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Posted By Teresa Redder, on April 26th, 2026 JOYFUL GOSPEL LIVING
April 5, 2026 – The Resurrection of the Lord
“This is the day the Lord has made…”
At the Easter Vigil, my parish welcomed four catechumens into the Church through baptism. During this long liturgy, all of the faithful experienced the awe and wonder of Christ’s Resurrection through powerful symbols (fire, light, water, and oil), the chanting of the glorious Exsultet, special Scripture readings, and the rite of Christian initiation with water, candles, and chrism, followed by the reception of the Eucharist. This ritual is observed all over the world with the same reverence and glory that our faith has preserved by tradition for centuries.
For the catechumens and all of us, the celebration of Easter helps us to appreciate what Christ has promised to all of us who believe in Him and to share with Him the eternal life that He offers. Over three weekends in March, the catechumens participated in the weekend scrutinies of their faith. The symbols of Easter are profoundly present in our communal celebration:
- First Scrutiny: “I am the Living Water.”
- Second Scrutiny: “I am the Light of the World.”
- Third Scrutiny: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.”
Once a year, we renew our baptismal promises on Easter Sunday and then we are sprinkled with holy water to symbolize the new life that we share in Christ. As we are welcomed into God’s family as His sons and daughters at baptism, we also begin our journey of discipleship. For those of us who were baptized as infants, we relied on the examples of our parents, godparents, and other faith-filled people to shape our lives. When we are sprinkled with holy water, we should experience the incredible joy that Psalm 118 describes:
“This is the day the Lord has made.”
On the feast of Saint Joseph (March 19th), my husband Jeff and I were at Sacred Heart Church (Mount Holly, NJ) for the Confirmation service for our twin grandchildren (Zofia and Nathan), who were among the 50 students to receive the sacrament this year. For their 8th grade year, Jeff (a.k.a. Grandpa) was their catechist! On their own, they chose Clare and Francis as their Confirmation names. As their sponsors, we received a special gift from the parish catechetical team—a beautiful commemorative card with the title “The Role of the Sponsor.”
Before the service, I opened and read my card, which included an inscription of our granddaughter’s name and the date that she was sealed with the Holy Spirit—on the feast of Saint Joseph– the patron saint of my paternal grandfather, home parish, grammar and high schools, and university! It was a day that the Lord had made for us. Although the words inside the card highlighted the role of the sponsor, I thought that everyone who lives the faith with joy and conviction shares in this kind of witness for Christ:
“You have the honor of being chosen as witness to the confirmand’s initiation into full Christian life. Through this sacrament, the confirmand is strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, made a true witness of Christ in word and deed, and invited more deeply into the life of the Church. Your most significant role in relation to him/her is to be a role model of such witness and unifying love.
Some ways in which you can nurture this spiritual relationship all through life are:
- Celebrate the anniversary of this holy day of Confirmation with a visit, call, or card.
- Listen to and share in the confirmand’s maturing struggles and triumphs in living a Christian life and keep yourself informed on Christian doctrine and values to be able to answer questions when they arise.
- Encourage a maturing life of faith through special cards, letters, or gifts which celebrate holy events…Christmas, Easter…and personal growth events…graduations, first job, engagement. (Gift suggestions: a Bible, rosary, spiritual book, religious jewelry, retreat opportunity).
- Most importantly, become a model of Christian living for the person you have sponsored, through daily prayer, virtue, and active participation in parish life and liturgy.”
During the Confirmation service, I felt especially close to my own late sponsor (my Dad’s youngest sister), Cioci (Aunt) Irene, who passed away at age 95. Not only was she a great influence on my spiritual life, but she also played a large role in the lives of my four children even into their adult lives and with my twin grandchildren, who accompanied me on many visit to her assisted living facility.
When Cioci Irene passed away in July 2022, her son asked me to offer the words of remembrance at her Mass of Christian Burial. I had to smile inwardly when I spoke with the parish staff on the phone about the instructions: make sure that the words have spiritual content to them. Besides my grandparents and parents, my aunt was the greatest spiritual companion in my life for another 10 years after all of them had passed away.
I reread what I had written about Cioci Irene after I received that card at the Confirmation service. In my special memories of the “saint” that God had chosen to be my sponsor, I treasured how she: took away my fear of the bishop when I was confirmed; was the first to send me Polish wafer bread (opⱡatek) when I went away on active duty in the USAF; used her butter mold to make lambs for our family for the blessing of Easter food on Holy Saturday (and gave me her mold to continue the tradition); brought holy water to the parish cemetery for all of us to sprinkle as we bid farewell to her husband (my uncle); gave her treasured sodality rosary to my granddaughter with the instruction to pray it often; and always gave us a blessing on our foreheads when we left our visits with her, even if we were in the dining room and everyone could see it.
As we remember our Baptism during the Easter season, let us delight in the awe and wonder of God’s glory in new life that we experience in Christ. Let us remember those who have been witnesses of faith for us:
“…let us rejoice and be glad.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Terri Leone, on March 25th, 2026 March 23, 2026 update to a recent blog about
“Servant of God Adele Brice & Our Lady of Champion (WI, USA)”
From: https://championshrine.org/timeline/
 Adele and her companions form a community of Third Order Franciscans and begin to stabilize their missionary work in a farmhouse not far from the wood frame Chapel. Later in the year a school and convent are built of wood frame construction.
Update:
Based on a more complete biography of Adele Brice from the records at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, we have confirmation that Adele & her group of “Sisters” were not canonically established as a religious Order but were a group of lay/secular women living a Franciscan life. According to the terminology of that period in history, they were “Third Order” or Lay/Secular Franciscans.
Some Third Order/Secular Franciscan History:
In A Short History of the Third Order by Marion Habig, OFM & Mark Hegener, OFM (1963), Part 2 addresses the history of the Third Order of St. Francis in the USA from approximately the early 1900’s through the mid-1960’s.
In the Introduction to the book, the author cites two ancient philosophers concerning the importance of knowing one’s history: Cicero called history the “teacher of life” and Dryden rephrased this concept as “the most pleasant school of wisdom”.
