|
|
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 3rd, 2025 “This is the King of the Jews.”
As I prayed over what reflection to share for the Solemnity of Christ the King, I could hear a song playing in my head that the Sacred Heart School students have sung at their monthly Masses: The King Shall Come (#70 in our parish hymnal). There is something so hope-filled and prayerful in the words of this song. It bothered me, though, that it was in the Advent section of our hymnal.
While on a Franciscan retreat (November 3-12) to Assisi, Italy, during which we spent nine days reflecting on the Journey into God by St. Bonaventure, my husband Jeff and I joined 30 other pilgrims from the US, Canada, England, Germany, and the Philippines to appreciate how contemplation leads us to God, the Summum Bonum (Highest Good).
On our fourth day together, our retreat leaders asked the group: How does the outside enter us? This was an important spiritual question for those whose desire was to be a lover of God. As we considered that question, we had help from St. Bonaventure regarding three powers of the psyche that are relational:
- Memory → eternity (the image of God);
- Intellect → Truth (meaning of words, sentences, logical conclusions);
- Will → Highest Good (deliberate, judge, desire).
In this chapter, St. Bonaventure wrote, “The function of the memory is to retain and represent not only things that are present, physical, and temporal, but also things that are successive, simple, and everlasting. Memory holds past things by recall, present things by reception, and future things by anticipation.” After reading that, I knew that the song I was hearing was meant for this reflection.
What does our memory tell us about our image of God? Do we understand who Christ the King is and where His Kingdom exists? Do we anticipate the coming of our King by remembering what Christ promised to us?
In this weekend’s first reading, we remember how David became king of Israel, anointed before the Lord to serve the people. Future prophets would later foretell that the Messiah would come from the royal line of David. The Jewish people held that hope in their memory. When Jesus came, though, it was not in the way people would imagine their King would come.
In the song The King Shall Come, the composer Trevor Thomson gives us a song about the King who has already been with us, but told us that He was returning. How are the faithful waiting and longing for that return? Do we see signs of the King in our midst?
The King shall come when morning dawns
and light triumphant breaks,
When beauty gilds the eastern hills
and life to joy awakes.
Not, as of old, a little child,
to bear, and fight, and die,
but crowned with glory like the sun that lights the morning sky.
This weekend’s Gospel account by St. Luke looks at the kingship of Christ through the lens of the Cross. Who would ever expect their king to be crucified by their oppressors? Part of the mockery that Jesus endured was to have the sign above His cross that said, “This is the King of the Jews.” For the people who journeyed with Jesus, this present situation challenged their memory. Nobody yet knew what was to come. One of the criminals that was executed with Jesus did understand it, though, and he asked Jesus to remember him when He entered into His Kingdom. Jesus promised Him that he would be with Him in paradise.
Through the Sacred Scriptures, our memory is able to recall the birth of Christ, the proclamation of the Kingdom, and the Passion of Christ. They are significant past events that shape our faith and our desire to know Christ better.
The people of God today live in much different circumstances than when Jesus preached the Good News. Technology continues to advance rapidly, sometimes with harmful effects on people. Major conflicts continue to erupt in the world that cause great human suffering. Seeing the face of Christ in our midst, a present memory, remains a challenge for all Christians because it requires the full embrace of the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love.
The criminal who put his faith in Christ trusted that His Kingdom truly existed. Through memory, we know that the death of Jesus was not the end. The resurrection of Jesus was the King’s glory, witnessed by many people. How beautiful, then, is verse 2 of the song for those who believe and hope for the King:
O brighter than the rising morn
when He, victorious, rose
and left the lonesome place of death,
despite the rage of foes.
O brighter than that glorious morn
shall this fair morning be,
when Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
and we His face shall see!
Memory teaches us that the desire for God is something that should be with us daily, shaping our prayer life and our choices to think and act. This weekend, let us sing confidently…
“Come quickly, King of kings! Come quickly, King of kings!
The King Shall Come – Lyrics Video
May God bless our Advent with longing, joy, and hope for what we see and what we await!
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 3rd, 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
December 2025
O admirable heights and sublime lowliness! O sublime humility! O humble sublimity!
That the Lord of the universe, God and the Son of God,
so humbles Himself that for our salvation
He hides Himself under the little form of bread!
Look, brothers, at the humility of God and pour out your hearts before Him!
Humble yourselves, as well, that you may be exalted by Him.
Therefore, hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves
so that He Who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally.
Daily reminders from the sources are from the Assisi Compilation #82-#84
Quotes for each day from the works of C.S.Lewis
83 – BROTHER ELIAS AND CARDINAL HUGOLINO ASK HIM TO ACCEPT MEDICAL HELP HE COMPOSES THE CANTICLE OF BROTHER SUN AT SAN DAMIANO
1 – The Bishop of Ostia, who later became the apostolic bishop, seeing how blessed Francis was always severe with his body, and especially because he was rapidly losing his eyesight because he refused to have himself treated, admonished him with great kindness and compassion.
– You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.
2 – He told him: “Brother, you do not do well in not allowing yourself to be helped with your eye disease, for your health and your life are of great value not only to yourself but also to others.
– When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.
3 – If you have compassion for your sick brothers, and have always been and still are merciful to them, you must not be cruel to yourself in such a serious and manifest need and illness. I therefore order you to allow yourself to be helped and treated.”
– Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties.
4 – Likewise, two years before his death, while he was already very sick, especially from the eye disease, he was staying at San Damiano in a little cell made of mats. The general minister, seeing and considering how tormented he was with the eye disease, ordered him to let himself be treated and helped.
– Don’t shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see HIM.
5 – He also told him that he wanted to be present when the doctor began the treatment, especially so that he could more effectively arrange for him to be cared for and comforted, since he was suffering a great deal from it. At that time it was very cold, and the weather was not conducive to treatment.
– Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.
6 – Blessed Francis lay there for more than fifty days, and was unable to bear the light of the sun during the day or the light of a fire at night. He stayed in the dark in the house, inside that little cell. In addition, day and night he had great pains in his eyes so that at night he could scarcely rest or sleep. This was very harmful and was a serious aggravation for his eye disease and his other illnesses.
– Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.
7 – Sometimes he did want to rest and sleep, but there were many mice in the house and in the little cell made of mats where he was lying, in one part of the house. They were running around him, and even over him, and would not let him sleep.
– Once people stop believing in God, the problem is not that they will believe in nothing; rather, the problem is that they will believe anything.
8 – They even disturbed him greatly at the time of prayer. They bothered him not only at night, but also during the day, even climbing up on his table when he was eating, so much so that his companions, and he himself, considered it a temptation of the devil, which it was.
– Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
9 – One night as blessed Francis was reflecting on all the troubles he was enduring, he was moved by piety for himself. Lord,” he said to himself, “make haste to help me in my illnesses, so that I may be able to bear them patiently.” And suddenly he was told in spirit: “Tell me, brother, what if, in exchange for your illnesses and troubles, someone were to give you a treasure?
– If you never take risks, you’ll never accomplish great things. Everybody dies, but not everyone has lived.
10 – And it would be so great and precious that, even if the whole earth were changed to pure gold, all stones to precious stones, and all water to balsam, you would still judge and hold all these things as nothing, as if they were earth, stones and water, in comparison to the great and precious treasure which was given you. Wouldn’t you greatly rejoice?”
– There is someone that I love even though I don’t approve of what he does. There is someone I accept though some of his thoughts and actions revolt me. There is someone I forgive though he hurts the people I love the most. That person is……me.
11 – “Lord,” blessed Francis answered, “this treasure would indeed be great, worth seeking, very precious, greatly lovable, and desirable.” “Then, brother,” he was told, “be glad and rejoice in your illnesses and troubles, because as of now, you are as secure as if you were already in my kingdom.”
– I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
12 – The next morning on rising, he said to his companions: “If the emperor were to give a whole kingdom to one of his servants, shouldn’t he greatly rejoice? But, what if it were the whole empire, wouldn’t he rejoice even more?” And he said to them: “I must rejoice greatly in my illnesses and troubles and be consoled in the Lord, giving thanks always to God the Father, to His only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the Holy Spirit for such a great grace and blessing.
– The greatest evils in the world will not be carried out by men with guns, but by men in suits sitting behind desks
13 – In His mercy He has given me, His unworthy little servant still living in the flesh, the promise of His kingdom. “Therefore for His praise, for our consolation and for the edification of our neighbor, I want to write a new Praise of the Lord for his creatures, which we use every day, and without which we cannot live.
