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Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 2nd, 2015  Dear Brothers and Sisters
Greetings of love and peace to you!
Looking ahead to the season of Lent which will be upon us shortly, I think Chapter 6 in the text Franciscan Prayer, “The Heart Turned Toward God,” by Ilia Delio OSF, would be very appropriate for Ongoing Formation although it was not written specifically for lent. While I cannot physically include the whole content of this chapter, I would like to at least point out a few excerpts which can be used for discussion. If you already have the text, go for it. You may approach the chapter differently. If I can be of any help to you I am always available.
The heart is the center of the whole personal life of the human person. If we tend to clutter our hearts with those things that really do not matter, we will not be able to encounter God, this is where God reveals himself to us. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel “where you treasure is, there will be your heart be also (Luke 12:34). Francis believed that the heart is the seat of the will, the root of sin, and the place of conversion.
Francis in his Admonitions indicated that the heart must not turn away from God under “pretexts” of occupations. We too often complain we do not have enough time to pray or we are too busy to pray. When we are too busy, Francis’ admonition calls to mind that our hearts may turn away from God.
Francis placed a great emphasis on the Word of God, as a living Word, the Word of life. This is the Word that took flesh in Jesus, the Word that comes to us in the Scriptures and in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and the Word that fulfills our lives when it dwells in our hearts. As a life-giving Word, Francis made every effort to ensure that the Word became his life, and he called his followers to do the same.
For Bonaventure, the heart is the place of knowledge and rest, as well as the place of love. It is the place where one enters into solitude and fosters the desire for God. “Be sure always to guard your heart well” he writes.
Clare of Assisi had a clear focus on the crucified Christ as the spouse of transforming love and only in union with Him can we be transformed to the beauty of God’s image in our lives.
So how can we as Franciscans apply the above during our Lenten journey? Everyday?
Article VII of our Rule gives us some direction – United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance,” and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of radical interior change which the gospel itself calls “conversion.” Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily. On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace.
Peace,
Rosie
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 2nd, 2015
 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: www.skdregion.org email: pppgusa@gmail.com
February, 2015
Dear Spiritual Children of St. Francis of Assisi, The Lord give you His peace! In a brief time from the end of the Christmas Season, the Church begins the solemn Lenten Journey that takes us from the Ashes of humility to the Palm and Olive Branches of praise, and from the Calvary of betrayal and death to the Empty Tomb of Resurrection and glory. If ever there were a time for us to see the intimate connection between the Crib and the Cross, it is now. The wood that enveloped the Child at Bethlehem was a preparation for the wood that would hold him up before the whole world. Mary presented Jesus to the world at Bethlehem when the Wise Men from the East arrived seeking the newborn King. Mary associated Herself with the Sacrifice of Her Son on Calvary and offered Him to the Father with a love and total surrender that only a Mother can personalize within her heart and express in her life. The words of the prophet Simeon – and your own heart will be pierced with a sword that the thoughts of many hearts may be laid bare (Luke 2: 35) – were finally totally fulfilled. The Feast of the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, celebrated at the beginning of this month on February 2nd, prepares us for all that follows during the next forty days of our lenten journey; and, it reminds us of the intimate relationship of Mary with Her Son Jesus, sharing with Him the most solemn moment of His life. Lent helps us to prepare for the transition from childhood to adulthood in the Spirit. We journey in Word and Sacrament throughout this holiest of Church Seasons. We open our ears and our hearts to the Word of God calling us to a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in Whom all creation is restored. We are reminded that the Christian, as another Christ in the Spirit, is called to take up his cross daily and journey to Calvary and beyond. The ‘beyond’, and where it leads, is determined by the depth of desire and decisiveness we have to make up in our personal