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
June 2026
Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing,
I adore You, I love You, and with a lively sorrow for my sins.
I offer You this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to Your will.
Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You.
Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs,
Your blessings on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.
Within Your heart, I place my every care.
In every need let me come to You with humble trust saying,
Heart of Jesus, help me.
Amen.
Daily reading of the Franciscan Sources continues from the Compilation of Assisi #103-#106
Witty quotes for the day taken from words of saints and blesseds
103 – THE NOVICE WHO WANTED TO HAVE A PSALTER; A DESCRIPTION OF HIS HOLY BROTHERS
1 – Likewise, there was once a brother novice who could read the psalter, but not very well. And because he enjoyed reading, he sought permission from the general minister to have a psalter and the minister granted it to him. But he did not wish to have it unless he first had permission from blessed Francis, especially since he had heard that blessed Francis did not want his brothers to be desirous of learning and books, but wanted and preached to the brothers to be eager to have and imitate pure and holy simplicity, holy prayer, and Lady Poverty, on which the holy and first brothers had built.
– Lord if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few. (St. Teresa of Avila)
2 – And he believed this to be the more secure path for the soul’s well-being. Not that he despised or disdained holy knowledge. On the contrary, he revered with great feeling those who were knowledgeable in religion, and all knowledgeable persons, as he himself says in his Testament: “We must honor all theologians and those who minister the divine words and respect them as those who minister to us spirit and life.”
– From silly devotions and sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us. (St. Teresa of Avila)
3 – But, foreseeing the future, he knew through the Holy Spirit and even repeated it many times to the brothers, that many brothers, under the pretext of edifying others, would abandon their vocation, that is, pure and holy simplicity, prayer, and our Lady Poverty.
– Don’t drag your feet on the way to heaven; it’s embarrassing. (St. John Vianney)
4 – And it will happen that, because they will afterwards believe themselves to be more imbued with devotion and enflamed with the love of God because of an understanding of the Scriptures, they will occasionally remain inwardly cold and almost empty. And so, they will be unable to return to their first vocation, especially since they have wasted the time for living according to their calling; and I fear that even what they seem to possess will be taken away from them, because they have lost their vocation.
– Be at peace, and if you can’t, pretend. (St. Francis de Sales)
5 – “There are many,” he used to say, “who, day and night, place all their energy and care in knowledge, losing their holy vocation and devout prayer. And when they have preached to others or to the people, and see or learn that some have been edified or converted to penance, they become puffed up or congratulate themselves for someone else’s gain.
– God has no need of your cleverness, He wants your heart. (St. Therese of Lisieux)
6 – For those whom they think they have edified or converted to penance by their words, the Lord edified and converted by the prayers of holy brothers, although they are ignorant of it. This is the will of God so that they do not take notice of it and become proud.
– Holiness is not for wimps, so stop acting like one. (St. Carlo Acutis)
7 – “These brothers of mine are my knights of the round table, the brothers who hide in deserted and remote places, to devote themselves more diligently to prayer and meditation, weeping over their sins and those of others, whose holiness is known to God, and is sometimes ignored by the brothers and people.
– Patience is the companion of wisdom and the enemy of complaining. (St. Augustine)
8 – And when their souls will be presented to the Lord by the angels, the Lord will then reveal to them the fruit and reward of their labors, that is, the many souls saved by their prayers, saying to them: ‘My sons, behold these souls have been saved by your prayer, and since you were faithful in little things, I will set you over many.’ ”
– Even if you are on the right road, you will get run over if you just sit there. (St. Padre Pio)
9 – Because of this, blessed Francis used to say about this passage: The barren one has given birth to many children and the mother of many languishes: the barren one is the good religious who edifies himself and others by his holy prayers and virtues. He often said these words in a talk in the presence of the brothers, especially during a chapter of the brothers at Saint Mary of the Portiuncula in the presence of the ministers and the other brothers.
– Pray, hope, and don’t worry…especially the last part. (St. Padre Pio)
10 – He therefore instructed the brothers, the ministers as well as preachers, about work, telling them, because of the office of ministry or of their zeal for preaching, that they should not abandon holy and devout prayer, go for alms, and work with hands like the other brothers, for good example and for the benefit of their souls as well as others.
– Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere. (St. Philip Neri)
11 – He said: “The brothers who are subjects will be very edified when their ministers and preachers devote themselves freely to prayer, bow down, and humble themselves.” Therefore that faithful disciple of Christ, while he was in good health, practiced what he taught the brothers.