– The fact that our heart yearns for something Earth can’t supply is proof that Heaven must be our home.
14 – Through them the human race greatly offends the Creator, and every day we are ungrateful for such great graces, because we do not praise, as we should, our Creator and the Giver of all good.” Sitting down, he began to meditate and then said: “Most High, all-powerful, good Lord.”
– One of the most cowardly things ordinary people do is to shut their eyes to facts.
15 – He composed a melody for these words and taught it to his companions so they could repeat it. For his spirit was then in such sweetness and consolation, that he wanted to send for Brother Pacifico, who in the world was called “The King of Verses,” and was a very courtly master of singers.
– Evil comes from the ABUSE of free will.
16 – He wanted to give him a few good and spiritual brothers to go through the world preaching and praising God. He said that he wanted one of them who knew how to preach, first to preach to the people. After the sermon, they were to sing the Praises of the Lord as minstrels of the Lord.
– Don’t judge a man by where he is, because you don’t know how far he has come.
17 – After the praises, he wanted the preacher to tell the people: “We are minstrels of the Lord, and this is what we want as payment: that you live in true penance.” He used to say: “What are the servants of God if not His minstrels, who must move people’s hearts and lift them up to spiritual joy?”
– If nothing in this world satisfies me, perhaps it is because I was made for another world.
18 – And he said this especially to the Lesser Brothers, who had been given to the people for their salvation. The Praises of the Lord that he composed, that is, “Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,” he called “The Canticle of Brother Sun,” who is more beautiful than all other creatures and can be most closely compared to God.
– The most dangerous ideas in a society are not the ones being argued, but the ones that are assumed.
19 – He used to say: “At dawn, when the sun rises, everyone should praise God, who created it, because through it the eyes are lighted by day. And in the evening, when it becomes night, everyone should praise God for another creature, Brother Fire, because through it the eyes are lighted at night.“
– If you live for the next world, you get this one in the deal; but if you live only for this world, you lose them both.
20 – He said: “For we are all like blind people, and the Lord lights up our eyes through these two creatures. Because of this, we must always praise the glorious Creator for these and for His other creatures which we use every day.” He did this and continued to do this gladly, whether he was healthy or sick.
– God allows us to experience the low points of life in order to teach us lessons that we could learn in no other way.
21 – And he encouraged others to praise the Lord. Indeed, when his illness grew more serious, he himself began to say the Praises of the Lord, and afterwards had his companions sing it, so that reflecting on the praise of the Lord, he could forget the sharpness of his pains and illnesses. He did this until the day of his death.
– Love is never wasted, for its value does not rest upon reciprocity.
84 – HE MAKES PEACE BETWEEN THE BISHOP AND MAYOR OF ASSISI, ADDING A VERSE TO THE CANTICLE
22 – At that same time when he lay sick, the bishop of the city of Assisi at the time excommunicated the podestà. In return, the man who was then podestà was enraged, and had this proclamation announced, loud and clear, throughout the city of Assisi: no one was to sell or buy anything from the bishop, or to draw up any legal document with him. And so they thoroughly hated each another.
– Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different.
23 – Although very ill, blessed Francis was moved by piety for them, especially since there was no one, religious or secular, who was intervening for peace and harmony between them. He said to his companions: “It is a great shame for you, servants of God, that the bishop and the podestà hate one another in this way, and that there is no one intervening for peace and harmony between them.”
– We must stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life.
24 – And so, for that reason, he composed one verse for the Praises: Praised be by You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation. Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, they shall be crowned.
– You don’t have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.
25 – Afterwards he called one of his companions and told him: “Go to the podestà and, on my behalf, tell him to go to the bishop’s residence together with the city’s magistrates and bring with him as many others as he can.”
– Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
26 – And when the brother had gone, he said to two of his other companions: “Go and sing the Canticle of Brother Sun before the bishop, the podestà, and the others who are with them. I trust in the Lord that He will humble their hearts and they will make peace with each other and return to their earlier friendship and love.”
– There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.
27 – When they had all gathered in the piazza inside the cloister of the bishop’s residence, the two brothers rose and one of them said: “In his illness, blessed Francis wrote the Praises of the Lord for His creatures, for His praise and the edification of his neighbor. He asks you, then, to listen to them with great devotion.” And so, they began to sing and recite to them.
– To love at all is to be vulnerable
28 – And immediately the podestà stood up and, folding his arms and hands with great devotion, he listened intently, even with tears, as if to the Gospel of the Lord. For he had a great faith and devotion toward blessed Francis. When the Praises of the Lord were ended, the podestà said to everyone: “I tell you the truth, not only do I forgive the lord bishop, whom I must have as my lord, but I would even forgive one who killed my brother or my son.”
– Atheists express their rage against God although in their view He does not exist.
29 – And so he cast himself at the lord bishop’s feet, telling him: “Look, I am ready to make amends to you for everything, as it pleases you, for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and of his servant, blessed Francis.” Taking him by the hands, the bishop stood up and said to him: “Because of my office humility is expected of me, but because I am naturally prone to anger, you must forgive me.” And so, with great kindness and love they embraced and kissed each other.
– Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.
30 – And the brothers marveled greatly, considering the holiness of blessed Francis, that what he had foretold about peace and harmony between them had been fulfilled, to the letter. All the others who were present and heard it took it for a great miracle, crediting it to the merits of blessed Francis, that the Lord had so quickly visited them, and that without recalling anything that had been said, they returned to such harmony from such scandal.
– I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.
31 – Therefore we who were with blessed Francis bear witness that always whenever he would predict “such-and-such a thing is or will be this way,” it happened almost to the letter. We have seen with our own eyes what would be too long to write down or recount. – God doesn’t want something from us. He simply wants us.
– I gave in, and admitted that God was God.
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 3rd, 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
December 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
May the Infant Jesus grant your heart the Peace you desire.
May His Star enlighten your mind with the splendor of His Truth.
May His Love consume your heart so that it beats solely for Him.
Peace, Truth and Love are independent attributes and virtues that have an effect on each other. Taken together, they have the ability to fill a soul with real and lasting Joy. When we enter this ‘three-step program’, we have an insight to understand a little more the depths of the Christmas Joy we wish one another. Most people want to be ‘happy’, and there is obviously nothing wrong with being happy. Happiness is a wonderful experience. Happiness often brings with it a sense of elation, relaxation, optimism, and more of those ‘good feelings’ we all enjoy.
Regretfully, this sensation is not permanent. Unless there is Joy in our heart and soul, happiness is only a passing moment with no real lasting effect except that of regret that it did not last longer. It leaves a yearning for the ‘feeling’ to return. When we follow the ‘process’ of that simple Christmas, Peace-Truth-Love, a more lasting Joy enters our heart and soul. It is this Joy that Christmas and the Mystery of the Incarnation help us to acquire. When we understand how the Eternal Word, equal to God from all ages, entered human history so that humanity could enter the timelessness of God’s Love, we lay the groundwork for the Peace-Truth-Love of God to possess us. God Himself offers us insights into all this through His own inspired Word.
Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear … Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm! … The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. (cfr. Isaiah 7: 4-15) For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful. (Isaiah 9: 5-6) … who brings glad tidings announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation … (Isaiah 52: 7)
Do you remember how prevalent it became for us to hear the word ‘Shalom’, the Hebrew word for ‘Peace’, extended to others at the moment of the Sign of Peace during Mass? Our own Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi made the word ‘peace’ his own particular greeting: The Lord give you peace! When we reflect upon what peace means to us and pray for it, most often what we ask for is tranquility of soul or cessation of some external violence affecting ourselves or others. This peace is most needed and an appropriate gift to prayerfully request of God. However, in Scripture, the word ‘Shalom’ that we translate as ‘peace’ has a deeper and more life-altering meaning. Our ancestors in the faith of Abraham, from whom our Savior descended according to the flesh, used this word to mean ‘completeness’, ‘fullness’, ‘integrity’, and the like. What flows from this ‘fullness’ and ‘completeness’ is another expression of ‘shalom’.
The Mystery of the Incarnation begins with ‘shalom’. The Angel Gabriel came to Mary and greeting her said: ‘Shalom’ favored one! The Lord is with you. (Luke 2: 28) This greeting of fulfillment, completeness, wholeness filled Mary with a sense of confusion at why this should be said to Her. The prophecies were now to be fulfilled, the time established had reached completion, the person to enter human history was the Creator/creature in the wholeness of a Person Whose two distinct and total natures were not in conflict but in total harmony with each other. ‘Shalom’, the Angel said to Mary, as an introduction and encouragement to accept the challenge because, with Her consent, the Father would send His Spirit to overshadow Mary. Thus, His Covenant and all the Prophecies would be fulfilled in Jesus, His Incarnate Son, the Word made flesh. ‘Shalom-Peace’ is anything but an apathetic courteous greeting. It is an eternally packed word that brings harmony and serenity, and leads to acceptance of Truth.