- The authors frequently use the term Tertiary or tertiaries which is just a shortened form of “Third Order member(s)”. Tertiary is still used but only rarely.
- While it’s probable that some Third Order Franciscans came to America when Franciscan friars traveled with the early explorers, the Third Order had little organization, uniform practices or recorded history till the late 19th – early 20th What little they did have was predominantly in the hands of the friars & developed during a few national Congresses or Conventions under Franciscan friar leadership & then distributed to the Third Order fraternities.
- The General Constitutions of 1957 and new Ritual helped to facilitate this necessary unification. But along with this unification came a sense of being 2nd class Franciscan religious. Although they didn’t take vows, they were expected to practice the evangelical virtues of faith, hope and charity in a heroic way, have a regulated prayer life, take religious names (called each other Sister or Brother…..) & wear “habits” daily which, over the years, went from modified religious habits to a scapular and cord.
- The Second Vatican Council (early 1960’s) and Popes John XXIII and Paul VI (both of whom were Third Order Franciscans) encouraged all religious & lay Orders to “look to your roots” as a means to revitalize their Orders. These factors were the impetus for the Franciscan friars to encourage & support the lay Third Order leaders to honor the sacredness of their lay vocation; to assume responsibility for updating their governing documents to meet the needs of our times and to discern “what is ours to do” (which included changing the name of our Order to “The Secular Franciscan Order”).
- Frs. Habig & Hegener closed Part II with “the Third Order was founded to ‘satisfy a thirst for heroism’ in the hearts of people”.
Do you feel called to “satisfy a thirst for (spiritual) heroism”? Are you living in such a way that you inflame a thirst for spiritual heroism in others?
Terri Leone, OFS
Posted By Terri Leone, on March 19th, 2026 Are you aware that our Blessed Mother Mary appeared to a young woman in a Belgian settlement near Champion Wisconsin in 1859? She appeared to a young woman, Adele Brice, and gave her a special mission from Jesus.
In January 2026 the Holy See started their investigation for the cause of Adele’s possible canonization. Adele is currently titled a Servant of God.
Read the story at Servant of God Adele Brice & Our Lady of Champion – Secular Franciscan Order – USA
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 28th, 2026 Joyful Gospel Living – March 1, 2026
“Lord, it is good that we are here.”
For three years now, my husband Jeff and I have participated in a treasured monthly spiritual series at Francis House of Prayer (Allentown, NJ) with Sr. Marcy Springer, SSJ, on St. Teresa of Ávila. This year, our group has been reading and discussing her book The Way of Perfection, written for her religious community of Carmelite sisters to instruct them in their prayer life. Last month, we read about St. Teresa’s thoughts on the prayer of quiet, something that all of us need in our daily lives, too.
As we celebrate the important Lenten meaning of the Transfiguration of Christ on Mount Tabor, I was reminded of a personal connection to this when I was reading our February assigned text from St. Teresa:
“Persons in this prayer [quiet] see that only one thing is necessary and everything else disturbs them. They don’t want the body to move because it seems they would thereby lose that peace; thus, they don’t dare stir…They are so close that they are seeing as though understanding through signs. They are within the palace, near the King, and they see that He is beginning to give them here His Kingdom.”
Even before St. Teresa ended that paragraph with a reference to St. Peter’s exclamation about building three places to remain with Jesus on the mountain, I already had an image of an intimate prayer experience where the heart speaks to God and says, “Lord, it is good to be here.” More than 1500 years after the Transfiguration, St. Teresa, like other saints before and after her, was able to teach her sisters how prayer can transfigure our lives. Her enduring text continues to inspire us 500 years later, just like this Gospel story.
On Ash Wednesday, the Gospel reminded us of the three Lenten disciplines: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. As we are now in the second week of our 40-day Lenten experience, how are we doing with prayer practices that transfigure our minds and hearts? What are some of the ways to do that?
- Read and pray over the daily Scripture readings.
- Use a Lenten daily devotional to go deeper into the conversion that is the goal of Lent.
- Explore internet resources that provide deeper insights into the Christian pilgrimage of hope.
- Make a Holy Hour in adoration and open the heart to hear Christ speaking,
- Practice Centering Prayer in which there is a deliberate detachment from worldly distractions and 20 minutes of contemplative prayer (prayer of quiet).
- Attend daily Mass more frequently and meditate on the Scripture readings. How will they shape the course of our day?
Recently, I received an e-mail from Sr. Mercedes Rojo, a Franciscan Sister of Philadelphia who is the spiritual assistant to St. Francis Fraternity-Milmont Park. A well-known retreat director, she is a person who incarnates the Scriptures with great joy and zeal.
For her Lenten fraternal reflection, she commented on a recent post on the Center for Action and Contemplation’s (CAC) thread on “Desert and Transformation” that described how people in the early Church (after 313 C.E.), in their desire to have a closer relationship with Christ, would go into the desert to seek the wisdom of the desert abbas (fathers) and ammas (mothers). Their hope was to receive a word to awaken their souls.
After quoting from the CAC post, Sr. Mercedes added her own commentary to her Secular Franciscans, with special emphasis for their Lenten journey:
“After reading this reflection today, it reminded me of [Sr.] Macrina Wiederkehr [a late Benedictine retreat director], and how she describes Lectio Divina: ‘Read under the eyes of God until your heart is touched. Then, give yourself over to Love.’ – For when we do so, we receive A WORD!
What a wonderful practice this could be as we walk the Lenten Journey!! Asking the Lord to give us ‘a WORD’ as we reflect on the daily readings. So I invite us to pay attention to a WORD or phrase that touches us from the daily reading… And STAY with it… LISTENING TO WHAT GOD MAY BE SAYING TO US… TO ME…”
Just imagine the possibilities if we were to experience the prayer of quiet that St. Teresa described. What would it take to have that intimate moment with God in prayer in which we know that we are in the Palace with Him, near the King, and we realize that He has revealed to us that his Kingdom is here? Like the three apostles on Mount Tabor, would we be reluctant to leave there? Consider, though, how it would transform our world if we took that profound experience back into our daily lives with greater love and service!
