd, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
[This monthly letter has turned into a personal reflection I’d like to share. The terrible conflicts affecting the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and a number of other areas, have made people question their faith convictions concerning the issue of “just war”, “necessary violence”, “pacifism”. Those who believe arming and defending oneself are considered “anti-Christian”, those who believe we must not arm are often considered “cowards” or un-caring people who seek only their own comfort and security. The reflection below began as the usual monthly circular letter that turned into a personal thought. I am not offering any answers. I am just sharing a challenging question that may not have a “right” or “wrong” solution. There are also conflicts that are local, personal, not global that affect many people whose decisions often follow the reasoning process found throughout this letter. Please pardon me before you read this, but I felt compelled to write this convoluted and rambling thought. ]
August 2025
Dear Brothers and Sisters in St. Francis.
May the Lord grant us all the precious gift of His peace.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14: 27).
Peace is a very elusive gift that everyone desires and never seems to achieve completely. Perhaps the way we attempt to achieve this peace may often contradict the gift itself. Does the end justify the means, or not? Jesus said: Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:1-42). This saying is confusing for many. It appears in the context of Jesus sending out His disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God. A similar remark states: Do you think that I have come to bring peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but division (Luke 12:51). These two Gospel quotes make it clear that Jesus predicted conflict as a result of His message. What ‘peace’ is Jesus offering us?
Peace is not always and necessarily the absence of armed combat or the right to possess and use weapons. Not all devastating “wars” can be blamed on weapons of mass destruction. What about economic “wars” that impoverish people, class “wars” that keep people subjugated to others out of fear, or because of poverty, social exclusion, and so on.
The peace Jesus speaks of is more fundamental. The peace of Jesus concerns the soul of a person, both in the spiritual and the psychological sense. “Shalom”, the scriptural word for “peace” indicates, fundamentally, being at harmony with God, one self, and others. This “peace” can even be present in the midst of armed combat. Contradiction? No, not at all! Although “peace” would indicate the ultimate hope that inner peace with one self and God, should-could-would (?) lead to an external universal peace with all.
Franciscans have always been noted as bearers of Peace and Blessings. In good times and bad the children of St. Francis of Assisi have been there in the midst of it all. When you “smell like the sheep” you have to be with the sheep, even when the sheep are contending with wolves, and/or perhaps when the sheep might be the wolves. It is all in the perspective of the one critiquing the situation. Can there be a general norm that responds categorically to the question of peace and war?
Yes! The Gospel and the Person of Jesus Christ! But even here the response is conditioned by many factors that each one reading this can discover within their own hearts and personal experiences. Yet, there can be apparent or definite substantial practical differences on how to implement what they have “discovered”.
Franciscans, of whatever branch and affiliation, profess to be brother and sister to all people at all stages of life’s journey. Franciscans encourage, support, and care for any who defend their God-given right to life (I have come that they have life and have it abundantly – John 10:10), liberty (The truth will set you free – John 8:32) and the pursuit of happiness (I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete – John 15:11) while at the same time respecting the dignity, talents, and rights of “the other”, who in turn seeks to respect the dignity and rights of the “others”.
It might be good to remember that President Abraham Lincoln was criticized by his staff for putting some of his political enemies in prominent positions in his government. He was reminded that he was supposed to eliminate his enemies completely. His response was: I thought I did that when I made them my friends. Yes, it is usually a little more complicated than that, but it does mean, as Pope St. John XXIII stated: We must seek what binds us together and not what keeps us apart. ‘Nice’ stories and words, but how does it work ‘practically’ on a political or ‘religious’ and fraternal level. Is it possible? Yes! However, we must honestly desire what we say we seek. Only then we will be able to find the means to achieve the goal. This is true of anything we say we desire.
There is so much happening in our world today. People are tense when they read, see, and hear about conflicts around the world. Humanity’s inhumanity to its own kind is devastating, obscene and foolishness! ‘We pray for peace and prepare for war’. This is the modern fulfillment of a 4th/5th century AD Roman author, Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, ‘Concerning Military Matters’: Therefore, if you desire peace, prepare for war (?!)
Every year at this time, the nation remembers dropping the Atomic Bomb (the “new great deterrent to war” of the time!) on two cities in Japan, Hiroshima (6 August 1945) and Nagasaki (9 August 1945). The bomb destroyed thousands of lives, two magnificent cities, and horribly mutilated many people, rendering them disfigured and/or terminally ill. This act ended a war. But, it also encouraged “developed” nations to produce greater weapons of mass destruction “for protection” and/or as a “deterrent” to future global conflicts (?!). Who would be the arbitrator of peace, the one with the weapons?! All people of good faith are involved in the perennial pursuit to seek what is necessary to end war, useless killing, and the destruction of the dignity of anyone forever
How can there be peace through violence? How does one stop another determined on destroying someone so that they no longer exist? These questions and many more are not easy questions to answer with absolute certitude. We know what “the gut” says, but what does the heart say? What does our Faith say? The question however is definitely raised: Is war or physical combat that might destroy life ever justified? Is war, physical and/or technological combat justified? Traditions of differing groups respond in varied ways. Theory is easy for those who are not affected by the devastation. But you are in the middle of the battle, what do you do and why? The answers usually given are for survival and not as text book responses to “moral issues”. Most confessors have to deal with this type of an issue, albeit not on a global level, but still requiring a response that is Christ-centered.
The Franciscans consider themselves true children of the Seraphic Father of Assisi, ambassadors of peace. St. Francis himself greeted the people with Peace and Blessings (All Good). Is this ‘peace’ sought through mere presence, or conscientious objection, or active confrontation or solely political lobbying, or active military participation against the enemy, or whatever means is deemed just or “justified” and thus correct?
So visible in today’s world are the issues of war, violence, disregard for human life from conception to natural death, euthanasia of the elderly and chronically infirm, exploitation of minorities for the sake of material gain and/or social, political, economic prominence and power. Humanity’s inhumanity to its own kind has escalated and been “perfected” down through the millennia. It seems the twentieth and twenty-first centuries have really had no true peace, only truce(s). The war-less periods extended long enough for warring parties to rebuild weapons with more resistant materials, regroup their military forces, and continue the “onslaught” at a later date. It is a reality of which we are all aware since the second world conflict and all the other ‘military actions’ up to the present in the Middle-East, Eastern Europe, and other ‘minor’ but no less world-involving military actions.
As Franciscans, we are considered people of peace. We are pacifists, or are we? “Pacifist” can be an enigmatic word that has various meanings for those who use it to explain, excuse, justify, criticize, condone, condemn, and so on, belligerent and hostile activity among contending parties, regardless of any “collateral damage”. Who is the true pacifist and what does that mean? Theoretically we know the answer. We also know that we have a responsibility to defend and protect the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that all people, according to the type of governing process they choose, have a right to enjoy. No one must impose themselves on peoples or even individuals, in a manner that would deprive them the freedom to choose their own destiny. As they accept the effects of their honest choice in self-determination, they must in turn respect the dignity of others and their freedom of self-determination.
At a gathering of Italian Bishops over twenty years ago St. Francis of Assisi was named the “Man with a Disarmed Heart”. Still he went into the thick of battle: in the West before his conversion he fought for Assisi, loyal to the Emperor and seeking the glory of knighthood; after his conversion, he went East, through the lines of the Crusaders who were fighting the Moslems “for the sake of the Holy Land and the Sacred Places”; and he also breached “no man’s land” to meet the Sultan, and he did. Neither converted the other, but their encounter made history. They agreed to disagree and became friends who respected the other. Their common bond was in the One Great God of Abraham. It was a starting point. It lasted eight centuries. Difficulties? Yes! Nonetheless, the desire to achieve the “goal” is an eight centuries old dream, still dreamed by those who dare to hope in the Gospel.
The pacifists went to battle either raising their arms with sword in hand to strike, or with arms outstretched to embrace an ‘enemy’ that he might become a “friend”. In both cases it took extreme courage. The reasons for armed conflict were preached in God’s Name and justified for God’s Glory. But was it just? The glory of God is the human person fully alive (St. Irenaeus). It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). How does one “conformed to Christ” respond?
Sometimes conflict, even armed conflict, might be inevitable and even necessary to save the integrity of a people who seek assistance or whose conflict may affect the integrity of a free nation. Even when objecting to bearing arms, friars could be seen as chaplains, and other bearers of the Franciscan charism, in the thick of battle. They were there to be “Christ present” fulfilling one need or another for the sake of those fulfilling their call to armed service protecting the values of a nation and/or people. These religious men often were seen ministering when possible even to the wounded and dying of the ‘enemy Samaritan’ left to die by the “militant Christian fulfilling his duty for God and Christendom”.
Few matters are really cut-and-dry. The issue of peace rather than war and violence, has always been a matter for our Franciscan international fraternity to consider and ‘preach’ with our lives. Even within the Family of St. Francis opinions are varied. At times discussions can become rather heated. Fraternity prevails, but opinions remain. One of the Capuchin Lay Brothers of years ago had been in General George Patton’s D-Day Landing on Normandy Beach, 6 June 1944. Thousands of allied soldiers lost their lives that day, and other combatants as well. Years later some of the younger brothers would ask our brother about his military days. He would speak rather cautiously about some things. However, when asked if he ever killed a person in battle, his look became very solemn and sad. His response was: “Brother, you never ask a soldier that question”. He would walk away quietly, and would return later as his old self again. The question made him “relive” what most soldiers would rather forget but cannot. It is believed that even our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi suffered from PTSD his entire life because of his war experiences and the treatment he received from his father and later his captors when in prison. (Remember our poor soldiers returning from Vietnam.)