Jesus then said … ‘If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8: 31-32) I have much more to tell you … but when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth. (John 16: 12-13) Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, Father … Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth (cfr. John 17: 1-17). Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. (John 18: 37)
Peace of heart and soul is a liberating gift. Inner peace frees us to be who we were created to be. There is no longer any need to protect an ‘image’ of what we want others to think of us. Protective comfort zones are eliminated. Intimidating precautions and false securities that offer illusory hope are eliminated. Deceptive images we use to camouflage our real personalities are ‘unmasked’. A soul at peace is transparent and that person is at peace with him/herself. Transparency is Truth, and vice versa. Peace frees us from the need to ‘compete’ with others. Self esteem is rekindled and we accept the fact that You are who you are before God and nothing more (cfr. St. Francis of Assisi). Truth and transparency, fruits of a person at peace with God, self and others, inevitably leads to Love.
The eyes of the Lord are upon those who love him … He gives health and life and blessings (Sirach 34: 17). For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts (Hosea 6: 6). Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him … Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him (John 14: 21-23).
Love is a deceptive word. It is most often used to express an emotional rapport between persons. While love can be expressed as a ‘fuzzy feeling’ of the senses, true love is something else. When we define love, we have already limited or even destroyed it in our minds and hearts. Peace that leads to transparency is capable of love in its fullness. We know that love is God. True spiritual love is manifest in the ability to totally surrender ourselves to the other. This surrender is not a submission to another’s dominance. Loving surrender does not count the cost, it supports and encourages. It lives the present, in view of the future, grateful for the experiences of the past. Love helps us to live in the present, and thus in the Presence of God.
It is a marvelous blessing for anyone to possess Peace-Truth-Love. To state it this way though, seems so academic. They are academic qualities, virtues, attributes that can be taught, preached, reflected upon. But what are the practical effects of these three Christmas gifts of the Father to His world in Jesus? Simply put:
– Peace calms the heart and soul. It offers the space for serenity within and brings about a certain contentment, tranquility, silence in our personality and demeanor. A peace-full person is usually calm, balanced, thoughtful, patient, prudent .
– Truth encourages the person to greater transparency, thus, to live a simpler life. A simplicity of lifestyle eradicates all exaggerations, false securities in persons, places, and things. We are relieved and free to just be ourselves.
– Love is the last of the three ‘steps’ that challenges us to open our hearts to others. The inner peace and total transparency free us to accept others as we would be accepted. They become ‘companions on the journey’ who enhance and support us as we do them. They are not obstacles to overcome or enemies to conquer. They are sisters and brothers in God’s great family of creation redeemed in the Blood of the One Whose Birth we celebrate. In His Blood God’s Covenant with Humanity is ratified and we become truly adopted children. We are children not of the womb. We are children of the heart, the Eternal Loving Heart of the Father.
Sisters and Brothers in the Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi and our Holy Mother St. Clare, let us accept the greeting as a blessing and a challenge. Let us strive at this Holy Season and throughout the year to seek that peace that only God can give. Let us gratefully accept God’s will for us and the role He has asked we fulfill in our life. Thus we shall see all others in the same light, ‘blessed’ and ‘challenged’. May the words of the angels at Bethlehem to the shepherds be in our hearts and on our lips: Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to those on whom His favor rests (Luke 2: 14).
Christmas is a time of gift-giving and gift-receiving. Recognize the gift we are and are called to be. Thus, we may become a joy-filled, life-giving, sister and brother in the family of the Poverello of Assisi. For this intention and whatever ones you may hold most dear in your hearts, be assured that you and your loved ones will be remembered in a special way in all the Masses I celebrate during this holy season.
Let’s remember that this Advent begins the celebration of the 8th centenary of the Paschal Mystery of our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi. Aware of his approaching death, he and awaited his encounter with Life Himself, Uncreated Source of Being, GOD. St. Francis sang his song as he saw with his heart’s eye the immensity God’s creation reborn and transformed in the magnificence of God from Whom all comes and in-with-through Whom all are “reborn”. Advent/Christmas is the mystery re-presented in liturgy each year for us to journey with the heart and liturgy as of Seraphic Father did. Contemplate with your mind and heart each day. Offer others the gift of your contemplation. The Jesus considered, contemplated, and offered others will be a source unexpected of Peace-Truth-Love.
In the Name of Jesus I wish all of you a Spirit-filled Advent and a Holy and Happy Christmas Season. As you enter the new calendar year with all its expectations and uncertainties, hopes and fears, may your dreams be fulfilled in a world renewed in Jesus and filled with His Spirit. Let us never forget: A Child is born to us! A Savior is given to us! Come, let us adore Him! Fear not! It is I! I have conquered the world!
Blessed and Merry Christmas 2025 and a Happy New Year 2026!
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, OFM Cap
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Holy and Happy Christmas 2025
Happy New Year 2026
May the New Year be filled with God’s
Peace, Joy and Love.
Posted By Terri Leone, on November 18th, 2025 Advent is fast approaching! You/your Family will probably set up & light the candles & pray. Are you aware of the significance of each candle? Click the link below.
May you have a Blessed & Fruitful Advent Season as you prepare to celebrate the Birth of the Christ Child.
Advent Candles
Posted By Teresa Redder, on November 16th, 2025 “Without fraternity, we cannot survive.”
On November 2nd, Jeff and I left for Assisi to attend a 9-day retreat on St. Bonaventure’s “Journey into God.” At the conclusion of this retreat, we departed Assisi for Rome with many of the 30 pilgrims on our shared journey. Most of our group went to the airport for their return trips to the US, Canada, England, Germany, and the Philippines.
To celebrate the 2025 Jubilee of Hope, though, Jeff and I stayed an additional 5 days in Rome. Our hotel was one block from the Franciscan parish of St. Gregory VII—a special place to visit daily. Thanks to our very early arrival in Rome, we were able to attend the weekly papal audience in St. Peter’s Square on November 12. So many pilgrim groups were there to visit the sacred places of the Church in the hope-filled spirit of Jubilee 2025.
During his catechesis at the papal audience, Pope Leo XIV spoke earnestly about fraternity, an essential word in our Franciscan vocabulary. He told the faithful, “Without fraternity, we cannot survive.” What would the world be like if more people took seriously the call to live as brothers and sisters to one another? In the beautiful hymn “Where Charity and Love Prevail,” there are hope-filled descriptions of what this world would be like. Is it possible that “strife among us be unknown and all contention cease?”
The Vatican News Service posted a summary of the papal audience:
Pope at General Audience: Without fraternity, we cannot survive – Vatican News
With the celebration of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini’s feast day on November 13th, the Church gave us the time to practice solidarity with the poor of the world, because this feast day set the stage for the celebration of the IX World Day of the Poor on November 16th. This was an important observance on the Jubilee 2025 calendar as almost a year of celebrations are drawing to their closure at Christmas.
An international Catholic group called “Fratello” hosted many activities during the weekend:
Friday-November 14th – Prayer Vigil of Mercy (Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Saturday – November 15th – Pilgrimages between 9 AM and 3 PM to the four Holy Doors of Rome (St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, and St. Paul Outside the Walls)
Sunday – November 16th – Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica with Pope Leo XIV for the World Day of the Poor
While sitting in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, Jeff and I had the privilege of observing the reverent procession of dozens of pilgrim groups from all over the world as they entered the Basilica. Some groups were wearing the Jubilee 2025 logo on hats, bandanas, or T-shirts. Many groups were singing or praying as they waited in the long line to move through Vatican security. It was impossible for anyone to be in the square without passing the poor of Rome who were begging for alms and a kind gesture.
In his homily on Sunday, Pope Leo cited his Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi te of the Holy Father Leo XIV on Love for the Poor (4 October 2025) as a reminder of how God’s love inspires us to love one another, most especially the poor in our midst. The Holy Father spoke about both material poverty, which marginalizes so many people into a daily survival struggle, and spiritual poverty, that leads to loneliness in society. Christians are called to reach out to one another in the way that Christ taught us in the Gospel accounts.
