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 2024
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord give you his peace!
The Franciscan Family celebrated on September 17th the 8th centenary of the reception of the Sacred Stigmata of the Wounds of the Passion of Jesus by our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi. What happened to him then was an extraordinary moment not only in the life of St. Francis but also for the entire Church. This awesome event of such an intense experience of conformity to the person of Jesus Christ was the first such occurrence recorded in the history of the Church. It was also the first time such an unprecedented event was recognized as such by the secular authorities as well.
This sign of God’s approval for all St. Francis did in obedience to the God’s call, happened only two years before St. Francis died. Quite ill and infirm, what does our Seraphic Father do when he realizes what has happened to him? He asks to be brought to the Portiuncula, birthplace of the Order. While there, rather than focus on his obviously failing health, he begins to compose a hymn of wonder and praise for the gift of God’s Creation.
As the time passed and approaching death was not far away, he asked the friars to add a stanza to his already magnificent Canticle of Brother Sun. He desired to praise God for the last moment in time that accompanies every human being into the beginning of the timelessness of eternity. The poet in Francis personified Death as his “sister” (the word for “death” is the feminine noun ‘morte’ in the Italian language) who would come to gently accompany him on the last stage of his journey to God.
The brothers were saddened at the thought of his death. Francis, however, joyful that he had done what was mine to do (words of St. Francis to the friars), requested the brothers sing these words composed by him as the last stanza of the Canticle: Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Bodily Death, from whom no-one living can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Blessed are they whom She finds doing Your Will. No second death can do them harm. Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks, and serve Him with great humility. Even in his last days, not even death could change his boyish wonder, enthusiastic anticipation, and engaging personality. What has remained as one of the poetic literary examples of the Italian language in its beginning is still an object of study and reflection by many.
The reality of our mortality looms over many with a sense of foreboding, caution, and even fear and uncertainty of what to expect. Faith plays a powerful role at this time, but there is so often that “What if?” feeling from whom no one can escape. With faith as the strong and sure guide of a person’s life, mortality and the end of time introduce one to a new and everlasting beginning.
Everlasting beginning?! When the achievement of one’s life is eternity with God, time ceases and Life begins forever with an unending freshness and excitement. There is no time in eternity. There is only God and the image and likeness of God – God’s created human beings – that have achieved the purpose for their own creation. Now they exist in the splendor of timelessness, Who is God! Thus the existence is always fresh, always new, always exciting, always magnificently fulfilling. What more can be said? To speak of eternity it must be lived. Once there, it is no longer necessary to question or understand. We know!
The month of November offers the opportunity to reflect upon the praise of “Sister Death”. This is the month traditionally dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. These are “holy” souls. They are truly saved as they await the fullness of eternal life. Their salvation and Eternal Life are assured. The state in which we believe most souls must pass is a sign of God’s everlasting merciful love. As faulty as human beings are, God’s knows and loves us. If we deny him, He will deny us. But if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2: 13). Purgatory is the term we use to remind us that there is always hope for those who sincerely strive, regardless of the many “falls” in life, to be faithful to God’s love. Acknowledging one’s own responsibility before God is an act that leads to repentance, forgiveness, restoration to grace. But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and the torment of death shall not touch them… they are in peace. (cfr. Wisdom 3: 1-7).
Like Francis, the anticipated end of life challenges all of us to open our hearts and minds and reflect on our personal history, all we lived until that moment. When the eternal future becomes evident as it approaches us, our past life seems to become vividly present. The beginning and course of one’s life is seen now in the perspective of eternity. For St. Francis, the last stanza of the Canticle he composed and had the brothers sing was the sign of an eager anticipation. Praised be you my Lord God! Laudato Si’!
There was not fear or dread of the encounter with the Creator. The Poverello lived the mystery of faith in abandonment to the Father’s Will. The inner excitement of hope soon to be fulfilled enveloped him with gratitude and praise for all that had led him to this moment. What he had lived in faith, believing what he did not see so that he could see what he believed (cfr. John 20: 29) would soon be revealed. He knew that he would experience what no one could ever imagine. The magnificence and wonder that awaited him were the promise of future glory in the God for Whom he longed.