In our daily living, faith calls us to be both active and contemplative (Martha and Mary). Our prayer experiences offer us the sacred time and place to surrender our will to God’s will, where St. Teresa told her sisters that all of our faculties would be joined together to serve the Lord. This is a wonderful Lenten desire—so close to us if we find that daily word in which we can center our minds and hearts on God’s love for us, aware of how good it is to be there.
When we carry our prayer experience with us into the world, it will be a source of strength and hope for us and others, remembering the words from Psalm 33:
“As we place our trust in You.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
SKD Regional Minister
Photo: Consecrated Life: Transfigured into Christ (Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery)
https://www.passionistnuns.org/blog/2015/08/05/consecrated-life-transfigured-into-christ
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 25th, 2026 This reflection is on the Scripture readings from the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 15, 2026)
Joyful Gospel Living
“If you choose, you can keep the commandments…”
Over the past several weeks, the 2nd and 8th grade students in our parish have been preparing for the sacraments of First Holy Eucharist and Confirmation by participating in the sacrament of reconciliation. It is a grace-filled time, not only for the students who are in formation, but also for their families. Even the bulletin board in our church vestibule celebrates this spiritual journey as we look upon the cut-out sheep who are in the gentle care of the Good Shepherd.
During the prayer services before the private confessions, Fr. John (our pastor) proclaimed different Gospel parables to the two groups: the Prodigal Son (8th grade) and the Good Shepherd (2nd grade). In his homilies, Fr. John impressed upon the students how great is the love of God for every person. Even when we choose to do wrong, God seeks our return with mercy, compassion, kindness, and joy.
For most Catholics, our sacramental preparation required us to learn the Ten Commandments and to understand how they provide us with the framework for our daily lives. When the Ten Commandments are portrayed as two stone tablets, there are three commandments that refer to the love of God on one stone; the other stone has the seven commandments that direct us to love our neighbor. In the first reading from the Book of Sirach, there is a wisdom that is shared across all generations: “If you choose, you can keep the commandments; they will save you.”
As human beings made in the Divine image, we are blessed with the gift of free will and intellect. Through humility, we learn to use these gifts with great love for God and one another. The word “choose” is significant for us. The Ten Commandments provide us with a moral framework to build genuine relationships with God and our neighbors. During the reconciliation services, I always enjoy hearing the communal recitation of the Act of Contrition in which we publicly acknowledge that sometimes our choices are not always loving or the best for our spiritual lives. God is always waiting for us to come back. ♥
In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Church provides us with clear teaching about the basics of our faith. It has four main parts:
- One: The Profession of Faith (the Creed)
- Two: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery
- Three: Life in Christ
- Four: Christian Prayer
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM
Sometimes, it is worth it to spend some time exploring what the Church teaches. In Part Three of the Catechism (Life in Christ), there are two sections:
- Man’s Vocation in the Spirit;
- The Ten Commandments.
Both of these are related to the Scripture readings we have heard in these weeks of Ordinary Time. Our vocation in the Spirit is to embrace the charity described by the Beatitudes. They form our actions and our attitudes. Keeping the commandments then becomes our choice to love God and one another.
Through parish music ministry, I have participated in many reconciliation and sacramental events for our students over the years. For the second graders, their preparation time includes learning the song “Open My Eyes.” It is such a simple song, but it is full of a prayerful longing to know God better.
This year, our twin grandchildren (age 14) are receiving the sacrament of Confirmation on March 19th at Sacred Heart. The confirmandi had to prepare activity packets to reflect on their formation journey. Part of the packet required the logging of service hours, with a mapping to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. When we are obedient to God by choosing to do good, we are led by the Holy Spirit to a life of service for others. It was fun to review the list of service hours with them and to see how they might be fruits of the works of mercy. Those choices are important to making God’s Kingdom visible now..
Another reflection activity was to think about their favorite story about Jesus and why it made an impression on them. This was a very personal encounter with Christ. When all of the responses are submitted, we can only imagine the beauty of the encounters that the confirmandi have had with Jesus as they have prepared to receive the sacrament. Which of the stories is important to our own lives at this time?
In our parish hymnal (Oregon Catholic Press), there is a song called “Eye Has Not Seen.” It is based on the epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians that we heard this weekend: Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, what God has ready for those who love Him. The words to this song express the wonder and mystery of our God at work in our lives. It beseeches the Holy Spirit to give us the mind of Jesus so that we may learn to love the way that Christ loves. How that love transforms our world!
Over the next two months, the children in our parish will experience God’s love in the reception of the sacraments of initiation: Confirmation and Eucharist. Let us share their joy and learn about wonder from them:
“You have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 25th, 2026 On February 8th, there was a Chapter of Elections at St. Francis Fraternity-Folsom, PA. The presider was Teresa Redder, OFS, and the ecclesial witness (delegate) was Sr. Mercedes, Rojo, OSF. Let us give thanks for the commitment of these elected servant leaders to sustain the fraternal spirit in their fraternity with great humility! It is indeed a blessing that this fraternity chose to elect a Councilor-at-Large to deepen their commitment to growing in their shared vocation.
| SAINT FRANCIS FRATERNITY (FOLSOM) CHAPTER OF ELECTIONS RESULTS |
| Minister |
Marie Gilligan, OFS |
Reelected |
| Vice Minister |
Suzanne McElvenney, OFS |
Reelected |
| Secretary |
Theresa Cavicchio, OFS |
Reelected |
| Treasurer |
Theresa McHugh, OFS |
Newly elected |
| Formation Director |
Tom McGurk, OFS |
Reelected |
| Councilor-at-large |
Rita Dourdoufis, OFS |
Newly elected |
Left to right: Marie Gilligan, OFS; Theresa Cavicchio, OFS; Rita Dourdoufis, OFS; Sr. Mercedes Rojo, OSF; Sue McElvenney, OFS; Tom McGurk, OFS; Teresa & Jeff Redder, OFS
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 1st, 2026 Joyful Gospel Living
“Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth…Seek justice, seek humility.”