On November 17th, Secular Franciscans have been called to participate in a Franciscan Day of Solidarity as we celebrate the feast day of our patroness, Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. In her short, but very faithful life, she embraced the holy Gospel with purity of heart and made the corporal and spiritual works of mercy visible in her daily life through personal example. In the poor, St. Elizabeth always saw the face of Christ. Now, it is ours to do the same for others.
In our fraternal living, let us work together to see where Christ is calling us to serve the poor in our midst—from the inside of our fraternities and our families to our local communities. This weekend’s celebration reminds us of the transformative power of the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and love.
 
Photos by Teresa Redder, OFS from the Vatican
May the peace of Christ and the intercession of the Blessed Mother guide us to do what is ours to do!
Peace and all good,
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Rome, Italy (November 16, 2025)
Posted By Teresa Redder, on November 4th, 2025 A Reflection for All Saints’/All Souls’ Day
by Sister Mercedes Rojo, OSF
In Spain and all Latin American countries this is a very special celebration. It is a time when we remember and honor our family members who had passed on. On this feast, I take time looking at photos of my parents, my brothers, aunts and uncles who have passed on. I take time to remember moments of joy as well as hard moments…. I take time to be with each one… talk to them about those moments… ask them how they think about what we can learn from their new vision of those events.
I believe that they will tell us about the importance of seeing life with a new light. And invite us to be attentive to the daily GRACE we receive. Why? Because we are on a journey. A journey of grace. And if we allow it, we can receive the grace of a NEW HEART. Remember Ezekiel’s promise: “ I will give you a new heart and a new spirit. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26). It is good to notice that Ezekiel does not say it is a replacement…. This promise is about my own heart now, a heart transformed by God’s grace: a heart softer, more compassionate, welcoming to all, and more receptive to God’s movement within me, and willing to grow. Yes, a new heart transformed by God’s grace.
Let us this month remember the “saints” in our families, remember the blessings we received from them, and ask them to intercede to God for us, so that we will continue to be open to God’s presence in our lives, to be attentive to God’s “nudges” and “challenges” and be courageous to answer with fidelity knowing that God is walking this journey with us.
Sr. Mercedes Rojo, OSF, is the Spiritual Assistant of St. Francis Fraternity (Folsom, PA)
Posted By Teresa Redder, on November 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
November 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord give you his peace!
We have entered the last of the Jubilee Years of the Franciscan Family, as we prepare for the celebration of the Blessed Transitus of our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi. His death on the evening of 3 October 1226 heralded the beginning of a new experience for the Brotherhood of those who had chosen the Gospel Life lived by and with the “Poverello”.
The “After Francis” movements within the Brotherhood had already begun in the time “during Francis”. The brothers, especially those who had come from other areas of Europe and those who had “specialized” talents began to consider the need for modifications to the Rule of Life they had professed with St. Francis. We know from the sources how this affected our Father. It took a reminder from God, so we are told, to let go and let God guide the Order. Discussions were already happening regarding the possibility, with Church approval, to modify/adapt certain expressions of the Rule to the changing times, circumstances, individual “needs”, and the like.
The question was not just adapting to the times and circumstances that arose, but also, in certain respects, adopting the values of the times and circumstances. The “adopting” was the question. It had to have been a severe blow to Francis’ deep conviction concerning “Madonna Poverta” and the varied ways their life was directed by this wonderful “gift” that liberated the friars from unnecessary concerns so they could live the Gospel as Christ and the Apostles did. This happiness was within the reach of them all, and Francis saw they were losing it. Poverty is a liberating “gift” when lived in the certain hope of God’s never-failing Providence.
St. Francis lay dying. The brothers who could be there were with him. The thoughts that filled his heart and mind can only be imagined. We’ll never know until, God willing, we are with God for eternity and know what is now hidden. This meditative speculation though, might help us all to understand the depth of importance for each one to be totally committed to who he/she is called to be in God. For Franciscans, it is through living, “sine glossa”, whatever that might mean today after eight centuries, the charism of St. Francis of Assisi.
The Dying and Death of St. Francis speaks of his most solemn moment in life and the ultimate encounter with God. To all of us, it speaks of the need to be convinced of whom we seek to follow and become, committed to the Gospel Life we proclaim, and consecrated every moment to the truth we have professed. Impossible? Absolutely not! “The hand does not reach for what the heart does not desire”. If we truly desire what we profess with our lips, we will know, see, and accept all God offers us to “live the dream” of St. Francis and the “dream” of all who gave their “yes” to the challenge.
Considering all the above, we realize the urgency for St. Francis to finalize his Will and Testament. It was St. Francis’ “final word” from the Father-Brother-Founder of the Penitents of Assisi. His “heart” was directed to those who aspired and professed the itinerancy of the Gospel Life. The poverty professed and lived by the brothers enriched and ennobled them to be living witnesses of God’s ever-present Providence. The “Little Poor Man of Assisi”, “il Poverello”, dying naked on the ground, reminds us all that we are what we are before God and nothing more. Anything over and above the bare necessities is extra baggage that makes the journey more burdensome.
Still there remained in his heart the fact that the brothers, during his lifetime, had already begun to re-present his “dream” in a manner different from what he received from God and what he sought to live every moment. His constant refrain and the Lord gave me was a conviction that all that comes from God, as he believed it was for himself and those who sought and accepted to follow him, must not be changed.
He was succumbing to the effects of all his ailments. St. Francis was in the “process of transitioning” from time to eternity. What concerned him more was the “transitions” some brothers had begun adopting that were contrary to his vision of the Order as he expected it to be lived. Dying in the body for someone who had abandoned himself totally to God’s Will was easier than feeling abandoned by those he believed would continue the dream begun at San Damiano and sealed at La Verna. Death would resolve the matter for him. How would his death affect the differences among the brothers concerning their faithfulness to God’s call (?), him (?), the Gospel Life lived in/as the “gift” of Lady Poverty (?), the acceptance of the minimum needed rather than the maximum allowed (?). Oh, how many thoughts passed through the mind and heart of the Poverello! We can only imagine.
In the final stanzas of his Canticle of the Creatures, St. Francis of Assisi sums it all up and offers a startling and serene invocation: Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death, from whom no one living can escape. This line, composed near the end of his life, encapsulates a radical theological and spiritual vision that reorients the human relationship with mortality. Rather than viewing death as a grim adversary or a tragic end, Francis personifies it as “Sister”. She is an intimate companion in the human/divine family of creation. The past will be the legacy the brothers will have to deal with responsibly in truth to their profession and to the mind of the founder they sought to emulate, but not necessarily imitate in all ways.
As negative as this might sound, it is seems like God’s way of keeping a healthy tension alive in the hearts of all who constantly seek to become more of what God wants. The Penitents of Assisi are always in the process of conversion. Conversion is not necessarily from bad to good; it can also be a process from good to better. The crux is to be faithful to the “charism” (word usually used to express a “gift from God”) while moving forward in the changing times.
St. Francis’s embrace of Sister Bodily Death is not merely poetic. It is theological. His worldview, shaped by a deep reverence for all aspects of creation, extends even to the final moment of life. In calling death “Sister,” Francis aligns it with the sun, moon, wind, fire, and water. These are elements he also personifies in the Canticle. This act of naming is significant. It transforms death from a feared unknown into a familiar presence, a member of the universal family that praises God. Francis’s language suggests that death, like all creation, serves a divine purpose and is worthy of reverence. This perspective challenges the dominant cultural beliefs/explanations that treat death as an enemy to be resisted or denied, rather than the anticipated companion accompanying us to the gift awaiting us. The gift is that of our encounter with the Source of all Life Whose Love in Christ offers us the “Gift” of Himself for an eternity.
The theological foundation for Francis’s view lies in his understanding of the Incarnation and the Paschal Mystery. For Francis, Christ’s suffering and death are not merely historical events but cosmic realities that sanctify the human experience. By embracing poverty, illness, and ultimately death, Francis imitates Christ and participates in the redemptive arc of salvation. His Stigmata, received in 1224, symbolize this union with the crucified Christ. In this light, Sister Bodily Death is not a rupture but a passage. It is a moment of communion with the divine. Francis’s peaceful acceptance of death, even amid physical suffering, reflects his trust in God’s mercy and his hope in eternal life.
This hope is central to Franciscan spirituality. Unlike the despair or dread that often accompanies thoughts of death, Francis’s vision is permeated with joy and gratitude. He sings his Canticle not in health but in illness, not in comfort but in pain. His praise of Sister Death is an act of defiance against fear and a testament to faith. It affirms that death is not the end but the beginning of a deeper union with God. This hope is not abstract; it is embodied in Francis’s life and in the lives of those who follow his path. The Franciscan tradition continues to emphasize the dignity of dying, the importance of accompaniment, and the sacredness of the final journey.