Nevertheless, St. Francis was concerned about others. As he lay praising the goodness and beauty of God, St. Francis realized not everyone experienced the inner peace and serenity he felt. He was inspired to add a warning and hope to his Canticle of praise. So, St. Francis praised Sister Death but also warned all God’s children who jeopardize their eternal joy when they distance themselves from God through sin and fail to seek reconciliation. Till the end, our Seraphic Father lived the response of Mother Clare and Sylvester to a question he had posed years before concerning how to live the call he had received from God: contemplation or ministry to others. The response was simple, direct and the same from each one, though neither Sylvester nor Clare was aware that Francis had asked the same question of the other. God responded through them telling St. Francis that what he received from God was not for him alone. He was to share the gifts of his charism with others. He was faithful till the end.
His end was truly the beginning. It was the “springboard” that launched St. Francis into his beautiful poetic hymn of praise. Awareness of the depths of God’s creating love, loving mercy and forgiveness, and God’s faithfulness to the Covenant with His People redeemed in the Blood of Jesus must have been overwhelming. Respond in gratitude and love to God’s work, and you cannot help but realize we are all called to collaborate with God to restore all things in Christ (Ephesians 1: 10). We are God’s “backup plan” in keeping everything in order, lovingly protecting and caring for what/who we are, the high-point, but creatures nonetheless, of God’s creative love.
How we accept the end, will usually determine how we welcome – or not – the “new beginning”. Remembrances of the early followers tell us of the last days, words and actions of St. Francis of Assisi and how he “celebrated” his swift approach to the “finish line” of life’s journey. The poetic insights the “Troubadour of Christ” sang in the Canticle of Brother Sun praised the magnificence of God’s Love expressed in myriads of tangible ways. How could St. Francis not sing, even in his physical sufferings, at the thought of leaving the mystery of faith to enter the immense reality of the eternal vision of God?
St. Francis begins the Canticle praising God through God’s works of Creation. Praising Sister Bodily Death from whom no one can escape, was the ultimate praise a child of God offers after recognizing the wonder of creation. Death is no longer the dreaded enemy that destroys everything. Death is the long-awaited sister/brother, an intimate member of the family, who gently and lovingly accompanies one home. The accompaniment through his life took St. Francis through his history in time, into the awesome mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God, to the eventual fulfillment in mystical union with God forever.
The Capuchin friars, known as “friars of the people”, often take on the “ministry” of Simon of Cyrene. Helping others understand and bear the cross make the words of St. Paul come alive: No one lives alone and no one dies alone (Romans 14: 7-9). The encounter with God forever is hidden in God’s Will. The reality of its approach however, is a constant “friend” that has to be recognized and accepted for its immense spiritual value. Even saints must be encouraged and accompanied at this most solemn moment in life. We are surrounded by God’s love and myriads of God’s holy ones, together with our own Guardian Angel, to lead us in the serenity of our hearts to the great encounter with I AM.
St. Teresa of Avila once jokingly said to God when the cart in which she was traveling overturned and she fell in a creek: If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few. Said in love and honesty, the words of this great saint, called “The Seraphic Mother”, remind us that select souls are called to a witness that most might not be able to accept. Called to be companions on the journey with many, we help others not to “pray the problem away”, unless it is God’s will. We attempt to help others to see the finger of God (Luke 11: 20; Matthew 11: 28) and assist them to surrender in abandonment to the Holy Will that leads them into a serenity that lifts the soul up even as the body seems to be put down.
God is on our side. God is actually offering us all we need to keep our spiritual balance without losing sight of the goal. Assured of the end/beginning, the journey and all its beauty and difficulties begins to make sense. St. Paul reminds us so simply: If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32). God is for us. God waits patiently and quietly for us. He is there for us as we struggle through life’s storms. Surrendering to God does not mean giving up. Spiritual surrender is giving over, not giving up. It is our life-line to the One who is already the victor, and with whom we are called to share the victory.