lives what is still lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of His Body the Church (Colossians 1: 24). Lent helps us to re-focus and re-evaluate those areas that may have affected or be affecting our soul’s journey through Christ to the Father in the Spirit. All this may sound like ‘nice’ words for spiritual reading but not necessarily food for our everyday lives. There is nothing further from the truth! It is a question of Spirit and Life! The Spirit prompts within us and life responds to the urging of the Spirit. It is only when our hearts and souls are balanced that our lives become less dysfunctional, our values and principles less compromising, our actions less burdensome, our decisions less patronizing, our prayers less formal and spiritless, our relationship with God and others less self-centered and more open to the working of the Spirit and the Will of God. When our spirit is in shape, then the whole person is truly – even though somewhat distorted and infinitely less – an image of the invisible God. We begin Lent with the acceptance of ashes on our foreheads. This has always seemed a little strange to me because of the Gospel we hear read and preached on Ash Wednesday: Be on guard against performing religious acts for people to see (Matthew 6: 1). It is interesting how people will make every effort to go to Church ‘to get ashes’ on Ash Wednesday, but often indifferent to what is expressed by their reception. This sacramental signifies the passing state of life, the nothingness of so many material things for which we express great concern and desire, and our willingness to reflect upon our lives to refocus on the priorities and the great gift of salvation celebrated in the Passion-Death-Resurrection of Jesus. Ashes in the ancient world and still today in many areas of the globe are used for scouring and cleansing tough stains. For us, they are the sign of a willingness and availability to permit God’s grace, through our collaboration, to scour and cleanse our hearts and souls so that we may enter the Easter Season renewed in the Spirit, with lives better directed to everything a Christian has promised and is expected to be and do. The three tools that we are reminded of during this holy season are: prayer, sacrifice, and almsgiving (charitable acts). These are traditional terms still meaningful and effective for anyone attempting to make his/her Lent a fruitful experience of growth in grace. Unfortunately, so many view these three positive elements as negative and ‘old fashioned’. Prayer is often understood as repetitious ramblings of the pious words of others and/or form prayers required to ‘make God hear us’; the more we say the better – even if taking more time to recite these prayers our responsibilities may suffer! … Sacrifice is the act that refuses legitimate things often with the thought that the more we suffer physically the greater God blesses our soul. While at times there can be a truth in that, pain for the sake of pain is never a blessing … Almsgiving or Acts of Charity opens our wallets/purses, refrigerators, check books, signs petitions to legislators and speaks powerfully in favor of the downtrodden, and so forth, but often fails to recognize the person of Christ in the one whom we have made an object for our own good feeling and sense of altruism. Some reflections regarding the three companions still necessary for a fruitful Lenten Season of Renewal might help us to acknowledge them more positively, and view them from a different perspective: Prayer – Prayer is a posture of dialogue between the creature and the Creator. It is an intimate exchange that places us in the presence of God and allows the Love of God to envelop us and speak to our heart. It does not take eloquence or long drawn-out discourses. When you pray, go to your room … and pray to your Father in private (Matthew 6: 6) … do not rattle on (Matthew 6: 7) … All it takes is the time to be quiet with God; to speak to Him from the heart about whatever we know He already knows but that we need to emphasize in our own hearing to recognize our greater need for God in the matter; to speak less and listen more to the God Who speaks to our hearts and souls; to reconfirm our trust in God’s Providence and our desire to always live in His Will. This type of prayer requires only love, and the response we experience brings us peace and serenity. Sacrifice – Sacrifice for Lent has always been wrapped up in denials. The word itself – “sacrifice” – actually comes from two Latin words: sacrum (sacred) and facere (to make). Thus, the reason for ‘sacrifice’ is to make something or someone ‘sacred’ or ‘holy’. This was the command God Himself gave His People in the desert after they left Egypt for the trek to the Promised Land. Be holy, for I, your God, am holy (Leviticus 11: 45; 1 Peter 1: 16) . Holiness, as we read in the Gospels and the Letters of the Apostles, has little, directly, to