Moreover, Francis’s view of death is ecological and communal. By placing death within the family of creation, he dissolves the boundaries between human and non-human, living and dying. This holistic vision invites a deeper respect for life in all its forms and stages. It challenges modern tendencies to isolate the dying, to “medicalize” the process, and to sanitize the reality of mortality. Instead, Francis calls for a reintegration of death into the rhythm of life, recognition that dying is as natural and sacred as birth. His Canticle becomes a liturgy of life, a song that includes every creature and every moment.
In contemporary contexts, the theme of Sister Bodily Death offers a counter-explanation to the culture of denial and distraction. In a world that often avoids the topic of death, Francis’s joyful acceptance is both radical and healing. It invites individuals to confront mortality not with fear but with faith, not with despair but with hope. His example encourages communities to care for the dying, to honor their stories, and to accompany them with love. It also speaks to movements that seek to restore harmony between humans and the earth, recognizing that death is part of the cycle of renewal.
Francis’s final moments embody his theology. As he lay dying in 1226, he asked to be placed on the bare ground, stripped of all comfort, in solidarity with the poor and with Christ. He sang his Canticle, adding verses that praised God through Sister Death. His death was not a defeat but a culmination, a final act of praise, a return to the Creator. This scene, recorded by his companions, has become a touchstone for Franciscan reflection on death. It illustrates the power of faith to transform suffering into song, fear into peace, and death into life.
The legacy of Sister Bodily Death continues in Franciscan communities, in care for the ill and dying inspired by his vision, and in theological writings that draw from his example. It challenges theologians, caregivers, and believers to reflect on the meaning of death, to embrace its mystery, and to find God within it. Francis’s Canticle remains a prophetic voice, calling the world to see death not as an end but as a “Sister”. She is our companion on the journey “Into God”.
The theme of Sister Bodily Death in the writings and life of St. Francis of Assisi is a profound invitation to re-imagine mortality. It is a call to embrace death with reverence, to live with hope, and to die with peace. Through poetic language, theological insight, and personal example, Francis transforms the darkest moment into a luminous passage. His vision continues to inspire and challenge, offering a path of faith that leads through death into life.
In this month traditionally dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, let us remember the Poor Souls and pray for their refreshment, light, and peace. May we always be sensitive to the spiritual needs of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Do not be afraid to offer all the spiritual benefits you may be granted through your prayers, penances and good works for them. The words of Jesus still hold true: the measure you measure with will be measured back to you (Matthew 7: 2). God will never be outdone in gratitude and graciousness. Trust Him.
Death is a point of convergence between time and eternity. A life condensed in a moment bursts into an eternity of presence with the Hidden Origin of all life Whose open arms invite, welcome, and embrace the soul. The month of November is not centered on death and dying. It is centered on Life and Living: Life with God and living for eternity.
Remember all those who have gone before us and await our prayers to assist them in Purgatory. Be protected in Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Be happy in our common brother/sisterhood as Franciscans. Be grateful that so gracious a God has called us to life and journeys with us in mystery until, through our individual histories, we finally live with Him eternally.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, OFM Cap
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on November 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
November 2025
The daily Franciscan reminders of our Religious Heritage from our Franciscan Sources continues from the ASSISI COMPILATION #75-#85. The daily quotes are taken from G.K.Chesterton and his witty and provocative sayings – food for thought
Most High, glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me
true faith, certain hope, and perfect charity,
sense and knowledge, Lord, that I may carry out
Your holy and true command. Amen
You are the holy Lord God Who does wonderful things.
You are strong. You are great. You are the most high.
You are the almighty king. You holy Father,
King of heaven and earth.
You are three and one, the Lord God of gods;
You are the good, all good, the highest good,
Lord God living and true.
You are love, charity; You are wisdom, You are humility,
You are patience. You are beauty, You are meekness,
You are security, You are rest,
You are gladness and joy, You are our hope,
75 – HE PREACHES IN THE PIAZZA OF PERUGIA AND FORETELLS A CIVIL WAR
1 – Once blessed Francis was preaching in the piazza at Perugia to a large crowd gathered there. All of a sudden some knights of Perugia began racing their horses around the piazza, jousting with their weapons, and thus disturbing the preaching. Although the men and women, who were intent on listening to the sermon, reprimanded them, they did not stop. Blessed Francis turned to them and, with a fiery spirit, said: “Listen and understand what the Lord is telling you through me, His servant, and don’t say, ‘This one is from Assisi!’”
– To love means loving the unlovable.
2 – Blessed Francis said this because of a long-standing enmity between the people of Assisi and those of Perugia. “The Lord has exalted and elevated you above all your neighbors,” he said. “Because of this, you must acknowledge your Creator all the more, and humble yourselves not only before almighty God but also before your neighbors. But your heart is puffed up by arrogance in your pride and might. You attack your neighbors and kill many of them.
– You’ll never find the solution if you don’t see the problem.
3 – Because of this I tell you, unless you quickly turn to Him and compensate those whom you have injured, the Lord, who leaves nothing unavenged, to your greater punishment and disgrace, will cause you to rise up against each other. You will be torn apart by sedition and civil war, suffering by a far greater calamity than your neighbors could ever inflict on you.” – Jesus promised his disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.
4 – In his preaching blessed Francis was not silent about people’s vices, through which they publicly offended God and their neighbor. The Lord had given him such grace, that everyone who saw or heard him, small or great, feared and revered him because he had such an abundance of grace from God. As a result, no matter how much he reprimanded them, even to the point of shaming them, they were edified.
– Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.
5 – Indeed, sometimes, for this reason, and so that he would pray to the Lord more intently for them, they would turn to the Lord. A few days later, by divine consent, a scandal broke out between the knights and the people. The people drove the knights out of the city. The knights, supported by the Church, destroyed many of their fields, vineyards and trees, doing as much harm to them as they could. The people likewise destroyed the knights’ fields, vineyards and trees. And thus, that people was afflicted with greater punishment than all of their neighbors whom they had offended. In this way everything that blessed Francis predicted about them was fulfilled to the letter.
– God is like the sun; you cannot look at it, but without it you cannot look at anything else.
76 – HE MEETS A DEVOUT ABBOT, WHO FEELS THE POWER OF HIS PRAYER
6 – When blessed Francis was going through one region, he met an abbot of a monastery who had a great love and veneration for him. Dismounting from his horse, the abbot spoke to him for over an hour about the salvation of his soul. When the time came for them to part, the abbot asked blessed Francis with great devotion to pray to the Lord for his soul. “I will gladly do that,” blessed Francis told him.
– The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.
7 – The abbot had gone a short distance from blessed Francis when blessed Francis said to his companion: “Wait for me a little while, brother, for I want to pray for that abbot, as I promised.” And he prayed for him. It was customary for blessed Francis, whenever anyone out of devotion requested him to pray to the Lord for his soul, to offer a prayer as soon as possible, so that he would not forget afterwards.
– Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out.
8 – The abbot was still on his way, not very far from blessed Francis, when suddenly the Lord visited him in his heart. A gentle warmth filled his face, and, for a brief moment, he was raised in ecstasy of spirit. When he came to himself, he immediately knew that blessed Francis had prayed for him. He began to praise God and to rejoice both in body and soul. From that time on, he had an even greater devotion to the holy father, considering in him the greatness of his holiness. As long as he lived he held this to be a great miracle, and he often related to the brothers and others what had happened to him.
– The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected.
77 – HE OVERLOOKS HIS OWN ILLNESSES OUT OF LOVE FOR THE PASSION OF THE LORD
9 – For a long time and even until the day of his death, blessed Francis suffered ailments of the liver, spleen, and stomach. From the time when he was overseas to preach to the Sultan of Babylon and Egypt, he had a very severe eye disease, caused by the hardship and fatigue of travel, as he endured the extreme heat both in coming and going.
– A really great person is the person who makes every person feel great.
10 – Because of the fervent spirit he had from the moment of his conversion to Christ, he refused to be concerned about treatment for any of his ailments despite the request of his brothers and many others, moved by piety and compassion for him. What was bitter to his body he accepted and considered sweet on account of the sweetness and compassion that he drew daily from the humility and footprints of the Son of God. Because of the sufferings and bitter experiences of Christ, which He endured for us, he grieved and afflicted himself daily in body and soul to such a degree that he did not treat his own illnesses.