During the years that I served in the Air Force Reserves and participated in monthly weekend training assemblies, I had the opportunity occasionally to attend Mass at the base chapel. Just as our parish has worship aids that inspire our liturgical celebrations, the chapel also had liturgical art that enhanced the assembly’s prayer experiences. There was a large banner that hung near the altar that said, “Seek peace and pursue it.” This partial quote came from Psalm 34:14, which began with the instruction “Turn from evil, and do good.”
While reading the text from the Prophet Zephaniah this weekend, we hear him speaking to the people of God to “seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth…seek justice, seek humility.” Those words reminded me of those many weekends in the base chapel when I looked at the banner and prayed over the pursuit of peace in our world. In the face of evil in the world, we are called to do good. The good that we seek is justice, always remembering that every person is made in the Divine image and has equal dignity.
There was an important Synod of Bishops that met and subsequently issued a document on November 30, 1971, called “Justice in the World.” During their time together, the bishops addressed many global issues, such as technology; the right to development; migrants; the arms race;’ nationalism; racial and class divisions; and the concentration of the world’s wealth. Fifty-five years later, many of these same issues remain a challenge in our world for all those who seek justice. New ones have been added.
In his Message for the World Day of Peace in 1972, Pope St. Paul VI chose the title “If You Want Peace, Work for Justice.” In opening this document on the Vatican website, I felt a distinct affection for the Holy Father while reading his respectful salutation in the message: “Men of thought! Men of action! All mankind living in 1972!” The Holy Father wanted to reiterate what the bishops had recently summarized after their synod, giving hope to the world:
“It is an invitation which does not ignore the difficulties in practicing Justice, in defining it, first of all, and then in actuating it, for it always demands some sacrifice of prestige and self-interest: Perhaps more greatness of soul is needed for yielding to the ways of Justice and Peace than for fighting for and imposing on an adversary one’s rights, whether true or alleged. We have such trust in the power of the associated ideals of Justice and Peace to generate in modern man the moral energy to actuate them, that we are confident of their gradual victory. Indeed, we are even more confident that on his own modern man has an understanding of the ways of peace, sufficient to enable him to become a promoter of that Justice which opens those ways and sets people travelling them with courageous and prophetic hope.”
In this weekend’s Gospel, Jesus instructed His disciples with a blueprint for what makes God’s Kingdom a reality here and now, by citing the blessings of those who act as God desires. Whenever I read them, I like to hear the “If…then” implications of what Jesus is saying. For example, if you want mercy to be shown to you, then you must first be merciful as God teaches us. My favorite “If…then” is this Beatitude: If you want to be called God’s children, then you must be a peacemaker. From our baptism, we have been chosen to be God’s children by name. It is our baptismal call to be peacemakers. In our daily living, how are we working for justice as St. Paul VI urged us to do?
Recently, my husband Jeff and I had the opportunity to visit both Viet Nam and Cambodia. In both countries, there was evidence of great recovery by the people from the terrible atrocities of long warfare. The people that we met during our visit were kind, friendly, curious, and very proud of their long heritage.
On one of our excursions in Cambodia, we visited a “Killing Fields” site where the Khmer Rouge executed innocent civilians as part of a terrible genocide that saw the annihilation of almost one-third (3 million) of the Cambodian population. As we toured the infamous S21 prison where people were tortured to obtain confessions, our tour guide explained to us that, when the leaders of the Khmer Rouge were finally brought to trial, the Cambodian people did not seek or value revenge as a form of justice. There were no executions of Khmer Rouge after the trials.
For five decades, the Cambodian people have found healing through the four sublime states of Buddhism, the predominant religion of Cambodians: loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. These same values are also integral to our Christian way of life. What are the possibilities in the world when people of goodwill work together to promote a more fraternal world? What resolve is necessary to turn from the subtle seductions of evil to do good?
When the Synod of Bishops met in 1971, there were wars in Southeast Asia, civil wars in Central and South America, and tensions in Africa as countries emerged from colonialism. While those are now part of history, different challenges in our world now urge us to seek justice so that there will be peace. The Beatitudes inspire us to live life with the same passion as Jesus, who showed us the way:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
Saint Katharine Drexel Regional Minister
At the entrance to the War Remembrance Museum in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Viet Nam
(Photos taken by Teresa Redder, OFS, in January 2026)
“In love, peace remains.”
  
 
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 1st, 2026 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
February 2026
Let every creature in heaven, on earth, in the sea and in the depths,
Give praise, glory, honor and blessing to Him Who suffered so much,
Who has given and will give in the future every good, for He is our power and strength,
Who alone is good, Who alone is almighty,
Who alone is omnipotent, wonderful, glorious and Who alone is holy,
worthy of praise and blessing through endless ages.
Amen.
(Prayer of Saint Francis in the Second Version of the Letter to the Faithful)
Daily Franciscan Sources continue from The Assisi Compilation, #89 – #94
Daily Thoughtful Quotes from St. Philip Neri
89 – HE HELPS A POOR WOMAN FROM RIETI SUFFERING FROM AN EYE DISEASE
1 – At that time a poor woman from Machilone came to Rieti with an illness of her eyes. One day when the doctor came to visit blessed Francis, he said to him: “Brother, a woman with eye trouble came to see me. But she is so poor that I have to help her for the love of God and give her expenses.”
– There is nothing the devil fears so much, or so much tries to hinder, as prayer.
2 – When blessed Francis heard this, moved by piety for her, he called one of the companions, who was his guardian, and said to him: “Brother Guardian, we have to give back what belongs to someone else.” “And, what is that, brother?” he said. “That mantle,” he replied, “which we received as a loan from that poor woman with eye trouble. We must give it back to her.” “Do what you think best, brother,” the guardian answered.
– A joyful heart is more easily made perfect than a downcast one.