As you take the time to read this, please keep in mind that this is not intended to sway anyone’s opinion or sincere belief on the matter. We Franciscans are Heralds of the Great King, Pilgrims of Hope, Apostles of the Gospel of God’s love in Jesus for all people. Nonetheless, in an imperfect world of imperfect people, peace is often sought through the most imperfect and confusing and contradictory ways. There are many Saints who bore arms in the thick of armed conflicts. They were pacifists who placed their lives in danger for the sake of peace at the call of their nation, or recognizing their own personal responsibility concerning the matter at hand.
Nor has this mailing any intention of being a treatise on the questions of “just war”, “pacifism”, “bearing weapons”, “killing an aggressor in war, or “protecting one’s family and property in self-defense”, and so on. Opinions vary and no general consensus is ever really totally correct. Is it just? Is it power seeking for international prominence? Is it politically expedient? War for the sake of war is stupid and sinful, when negotiations are possible. Nevertheless protecting one’s just rights and dignity is a right, duty, and responsibility of everyone, while respecting the dignity and rights of those whom we oppose.
World War I was called the “War-to-end-all-wars”. Instead of this, the 1900’s seems to have been a practice-run for all the conflicts the world has seen since then. The “moral issues” of war and peace are not always as clear in practice as they seem in theory, religious or otherwise. A famous phrase from many years ago: Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition is not as amusing as it sounds. There can be no double standard. Keep the question in perspective. It’s not a question of “hawk” or “dove”. It is an ongoing question to ponder in the light of the Gospel while remaining open to the Holy Spirit, whatever the response in good conscience might be.
We are all are waging our own spiritual battles as men and women called to stand before the powers of evil so rampant in our world. We fight with the weapons that are the most effective: prayer, hope, courage and total trust in God’s protection and power. Whatever our response to the question posed in this letter, may we never forget:
Our help is in the Name of the Lord Who made heaven and earth (Psalm 124: 8).
Because: Greater is the One within than the one who is in the world (1 John 4: 4).
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, OFM Cap
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on July 9th, 2025 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (JULY 6, 2025)
“Ask the Master of the harvest to send out laborers for His harvest.”
Two weeks ago, my husband Jeff and I attended a Franciscan visitation in Center City Philadelphia. The minister of this fraternity excitedly told us that their host parish was moving out purposely to support Archbishop Nelson Pérez’s new evangelization. Handing me a copy of their parish bulletin, she pointed out the upcoming pastor’s meeting to energize the faithful to reach out to those who were on the peripheries. Evangelization is a most Franciscan endeavor of living the Good News!
In his pastoral letter to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia ((https://trustandhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Pastoral-Letter-FINAL_ENGLISH.pdf), the archbishop described how the Church needed to be:
“We must be a community of Missionary Disciples focused on renewal, rebuilding trust, and inviting people to a relationship with Jesus Christ!”
When he assumed his episcopacy five years ago, Archbishop Pérez faced the daunting challenges of moving from crisis to hope. Many parishioners were fearful of the closures of their beloved parishes. He received great inspiration from the first apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis: Evangelii Gaudium (EG)-The Joy of the Gospel (2013):
“I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting Him encounter them…No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since ‘no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord’…Whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that He is already there, waiting for us with open arms.” (EG 3) The archbishop reached out to everyone in the archdiocese with this appeal: “We need everyone in our lives and across our local Church to know this. Where do we start?”
In this weekend’s Gospel, Jesus prepares to send out seventy-two disciples in pairs, commenting to them that the harvest is great, but the laborers are few. He then tells them to “ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for His harvest.” The proclamation of the Kingdom of God was still so new at this time of Jesus’ ministry, yet He entrusted this task to His disciples to go before Him and prepare the way. Now, we are in the Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, and Christ still calls us to this kind of discipleship—through the Magisterium, as Archbishop Pérez has done.
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has noted the sobering reality that 83% of baptized Catholics don’t come to church. This statistic should concern us, too, and foster a desire in us to be missionary disciples. What does it mean in our world to live without Christ in our lives? Do we understand why Catholics have given up the practice of their faith? In a fast-paced society that uses impersonal technology to stay connected, we frequently encounter young people (and elderly) who are lonely, anxious, and without hope. Despite this reality, our hope endures through the Risen Christ, who reaches out to encounter each of us and invites us to share our experiences with others:
“The Church which ‘goes forth’ is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice. An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, he has loved us first (cf. 1 Jn 4:19), and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast.” (EG 24)
When Archbishop Pérez was the Chairperson of the USCCB Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church, he approved a pastoral document for evangelization called Creating a Culture of Encounter: A Guide for Joyful Missionary Disciples (May 2019) whose vision was to reach out to those on the margins in a spirit of encounter based on these four objectives, relevant to all disciples of Christ:
- Promote a vision of the Church in mission that invites, engages, and forms youth, young adults, families, and lay ecclesial movements to live out their baptismal vocation.
- Provide a process of faith sharing and missionary activity that prepares Catholics to share and celebrate the Good News of Jesus Christ and to become leaven for the reign of God in society.
- Call all Catholics in the United States to become authentic and joyful missionary disciples by giving witness to God’s love with a prophetic voice by encountering their brothers and sisters in Christ.
- Invite all Catholic leaders to engage and accompany the most vulnerable and those who find themselves on the peripheries of the Church and society.
In our daily lives, each of us is a missionary disciple, laboring within the harvest that Christ desires: in our workplaces, our families, and our communities where we bring the Good News to those who need to experience its joy the most. The culture of encounter has a powerful prayer of trust and hope to inspire us to labor for Christ:
“God of infinite Mercy, You sent Your Risen Son to encounter the disciples on the way to Emmaus. Grant us today a missionary spirit and send us forth to encounter our sisters and brothers: to walk with them in friendship, to listen to their hopes and dreams with compassion, and to proclaim your Word with courage, so that they might come to know You once again in the breaking of the Bread. Make us all missionary disciples, and stay with us always, as we seek to share the joy of the Gospel with people of all generations, from every race, language, culture, and nation. We ask You this with burning hearts, filled with the Holy Spirit, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and through the loving intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Star of the New Evangelization in the Americas. Amen.”
In this weekend’s Gospel acclamation, St. Paul, the consummate missionary disciple, prepares the way for us:
“Let the peace of Christ control your hearts; let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Posted By Teresa Redder, on July 6th, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
July 2025
O loving one, bear in mind your poor children for whom, without You,
their one and only consolation, there is little comfort. They still tearfully cry out to You:
O Father, place before Jesus Christ, Son of the Most High Father, His sacred stigmata;
and show Him the signs of the cross on Your hands, feet, and side,
that He may mercifully bare His own wounds to the Father,
and because of this the Father will ever show us in our anguish His tenderness.
Amen.
(Prayer to St. Francis from the End of the Second Book of the Life of St. Francis by Bl. Thomas of Celano)
Excerpts from Franciscan Sources – Assisi Compilation #58 – #61
58 – HIS WISHES ABOUT HOW THE BROTHERS’ PLACES SHOULD BE BUILT
1 – Once when he was in Siena for treatment of the disease of his eyes, he was staying in a cell, where after his death a chapel was built out of reverence for him. Lord Bonaventure, who had donated to the brothers the land where the brothers’ place had been built, said to him: “What do you think of this place?”
– We discover the treasure of Gospel poverty among the poor.
2 – Blessed Francis answered him: “Do you want me to tell you how the places of the brothers should be built?” “I wish you would, Father,” he answered.
– The beggars and the poor confront us with the Gospel.
3 – And he told him: “When the brothers go to any city where they do not have a place, and they find someone who wants to give them enough land to build a place, have a garden, and whatever is necessary for them, they must first consider how much land is enough for them, always considering the holy poverty we have promised, and the good example we are bound to offer to others.”
– There is no substitute for contact with the “leper”.
4 – The holy father said this because he did not want the brothers for any reason to go beyond the norm of poverty either in houses or churches, in gardens or in other things they used.
– We find freedom in accepting that You are who you are before God and nothing more. The truth will set you free.
5 – And he did not want them to possess the right of ownership to these places, but always to stay in them as pilgrims and strangers.
– There is a sacredness in every person.
6 – For this reason, he did not want the brothers to have to be assigned to places in large groups, because it seemed to him that it was difficult to observe poverty fully.
– What do I cling to and what is God asking me to let go of?
7 – From the beginning of his conversion until the end, at his death, this was his will: that holy poverty be observed to its fullest. Afterwards they should go to the bishop of that city and say to him: “Lord, for the love of the Lord God and the salvation of his soul, such and such a person wants to give us enough land so that we can build a place there.
– Praise the goodness of God in the goodness of His people.
8 – Therefore, we have recourse to you first, because you are the father and lord of the souls of the entire flock entrusted to you, as well as our souls and those of the other brothers who will stay in this place. Therefore, with the blessing of the Lord God and yours, we would like to build there.”
– With living stones, we build the Mystical Body of Christ.