do with food, clothing, activities, or the like. What the word does entail is that we seek ways to free our spirits and lives from the slavery of being controlled by things, even legitimate things, which can, continued and exaggerated, addict the person in such a way that the person no longer has time to focus on his/her God and his/her relationship with Him, or makes him/her so self-centered on personal needs and wants, that he/she fails to notice the sisters and brothers in need. The need for physical ‘sacrifice’ (in the common understanding of ‘relinquishing things’) has also been proven very helpful and spiritually and physically healthy for the body, mind, heart and soul. The prime purpose for sacrifices must be the spirit; we must direct our priorities correctly, otherwise a good act, done for the wrong reason, is worth little or nothing. Almsgiving – Almsgiving is an old term that merely means ‘charitable acts’ of giving, materially meeting another’s needs from our own resources. The first thought here that some may have is that of special collections or money gifts provided for those whose lives are socially, financially, ethnically, legally … challenged. Even here, the thought is commendable, but when done for more social reasons and not because we recognize the suffering Christ in our sister or brother in need, our acts benefit the other, but are not a true expression of faith in Divine Providence Who exercises Its beneficence through God’s Children. Prayer, Sacrifice and Almsgiving (Charitable Acts) really do follow a logical sequence that fills the soul with a serenity in its advance on the road that leads to our resurrection and renewal in the Spirit at Easter. Prayer creates an atmosphere of calm and quiet, an openness and availability to God Who speaks. Sacrifice, in response to God’s Voice, helps us to differentiate between our needs and wants, and allows us to recognize how blessed we are recognizing everything we have and do not have as a gift of Divine Providence. Almsgiving (charitable acts) is the natural response done from the heart and not the head to offer others the opportunity to know how blessed they are because of God’s Goodness offered them through us, because we have recognized God’s Goodness and our call to be His Providence to others. These three Lenten Companions teach us that: – Prayer helps us discover that humility, contrition and prayer make the distance between man and God disappear. They act in such a way that God descends to man, and man ascends to God, so that both understand, love, and possess one another. – Sacrifice humbles us lovingly before God. Distancing things that distract us or that we have allowed to “possess us”, we will hear more clearly the “voice” of God Who speaks to those who truly have a humble heart before him, and enriches that heart with His gifts. In the course of life, mortifications will not be lacking. We should love them, and embrace them with a cheerful heart. Suffering is the mark of those who have chosen a Crucified God as their inheritance. – Almsgiving or Acts of Charity opens our heart to others and leads us to treat them as we would want to be treated. We see all as “our neighbor”. Our Seraphic Father St. Francis reminded the brothers in his Testament: and the Lord gave me brothers – brothers and sisters, whoever they may be in creation, are God’s gift to us. We must love them in fact and not just in theory. We are called to “embrace the leper”. Have we tried to enter a more personal relationship with God? Do we pray from our hearts, or must we always use books or vocal prayer? Do we feel uncomfortable in silent prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament? Do we believe that the power of prayer can transform ourselves and even the world? Do we believe in the necessity of prayer to recognize God’s kingship over us and our need to detach ourselves from all that hinders our journey to God? Are we prudently reasonable in the sacrifices we perform during Lent? Do we propose Lenten ‘sacrifices’ that will help us: control our exaggerated desires, let go of legitimate acts and things that tend to or in fact control our daily routine, or help us to prioritize our needs and wants, so that we can recognize more deeply the presence of God’s Providence in our life? When we respond to the needs of others, do we offer out of ‘compassion’ (seeing our suffering sister or brother entitled to our concern and loving response – love looks across – horizontally) or out of ‘pity’ (seeing a lesser member of society so that we can ‘feel good’ in materially helping someone without considering them as an equal in need – vainglory looks down – vertically)? Is our willingness to be of service an openness of heart or just a ‘seasonal’ series of acts that will have no lasting effects on our perception of those less fortunate – in any way – than we? Do we ‘buy’ our way into the lives of others rather than empathize