3 – With joy, blessed Francis called a spiritual man, who was extremely close to him, and said to him: “Take this mantle and a dozen loaves of bread with you, and go to that poor and sick woman whom the doctor, who is taking care of her, will point out to you. Say to her: ‘The poor man to whom you lent this mantle thanks you for the loan of the mantle which you made with him. Take what is yours.’ ”
– To preserve our cheerfulness amid sicknesses and troubles, is a sign of a right and good spirit.
4 – He went then and told her everything as blessed Francis had told him. Thinking he was joking, she replied with fear and embarrassment: “Leave me in peace. I don’t know what you are talking about!”
– The best way to prepare for death is to spend every day of life as though it were the last.
5 – He placed the mantle and the dozen loaves of bread in her hands. When the woman reflected that he had spoken the truth, she accepted everything with trembling and her heart filled with joy. Then, fearful that he would take it back, she secretly got up during the night and joyfully returned to her home.
– First let a little love find entrance into their hearts, and the rest will follow.
6 – Moreover, blessed Francis also told his guardian that every day, for the love of God, he should give her food for as long as she stayed there. We who were with blessed Francis bore witness that, sick or well, he displayed such charity and piety, not only to his brothers, but also toward the poor, whether healthy or sick.
– The greatness of our love of God must be tested by the desire we have of suffering for His love.
7 – Thus, he deprived himself of the necessities of his body that the brothers procured for him with great devotion and solicitude. At first coaxing us not to worry, with great inner and outer joy, he would then offer to others things he had denied his own body, even though they were extremely necessary for him.
– The Lord grants in a moment what we may have been unable to obtain in dozens of years.
8 – And that is why the general minister and his guardian ordered him not to give his tunic to any brother without their permission. Because the brothers, out of the devotion they had for him, would occasionally ask him for his tunic, and he would immediately give it to them. Or he himself, if he saw a sickly or poorly clad brother, would at times cut his habit in half, giving one part to him and keeping the other for himself, for he wanted to have and to wear only one tunic.
– The cross is the gift God gives to his friends.
90 – HE WOULD GIVE AWAY THE TUNIC HE WAS WEARING TO HELP THE POOR
9 – Once when he was traveling through a certain region preaching, two brothers from France happened to meet him. From this they enjoyed great consolation. Finally, out of the great devotion they had toward him, for the love of God they asked for his tunic. As soon as he heard “the love of God,” he immediately took off his tunic, remaining naked for almost an hour.
– Christian joy is a gift of God flowing from a good conscience.
10 – For it was blessed Francis’s custom when someone said to him “for the love of God, give me your tunic or cord,” or anything else that he had, he would immediately give it to them out of reverence for that Lord who is called Love.
– My children, if you desire perseverance, be devout to our Blessed Lady.
11 – He would be greatly displeased, and would reprimand the brothers when he heard them invoking the love of God needlessly. For he would say: “The love of God is so very exalted that it should be mentioned with great reverence rarely and only in dire necessity.” Then one of the brothers took off his tunic and gave it to him.
– At communion we ought to ask for the remedy of the vice to which we feel ourselves most inclined.
12 – Very often he endured great need and hardship when he gave away his tunic or a part of it to someone, because he could not quickly find or have another one made. This was true especially since he always wished to have and to wear a poor tunic made of bits and pieces, and occasionally he wanted it patched on inside and out.
– Obedience is the true holocaust which we sacrifice to God on the altar of our hearts.
13 – Because he rarely, if ever, wanted to have or wear a tunic made from new cloth, but would acquire one worn by a brother for a long time, and sometimes he would even accept one part of his tunic from one brother and the rest from another. But, because of his many illnesses and the cold, he would occasionally patch it on the inside with new cloth.
– He who always acts under obedience may be assured that he will not have to give an account of his actions to God.
14 – He held and observed this kind of poverty in his clothing until the year when he returned to the Lord. For a few days before his death, because he was suffering from dropsy, he was almost completely dehydrated and weakened by many of the other sicknesses he had, the brothers made several tunics for him, so that they could change his tunic night and day as was necessary.
– Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if he wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength.
91 – HE TRIES TO GIVE A PIECE OF HIS TUNIC TO A POOR MAN
15 – Another time a poor man with poor clothing came to a hermitage of the brothers and, for the love of God, asked for some cloth from the brothers. Blessed Francis told a brother to look around the house and, if he found some, to give it to him.
– He who is unable to spend a long time together in prayer, should often lift up his mind to God by short prayers.
16 – And going around the whole house, that brother told him that he did not find any. So that the poor man would not go away empty-handed, blessed Francis went out secretly, so that his guardian would not forbid him. He took a knife, and sitting in a hidden place, he began to cut away a piece of his tunic, which was sewed on the inside of the tunic, wanting to give it to the poor man in secret.
– Believe me, there is no more powerful means to obtain God’s grace than to employ the intercessions of the Holy Virgin.
17 – But immediately, since the guardian sensed what he wanted to do, he went to him and forbade him to give it away, especially since the weather was then very cold, and he was extremely sick and cold.
– We must often remember what Christ said, that not he who begins, but he that perseveres to the end, shall be saved.
18 – Blessed Francis told him: “If you do not want me to give it to him, you must make sure that some piece is given to the poor brother.” And so, at the prompting of blessed Francis, the brothers gave the poor man some cloth from their own clothes.
– There is nothing more dangerous in the spiritual life, than to wish to rule ourselves after our own way of thinking.
19 – When the brothers loaned him a mantle—or when he was traveling through the country preaching and he became sick and could no longer go on foot, he would occasionally ride a donkey, since he did not want to ride on a horse unless compelled by the greatest necessity.
– He who wishes for anything but Christ, does not know what he wishes; he who asks for anything but Christ, does not know what he is asking; he who works, and not for Christ, does not know what he is doing
20 – And such was the case shortly before his death when he became seriously ill. When he was staying in some place, he did not want to accept it unless, in some way, he could give it to a poor person he might meet or who would come to him if his spirit were convinced that the person was in evident need.