9 – The saint would say this because the good of souls the brothers want to produce among the people was better achieved by peace with prelates and clerics, winning them and the people, rather than by scandalizing prelates and clerics, even though they might win the people.
– Do we dream a future we believe in enough to strive for it a lifetime?
10 – “The Lord,” he used to say, “has called us to help His faith and the prelates and clerics of holy Mother Church. This is why we are always bound to love, honor, and revere them as much as we can. For this reason let them be called Lesser Brothers because, in name as well as example and deed, they should be humbler than all other people of this world.
– The Gospel (Jesus) is the vision of life of the Franciscan.
11 – From the beginning of my conversion, when I separated myself from the world and father in the flesh, the Lord put His word in the mouth of the bishop of Assisi so he could counsel me well in the service of Christ and comfort me.
– Our call to repentance is never ending.
12 – On account of this, as well as many other excellent qualities that I consider in prelates, not only in bishops, but in poor priests as well, I want to love them, revere them and regard them as my lords.
– When you believe you have achieved your spiritual goal, re-evaluate! Eternity determines, not time!
13 – “After receiving the bishop’s blessing, let them go and have a big ditch dug around the land which they received for building the place, and as a sign of holy poverty and humility, let them place a hedge there, instead of a wall.
– The Cross is central in any conversion journey.
14 – Afterwards they may have poor little houses built, of mud and wood, and some little cells where the brothers can sometimes pray and where, for their own greater decency and also to avoid idle words, they can work.
– The life and the whole being of each Christian must be identified around one central axis: fidelity to Jesus Christ.
15 – “They may also have churches made; however, the brothers must not have large churches made, in order to preach to the people there or for any other reason, for it is greater humility and better example when the brothers go to other churches to preach, so that they may observe holy poverty and their humility and decency.”
– We begin to pray, believing it is our own initiative that compels us to do so. Instead , we learn that it is always God’s initiative within us.
16 – “And if prelates and clerics, religious or secular, should sometimes visit their places, their poor house, little cells, and churches in that place will preach to them and edify them.”
– Love and prayer are the only sure spiritual levers with which it is possible to lift up the world. And this applies to all areas of life.
17 – “The brothers often have large buildings made, breaking with our holy poverty, resulting in complaints and bad example to their neighbor. Afterwards, they abandon those places and buildings for the sake of better or healthier places, prompting those who gave alms there, as well as others who see or hear about this to be scandalized and greatly upset.
– In a world thirsting for peace, it is indeed urgent that Christian communities proclaim the gospel unanimously.
18 – It is, therefore, better that the brothers have small and poor places built, observing their profession, and giving their neighbor good example, rather than making things contrary to their profession and offering bad example to others.
– It is indispensable that (Christian communities) witness to divine love, which unites them, and make themselves messengers of joy, hope, and peace.
19 – For, if it should ever happen that the brothers leave their little places and poor buildings for the sake of a more decent place, that would be very bad example and scandal.”
– Whoever calls with faith on the name of Jesus can have the experience similar to the one mentioned by Luke: for power came forth from him and healed all
59 – HE DICTATES HIS FIRST TESTAMENT AT SIENA
20 – During those days and in the same cell where blessed Francis spoke about these things to Lord Bonaventure, one evening he wanted to vomit because of the disease of his stomach. Because of the strain he put on himself in vomiting, he vomited up blood all night until morning. When his companions saw him already almost dying from weakness and the pain of his illness, they said to him with great sorrow and flowing tears:
– Only a higher moral vision can motivate the choice for life.
21 – “Father, what shall we do? Bless us and the rest of your brothers. In addition. leave your brothers some remembrance of your will, so that, if the Lord wants to call you away from this world, your brothers may always keep it in their memory and say: ‘Our father left these words to his sons and brothers at his death.’”
–Provided that we approach the word of God and listen to it as it really is, it brings us into contact with God Himself, God speaking to us.
22 – He then told them: “Call me Brother Benedict of Piratro.” He was a brother priest, discerning and holy, an elder in religion. He sometimes celebrated for blessed Francis in that cell, since, although he was sick, he always wanted, gladly and devoutly, to hear Mass whenever he was able. And when he had come, blessed Francis told him:
– May Mary help us love nothing more than Christ, who reveals to the world the mystery of divine love and true human dignity.
23 – “Write that I bless all my brothers, those who are and who will be in the religion until the end of the world.”
– (The word of God) brings us into contact with Christ, the Word of God, the Truth, who is at the same time both the Way and the Life.
24 – For when the brothers gathered in chapter, it was always blessed Francis’s custom in the brothers’ chapters, when the brothers were called together at the end of the chapter, to bless and absolve all the brothers present and the others who were in the religion. And he would also bless all those who were to come to this religion.
– It is decisive for each one of us to meet Christ personally.
25 – He would bless all the brothers in the religion and those to come, not only in chapters, but also many other times. And blessed Francis told him: “Since I cannot speak much because of weakness and the pain of my illness, I am showing my will to my brothers briefly in these three words: as a sign of remembrance of my blessing and my testament, may they always love each other; may they always love and observe our Lady Holy Poverty; and may they always remain faithful and subject to the prelates and all the clerics of holy Mother Church.”
– (Do) not be afraid of openly and courageously expressing (y)our faith in Christ in (y)our daily lives, especially in works of charity and solidarity with those who are in need.
26 – He used to warn the brothers to fear and beware of bad example. Furthermore, he cursed all those who by their wrong and bad example caused people to blaspheme the religion and life of the brothers and the holy and good brothers, who, because of this, were ashamed and distressed.
– The world should be enriched by … (our) goodness.
60 – HE CARRIES A BROOM TO CLEAN CHURCHES
27 – At one time while blessed Francis was staying at Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, and there sometimes used to go through the villages and churches in the area around the city of Assisi, proclaiming and preaching to the people that they should do penance. And he would carry a broom to sweep the churches.
– The first step of evangelization is to accept the grace of conversion into our own minds and hearts, to let ourselves be reconciled to God’
28 – For blessed Francis was very sad when he entered some church and saw that it was not clean. Therefore, after preaching to the people, at the end of the sermon he would always have all the priests who were present assembled in some remote place so he could not be overheard by secular people.
– We must first experience God=s gracious mercy, the love of Christ which has reconciled us to himself and given us the work of handing on this reconciliation.
29 – He would preach to them about the salvation of souls and, in particular, that they should exercise care and concern in keeping churches clean, as well as altars and everything that pertained to the celebration of the divine mysteries.
– Man’s relationship with God demands times of explicit prayer, in which the relationship becomes an intense dialogue, involving every dimension of the person.
61 – BROTHER JOHN THE SIMPLE JOINS THE BROTHERS; AND HOW HE IMITATES FRANCIS
30 – One day, blessed Francis went to a church in a village of the city of Assisi and began to sweep it. Immediately talk about this spread through that village, especially because those people enjoyed seeing and hearing him. A man named John heard it, a man of amazing simplicity, who was ploughing in a field of his near the church, and he immediately went to him.
– O Lord of life, when the moment of our definitive “passage” comes, grant that we may face it with serenity, without regret for what we shall leave behind.
31 – Finding him sweeping the church, he said to him: “Brother, give me the broom because I want to help you.” Taking the broom from him, he swept the rest. When they sat down, he said to blessed Francis: “Brother, it’s a long time now that I’ve wanted to serve God, especially after I heard talk about you and your brothers, but I did not know how to come to you. Now that it pleased God that I see you, I want to do whatever pleases you.”
– Jesus asks us to follow him and to imitate him along the path of love, a love which gives itself completely to the brethren out of love for God.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on July 6th, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
July 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord bless you with His peace!
Everyone knows what it is to hope. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings, ranging from confident trust to apprehensiveness, from serenity to anxiety, from firm conviction to hesitation and doubt. Often, we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope. Taking it as our guide, let us return to the message that the Apostle Paul wished to communicate to the Christians of Rome. (Spes non confundit – Indiction of the Jubilee Year 2025, 1)
Looking at the first quarter of the twenty-first century, loaded with wars and the fear of getting involved in them, it is obvious how the Holy Father Pope Francis, of happy memory, was “on target” and fully in accord with the Gospel. In a very clear ecumenical spirit, every Jubilee Year aims at rekindling faith in Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Savior. He is the only “Holy Door”- Jesus said again, Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep (John 10: 7-11) – that leads to salvation. It is He Who helps us to rediscover the immense value of Sacred Scripture that remains eternally true – but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you. (1 Peter 1: 25).
The Pontiffs of the last half of the twentieth and beginning of the twenty-first centuries have the theme of hope in their teachings: Popes St. John XXIII, St.Paul VI, even briefly Bl. John Paul I in his catecheses, St. John Paul II who encouraged the faithful to ‘rediscover this theological virtue’ by not losing sight of the ultimate goal. However, it is Pope Benedict XVI who dedicates an encyclical – Spe salvi (Saved in Hope) 2007 – to this biblical as well as theological virtue.
Faith is intimately connected with Hope. Faith is the certitude (substance) of the things we hope for. We are encouraged to keep our perspective clear and not lose sight of the goal. We are reminded to see the present in light of the future. Confusing? Not at all! Faith in what we do not see allows us to see what we believe. The words of the Vatican Council II concerning the Kingdom of God say that the kingdom of God is already here but not yet (iam sed nondum).