– A society is in decay, final or transitional, when common sense really becomes uncommon.
78 – HE IS SEEN WALKING AND CRYING OVER THE PASSION OF CHRIST
11 – Once, a few years after his conversion, he was walking alone one day along the road not too far from the church of Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, crying loudly and wailing as he went. As he was walking along, a spiritual man met him, someone we know and from whom we learned about this incident, who had shown him great mercy and consolation, both before he had any brothers and afterwards.
– Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.
12 – Moved by piety toward him, he asked him: “Brother, what’s wrong?” He thought that blessed Francis was suffering some painful illness. But he answered: “I should go through the whole world this way, without any shame, crying and bewailing the Passion of my Lord.” At this, the man began to weep and cry aloud together with him. – It is absurd for the Evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make everything out of nothing and then pretend that it is more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into everything.
79 – HE REPLIES TO A BROTHER WHO ENCOURAGED HIM TO HAVE SCRIPTURE READ TO COMFORT HIM
13 – On another occasion, at the time of his eye disease, he endured such pain that one day a minister said to him: “Brother, why don’t you have one of your companions read to you from the prophets or other passages of Scripture? In that way, your spirit will rejoice in the Lord and receive great consolation.” He knew that he rejoiced greatly in the Lord whenever he heard the divine Scriptures read to him.
– When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.
14 – “Brother,” he answered him, “every day I find so much sweetness and consolation in my memory from meditating on the humility of the footprints of the Son of God that, if I were to live till the end of the world, I’d have no great need to hear or meditate on other passages of Scripture.”
– It is always the secure who are humble.
15 – He often called to mind and afterward spoke to the brothers this verse of David: “My soul refuses to be consoled.” For this reason, as he frequently told the brothers, because he had to be a model and example to all the brothers, he refused to take, not only medicines, but even necessary food in his illnesses. Because he took these things into consideration, he was severe with his body, not only when he appeared healthy, although he was always weak and ill, but also when he was ailing.
– Nothing taken for granted; everything received with gratitude; everything passed on with grace.
80 – HE AVOIDS HYPOCRISY, CONFESSING WHAT HE HAS EATEN DURING AN ILLNESS
16 – One time when he had recovered somewhat from a very serious illness, after some consideration, it seemed to him that he had received some little delicacies during that illness, although he ate only a little, since with his many, diverse, and serious illnesses he was not able to eat.
– There’s a lot of difference between listening and hearing.
17 – One day, although still sick from a quartan fever, he had the people of Assisi called to the piazza for a sermon. When he had finished preaching, he requested that no one leave until he returned.
– A dead thing goes with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.
18 – Together with Brother Peter of Catanio, whom he chose as the first general minister, and with a few other brothers, he entered the church of San Rufino, going into the confessio. He ordered Brother Peter to obey and not contradict whatever he wanted to say and do to himself. And Brother Peter said to him: “Brother, in what concerns you and me, I cannot, and should not want anything else except what pleases you.”
– Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
19 – Taking off his tunic, blessed Francis ordered Brother Peter to lead him naked with a rope tied around his neck in front of the people. He ordered another brother to take a bowl full of ashes and, mounting the place from where he had preached, to throw them and sprinkle them on his head. But moved by piety and compassion towards him, the brother did not obey him. Brother Peter got up and, weeping bitterly with the other brothers, led him out as he had been ordered to do.
– Never forget that the devil fell by force of gravity.
20 – In this way he came back in front of the people naked, to the place where he had preached, and said: “You believe me to be a holy man, as do others who, following my example, leave the world and enter the religion and life of the brothers. But I confess to God and to you that during my illness I ate meat and broth flavored with meat.”
– He who has the faith has the fun.
21 – Almost all the people began to weep out of piety and compassion for him, especially since it was wintertime and was very cold and he had not yet recovered from the quartan fever. They struck their breasts, accusing themselves. “This holy man,” they said, “whose life we know, accuses himself with such shame over a just and manifest necessity.
– Science must not impose any philosophy, any more than the telephone must tell us what to say.
22 – Yet because of excessive abstinence and the severity with which he treats his body from the moment of his conversion to Christ, we see him living in flesh that is almost dead. What shall we do, wretches that we are, we who all our life have lived, and wish to live, according to the will and desires of the flesh?”
– The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.
81 – HE ABHORS HYPOCRISY BOTH IN EATING AND IN CLOTHING
23 – Likewise, at another time, he was staying in a hermitage for the Lent of Saint Martin. Because of his illness, the brothers cooked the food they gave him to eat in lard, because oil was very bad for him in his illnesses. When the forty days had ended and he was preaching to a large crowd of people, gathered not far from that hermitage, in the opening words of his sermon he told them: “You came to me with great devotion and believe me to be a holy man. But I confess to God and to you that during this Lent in that hermitage, I have eaten food flavored with lard.”
– If there were no God, there would be no atheists
24 – Indeed, if the brothers or the friends of the brothers, with whom he would eat, occasionally prepared a special dish for him because of his illnesses or the obvious need of his body, it frequently happened that he would immediately tell this to the brothers or lay people who did not know about it, whether inside the house or outside, saying publicly: “I ate such and such foods.” He did not wish to conceal from people what was known to God.
– The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man
25 – Moreover, if his soul were ever tempted to vainglory, pride, or any vice, no matter where he was, or in whose presence, whether they be religious or lay, he would immediately and openly confess it to them, without concealing anything. That is why he told his companions one day: “I want to live before God, in hermitages and other places where I stay, just as the people see and know me. If they believe that I am a holy man and I do not lead a life becoming a holy man, I would be a hypocrite.”
– Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.
26 – Thus one time in winter, one of the companions, who was his guardian, acquired a piece of fox fur because of the illness of the spleen and the cold of his stomach. He asked him to permit him to have it sewn under his tunic next to his stomach and spleen, especially because it was then extremely cold. But from the moment he began to serve Christ until the day of his death, in any weather, he did not want to wear or have anything but a single patched tunic.
– Religion is the thing that makes the ordinary man feel extraordinary; it is an equally important truth that religion is the thing that makes the extraordinary man feel ordinary.
27 – Blessed Francis answered him: “If you want me to wear that fur under the tunic, allow me to sew a piece of the fur on the outside of my tunic as an indication to people that I have a piece of fur underneath.” And this is what he had done; and, although it was a necessity on account of his illnesses, he did not wear it long.
– One of the chief uses of religion is that it makes us remember our coming from darkness, the simple fact that we are created.
81 – HE ACCUSES HIMSELF OF VAINGLORY, NOT WISHING TO BE A HYPOCRITE
28 – Another time, he was going through the city of Assisi and many people went with him. A poor old woman asked him for alms for the love of God and he immediately gave her the mantle he had on his back. And, at once, he confessed before everyone that on that account he felt vainglory.
– Neither reason nor faith will ever die; for men would die if deprived of either
29 – We who were with him saw and heard many other examples similar to these but we cannot tell them because it would take too long to write or recount them. Blessed Francis’s highest and principal concern was that he should not be a hypocrite before God.
– The first effect of not believing in God is that you lose your common sense.
30 – Although he needed special food for his body because of his infirmity, nevertheless, he thought that he must always offer good example to the brothers and to others, so that he might take away from them any reason for complaining and bad example. He preferred to endure bodily needs patiently and willingly, and he did endure them until the day of his death, rather than satisfy himself, even though he could have done so according to God and good example.
– Christendom has had a series of revolutions and in each one of them Christianity has died. Christianity has died many times and risen again; for it had a God who knew the way out of the grave.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
THANK YOU, GOD, FOR BEING YOU AND FOR CREATING EACH ONE OF US
Posted By Teresa Redder, on October 6th, 2025 Reflection by Sister Mercedes Rojo, OSF (Spiritual Assistant of St. Francis Fraternity, Milmont Park, PA)
My dear Friends,
Happy Feast of St. Francis!!!
As I wrote this reflection, the trees are shedding their leaves in a magnificent song of joyful surrender. This is what St. Francis practiced so well all his life!! So yesterday, I prayed for all of you that, like him, we may learn to let go of what no longer serves us trusting our loving God to fill those spaces with the gifts of freedom, peace, and full trust in God’s Abundant Grace!
Blessings,
Mercedes
October 4, 2025 – The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi
My Dear Friends,
Last month I reflected on the daily surprises that life brings us daily. As I write to you, we have already arrived at the fall equinox, this magical time when the world around us naturally shifts into equilibrium. Day and night stand in perfect harmony, reminding us of the Beauty and Gift of BALANCE.