– The man who loves God with a true heart, and prizes him above all things, sometimes sheds floods of tears at prayer, and has in abundance of favors and spiritual feelings coming upon him with such vehemence, that he is forced to cry out, “Lord! let me be quiet!
92 – HE ASKS BROTHER GILES TO GIVE HIS MANTLE TO A POOR MAN
21 – At the beginning of the religion, when he was staying at Rivo Torto with only two brothers whom he had at that time, the one who was the third brother, came from the world to receive his life. When he had stayed there for a few days, still wearing his secular clothes, a poor man happened to come to the place asking alms of blessed Francis.
– In sickness we ought to ask God to give us patience, because it often happens, that when a man gets well, he not only does not do the good he proposed to do when he was sick, but he multiplies his sins and his ingratitude.
22 – Blessed Francis said to him who was the third brother: “Give the poor brother your mantle.” Immediately, with great joy, he took it off his back and gave it to him. It then seemed to him that, at that moment, the Lord immediately had infused new grace into his heart because he had given the poor man his mantle with joy.
– They who have been exercised in the service of God for a long time, may in their prayers imagine all sorts of insults offered to them, such as blows, wounds, and the like, and so in order to imitate Christ by their charity, may accustom their hearts beforehand to forgive real injuries when they come.
93 – HE HAS A NEW TESTAMENT AT THE PORTIUNCULA GIVEN TO THE POOR MOTHER OF TWO BROTHERS
23 – Another time while he was staying at Saint Mary of the Portiuncula, a poor old woman who had two sons in religion, came to that place seeking some alms of blessed Francis because that year she did not have enough to live. Blessed Francis said to Brother Peter of Catanio, who was the general minister at the time: “Have we anything to give our mother?”
– During mental prayer, it is well, at times, to imagine that many insults and injuries are being heaped upon us, that misfortunes have befallen us, and then strive to train our heart to bear and forgive these things patiently, in imitation of our Savior. This is the way to acquire a strong spirit.
24 – He used to say that the mother of any brother was his own and that of all the brothers in the religion. Brother Peter told him: “We do not have anything in the house that we can give her, especially since she wants such alms as would provide for her corporal needs.
– We are not saints yet, but we, too, should beware. Uprightness and virtue do have their rewards, in self-respect and in respect from others, and it is easy to find ourselves aiming for the result rather than the cause.
25 – In the church we only have one New Testament for reading the lessons at matins.” At that time, the brothers did not have breviaries and not many psalters. Blessed Francis responded: “Give our mother the New Testament, so she can sell it for her needs. I firmly believe that the Lord and the Blessed Virgin, His Mother, will be pleased more by giving it to her than if you read in it.” And so he gave it to her.
– Let us aim for joy, rather than respectability. Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time, and thus see ourselves, for a moment, as the all-wise God sees us.
26 – For it can be said and written about blessed Francis, what was said and written about Job: Mercy grew up with me and it came out with me from my mother’s womb. For us, who were with him, it would take a long time to write and recount not only what we learned from others about his charity and piety toward the poor, but also what we saw with our own eyes.
– If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a Crucifix, and think that Christ shed all His Blood for him, and not only forgave His enemies, but even prayed His Heavenly Father to forgive them also. Let him remember that when he says the Pater Noster, every day, instead of asking pardon for his sins, he is calling down vengeance on himself.
94 – A CATTLE DISEASE AT SANT’ELIA IS CURED BY WATER USED TO WASH THE STIGMATA
27 – At the same time when blessed Francis was staying in the hermitage of Saint Francis (!) at Fonte Colombo,a a cattle disease, commonly called basabove, from which none usually escapes, happened to spread among the cattle of Sant’Elia, not too far from the hermitage. So that all the cattle became sick and died. One night it was said that a certain spiritual person of that town had a vision in which he was told: “Go to the hermitage where blessed Francis is staying and get the water with which he washed his hands and feet. Sprinkle it upon all the oxen, and they will immediately recover.”
– It is an old custom of the servants of God to have some little prayer ready and to be frequently darting them up to heaven during the day, lifting their minds to God out of the mire of this world.
28 – That man got up early in the morning, went to the hermitage, and told all of this to the companions of blessed Francis. At meal time they put the water for washing his hands in a jar, and, in the evening, they asked him to allow them to wash his feet, without telling him about the matter. And so, afterwards, they gave the man the water blessed Francis used to wash his hands and feet. The man took it and with it, as if it were holy water, sprinkled the cattle stretched out on the ground almost dead and also all the others. And immediately, through the grace of God and the merits of blessed Francis, all of them were cured. At the time blessed Francis already had scars in his hands, feet, and side.
– Let us think, if we only got to heaven, what a sweet and easy thing it will be there to be always saying with the angels and the saints, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus.
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 1st, 2026 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
February 2026
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
May the Lord grant you peace!
In the Spring of 1207, while in the woods of Monte Subasio, Saint Francis was accosted by several thieves. They asked Francis who he was and he replied simply, I am the herald of the great King! We know the story: they stripped him of his tunic, threw him into a ditch, and went away amused at the self-aggrandizing words of this “lunatic”. Francis was untroubled at the harsh treatment given him. Our Seraphic Father truly an example for all his children-to-be got up and cheerfully continued his way. Eccentric to say the least! … but truly in love with God and life so that even harsh treatment could not destroy the inner peace and joy he was discovering more deeply every day.
His response to the brigands was based on a profound conviction that the Lord had spoken to him from the Cross of San Damiano charging him to rebuild my Church, for as you can see it is falling into ruin. St. Francis understood these words literally. His “job” was to rebuild churches. He was the divinely-appointed ecclesiastical architect and general contractor. Actually, it is not far-fetched to give him these titles. The day would come when he would be the “architect” of a whole new way of life and build the Family of the Penitents of Assisi with the lives and love of those “living stones”, who eventually would follow the example of the Poverello of Assisi. The Providence of God would take care of his needs. The good people of Assisi and so many others would be the all-providing hand of God for this young “penitent” who had embraced his fears, kissed the leper, and given all that possessed him back to the world. He threw himself with abandon into the loving arms of his Father in heaven.