This rather strange statement is easier to understand than it seems. We believe the kingdom of God is coming in its fullness. We also believe that it will come gradually for us in the here-and-now present. Thus, we acknowledge that we are attracted and pulled into the future. This then is anticipated by growing and living in the values that reach perfection when the kingdom is fully among and within us. Jesus says: The kingdom of God does not come with observation; or will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20–21).
One of the aspects of hope is precisely to look with anticipation for the arrival of what we await. It is a certainty rooted in faith. It is a joy that flows from that certainty.
As Franciscans, we are celebrating the Hope born of the faith we have in God’s call to be children of the Poverello of Assisi. This celebration of “Hope fulfilled and fulfilling” is being celebrated over a period of several years. We began the five Franciscan eight hundredth anniversaries in 2023 with the approval of the Rule of the Friars Minor and we will conclude in 2026 with the celebration of the Transitus (Death) of St. Francis at the Portiuncula. Each anniversary leads to the next and reminds us of the desire of St. Francis and the goal of all Franciscans to be conformed to Jesus Christ. It is a “hope”, a deep-rooted desire, attainable but not yet attained. The joy of the quest animates the soul and the person to move forward. Through obstacles, spiritual and otherwise, we see the strength of grace in faith that leads us to the fulfillment of our hope. It is not that we see God in all things each in its own manner. We see ourselves in God’s will and love and thus live in mystery the joy we hope to share fully in eternity – Hope fulfilled! Perfect Joy regardless of the challenges!
The Hope these celebrations instill in those who remember, believe and celebrate remind all of the joy born of hope that St. Francis and his Franciscan Brotherhood gave to their world and all who even today encounter him in his brothers and sisters. Faith drives out fear. Fear drives out faith. Knowing what drives us is the first real step in living in a faith-founded hope that lives now, but not yet, the joy of what our journey and its challenges is all about. Franciscans love the mystery and dance through the obstacles, until they see the object of their quest, God!
-The approval of the Rule of the Friars Minor by Pope Honorius III, celebrated 29 November 1223, instilled an effective hope that the Gospel Life Jesus lived with His disciples, could be lived and is definitely a means of daily growth in conformity to Christ. We are reminded by G. K. Chesterton that: It is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting. It is that it has not been tried. The Gospel is Christ. Christ is the Hope of the world. Thus the Gospel life begins a process of hope for an anxious world.
-One month or so after the approval of the Rule, the reenactment at Greccio of the Birth of Jesus at Bethlehem was set up by Francis for the people at Christmas of 1223. It visibly and emotionally enkindled a joyful hope of a God Who loves His creatures – children. He is an “Infant God” Who conforms Himself with us that we may become one with Him. We are a people of God living in the hope of Him Who created us for Yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in You (Confessions of St. Augustine), but, we could say, His heart was restless until He became one with us.
-Not even one year later, in the solitude of prayer, St. Francis received the Stigmata of Our Lord Jesus Christ on La Verna Mountain – September 1224. It was the “Seal of Approval” God imprinted on the body of St. Francis. His hopes of conformity to Christ were permanently made tangible for all to see. Encouraged by the holiness of the Poverello, the Stigmata he bore enkindled in those who saw him a renewed confidence in the providential presence of God in their lives. St. Francis’ experience of his hopes fulfilled beyond imagining served and serves also as a “pledge of future glory” that awaits all who hope in the Lord (Isaiah 40: 31; Psalm 31: 24).
-Broken with ill health and suffering now from the Wounds of the Passion, Francis is taken, gradually, back to where the Crucifix spoke to him. The Canticle of the Creatures was composed by St. Francis during his convalescence at San Damiano as he knowingly prepared for Sister Death. Blind and in pain, the joy of the poet troubadour of Peace and Blessings (Pax et Bonum) composes the praises of the God of Creation seen in the beauty, power, variety, utility, strength, stability of creation that tells us that we are never alone. God is always with us in Himself or in all that shares his attributes. Even the gift of forgiveness becomes a sign of the divine for all who go beyond their egos and are forgiven in mercy as they show mercy. Thus, even “Sister Death” is not an “exterminator” but a gentle “sibling”, always with us, who eventually takes us to live eternally the fulfillment of all our hopes…
-The last Franciscan Jubilee Year, 2025 to 2026, celebrates St. Francis’ Transitus (Paschal Mystery/Death). It is the feast of “Hope Fulfilled”. The process of preparation has finally led him home. The Portiuncula where it all took form as a Gospel brotherhood opens his heart in hope to see the unseen God of his faith and desired destination of his life and dreams.
Our Seraphic Father is a voice of Christian hope that sounds ever more distinctly through a world of fear and seeming hopelessness. More than enough has been written in our time by poets, philosophers, and theologians on the situation of modern man who experiences the disappointment of all his hopes, the frustration of his labors, the despair of the future. Often there is a sense of anxiety. With all that happens daily in the world and the immediacy of information – true or fake news – we may feel deprived of the comfort that people of former generations found in their religion or in their intellectual pursuits.
No century before the last had achieved such triumphs in science and technology. Yet, we seem incapable of making any other use of these advances other than to destroy rather than build up. Never before have such serious attempts been made to prevent wars and to establish lasting peace and justice in the world, but the result has been that the wars became worse and the original rules and principles of international law are forgotten. These contradictions drive humankind, individuals, and nations, into discouragement and perhaps even despair. When you feel there is no way out of the “pit” because they keep looking down and around at what surrounds them, then it is we all must look up at the One Who is Above us. Hope in Him. Our help comes from the Lord Who made heaven and earth (Psalm 46: 1). Our “help” is our “hope” because our help and hope is the Lord Himself!
The first followers of St. Francis were a rather “diverse” group of men. They came from all walks of life: wealthy, poor, learned, illiterate, and so forth. Just remember St. Francis’ example(s) of the “perfect friar”. There way of Gospel living challenged the understanding of the local people, and even the Church. The Gospel was their way of life and poverty the means to achieve living the Gospel more effectively. This was extremely radical for the time. However, theirs was not a polemic statement against the Church. It was, and still is, a prophetic statement that condemns no one. People began to understand the joy of God and God alone. Whether one followed as a member of the Franciscan family or was present to the development of the growth, joy, effectiveness of the friars, the joy was contagious. The radicalism of the Franciscans taught by His Presence that God is enough. The joy with which they lived this expression, given the diversity of personalities and social strata from which they came, encouraged the people they ministered. Are we different? The example is clear.
In such times, the Church preaches the eternal Gospel of hope. Are we able to proclaim this glorious message, the source of peace and joy in human hearts? It is the great antidote the world needs. Have we already been affected by the poison of discouragement to such a degree that we no longer understand the God-given message of hope we can see throughout all of Sacred Scripture?
We must not identify the secular hopes of our modern civilization with the hope of the New Testament. That is a very real and dangerous stance of many who teach or even preach the “Good News” of Jesus. It shows itself more often than not as an extreme form of a theology under the influence of modern secular philosophy, and thus loses the biblical message of hope. It robs the preaching of the Church of the joy that belongs to the “glad news” of the Gospel. The whole New Testament is pervaded by great joy, from the joy proclaimed in the Gospel of Christmas to the joy of which Jesus spoke in his last discourses before the Passion (John 15:11; 16:20–24; 17:13), the joy of Easter, and the joy that for all apostles is one of the fruit of the Spirit (e.g., Gal. 5:22; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 1:4).
Every Christian within the depth of his heart is a believer, who earnestly desires to live in the Spirit, and share with all others the hope that belongs to the nature of all human beings. All saints of God, all believers, share the same hope that belongs to the very nature of humanity. We live by hope (For whoever is chosen among all the living has hope: A live dog is better off than a dead lion. – Ecclesiastes 9:4) and cannot live without hope. The hope of the sick for the restoration to health, the hope of the prisoner for freedom, the hope for social justice in a nation and for peace between the nations of the world—all these human hopes are common to Christians and non-Christians. No Christian should ever dissociate himself from the hopes of his fellow men, as long as these hopes are justified.
Depriving someone of hope would be a grave violation of the great commandment to love our neighbor. Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year of the Church as well, are active participants in the lawful attempts to open the hearts of all to realize that hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts (Romans 5: 5). To live is to hope. To hope is to be at peace. To be at peace is to live in harmony with one self and God.
Hope is the great motor that moves the history of Israel. Hope in the Messiah to come, the Redeemer of God’s People, is expressed throughout the Old Testament. Their history is unparalleled in the entire history of the world. And, in the New Testament hope gets a new significance. So Christian hope means always hope in God and hope in the Christ simultaneously without distinction. In 1 Tim. 1:1, Paul calls himself an apostle by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope. In Rom. 15:13, the apostle expresses the wish, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Hope belongs together with faith and love. It constitutes with them the triad St. Paul mentions repeatedly, not only in 1 Corinthians 13 where St. Paul sings the hymn of the praises of Charity(Love), but also 1Thessalonians 1:3 – We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, and Ephesians 4:1–6 – There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. May we live our earthly life with hope in the One Who calls us to Follow Me (Matthew 4: 19; Luke 9: 57-62; John 12: 26).