– Scruples are like mosquitos: swat them. (St. Alphonsus Liguori)
12 – When that brother novice described above was staying in a certain hermitage, blessed Francis one day happened to come there. That brother said to him: “Father, it would be a great consolation for me to have a psalter. But, although the general minister has given me permission to have it, I still want to have it with your knowledge.”
– Heaven is filled with converted sinners, not spiritual know-it-alls. (St. Philip Neri)
13 – Blessed Francis gave him this sort of response: “The Emperor Charles, Roland, and Oliver, and all the paladins and valiant knights who were mighty in battle, pursuing unbelievers with great toil and fatigue even to death, had a glorious and memorable victory for themselves, and, finally, died in battle fighting as holy martyrs for the faith in Christ. And there are many who want to receive honor and praise by only relating what they did.”
– Never try to win by force what can be won by love. (St. Francis de Sales)
14 – And because of this he wrote the meaning of these words in his Admonitions, saying: “The saints have done these deeds, and we want to receive honor and glory by recounting and preaching about them,” as if to say: “Knowledge puffs up, but charity builds.”
– Don’t be afraid to be ridiculous for God. (St. Philip Neri)
104 – THE SAME NOVICE ASKS AGAIN: “A BREVIARY, A BREVIARY!”
15 – Another time, when blessed Francis was sitting near a fire, warming himself, the same one spoke to him again about a psalter. And blessed Francis told him: “After you have a psalter, you will desire and want to have a breviary; after you have a breviary, you will sit in a fancy chair, like a great prelate telling your brother: ‘Bring me the breviary.’“ And speaking in this way with great intensity of spirit, he took some ashes in his hand, put them on his head rubbing them around his head as though he were washing it, saying: “I, a breviary! I, a breviary!”
– Let your face show you belong to heaven. (St. John Bosco)
16 – He spoke this way many times, passing his hand over his head. The brother was stunned and ashamed. Afterwards blessed Francis said to him: “Brother, I was likewise tempted to have books. But, in order to know God’s will about this, I took the book, where the Lord’s Gospels are written, and prayed to the Lord to deign to show it to me at the first opening of the book.
– Better to limp on the right road than run on the wrong one. (St. Augustine)
17 – After my prayer was ended, on the first opening of the holy Gospel this verse of the holy Gospel came to me: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to the others all things are treated in parables.” And he said: “There are many who willingly climb to the heights of knowledge; that person be blessed who renounces it for the love of God.”
– Some people think they are holy because they are unbearable. (St. Philip Neri)
105 – THE SAME NOVICE ASKS HIM AGAIN ABOUT A PSALTER, AND HE IS UPSET
18 – Many months later, when blessed Francis was at the church of Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, at a cell behind the house on the road, that brother spoke to him again about the psalter. And blessed Francis said: “Go and do as your minister tells you.” When he heard this, that brother began to go back by the same road he had come.
– Don’t be a half-saint; they are twice as annoying. (St. Francis de Sales)
19 – Blessed Francis remained on the road, and began to think over what he said to that brother. Suddenly he yelled after him: “Wait for me, brother, wait!” He went up to him and said: “Come back with me and show me the place where I told you to do with the psalter what your minister tells you.”
– Your face should prove that you believe in heaven; right now it’s not helping. (St. John Bosco)
20 – When they returned to the spot where he had said this, blessed Francis bent over in front of the brother and, kneeling, said to him: “Mea culpa, brother, mea culpa. Whoever wishes to be a Lesser Brother must have nothing but the tunics, a cord, and short trousers the Rule allows him; and for those forced by necessity or illness, shoes.”
– God loves you. Try not to make it so difficult for Him. (St. Augustine)
21 – Whenever brothers came to him to ask advice about such things, he would give them the same answer. For this reason he used to say: “A person is only as learned as his actions show; and a religious is only as good a preacher as his actions show;” as if to say, “A good tree is known only by its fruit.”
– Worry is useless; also unattractive. (St. Padre Pio)
106 – HE REPLIES TO A BROTHER WHO ASKED HIM WHY HE DID NOT CORRECT ABUSES IN THE ORDER; AND THE PORTIUNCULA AS AN EXAMPLE
22 – One day while blessed Francis was staying in that palace, one of his companions there said to him: “Father, excuse me, because what I want to say to you, many have already thought. You know,” he said “how formerly through the grace of God, the whole religion flourished in the purity of perfection, that is, how all the brothers fervently and zealously observed holy poverty in all things, in small and poor dwellings, in small and poor furnishings, in small and poor books, and in poor clothing. And as in these things, as well as in other exterior things, they were of one will, concerned about observing everything that had to do with our profession and calling and good example. In this way they were of one mind in the love of God and neighbor.