St. Francis was a “man on a mission”, a mission yet to be defined, but one that he did not hesitate to begin, leaving all the specifics up to God. How wonderful our lives would be if only we would be that trusting of God! We trust human beings, erratic as they or we can be, and yet we find difficulty trusting God, Whose love is everlasting! (Psalm 136). Go figure! The work of rebuilding churches with the sweat of his brow and strength of his own limbs caught the attention of many, especially the elite of Assisi society. Francis, as they, was accustomed to be catered to in his whims, though there was a tender spot in his heart for those less fortunate on the lower rung of the social ladder.
Whatever the reason, it seemed he captured the attention of everyone. All were aware of Francis. He had caused excitement and consternation among the populace of Assisi. True leadership seems to demand a definite response: yes or no, accept or reject, adhere or detach, follow or leave. Any who encountered Francis Bernardone, and knew of his previous life as the fair-haired-son of the self-made wealthy merchant, could not remain indifferent to the transformation before them.
Except for the presence and support of an unknown friend, St. Francis was relatively alone in the first years of his new life. No doubt there were many questions and personal difficulties he would have to overcome. He struggled with the “demons” within and the difficulties without, as any of us do during a lifetime. With the help of divine grace, he sought to become the new wine and new wineskin (Matthew 9:14-17, Mark 2:18-22, Luke 5:33-39). He did not seek to establish a new Order in the Church, but to establish order in his life. His cheerful character and determination, his acceptance of voluntary poverty to avoid the entanglements that our possessions so often cause us, his deep love and concern for the “refuse” of society numbering himself among them, were only a few of the characteristics of this “new person” Francis was becoming more decisively each day. And these all served as “magnets” that attracted so many in those first few years to follow his example. They too would eventually become “heralds of the great King”.
Emphasizing the word “herald” is important. Heralds were trusted people charged with a given mission. They spoke in the name of the other. They did not wield the authority. They did however yield to the authority of God’s Word. They spoke in the name of One whose words were to be repeated verbatim, and to Whose Word they were to be conformed.
Jesus Himself speaks of the attitude of His “heralds”. He tells us not to worry when we are questioned regarding the >Good News= we are commissioned to proclaim to the world. Speaking in the name of Jesus and witnessing our allegiance to Him, Jesus tells us: Do not be afraid of what you are to say or how you are to say, the Spirit of my Father will be speaking in you (Matthew 10: 19). Because the heralds were trusted people entrusted with the words of their master, an integrity and credibility were bestowed upon the herald by the mere fact of the office they fulfilled and by the one whom they were delegated to represent, and in whose name, they delivered their message. A herald spoke from a source beyond himself. He spoke with certainty. Thus, the herald spoke with unquestionable authority. In this sense, St. Francis was a true herald. He proclaimed the words of the Master and lived them.
In the First Life of St. Francis written by Blessed Thomas of Celano, we read that in winter (February) of 1209: Francis went to another place, which is called the Portiuncula … When on a certain day the Gospel was read in that church, how the Lord sent his disciples out to preach, the holy man of God, assisting there, understood somewhat the words of the Gospel; after Mass he humbly asked the priest to explain the Gospel to him more fully … Francis, hearing that the disciples of Christ should not possess gold or silver or money; nor carry along the way scrip, or wallet, or bread, or a staff; that they should not have shoes, or two tunics; but that they should preach the kingdom of God and penance, immediately cried out exultingly: This is what I wish, this is what I seek, this is what I long to do with all my heart. The holy father, overflowing with joy, hastened to implement the words of salvation, and did not delay before he devoutly began to put into effect what he heard. … For he was no deaf hearer of the gospel … He then began to preach penance to all with a fervent spirit and joyful attitude … His word like a blazing fire, reaching the deepest parts of the heart and filling the souls of all with wonder… In all his preaching, before he presented the word of God to the assembly, he prayed for peace saying, May the Lord give you peace … Many who hated peace, with the Lord’s help wholeheartedly embraced peace. They became children of peace. (1 Celano, 21-24)
God=s word was no idle spiritual devotion for Francis. It was the guiding factor in his life. As God spoke, so Francis sought to do. When our Seraphic Father heard the words of the Gospel on that grace-filled day, his concerns and questions were answered. It seemed as though God Himself were saying to Francis: ‘Abandon worries and concern for tomorrow in the hands of the One Who provides for every moment and without Whom nothing can be. Trust. Do not be afraid=. He preached this profound message to others more by actions than by words. His simplicity and childlike trust in the Providence of God attracted others to follow his example.
Friars and Sisters who lived in formal religious houses and monasteries gave a powerful witness of total detachment. There were also men and women, our brothers and sisters, who could not leave their families and/or responsibilities in society. They deeply desired and sought to live this powerful witness to the gospel life in their daily secular experiences. They became the yeast kneaded into the dough, the light placed on a candelabra (Matthew 13:33).
The Gospel is a call offered to everyone willing to listen and to follow. The more we faithfully listen to the Word within, the better we are empowered to respond to a world that surrounds us. Give priority to God and trust in His all-providing and all-loving Presence, and life will be fulfilled beyond your desires. The famous statement of St. Iraeneus: The glory of God is the human being fully realized. Is a powerful and encouraging reminder of grace that builds on nature. Conformed to the Person of Christ is the ultimate realization for a Christian who in, with, and through Him (Doxology after Eucharistic Prayer) lets go of everything and lets God “take over”.
As spiritual children of our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi, let us remember the power the Word of God exercised in his life and that should exercise in our own. St. Francis expected the Rule, Testament, and the life of the Gospel as origin and consequence to be lived “without gloss”. Let us read the Word and listen to It with our heart. When necessary, ask clarifications, as St. Francis did, to enlighten you that you may better understand what the Lord is saying to you through His Word.