God bless all of you. Our Heavenly Mother and good St. Joseph guide, guard, and protect you and your loved ones. St. Francis and St. Clare intercede for you as you continue joyfully on your Franciscan Pilgrimage of Hope. May we all be bearers of Peace and All Good to those we encounter on our way.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on May 10th, 2025 “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Easter season is the Church’s celebration of the glory of Christ’s resurrection–for fifty wondrous days! As Spring unfolds splendidly around us, we are vividly aware of the signs of new life: in our gardens, our neighborhoods, local parks, and farm fields which will soon provide us with fresh fruits and vegetables. Without any effort on our part, the Lord God provides for “His people, the flock He tends.” (cf. Ps. 100)
On May 24, 2015 (Pentecost Sunday), Pope Francis released the encyclical “Laudato Si’” (LS) for the Church. The title came from the Canticle of the Creatures that St. Francis of Assisi wrote 800 years ago (1225): “Praise be to You, My Lord.” In the introduction to the encyclical, Pope Francis addressed the tears of Sister Mother Earth with this poignant observation: “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the good with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also evident in the soil, in the water, in the air, and in all forms of life.”
In the second reading from the Book of Revelation, St. John has a vision of a great multitude standing before God’s throne, where the Lamb of God, their Shepherd, sits at the center. Despite many dangers, toils, sufferings, and fears, God has delivered His sheep with the assurance that “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” In the papal encyclical, Pope Francis gives a profound warning to the world to take care of the common home which God gave to all of us. Noting grave ecological challenges, Pope Francis makes the case for a conversion among people of good will to recognize “the intimate relationships between the poor and the fragility of the planet.” (LS 16) Indeed, there are many tears shed every day throughout the world by those who suffer from the sins of indifference.
Since the completion of his wonderful Lenten book/movie project, Deacon Jim Casa has been promoting his next activity for our parish: the encyclical letter “Laudato Si’” and the movie “The Letter.” On June 1st (Ascension Sunday) at 2:30 PM in Sacred Heart School Library, Deacon Jim has planned to show the video to anyone who wishes to understand ecological conversion better. How timely this offering is as the Church celebrates the 10th anniversary of the encyclical and the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures!
As soon as Pope Francis emerged on the balcony at St. Peter’s Square in 2013 as the next successor of St. Peter, he made it a priority of his papacy to evangelize through the importance of relationships: with God, one another, and God’s Creation. By choosing the papal name Francis, he embraced the vision of a medieval saint who made Christ the center of His life, living the Good News with joy and zeal. It is no wonder that the Canticle of the Creatures inspired Pope Francis to write an encyclical to awaken the world to our shared stewardship of God’s goodness that is revealed in all of Creation.
In his book “God’s Love Song: The Vision of Francis and Clare” (Franciscan Media, c. 2024), Franciscan Fr. Murray Bodo, OFM, captures how St. Francis became a Troubadour of the Great King through his daily simple praises of the all-good God, who inspired the saint’s lifetime of loving service to all of God’s creatures. In his final addition to the Canticle. St. Francis even embraced Sister Death:
“The ‘Canticle of the Creatures’ is the great love song of St. Francis of Assisi. It is a beautiful aria, a poem, and a hymn of thanksgiving that praises God and reveals St. Francis’s profound relationship with God and all of God’s creatures. It is a swan song in the tradition of the troubadours before him that puts lyrics to a life of love.”
Deacon Jim’s book/video project is somewhat different this time, because it is difficult to make a movie of an encyclical. In the video, however, the powerful message of the encyclical comes alive through the four stories (five different protagonists) who speak for Mother Earth with personal stories of the need for ecological conversion, so that the tears of those who suffer will be wiped away:
- Cacique Dadá, a leader of the Novo Lugar community of Borari people in the Maró Indigenous Territory of Pará, Brazil;
- Arounda Kandé, a climate refugee from the Kolde Region of Senegal, where 80% of the population lives in poverty;
- Ridhima Pandey, from Hadiwar Uttarakhand, India, who started advocacy at age 9 for alarming climate issues;
- Greg Asner & Robin Marlen, husband and wife marine biologists from Hawaii who have devoted their scientific research for the protection of life.
June 1st is an important date on our calendars: a communal sharing of the encyclical’s message to unite us by hope to care for our common home. Pope Francis invites us to reexamine our relationships:
“Disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbor, for whose care and custody I am responsible, ruins my relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the Earth. When all these relationships are neglected, when justice no longer dwells in the land, the Bible tells us that life itself is endangered.” (LS 70)
Jesus speaks to us in so many ways—even in book/movie projects! Let’s get to know Him better…
”The glory of God gave it light and its lamp was the Lamb.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
SPECIAL BLESSINGS TO ALL AS WE CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY!
Posted By Teresa Redder, on May 4th, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
May 2025
O virgin mother, daughter of your Son, humble beyond all creatures and more exalted;
predestined turning point of God’s intention;
Your merit so ennobled human nature
that its divine Creator did not scorn to make Himself the creature of His creature.
The Love that was rekindled in Your womb sends for the warmth of the eternal peace
within whose ray this flower has come to bloom.
Here to us, you are the noon and scope of Love revealed;
and among mortal men, the living fountain of eternal hope.
Lady, you are so near God’s reckonings
that who seeks grace and does not first seek you
would have his wish fly upward without wings.
Not only does your sweet benignity flow out to all who beg,
but oftentimes your charity arrives before the plea.
In you is pity, in you munificence, in you the tenderest heart,
in you unites all that creation knows of excellence!
****************
Daily reflections from Franciscan Sources continue from Assisi Compilation nos. 47-56
51 – HE PERSUADES THE BROTHERS TO GO JOYFULLY BEGGING FOR ALMS
1 – When Francis began to have brothers, he was so happy about their conversion and that the Lord had given him good company, that he loved and revered them so much that he did not tell them to go for alms, especially because it seemed to him that they would be ashamed to go.
– Father, bless me with a love that will motivate me to want to journey with Jesus as closely as possible.
2 – Rather, sparing them shame, he himself would go alone for alms every day. His body was worn out by this, especially since in the world he had been a refined man, and of a weak constitution; and he had become weaker from the day when he left the world because of the excessive fasting and suffering he endured.
– Father, bless me with a love to follow Jesus to the point of experiencing poverty and dishonor, as he did, if this be for your greater glory.
3 – He considered that he could not bear so much labor, and that they were called to this, even though they would be ashamed, and did not fully understand; but neither had they been discerning enough to tell him: “We want to go for alms.”
– Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I hold dear.
4 – So he talked to them. “My dearest brothers and sons, don’t be ashamed to go for alms, because the Lord for our sake made Himself poor in this world.
– To be Christian is to be like Christ.
5 – Therefore, because of His example, we have chosen the way of the most genuine poverty and that of His most holy Mother. This is our inheritance, which the Lord Jesus Christ acquired and bequeathed to us and to all who want to live in holy poverty according to His example.”
– What we need is not more Christianity but more Christians who practice it.
6 – And he told them: “I tell you the truth: many of the noblest and wisest of this world will come to this congregation and they will consider it a great honor to go for alms.
– The only tyrant I accept in this world is the still voice within.
7 – Therefore, go for alms confidently with joyful hearts with the blessing of the Lord God. And you ought to go begging more willingly and with more joyful hearts than someone who is offering a hundred silver pieces in exchange for a single penny, since you are offering the love of God to those from whom you seek alms.
– If a person does not keep pace with his companions perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.
8 – Say to them: ‘Give alms to us for the love of the Lord God: compared to this, heaven and earth are nothing!’” They were still few in number so that he could not send them out two by two, so he sent each one separately through the towns and villages.
– To reach the port of heaven we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it, but we must sail and not drift nor lie in anchor.
9 – When they returned, each one showed blessed Francis the alms he had collected, one saying to the other, “I collected more alms than you!” This gave blessed Francis reason to rejoice, seeing them so happy and cheerful. From then on each of them more willingly asked permission to go for alms.
– It is possible to give without loving, but it is not possible to love without giving.
52 – HE DOES NOT WANT THE BROTHERS TO THINK ABOUT TOMORROW, FOLLOWING THE GOSPEL
10 – At that time, as Blessed Francis was with his brothers whom he had then, he was of such purity that, from the hour the Lord revealed to him that he and his brothers should live according to the form of the holy Gospel, he desired and strove to observe it to the letter.
– Choice, not chance, determines destiny.
11 – Therefore he told the brother who did the cooking for the brothers, that when he wanted the brothers to eat beans, he should not put them in warm water in the evening for the next day, as people usually do. This was so the brothers would observe the words of the holy Gospel: “Do not be concerned about tomorrow.”
– Lord, bless me with the clarity of vision to discern your will for me and the courage of heart to carry it out.
12 – So that brother used to put them in water to soften after the brothers said matins. Because of this, for a long time many brothers observed this in a great many places where they stayed on their own, especially in cities. They did not want to collect or receive more alms than were enough for them for one day.
– Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.
53 – HE EATS GRAPES WITH A SICK BROTHER
13 – One time when blessed Francis was at that same place, a certain brother, a spiritual man, an elder in religion, was staying there. He was very sick and weak. Considering him, blessed Francis was moved to piety toward him. The brothers back then, sick and healthy, with cheerfulness and patience took poverty for abundance.
– Apathy is the glove into which evil slips its hand.
14 – They did not take medicines in their illnesses, but more willingly did what was contrary to the body. Blessed Francis said to himself: “If that brother would eat some ripe grapes early in the morning, I believe it would help him.”