– If you are going to be a saint, at least try not to be boring. (St. Philip Neri)
23 – “But now for a little while, this purity and perfection have begun to change into something different, though the brothers make lots of excuses saying that, because of large number, this cannot be observed by the brothers. In fact, many brothers believe that the people are more edified by these ways than by those mentioned, and, it seems to them, more fitting to live and behave according to these ways. Therefore, they consider worthless the way of simplicity and poverty, which were the beginning and foundation of our religion. Thinking this over, we believe that they displease you, but we really wonder why, if they displease you, you tolerate them and do not correct them.”
– Some people carry their crosses like they are auditioning for a tragedy. (St. Philip Neri)
24 – “May the Lord forgive you,” blessed Francis said to him, “for wanting to be against me and opposed to me and involve me in these things that do not pertain to my office.” And he said: “As long as I held office for the brothers, and they remained faithful to their calling and profession, and, although I was ill from the beginning of my conversion to Christ, with a little of my care, I satisfied them by my example and preaching. But afterwards I realized that the Lord multiplied the number of the brothers daily and that through tepidity and lack of spirit they began to turn away from the straight and sure way on which they used to walk and take, as you said, a broad way, without paying attention to their profession and calling and good example, or would not give up the journey that had already begun despite my preaching and my example.
– Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward is to see what you believe. (St. Augustine)
25 – I entrusted the religion to the Lord and to the ministers. When I renounced and gave up among the brothers, I excused myself before the brothers at the general chapter saying that, because of my illness I could not take care of them and care for them. And yet, if the brothers had walked and were still walking according to my will, for their consolation I would not want them to have any other minister except me until the day of my death. As long as a faithful and good subject knows and observes the will of his prelate, then the prelate has to have little concern about him.
– Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into Her arms. (St. Francis de Sales)
26 – Rather, I would be so happy at the goodness of the brothers and be so consoled, both on their account and my own, that even if I were lying sick in bed, it would not be considered a burden to me to satisfy them.” He said: “My office, that is, a prelacy over the brothers, is spiritual, because I must overcome vices and correct them. Therefore, if I cannot overcome and correct them by preaching and example, I do not want to become an executioner who beats and scourges, like a power of this world.
– Love God. Serve God. Everything is in that. (St. Clare of Assisi)
27 – I trust in the Lord; invisible enemies, the Lord’s police, who punish in this world and in the next those who transgress the commandments of God, will take revenge on them, having corrected men of this world, and thus they will return to their profession and calling. “Nevertheless, until the day of my death, I will not cease teaching the brothers by example and action to walk by the path which the Lord showed me, and which I showed and explained to them.
– Stop trying to be impressive. Be holy instead. (St. Therese of Lisieux)
28 – Thus, they will have no excuse before the Lord, and I will not be bound to render any further account about them or about myself before the Lord.” Thus he had it written in his Testament that all houses of the brothers should be built of mud and wood, as a sign of holy poverty and humility, and the churches constructed for the brothers must be small. In fact, he wanted reform on this matter, that is, houses constructed of wood and mud, and in every other good example to begin in the place of Saint Mary of the Portiuncula. This was the first place where, after they settled there, the Lord began to multiply the brothers, and it should be an external reminder to the other brothers who are in religion and those who will come to it.
– Humanity always wanting heaven, rarely wanting the work. (St. Catherine of Siena)
29 – This is the reason he wrote in his Testament: “Let the brothers be careful not to receive in any way churches or dwellings or any other things built for them, unless they are according to the poverty we have promised in the Rule, as pilgrims and strangers let them always be guests there.” We who were with him when he wrote the Rule and almost all his other writings bear witness that he had many things written in the Rule and in his other writings, to which certain brothers, especially prelates, were opposed. So it happened that on points where the brothers were opposed to blessed Francis during his life, now, after his death, they would be very useful to the whole religion. Because he greatly feared scandal, he gave in, although unwillingly, to the wishes of the brothers. But he often repeated this saying: “Woe to those brothers who are opposed to what I know to be the will of God for the greatest good of the religion, even if I unwillingly give in to their wishes.”
– It is no use to walk anywhere to preach if our walking is not our preaching. (spirit-St. Francis of Assisi)
30 – He often said to his companions: “Here lies my pain and grief: those things which I received from God by His mercy with great effort of prayer and meditation for the present and future good of the religion, and which are, as He assures me, in accordance with His will, some of the brothers on the authority and support of their knowledge nullify and oppose me saying: ‘These things must be kept and observed; but not those!’ ” But, as was said, because he feared scandal so much that he permitted many things to happen and gave in to their will in many things that were not according to his will.
– The deeds you do may be the only sermons the people you meet today will hear. (spirit-St. Francis of Assisi)
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
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