St. Francis is that man with a disarmed heart, as he was called by the Sicilian Bishops several decades ago. Stand disarmed before human beings and disarmed before God and His Eternal Word. Francis wanted the brothers to live not only the Rule and Testament but also the Gospels without gloss. “Gloss” only mitigates and/or even changes the meaning as it is written by the author. Following our Seraphic Father’s example, let us always have an open and disarmed heart to the challenges God’s Word may offer us. As Heralds of the Great King, we proclaim His Word. Let the words of the Divine Word Incarnate enter your heart as He speaks to each of you personally. Matthew reminds us so powerfully in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven (Matthew 5: 3-12). He reminds us: Do not be afraid. It is I (John 6: 20).
If only we realized the beauty of our Franciscan Vocation and the heights of holiness we could achieve following the example of St. Francis of Assisi! We would be able to eradicate from our lives and fraternities all that does not speak of Franciscan humility and charity. This is not “pie-in-the-sky” religiosity. Our Franciscan charism offers us the foundation for a life worth loving and living. Love must come first if we are ever to really live. Love of who we are must come first. The Church in Her leadership has always praised our Franciscan spirit and encouraged the sisters and brothers to live it fully. For this to be effective in our lives, remember the words of St. Francis that tell us how to live the life we accepted “without gloss”.
Let us let the Word take hold of our lives. Whatever God says to us in His most holy Word, let us say with Saint Francis: that is what I want with all my heart. Let the hope, trust and optimism that has its source in the Lord Himself (cfr. Romans 15: 13) overflow into the lives of all whom we encounter and to whom we minister.
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 look over each one of you, his spiritual children, and your loved ones with loving care.
Peace and Blessings
Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional Spiritual Assistant
Happy Lent 2026
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 7th, 2026 Joyful Gospel Living
“Then you shall be radiant at what you see…”
Unlike Advent, Lent, and Easter, the Christmas season is not very long in days of celebration: Christmas Eve vigil mass (December 24th) until the Baptism of the Lord (January 11th). During those 19 days, though, we hear some of the most wondrous stories of all time and we meet some of the most unlikely people who opened themselves to being part of God’s extraordinary plan for our salvation.
Whenever I listen to or play Christmas carols on the piano, I hear those stories so clearly. These are not the catchy holiday tunes that have played on the radio since Halloween and disappeared the day after Christmas. The true Christmas carols draw from us the desire to experience awe and wonder about the birth of Christ (although King Herod’s reaction, motivated by pride and envy, had no room for awe and wonder). Here are some noteworthy words from the carols that connect us to people and places: Bethlehem; stable and manger; heavenly host; shepherds and sheep; “Gloria in excelsis Deo”; a guiding star; Magi from the East; treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh; and the appearance of the Light of the world, transforming our world with His grace, peace, and beauty.
When my three brothers and I were growing up in Camden, the celebration of Epiphany always occurred on January 6th (before Vatican II). Our faith community looked forward to this celebration because our parish distributed chalk and incense for families to take home to bless their homes for the year ahead. Someone from the family would remind everyone of the three kings (Kaspar/Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar) and then make an inscription above the doorframe: “20+K+M+B+26.” My Mom would bring out a special bowl with the resin of the incense, lighting its fragrance within each room for the same blessing for our house.
These special traditions help us to appreciate how wondrous it was that the Magi saw the bright star in the sky and followed it to where it led them. These faraway visitors to the newborn King in Bethlehem were the fulfillment of ancient scriptural prophecies in which every nation on earth would adore the Lord. This would become dramatically apparent later when St. Paul had his conversion and chose to bring the Good News to the Gentiles as the Church grew in faith and witness.
During the Christmas season, our worship area is beautifully decorated with the large Fontanini Nativity set and the significant characters in the birth of Christ. When we pause in front of that Nativity set, we understand what the Prophet Isaiah meant when he foretold, “Then you shall be radiant at what you see.” What a privilege to have been present during that wondrous moment! Sacred art enables us to have a taste of what it must have been like.
Our parish Nativity set not only has the Holy Family, offering us their love for one another and God, but also shepherds, animals, and the Magi. The story would not be complete without all of them. Isn’t it interesting that the visit of the Magi is not found in any other Gospel account other than Saint Matthew’s? Let us be grateful that this story and its consequences (the slaying of the Holy Innocents and the flight into Egypt are also significant to the Christmas season) were preserved so that we would understand that Christ’s coming was not totally idyllic and safe.
After more than two years of steady conflict, the Church welcomed Franciscan Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, as the new Custos of the Holy Land. In a true spirit of interfaith dialogue, religious leaders resumed their annual celebration of Hanukkah with Christians and Muslims in Ein Karem, the home village of Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist, followed by a Magnificat Institute concert that expanded dialogue to include Muslims. What a special way to bring light and hope to others!
In his first Christmas message as Custos, Fr. Ielpo focused on this Scripture quote: “She gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger.” (Lk 2:7). The foreign Magi saw this, too:
“Jesus is born in a makeshift place, humble and unsuitable. The disruptive image of Christmas is smallness. Here in Bethlehem we contemplate a small God. A stable becomes the place of the infinite. The holiest liturgy is celebrated on straw, with the sharp smell of manure, in the caresses of a mother and in the cry of a child. Once again, Jesus is not afraid to descend to the lowest point of our humanity, made of violence, sin, pain, tears, and hardship. Once again, He is born and asks us, just as we are, to be a cradle for Him, with the poor straw of our fragility. He is laid in the manger to become food, nourishment of hope for all humanity. By looking at Him, contemplating Him, and imitating Him, we can begin again with renewed hope. In the stable of humanity, we are not alone. Jesus is born for us.”
 
The Prophet Isaiah reminded Jerusalem that they were part of God’s plan: even when darkness covered the earth, the glory of the Lord shone upon them because the light had come for them. On this Epiphany celebration, we share such glad tidings of joy and peace 2025 years later. If we pause to savor what has happened, we will experience what Isaiah foretold. May awe and wonder fill our days!
“…your heart shall throb and overflow.”
Teresa S. Redder, OFS
SKD Regional Minister
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