– We are our choices.
15 – One day, therefore, he secretly got up early in the morning, and called that brother and took him into the vineyard which is near that same church. He chose a vine that had grapes that were good and ready for eating. Sitting down with that brother next to the vine, he began to eat some grapes so that the brother would not be ashamed to eat alone, and while they were eating them, that brother praised the Lord God. As long as he lived, he always recalled among the brothers, with great devotion and flowing tears, the mercy the holy father had done to him.
– Who does not stay in his littleness loses his greatness.
54 – A SURPRISING VISIT FROM THE BISHOP OF ASSISI
16 – One time when blessed Francis was at that same place, he stayed at prayer in the cell that was in the back, behind the house. One day while he was staying in it, the bishop of Assisi came to see him.
– Who prays as he ought, will endeavor to live as he prays.
17 – It happened that as he came into the house, he knocked on the door to approach blessed Francis. He opened the door himself, and immediately entered the cell in which there was another small cell made of mats where blessed Francis stayed.
– If it is going to be, it is up to me.
18 – And because he knew that the holy father treated him with friendliness and love, he entered without hesitation, and opened for himself the little cell of mats to see him. As he quickly stuck his head inside the little cell, all of a sudden, by the will of the Lord, because he was not worthy to see him, he was forcefully pushed outside, willy-nilly, stumbling backwards.
– God’s kingdom is within; only by searching within, will I find it.
19 – He immediately came outside the cell, trembling and stunned, and told the brothers his fault, and said he was sorry for coming there that day.
– Fans don’t boo nobodies.
55 – HIS FRIENDSHIP FREES A BROTHER FROM DEPRESSION
20 – There was a certain brother, a spiritual man, an elder in religion, and close to blessed Francis. It happened one time that for many days he suffered the most severe and cruel suggestions of the devil, so that he was almost cast into the depths of despair.
– He has the right to criticize who has the heart to help.
21 – And even though he was tormented daily, he was ashamed to confess it every time. And, because of this, he afflicted himself with fasting, with vigils, with tears, and with beatings. While he was being tormented daily for many days, blessed Francis came to that place by divine guidance.
– With complete truthfulness, everything we have learned through life, everything that has truly enhanced our life and enlightened our experiences has been through affliction and not through happiness.
22 – And when blessed Francis was walking one day not too far from that place with one brother and with the brother who was so tormented, he left the other brother behind and walked with the one who was being tempted. He said to him: “My dearest brother, I wish and tell you that from now on you are not bound to confess these suggestions and intrusions of the devil to anyone.
– Character is a victory, not a gift.
23 – Don’t be afraid, because they have not harmed your soul. But I give you my permission just to say seven Our Father’s as often as you are troubled by these suggestions.”
– Jesus cannot be our Savior unless he is first our Lord.
24 – That brother was overjoyed at what he said to him, that he was not bound to confess those things, especially because, since he would have had to confess daily, he was quite upset, and this was the main reason for his suffering.
– In Jesus Christ, true God and true man rests our hope for real humanity.
25 – He marveled at the holiness of the holy father, how he knew his temptations through the Holy Spirit, since he had not confessed to anyone except priests. And he would frequently switch priests because of shame, since he was ashamed that one priest would know all his weakness and temptation.
– The Lord your God, who is present with you, is a great and awesome God.
26 – From the very moment blessed Francis spoke to him, he was immediately freed both in spirit and body from that great trial which he endured for such a long time. And, through the grace of God and the merits of blessed Francis, he remained in great serenity and peace of soul and body.
– Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children.
56 – HE RECEIVES THE PORTIUNCULA FROM THE ABBOT OF THEMONASTERY OF SAINT BENEDICT; HE TRIES TO DESTROY A HOUSE BUILT THERE; SPECIAL NORMS FOR BROTHERS WHO LIVE THERE
27 – Seeing that the Lord willed to increase the number of brothers, blessed Francis told them: “My dearest brothers and sons, I see that the Lord wants us to increase. Therefore, it seems good and religious to me to obtain from the bishop, or the canons of San Rufino, or from the abbot of the monastery of Saint Benedict, some small and poor little church where the brothers can say their Hours and only have next to it a small and poor little house built of mud and branches where they can sleep and care for their needs.
– The Will of God – Nothing More, Nothing Less.
28 – This place is not suitable, and this house is too small for the brothers to stay in, since it pleases the Lord to increase them, especially because here we do not have a church where the brothers can say their Hours. And, should any brother die, it would not be proper to bury him here or in a church of the secular clergy.”
– Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.
29 – This speech pleased the other brothers. So blessed Francis got up and went to the bishop of Assisi. The same speech he made to the brothers he made to the bishop. “Brother,” the bishop answered him, “I do not have any church that I can give you.”
– We shall steer safely through every storm so long as our heart is right, intention fervent, courage steadfast and our trust is fixed firmly on God.
30 – Then he went to the canons of San Rufino and said the same thing to them. But they gave him the same answer as the bishop. He went, therefore, to the monastery of Saint Benedict on Mount Subasio, and made the same speech to the abbot he had made to the bishop and the canons, informing him also of how the bishop and the canons had responded.
– Prayer does not change God, but changes him who prays.
Alleluia! He is Risen! Alleluia! He is Truly Risen! Alleluia!
Peace and Blessings,
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on May 4th, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
May 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord give you His peace
and lead you through the mystery of His Passion and Death
to the joy of His Resurrection and our renewed Life in Jesus!
Pope Francis had been a powerful magnet. People from all walks of life were drawn to his familiar and simple approach. He was not afraid of crowds. In fact he sought them out. He felt comfortable among the people. His own faithful in Argentina remembered his riding in Public Transportation, living in a common residence, cooking his own meals, approachable in all ways. True to form, and shocking the whole world, he continued this manner even as Pope. He even bought his own shoes and paid his own bills. (Not far-fetched, but as far as any Pope “pays his own bills”) He was always and truly aware of the happenings that affected the people and also still a determined Jesuit with the heart of the disarmed-hearted-man whose name he chose, Francis of Assisi. He was aware and involved in the political situations that surrounded him. Matters never seem to really change. They affected his people in Argentina and then as Supreme Pontiff matters affected the peoples in every area of the world.
It is unfortunate that many well-meaning Catholics view the Church solely as an entity that must be equal to or stronger than the powers of the world in which it exists. What drives the Church is the grace of God and the Mystery of the Cross we have just celebrated at Easter. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself. (John 12: 32) Referring to His Passion and Death, how can we not see this culminating moment as the epitome of our hopes and dreams, confirmed on Resurrection Sunday?
Have we forgotten? There can be no Resurrection from the dead, unless someone dies! Yet we fail to immediately consider death in the eternal redemptive equation. When death had been spoken of in the written prophecies regarding the Messiah as the true sign the “One Who is to come”, and promised over a millennium, why had so many not accepted him? How could a chosen few decide to eliminate the hope of the people realized and confirmed by their own sacred books? Is it possible that “religious” leaders thought they could impede the Will of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from fulfilling His designs for the redemption of His creation? Senseless people bring destruction upon themselves when they seek to do it “my way” and not God’s way.
To the last few hours of his earthly life, our Holy Father Pope Francis, as it is said “in the process of dying”, refused to leave his people without seeing them one last time and blessing them. Not able to speak or project his voice, he prepared his own sermon for Easter Sunday. He wanted to be driven around the Piazza of St. Peter so that he could greet the people: kiss this child, bless that person, wave and smile at the people for whom and to whom he always showed such love. What a drain it must have been on the last bit of his physical strength.
The Spirit thrived! There was his strength! The Spirit! While at the Loggia above the main entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica, he had his sermon read and then gave his paternal blessing for the Resurrection of Jesus to the City and the World (Urbi et Orbi). This last loving expression in public for him, who truly was the “People’s Pope”, must have filled the hearts of all with joy at the moment but with sad awareness and anticipation of what seemed lay ahead for the Church, and all those for whom he showed such love and understanding.
There must be consistency between word and action for a person to be one of integrity. The “humaneness” of our humanity must look and see beyond. Francis, the shepherd, smelled the sheep and understood. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (Matthew 9: 13) He sought to offer mercy not justice – Who am I to judge. As Pope he knew he was called to render “judgments” on cases or approve “verdicts” rendered by the Church Tribunal, and he often did. Even after death a verdict upheld by Francis will keep an elector from participating in the Conclave. But for the people, whose everyday lives are complicated and conditioned in so many ways, he desired and acted so that they would never doubt the mercy of an ever-loving God, Whose sign of His Love is the sentence of crucifixion so that we might look upon the one they pierced and live (cfr. Zechariah 12: 10; John 19: 24). He was able to enter the mercy of God and offer that to others. Theology and ministry always accompany and complete one another in faith related moments. Nevertheless, if our ministry does not overcome human misery in all its forms, then we have lost the mercy that is of God. Pope Francis sought to express the mercy of God as seen in the Gospels.
The following are excerpts from the Homily at Funeral of our Holy Father Pope Francis. It was written and delivered by the Dean of the College of Cardinals, His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re.