We have walked through the valley of darkness (Psalm 23) many times. We may have fallen so deep that we feared never being able to rise up again. We sought God through prayer, and felt that God “put us on hold”. We may have read God’s Word to find where we were and where we were heading, and felt confused. We may have spent time with the Blessed Sacrament hoping for an inner voice to direct us, and entered a silence we feared to let continue. We may have prayed to Our Heavenly Mother or some Saint for a “miracle”, and still we felt overwhelmed, perhaps even abandoned. At times such as these, remember the words of St. Paul to the Colossians: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. (Colossians 3:15-16)
The key to that phrase is in the word “let”. If we freely “let” Christ take over, we can give Him our burdens and cares. Christ, who is our peace, will take up the situation for us. Surrendering to Christ produces oneness with Him and enables us to recognize that He is for us, not against us. There was a religious sister who, whenever she was in a difficult situation or would encounter another roadblock or even setback on her way, disappointment in her life, failure in an endeavor she had worked so long on, negative results to numerous health problems, and the like, her response, with a smile, was always “Jesus, take over!” And He did! She never expressed a sadness for herself from what we might consider negatives. Hers was a spirit of trust and gratitude. If only we could be that way!
When we let go and let God, our burdens are His and our cares are in His hands. He makes known what we need to know and guides us in the direction we need to go. God knows what is best and right for us, better than we know ourselves. He knows what it will take to accomplish His good and perfect will in our lives. Let go! Let God do what is best and right. The outcome will be beyond your best imagining.
The choice to surrender is an intentional one. It’s the deliberate act of releasing our lives, hearts, and circumstances to God and asking Him to take over all control. Often what we do however is to use the words of surrendering as a bargaining chip when seeking for God’s help. We suggest an outcome and then offer up a temporary version of agreement to God’s purpose. How often have we thought, “God, get me out of this situation and I will do (fill in the blank)”. But this isn’t surrender, and it certainly isn’t a way to experience the freedom of entering into God’s strength and love. It’s a halfhearted negotiation. Real surrender is allowing God to be God on his terms, not ours.
The most powerful picture of surrender is found in Jesus, hanging on the cross. Jesus hangs between heaven and earth, fixed by nails to the wood and crowned with thorns. His eyes are open as he says, Father, into your hands I commit my spirit (Luke 23:46). Jesus did not give up when he died on the cross. He gave himself over to the will of the Father. Living in surrender is a continual process. Learning to give our cares and concerns over to God is not a one-time decision that settles things once and for all. Every single day, we have to consciously decide to give the outcomes, choices, and people in our lives over to God. These daily “Sister Death” encounters are liberating and elevating in God.
May we never forget that the “yes” of Mary, the highest honor of our race, (cfr. Judith 13) was an acceptance of the impossible. Jesus is the declaration of who God is and what God wants us to know about Him and His great love for us. He is the God of surprises. The Eucharist is His Divine Presence that waits for us so He can strengthen our relationship with Him at Mass, at Adoration, and also at our daily tasks when we remember the Lord who consumes us as we consume Him.
Sister Death of the Canticle reminds us that we must live a constant life of reflection, repentance, renewal. The best way to experience peace and serenity in the various storms of life is to surrender our expectations. Take a second look at them. Willingly lay them down before the Lord. Make it a deliberate act of surrender. The end truly helps us see the beauty and value of all that has gone before us. Be restored and reformed by the grace of the sacraments, especially Reconciliation and Eucharist. Then we will understand how the end brings us to the beginning that helps us see the past in truth and all its true beauty, and the future in the fullness of God and God’s Provident Love. With God always expect a ride you will never forget, one that will give you more than you could ever have hoped for or imagined.
We end our reflection together, with the reminder not to forget the Holy Souls in Purgatory during November, the month especially dedicated to them. May we remember them every day of our lives. A sobering thought can help: they were where we are; we will be where they are – God’s mercy and will permitting. They live in the certainty of glory because they were willing to let go and let God take over. Their end was truly their hope-filled anticipation of the true beginning in God’s Eternal Love.
May God bless you; may Our Lady and good St. Joseph guide, guard, and protect you; and may our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi and our Holy Mother St. Clare of Assisi watch over each one of us, their Spiritual Children, and our loved ones, with loving care.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Happy Thanksgiving
Thank God for being God and for creating you.