and enter into the hearts of others, allowing them to enter ours? Now that we have begun this holy season, I pray that it may be a spiritually fruitful journey for us all. Let us ‘Hurry up slowly’ through this Season. Let us do little things well, with our hearts focused on the true meaning of ‘Repentance’ and ‘Renewal’. Little, simple, consistent, faith-filled acts and attitudes can help us deepen our awareness of God’s love in the Passion-Death-Resurrection of Jesus and strengthen our spirits to become more authentic Christians in our lives. May God bless you; Our Lady guide, guard, and protect you; and our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi look over each one of us, his Spiritual Children, with loving care. The beginning of the month we heard Simeon proclaim Jesus a Sign of Contradiction (Luke 2: 34). Through the graces and practices of this holy season, may we too be “signs of contradiction” – as was and still is Jesus – to a confused world. In the spirit of the Poverello, may we be an uplifting presence for the many whom we encounter on our journey. Happy and fruitful Lent to all the Penitents of Assisi! Peace and Blessings Fr. Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap. Regional Spiritual Assistant
Posted By Teresa Redder, on February 2nd, 2015 February 2015
All-powerful God,
everlasting, just and good,
of ourselves we are nothing but poverty;
but grant, for your own sake,
that we may do what we know is your will,
and always desire what is pleasing to you…
Amen.
(Conclusion of the Letter to the Entire Order)
Following are daily excerpts taken from various Franciscan writings. Daily meditative phrases from various sources.
1
His sermons were not vain and shallow but they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit (Major Legend, chpt.2) – God’s mercy, if we only let him take over, will take us much farther and higher than our own scant justice.
2
He began to preach all over with great commitment and assurance. He did not have recourse to reasoning founded on human wisdom, but based his teachings on the doctrine and virtue of the Holy Spirit, faithfully proclaiming the kingdom of God (Three Companions, chpt.54) – God’s predilection for the humblest and lowest emphasizes the point that he likes to make of upsetting men’s calculations and betraying expectations based on rank, merit, age or tradition.
3
His style was not as one preaching but as one who is conversing…he spoke clearly and respectably (Thomas of Spalato) – Self-reliance will get us nowhere…the whole process is better looked after when placed in he hands of God than when held tight in our grip as though we were bent on seeing it through at all costs by ourselves.
4
His words were like an ardent fire that penetrated the depths of the heart and filled the mind with admiration; … (his preaching) had the aroma and essence of divine revelation (Major Legend, chpt.12) – The fact that we fall is not important, but the hopeful effect of the fall to make us turn to God…is such a necessary lesson that it outweighs the fall and soothes the hurt.
5
He always used simple and very practical examples when preaching to the uneducated people, for he realized that virtue is more important than (stylish) words (Major Legend, chpt.12) – When faith joins hands with reason, their union bears the happiest fruits of spiritual understanding and heavenly wisdom; but the way to that union is paved with difficulties.
6
When proclaiming the word of the Lord before thousands of people, he was calm and confident, as though he were speaking with his brother and companion (2Celano, chpt.107) – Human weaknesses do not hinder God’s work in the soul, while human pride does.
7
From the purity of his heart he acquired the self-assurance of his words; even when he was unexpectedly invited to preach, he spoke marvelous things that had not been heard before (2Celano, chpt.107) – Pray in faith and you will obtain all you need…Jesus never disappoints.
8
He did not offer excuses for those living sinful lives, but he chastised them firmly, having himself practiced what he was now asking others to do (1Celano, chpt.36) – Faith is the greatest power on earth, and prayer its exercise.
9
He was speaking with such fire of spirit that he could not contain himself for joy. As he brought forth the word from his mouth, he moved his feet as if dancing, not playfully, but burning with the fire of divine love, not provoking laughter but moving them to tears of sorrow. (1Celano,chpt.27) – Petitionary prayer increases faith…Grow in faith by practicing prayer; and practice prayer by asking God for what you need…
10
Let no brother preach contrary to the rite and practice of the Church or without the permission of his minister. Let the minister be careful of granting it without discernment to anyone. (Earlier Rule, chpt.17) – It is not easy to ask, because petition is submission, is dependence, is humility and is commitment.