… Yet, we are sustained by the certainty of faith, which assures us that human existence does not end in the tomb, but in the Father’s house, in a life of happiness that will know no end … his passing from this earth into eternity tells us how much the profound pontificate of Pope Francis touched minds and hearts…The final image we have of him, which will remain etched in our memory, is that of last Sunday, Easter Sunday, when Pope Francis, despite his serious health problems, wanted to give us his blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. He then came down to this square to greet the large crowd gathered for the Easter Mass while riding in the open-top Popemobile…
We are enlightened and guided by the passage of the Gospel, in which the very voice of Christ resounded, asking the first of the apostles: “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Peter’s answer was prompt and sincere: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” Jesus then entrusted him with the great mission: “Feed my sheep.” This will be the constant task of Peter and his successors, a service of love in the footsteps of Christ, our Master and Lord, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45).
Despite his frailty and suffering towards the end, Pope Francis chose to follow this path of self-giving until the last day of his earthly life. He followed in the footsteps of his Lord, the Good Shepherd, who loved his sheep to the point of giving his life for them. And he did so with strength and serenity, close to his flock, the church of God, mindful of the words of Jesus quoted by the Apostle Paul: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
The decision to take the name Francis immediately appeared to indicate the pastoral plan and style on which he wanted to base his pontificate, seeking inspiration from the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi…He maintained his temperament and form of pastoral leadership, and through his resolute personality, immediately made his mark on the governance of the church. He established direct contact with individuals and peoples, eager to be close to everyone, with a marked attention to those in difficulty, giving himself without measure, especially to the marginalized, the least among us. He was a pope among the people, with an open heart towards everyone. He was also a pope attentive to the signs of the times and what the Holy Spirit was awakening in the church.
With his characteristic vocabulary and language, rich in images and metaphors, he always sought to shed light on the problems of our time with the wisdom of the Gospel. He did so by offering a response guided by the light of faith and encouraging us to live as Christians amid the challenges and contradictions in recent years, which he loved to describe as an “epochal change.” He had great spontaneity and an informal way of addressing everyone, even those far from the church. Rich in human warmth and deeply sensitive to today’s challenges, Pope Francis truly shared the anxieties, sufferings and hopes of this time of globalization. He gave of himself by comforting and encouraging us with a message capable of reaching people’s hearts in a direct and immediate way.
His charisma of welcome and listening, combined with a manner of behavior in keeping with today’s sensitivities, touched hearts and sought to reawaken moral and spiritual sensibilities. Evangelization was the guiding principle of his pontificate. With a clear missionary vision, he spread the joy of the Gospel, which was the title of his first apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium.” It is a joy that fills the hearts of all those who entrust themselves to God with confidence and hope.
The guiding thread of his mission was also the conviction that the church is a home for all, a home with its doors always open. He often used the image of the church as a “field hospital” after a battle in which many were wounded; a church determined to take care of the problems of people and the great anxieties that tear the contemporary world apart; a church capable of bending down to every person, regardless of their beliefs or condition, and healing their wounds.
His gestures and exhortations in favor of refugees and displaced persons are countless. His insistence on working on behalf of the poor was constant.
It is significant that Pope Francis’ first journey was to Lampedusa, an island that symbolizes the tragedy of emigration, with thousands of people drowning at sea. In the same vein was his trip to Lesbos, together with the ecumenical patriarch and the archbishop of Athens, as well as the celebration of a Mass on the border between Mexico and the United States during his journey to Mexico…Of his 47 arduous apostolic journeys, the one to Iraq in 2021, defying every risk, will remain particularly memorable. That difficult apostolic journey was a balm on the open wounds of the Iraqi people, who had suffered so much from the inhuman actions of ISIS. It was also an important trip for interreligious dialogue, another significant dimension of his pastoral work…With his 2024 apostolic journey to four countries in Asia-Oceania, the Pope reached “the most peripheral periphery of the world.”
Pope Francis always placed the Gospel of mercy at the center, repeatedly emphasizing that God never tires of forgiving us. He always forgives whatever the situation might be of the person who asks for forgiveness and returns to the right path…He called for the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in order to highlight that mercy is “the heart of the Gospel.”…Mercy and the joy of the Gospel are two key words for Pope Francis.
In contrast to what he called “the culture of waste,” he spoke of the culture of encounter and solidarity. The theme of fraternity ran through his entire pontificate with vibrant tones. In his encyclical letter “Fratelli Tutti,” he wanted to revive a worldwide aspiration to fraternity, because we are all children of the same Father who is in heaven. He often forcefully reminded us that we all belong to the same human family.
In 2019, during his trip to the United Arab Emirates, Pope Francis signed “A Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together,” recalling the common fatherhood of God…Addressing men and women throughout the world, in his encyclical letter “Laudato si’” he drew attention to our duties and shared responsibility for our common home, stating, “No one is saved alone.”
Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions. War, he said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before: It is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone.
“Build bridges, not walls” was an exhortation he repeated many times, and his service of faith as successor of the Apostle Peter always was linked to the service of humanity in all its dimensions. Spiritually united with all of Christianity, we are here in large numbers to pray for Pope Francis, that God may welcome him into the immensity of his love.
Pope Francis used to conclude his speeches and meetings by saying, “Do not forget to pray for me.”
Dear Pope Francis, we now ask you to pray for us. May you bless the church, bless Rome, and bless the whole world from heaven as you did last Sunday from the balcony of this basilica in a final embrace with all the people of God, but also embrace humanity that seeks the truth with a sincere heart and holds high the torch of hope.
We conclude our reflection together with these words of the Canticle whose centenary we celebrate this year during the Jubilee of Hope. Hope does not disappoint (Romans 5: 5). It was the strength of both St. Francis of Assisi as well as the Pope who took his name, Our Holy Father Pope Francis, Jorge Bergoglio. May he rest in the peace of the just!
Sister Death is the moment we encounter the warmth of God’s Eternal Love, the fulfillment of all our hopes. Life is Worth Living when we remember the “rest of the story,” and live in the Light and Love of the Crucified and Resurrected Lord Jesus in Whose Name we live and move and have our being (Acts 17: 28).
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.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on April 12th, 2025 St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis of Assisi Friary
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302) 798-3360 website: skdsfo email: pppgusa@gmail.com
April 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord give you His peace
and lead you through the mystery of His Passion and Death
to the joy of His Resurrection and our renewed Life in Jesus!
Be praised, my Lord, for Brother Fire, through whom you give us light in the darkness:
he is bright and lively and strong.
The Canticle was not composed in Francis’ youth, when he cheerfully embraced and cherished the beauty of created things and his freedom to enjoy them. The Canticle most probably was stirring in his soul for many years. Perhaps he may have remembered reading or hearing the story of the three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. They fearlessly accepted death rather than blaspheme the God of Israel. Unharmed in the flames, they gratefully praised God for His presence in all creation, even in the midst of the fiery furnace. And, God saved them (Daniel 3:56–57; 62–68; 75–81).
One thing seems certain: the Canticle is the labor of a spiritually mature Francis. He did not compose the song, or at least it was not written down, until he was able to let go completely of all that was separating him from true intimacy with God. This closeness with the Divine came through years of letting go, not just of material things, but of deeper personal attachments: his expectations and assumptions of how things should be, his privilege of social standing even within his Order, and his control over his own body. Francis had to pass through his “fiery furnace”. Shortly before letting go even of earthly life itself, Francis could finally break into singing his Canticle of Creation. Praise be You, My Lord! … even for Sister Bodily Death.
Along with Earth, Water, and Air, Fire is one of the four classical elements. But it’s not just a flickering flame. Fire is a powerful symbol of energy, change, and passion. Imagine it as the spark that lights up your spiritual journey, fueling everything from your deepest desires to your most profound transformations. Even a flicker of light in pitch darkness brings a feeling of hope and subtle joy.
Think about the sun for a moment. That giant ball of fire in the sky is more than just a light source. It is the life-giving and maintaining source God created it to be. Without the sun, we’d all be frozen solid. It’s no wonder many cultures see the sun (and by extension, Fire) as a symbol of life and vitality. Next time you enjoy a sunny day, remember, you’re basking in some serious spiritual Fire energy. Nevertheless, keep always in mind that the Son, the Son of God that is, Whom the leaders of Israel sought to “eclipse” in the mystery they could or would not fathom, was tortured and killed in history, but rose in glory that all might bask in the incandescence of his Eternal Light and Love. The Fire of God’s love enlightens us on the journey empowering us to be “lively and strong”. Francis’ Canticle is a hymn of praise that sees all creation as God’s way to keep us focused on the Creator. It is a Hymn of gratitude for God being God. He is God, Who manifests His limitless Love, Life, and Energy in all that we perceive.
How beautifully sincere does St. Augustine lament the time he wasted running after the things of creation rather than seeking their Creator. Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace (Confessions). This “confession” of Augustine’s wasted years before he acknowledged the beauty and power of God always before him, seems taken up by St. Francis in simplicity and awesome wonder and gratitude centuries later.
But, Fire isn’t all light and warmth. Fire is also about destruction and renewal. Just like a forest fire clears out the old to make way for new growth, Fire in spirituality helps us let go of what’s no longer serving us. It’s the force that burns away rubble from the past. We have a clearer vision to be able to rise from the ashes of the past with fresh perspectives and renewed purpose.