What a wonderful opportunity to take time for reflection and renewal — a chance to examine whether or not there is balance in our life, to reflect on what no longer serves us … letting it go, and making SPACE for GOD’S GIFT OF GRACE – the HARVEST of the many gifts received!
Just as night and day move into balance, and trees move into surrender mode releasing their leaves, we too can embrace this time as an opportunity to simplify, realign, and balance. To give thanks for the many graces that have brought us to this point, and then, in deep trust, to let go and ALLOW GOD’S GRACE to do the work that is still needed in us.
What keeps me in balance and aligned with God’s wisdom and grace?
What helps me live each day more open, attuned to God’s voice, and at peace?
What helps me see what no longer serves me and let go?
Letting go is hard!!! Yes, it is, but let us remember that Autumn is also HARVEST time! When wheat and grapes ARE RIPE ENOUGH TO FEED US!!
Autumn: so many fruits top harvest, so many surprises to explore within and around us. Think of the gifts received throughout spring’s growth and summer rest. How can we cultivate them and allow to grow in strength within us? What daily practices can help us do this?
This month we celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a man so in touch with God’s presence in all creation. His life his personal transformation connects us to the lessons of the autumn season, emphasizing the importance of personal surrender and balance which leads to the beauty of transformation, and the call to embrace God’s presence in our HERE and NOW.
Francis valued and faithfully practiced letting go of the parts of himself that did not serve him any longer, and in the process, finding FREEDOM, PEACE AND FULL TRUST in GOD’S GRACE.
So what does Francis and Autumn teach us? As you look around, the leaves are letting the green go, but the beauty is not gone, only becomes stronger and deeper… transformed into multiples shades of fiery red and gold!!
Having taught photosynthesis to my students long ago, I asked myself, how do the trees live without their leaves? How do they find the food they need?
And the trees answered me: “We now FEED FROM WHAT WAS STORED INSIDE of us… what lives now INSIDE!!
Remember the words of Jesus… Every disciple to the Kingdom is like the householders, bringing forth OUT OF THEIR TREASURE things both new and old, Mt 13,
At the end of his life, Francis gathered his friends and told them: “I HAVE DONE WHAT IS WAS MINE TO DO. NOW, GO AND DO WHAT IS YOURS.”
SO, WHAT IS OURS TO DO? What is God asking of ME, NOW?
For myself, I want to look at the trees as I imagine Francis did when he lived in the beautiful Rieti Valley… … I want to watch how they surrender – not in sadness- but in a multicolor song of freedom and joy! And I want to be open to God’s grace to have that same freedom and joy!
I want to learn from them how to let go of what no longer serves me and in freedom and Joy follow God’s call to me NOW?
I want to learn how do I bring forth what’s inside me, unlocking the energy of the treasures I’ve been given? And then, to go and do what is mine to do!
One of the great messages of Autumn for me is that life is a continuous cycle of birth, growth, harvest, and letting go, and in the process learn from God’s amazing creation the natural flow and rhythm of birth, death and rebirth.
So let us take time to appreciate the abundance of what has been given by God’s GRACE, as well as the wisdom life has given us…
YES, THE FRUITS OF OUR HARVEST! AND — Give THANKS! ALLOW OUR LOVING AND GRACIOUS GOD to continue His work in us!!
Peace and All Good, Mercedes
Posted By Teresa Redder, on October 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
October 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord grant us all the precious gift of his peace!
The life we know of St. Francis of Assisi tells us of his aspirations, divine inspirations and immediacy with which he sought to respond to the Father’s Will. Though blind and dying, the last two years of his life were not lived in vain. Overcoming himself and the many challenges concerning the Order that his brothers placed before him kept St. Francis humble and open to divine inspiration. The words of God’s presence, and at times intervention, rang in his ears and heart.
– Francis, Go rebuild my Church, for as you can see it is falling into ruin. (Crucified of San Damiano)
– Relinquish all your wealth. Take up your Cross. Follow me. (Three openings of the Gospels for guidance)
– Francis, whose Order is this, yours or Mine? (Discouragement with brothers and God’s response)
– The Rule to be followed without gloss, without gloss, without gloss. (Words heard regarding Rule), and more.
Once the Order began to grow, Francis saw that the initial thrust was being modified. He had relinquished his office as General Minister. However, he still would always be, “The Brother”. Even those who may have considered him “too stuck in his ways” or “not updated with the times” or “needing to update the brotherhood to be like other orders”, Francis would stand firm in his resolve. He was able to let go in humility, but the desire for the original charism as he received it from “the Lord” was always alive in his soul. Divine inspiration consoled and even encouraged him to “let go and let God” resolve the “Franciscan Question”. History has proven the wisdom in this final acceptance of Francis…to a point!
The Approved Rule of the Franciscan Family is the same for all in the First Order who profess it. Nevertheless, the Church has seen fit to approve three subtle distinctions of life expressions that modify but do not destroy the mind and heart of our Seraphic Father. There is no need now to get into the history more deeply. Each group has its history, reasons and justifications.
The Friars Minor, called the Observants, the Friars Minor Conventual, and the Friars Minor Capuchin are the three approved independent branches of the First Order of Friars Minor founded by St. Francis of Assisi. (We must never forget the Third Order Regular who can trace its origins to St. Francis also. They are not considered here because the Rule they follow is distinct from the First Order Rule. Nevertheless, the mind of the Founder is always expected to be followed, whatever the Rule professed.) The first three mentioned have the same Rule to follow, and the same Testament they revere as the last words of the Poverello to his brothers.
This year of the Transitus of St. Francis, celebrates the Paschal Mystery of the one marked with the sign of the Crucified. We celebrate the Passion of his life filled with joys, challenges, successes, seeming failures, and total fulfillment in the Lord. To paraphrase the title of a small book on St. Francis: Francis found that the “Journey Is The Dream!” And the “dream” is Faith in the call to “Rebuild My Church”, Hope acting on that belief by moving forward on the journey regardless of “hurdles”, and encountering and joyfully recognizing the Love of God at every turn even when we are led through the dark night of the soul.
Central to the Paschal Mystery of St. Francis is the legacy of his final Testament. St. Francis’ Testament is a deeply personal document. Before his death in October 1226, St. Francis dictated his final word to the brothers, not as a new Rule, but as a reminder to all the brothers of the fundamental beliefs and challenges that had governed his life by affecting the choices and decisions he made. While the Rule establishes the framework of Franciscan life, the Testament offers us an insight to its soul. It is a reminder of the spirit that guided St. Francis through his radical embrace of the Gospel. The Testament is the last expression of St. Francis’ deep conviction that the Gospel Life he proposed for others was truly divinely inspired and thus requiring no alterations.
The Rule and Testament speak of St. Francis’ commitment to the inspiration begun at San Damiano that blossomed into a religious Order of evangelical men and women professed to live the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in obedience, without anything of one’s own, and in chastity. Before his death in October 1226, Francis dictated the text of his will and Testament, or as he called it My Testament. He was speaking to all the friars through this document so that we may observe in a more Catholic manner the Rule we have promised to the Lord.
Francis expressly told his friars not to look at this document and say, This is another Rule, because this is only a remembrance, an admonition. The Testament reiterates emphasizing his expectation that his spiritual brothers live the Rule without “interpreting” his words. They are to listen to the words and follow what is written “without gloss”. (This could be said of any document we solemnly profess to live. Let us never forget a very simple truth: You are only as good as your word! At our Profession we “gave our word” to be faithful to all we professed.)
The Testament, directed to all the friars of the original Franciscan Brotherhood, now officially separated into three distinct branches of the First Order, can help us understand Francis’ will that we not deviate from the Rule. Francis is the image of one conformed to Jesus. The Testament tells us in Francis’ words how that came about for him. Thus, the Testament becomes a last desire of Francis to help his brothers understand and live the authentic expression of the Rule. I have done what was mine to do. You must discover what is yours.
As Secular Franciscans you may ask “What does this have to do with us”. Directly, nothing! But understanding the mind and heart of St. Francis, through his last will and testament, much!
Celebrating the Year of the Paschal Mystery of St. Francis is the way we reflect on the Gospel Life all Franciscans live. As Franciscans living in a secular society, you are called to be a light and a leaven. You are called to shine with your lives that others may see the face of Christ and thus encourage others to love and live the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Testament is our Seraphic Father’s last desire for us to accept the “gift” of Gospel Life as brothers and sisters united in the name of Christ and St. Francis. Thus doing, we learn to disarm our hearts to embrace all people.