Fire has been revered in spiritual practices around the world for millennia. This Lenten Season began with the ashes of burnt palm from the year before. We received a sign made of those ashes in the form of a cross on our foreheads. This was done to set the tone for our journey from Ashes to Palms, to Golgotha and the Empty Tomb, to the Alleluia of awaiting a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21: 1). The ashes created by fire are used to help rekindle our faith. The act of faith becomes an active faith during this Jubilee Year of the Church. We are Pilgrims of Hope rooted in a convinced Faith spurred forward by confident Hope. The ardent Faith alive in us now leads us in the joy of possessing in our hearts what we still do not fully possess in our hands.
Thus, we become bearers/pilgrims of Hope. As beggars we share what we have received with others like ourselves. As spiritual “vagabonds”, as it were, we offer one another some of the charity each has received. We extend to each other the gifts of God’s love.
Faith is the hidden flame of knowledge that leads to Hope, the conscious burning desire that urges us onward to live in Charity, the eternal love of God. Inflamed with His good graces, we cannot help but be an instrument of the Father’s transforming Love. As Pilgrims of Hope we challenge others to hope beyond the enticements and lies of the world, to live in the sure promise of the One Whose Love for all was made manifest on Golgotha. It is Consummated (John 19: 30) are the last words of an agreement made with humanity millennia before and now “signed, sealed, and delivered”. The fire of Eternal Love consumed the Heart of Jesus Whose life sought only to bring humanity to this moment, the consuming power of God’s Love.
Fire, metaphorically or naturally, is an element to be respected with caution. Its powers materially can serve, enhance, purify or destroy. Spiritually, the sign of fire is offered as a sign of the gift of the Holy Spirit Who appeared in form of tongues of fire and rested on the heads of those in the Upper Room after the Resurrection. It calls us to remember the ardor with which we are all expected to “burn” for the Lord at every moment of our lives. As ambassadors for Christ (2Corinthians 5: 20) we bring the flame of faith in our hearts and lives, and seek to enkindle others with a desire to be “aglow” for Christ and thus set the world ablaze (Luke 12: 49).
Fire is a powerful symbol in Scripture. It represents God’s presence, judgment, and even His love. Scripture speaks of Fire from the burning bush that spoke to Moses (cfr. Exodus 3) to Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came as flames resting on the Apostles (Acts 2: 3). Fire manifests the relationship and interaction of God with His people. It can be a source of comfort, purification, or warning. Understanding the meaning of fire presented in the biblical narratives can help us see and understand God’s message to us more clearly.
St. Francis understood the power of fire. He experienced its believed therapeutic value not long before he died. Francis complied with the doctor’s diagnosis and medical treatment. Francis received neither healing nor relief. In the Canticle we note the respect St. Francis had for Brother Fire, who gives light to the night, and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong (Canticle of Brother Sun). The following paragraph is taken from the Desire of the Remembrance of a Soul, by Blessed Thomas of Celano, and it speaks of Francis’ personal encounter and “conversation” with “his Brother”.
A surgeon is called to the place, and when he comes he is carrying an iron instrument for cauterizing. He ordered it to be placed in the fire until it became red hot. But the blessed Father, to comfort the body, which was struck with panic, spoke to the fire: “My brother Fire, your beauty is the envy of all creatures, the Most High created you strong, beautiful and useful. Be gracious to me in this hour; be courteous! For a long time I have loved you in the Lord. I pray the Great Lord who created you to temper now your heat that I may bear your gentle burning.” When the prayer is finished, he makes the sign of the cross over the fire and then remains in place unshaken. The surgeon takes in his hands the red-hot glowing iron. The brothers, overcome by human feeling, run away. The saint joyfully and eagerly offered himself to the iron. The hissing iron sinks into tender flesh, and the burn is extended slowly straight from the ear to the eyebrow. How much pain that burning caused can best be known by the witness of the saint’s words, since it was he that felt it. For when the brothers who had fled return, the father says with a smile: “Oh, you weak souls of little heart; why did you run away? Truly I say to you, I did not feel the fire’s heat, nor any pain in my flesh.” And turning to the doctor, he says: “If the flesh isn’t well cooked, try again!” The doctor who had experienced quite a different reaction in similar situations, exalts this as a divine miracle, saying: “I tell you, brothers; today I have seen wonderful things!” I believe he had returned to primeval innocence, for when he wished, the harshest things grew gentle. (Desire of the Remembrance of a Soul, #166).
Francis had a rather different respect and relationship with creation than most do. He saw all things in God. Every created thing and being was sacred. Everything and everyone was to be treated with reverence, respect, and dignity. God is One and there is no other (Isaiah 45: 5). God’s Love as Creator called existence and life into being, thus everything and everyone, in some way, share in the attributes of God in their own unique manner.
1 – Fire whether physically or spiritually was seen as a sign of God’s Presence. – When we reflect on God’s presence in fire, we remember moments where He showed Himself through flames. Whether it was the burning bush or the fiery pillar guiding the Israelites, fire signifies God’s powerful presence. God still makes Himself known in our lives today, igniting our hearts with His love and guidance.
2 – Fire often was the sign of God’s Purifying Love. – Fire is often associated with purification throughout the Bible. It helps to remove impurities and to refine our faith. God uses fire as a means to prepare us for greater things ahead. The Penitents of Assisi and all other penitents of the time were associated with fire through the ashes that symbolized the passing of all things. Fire purifies so that only the pure element, without dross, would remain, a basic “requisite” for admittance to Heaven. We are reminded of the purifying fire of prayer, penance and almsgiving that “burn away the dross” to render us more “perfect”; and the fire of an obedient will that burns away – in our cases – the self-centeredness of the ego. It accepts “without gloss” to live fully and perfectly the Rule, thus rendering us authentic children of the Poverello.
3 – Fire was thought of as a means by which God made His Judgment known. – Fire often symbolizes judgment in the Bible. It serves as a reminder of God’s righteousness and justice. As we look at these verses, we recognize that God’s flames act not only as a warning but also as a call to repentance and holiness. Fire encourages us to live in alignment with His will to avoid judgment.
4 – Fire is a sign of Spiritual Passion urging us toward the object of our desires. – In our walk with God, fire can also symbolize spiritual passion. It describes the fervent love we have for Him in our hearts. It ignites our mission to spread His Word and the urgency we feel to live out our faith. These verses inspire us to fan the flames of our relationship with God into a magnificent blaze of energy and love.
5 – Fire is a sign of the presence and work of the Holy Spirit. – The Holy Spirit’s representation as fire connects to God’s sustenance in our lives. The Spirit ignites our hearts, offers guidance, and strengthens us. These verses highlight the importance of the Holy Spirit’s presence as a consuming fire that enlivens our faith.
6 – God’s Word is a transforming Fire that penetrates the soul and enlivens the person. – The Bible uses fire as a metaphor for God’s Word, depicting its transformative power. Just as fire can refine and purify, so can the Word of God shape our lives. Immersing ourselves in Scripture can spark growth in our faith and understanding of God and His Holy Word and Will.
The journey of faith is not always easy, but with the fire of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit lighting our path, we can grow stronger every day. Continue to seek Him and allow the Fire of His Tremendous Love to inspire us in our daily lives, igniting our passion for God, as we translate that into love for one another.
Fire is more than just a physical phenomenon. It’s a powerful, dynamic force. It penetrates and touches every aspect of our spiritual lives. Whether through transformation, passion, purification, or enlightenment, Fire has the potential to ignite profound changes within us. Nevertheless, Fire, like all elements, must be respected. It’s a force of nature, and sign of our spiritual energy in God, that can be both creative and destructive. Let us channel our spiritual Fire and human energy wisely.
We approach Brother Fire as we do all God’s gifts, with curiosity, respect, reverence, and joy. The spiritual journey ultimately must lead to joy if we are traveling through history in mystery to the glory of union with God. All creation serves to assist us on this journey. The Way of the Cross this season is the road less traveled or desired by so many. Nevertheless, it leads unmistakably to the fulfillment of our ultimate hope, Life with God. Let us fan the flame of an ardent love of Christ that urges us (2Corinthians 5: 14) to follow the Lord Jesus through the Cross to the Light (Pope St. Paul VI: Per Crucem ad Lucem). We move onward, perhaps tripping and even falling along the way.
Empowered with the Fire of God’s Love and our burning desire, like Francis, we praise God Who leads us through ardent prayer, purifying penance, and His passionate love for us to the point of dying on the Cross. The explosion of energy – as we are told by scientists who have studied the Shroud of Turin – imprinting the image of the Crucified on the shroud, reminds us of the “explosion of the eternal flame” of God’s love that imprints the image and likeness of Christ on our souls. The Resurrection is a marvelous reminder that we too, like our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi, are signed in our hearts with His love. We are God’s collaborators who seek to enkindle with the fire of our faith those whose lives have grown cold to the Lord. Transformation and New Life in the Resurrection of Jesus is the gift of His purifying Love for those who surrender to the power of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus when He breathed His last breath saying: Father, Into Your hands I commend my Spirit (Luke 23: 46). by His Spirit let us fraternally and lovingly remember one another in our prayers and especially during the great yearly liturgy of Holy and Easter Weeks. You will all be with me before the Lord in my prayers and liturgies (Masses and Hours). May you and all your loved ones be blessed with the joy of the Risen Lord, the energy of the Holy Spirit, and the loving embrace of the Father Who always keeps His promises.
Easter Peace and Blessings in the Risen Lord
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, OFM Cap
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Alleluia! He is Risen! He is truly Risen! Alleluia!
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