The Italian bishops a number of years ago gave St. Francis the title “the Saint with a disarmed heart”. Conformity to Christ must follow the spiritual warfare of disarmament of hearts. If we follow our Father’s example ultimately, we will follow Christ’s and thus be conformed to Him. We can be God’s way of changing the world. That will never happen though, until we change ourselves first. What we seek to find in others, we must be willing to show and practice in ourselves.
The Testament of St. Francis is a final exhortation, admonition, and remembrance for the brothers, and ultimately the sisters, who would read these words, to do likewise. Francis himself tells the friars that his Testament is not a new Rule for them. Nonetheless, the personal reflection he expresses is as valid for us today as it has been for all professed friars through the past eight centuries. The Testament recalls the initial simple vision of his life. He wrote it to counter the compromises he saw creeping into his rapidly growing order.
The document passionately reasserts his original radical commitment to the Gospel Life lived in poverty, manual labor, and devotion to the Church. The desire for St. Francis to counter any compromises not proposed by the Church should be an incentive for us all to be faithful. Compromises, dispensations, alterations, additions and subtractions are usually ways not to live the life more fully and intensely. Thus we rather let go of the challenges, diminish the intensity of life, and become at best mediocre. We allow ourselves this mediocrity and soon lose all enthusiasm and desire.
Remember the Church in Laodicea in the Book of Revelation: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3: 15-17). Tough words! God knows us. God knows our capabilities and our abilities. He endowed us with all that we need to be saved and give God the glory. Refusing to use and enjoy what was for us and for each one of us alone, is an insult to the Eternal Donor. The great “gift” of following Jesus more intimately as a “Gospel People”, is an awesome “gift”. Refuse the gift; refuse the Donor! Then what?!
The Jubilee Year of the Paschal Mystery of St. Francis, and what that means for all Franciscans, is a true journey of the heart. St. Francis was preparing for his moment of encounter with God. He desired to revive in the hearts of his brothers and sisters all that his life had been for him, from the response to the call of the Crucified of San Damiano to the Seal of Approval by Jesus on Mount Alverna. He expected and hoped his brothers and sisters would accept the charism of the Gospel Life they professed. The joyfulness of the life expressed by the brothers attracted others, and the uniqueness of its expectations challenged total commitment to the gift God offered them through St. Francis.
The Canticle of Praise and the Testament, both written so close to the arrival of Sister Death for Francis, reveal a soul imbued with divine inspiration. In the Canticle his soul sees everyone and all things in God. Nevertheless, it is the Testament that is the final urging of a heart and soul totally God’s in Jesus through the Spirit. His words urge and expect the brothers to accept the challenge of the Gospel Life they professed “without gloss”. Nothing was to mar or change, in any way, what was given to him as a divine gift – And the Lord gave me…
As Secular Franciscans, you live in a society conditioned more commonly and necessarily by the demands of the secular world. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12: 2). These are easy words to quote, but not always easy to put into practice. The politics of a nation or given place, the circumstances of life, and so on, often condition the only response we believe we are able to give. Often the response expected, and at times the one given, may seem “un-Franciscan”, “un-Christian”, “un-holy”, or downright sinful. What are you to do? We are to embrace our vulnerability and trust in the Lord at all times in every way.
In the Testament our Seraphic Father begins with a memory. Not of triumph or glory, but of revulsion, his initial disgust toward lepers. He admits that he found them unbearable. But then, something happened. He says, The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus to begin doing penance in this way: for when I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them. That moment, that encounter, changed everything. What had seemed bitter became sweet. It’s not just a story of personal growth. It’s a spiritual turning point. Francis found Christ in the lepers. He found joy in what the world rejected. And that, in many ways, is the heart of his entire life.
From there, Francis speaks of his reverence for churches and the Eucharist. He adored Christ in all the churches throughout the world and blessed Him for His redeeming sacrifice. This wasn’t just liturgical piety, it was a visceral, living devotion. He saw the presence of Christ not only in the poor and the suffering, but also in the Sacrament and in the sacred spaces where the faithful gathered. And what’s remarkable is his attitude toward priests. Even those who persecuted him, he honored, not because of their personal holiness, but because of their role in administering the Eucharist. He says, I want to respect, love and honor them and all others as my lords. That’s a powerful statement. It’s not blind obedience it’s theological humility. Francis saw Christ in the priesthood, and so he bowed not to the man, but to the mystery.
He speaks of the Word of God with deep reverence. He wanted any scraps of Scripture found in unworthy places to be gathered and treated with honor. That’s not superstition it’s love. He understood that the Word is alive, that it speaks and thus deserves respect and obedience. And he extended that respect to theologians and ministers of the Word, recognizing that they nourish the soul. Again, it’s not about hierarchy, it’s about gratitude.
Then Francis turns to the founding of his brotherhood. He says, After the Lord gave me some brothers, no one showed me what to do; but the Most High Himself revealed to me that I should live according to the form of the Holy Gospel. That line is crucial. He didn’t set out to create an Order. He didn’t have a plan. He simply wanted to live the Gospel, literally, radically, joyfully. And the brothers who joined him desired the same. They gave away everything, wore patched tunics, and lived in abandoned churches. They prayed, worked, and rejoiced. They were poor, but they were free.
Francis’s emphasis on poverty wasn’t romantic. It was deliberate. He saw poverty as a way to strip away ego, ambition, and distraction. It was a way to depend entirely on God. He worked with his own hands and encouraged his brothers to do the same. He didn’t want them to become idle or proud. He wanted them to remain grounded, humble, and in solidarity with the poor.
Throughout the Testament, there’s a recurring phrase: The Lord gave me. Whether it’s his conversion, his brothers, his understanding of the Gospel, it’s all grace. Francis doesn’t take credit. He sees himself as a vessel, a recipient of mercy. That humility isn’t a pious performance, it’s real. It’s the fruit of a life steeped in prayer, suffering, and love.
And yet, there’s urgency in his words. He knows he’s dying. He wants to leave behind not rules, but spirit. He warns his friars not to treat the Testament as another Rule, but as a remembrance and admonition. That’s important. The Rule governs the structure of the Order. The Testament reveals its soul. It’s a call to fidelity, simplicity, reverence, and joy.
One of the most striking aspects of the Testament is Francis’s love for the Church. He doesn’t rebel against it. He doesn’t criticize it. He honors it. Even in its brokenness, he sees it as the Body of Christ. That’s not naive, it’s prophetic. He challenges us to love the Church not because it’s perfect, but because it’s holy.
So what does this Testament mean for us today? It’s not a historical artifact. It’s a living challenge. Francis’s embrace of the lepers calls us to solidarity with the marginalized. His reverence for the Eucharist invites us to deeper devotion. His love for Scripture urges us to honor the Word. His simplicity confronts our consumerism. His humility rebukes our pride. His joy in suffering reveals the paradox of Christian hope.
The Testament is a mirror. It shows us what it looks like when a soul is utterly surrendered to God. It’s raw, honest, and luminous. It doesn’t offer easy answers. It offers a life, a life poured out in love, shaped by the Gospel, and sealed by grace.
In the end, it’s a love letter: to God, to the Church, to his brothers, and to the world. It reminds us that holiness is not about perfection, but about surrender. It calls us to live not by rules alone, but by the Spirit who breathes through the Gospel. And it leaves us with a question, not what would Francis do, but what is the Lord asking of us now?
Let us listen, as Francis did, with open hearts and empty hands. Let us follow, not with fear, but with joy. And let us remember that the Gospel is not a burden, but a gift, a gift that transforms bitterness into sweetness, and death into life.
Celebrating the Year of the Paschal Mystery of St. Francis of Assisi is the way we will reflect on the Gospel Life all Franciscans have professed to live. And the unique expression of our Seraphic Father’s last desire is for us to accept the “gift” of Gospel Life in Fraternity. (Regardless of which Franciscan “Rule” we profess, to Live Jesus really has no substitute. We either live Jesus or not. And, it was given to Francis what values were essential in living it.) When we listen to his words and conform ourselves to the spirit of St. Francis we can be assured of a path leading to our conformity to Christ.
Let us remember the last words of St. Francis in his Testament: And whoever observes these things, let him be blessed in heaven with the blessing of the Most High Father, and on earth with the blessing of His Beloved Son with the Most Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, and all the powers of heaven and with all the saints. And, as far as I am able, I, little brother Francis, your servant, confirm for you both within and without, this most holy blessing. Amen.
Peace and Blessings
Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
|
|