11
Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds. No minister or preacher may make a ministry of the brothers or the office of preaching his own, but, when he is told, let him set it aside without objection. (Earlier Rule, chpt.17) – To pray is to anticipate the parousia. May the Kingdom come today in token and in sign, so that it may come one day in its fullness.
12
I admonish and exhort those brothers that when they preach their language be well-considered and chaste for the benefit and edification of them people, announcing to them vices and virtues, punishment and glory, with brevity, because our Lord when on earth kept his word brief. (Later Rule, chpt.9) – The danger of prayer is that we very correctly pray for ‘the right things’, with no desire to receive them.
13
He wanted ministers of the word of God to be intent on spiritual study and not hindered by other duties. He said that these men were heralds chosen by a great king to deliver to the people the decrees received from his mouth. (2Celano, chpt.122) – Prayer, when made with sincerity, brings us face to face with God and makes us deal with him as person to person…
14
The preacher must first secretly draw in by prayer what he later pours out in sacred preaching; he must first of all grow warm on the inside, or he will speak frozen words on the outside. (2Celano, chpt.122) – When we have some years behind us and look back on life, and come to realize how wise God was in not granting some of our prayers, we may even thank Him for not giving us what we did not know for what we were asking.
15
We should honor and revere all theologians and those who minister to us the words of God, as those who minister to us ‘spirit and life’. (2Celano, chpt.122) – Our view of things is of necessity short, biased and selfish, and we grab impatiently the quick relief when the true benefit would be the long endurance.
16
He…directed himself to invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit. Suddenly he began to overflow with such effective eloquence and to move the minds of the high-ranking men to compunction with such force and power that it was clearly evident it was not he, but the Spirit of the Lord who was speaking. (Major Legend, chpt.12) – God can well answer a prayer for escape with a grace to endure. Instead of removing the trial, God grants the strength to go through it.
17
In the presence of the Cardinal, Francis addressed himself to the brothers and said: ‘Christ…has told me: ‘I want you…by word and work to preach the folly of the cross’. (Angelo Clareno) – ‘Lord, give me what is best for me’…can you pray this without conditions or hesitating?
18 – Ash Wednesday
We are mothers when we carry Him in our heart and body through a divine love and a pure and sincere conscience and give birth to Him through a holy activity which must shine as an example before others. (Letter to the Faithful, chpt.1) – The courage to pray in the face of rejection brings us close to Jesus himself in the deepest moment of his life.
19
A person is as learned as his actions show; and a religious is only as good a preacher as his actions show; for a good tree is known only by its fruit. (Mirror of Perfection, chpt.1,#4) – Every unanswered prayer is Gethsemane.
20
As you announce peace with your mouth, make sure that greater peace is in your hearts. Let no one be provoked to anger or scandal through you, but may everyone be drawn to peace, kindness, and harmony through your gentleness. For we have been called to this: to heal the wounded, bind up the broken, and recall the erring…(Three Companions, chpt.14) – Faith has to be tried in order to be itself, and the greatest trial for the believer is to feel abandoned by God.
21
A preacher must be wept over, as over someone without real piety, who in preaching seeks not the salvation of souls, but his own praise, or who destroys with the depravation of his life what he builds up with the truth of teaching. (Major Legend, chpt.8) – Suffering is not a problem to be discussed, but a reality, dark and painful though it is, to be lived.
22
The lord Pope confirmed their Rule and authorized them to preach in whatever church they so desired, after, out of respect and reverence, they requested permission from the prelate of the place. (Jacques de Vitry) – Life, whatever it is, is a test, and our reactions to its vicissitudes mark the path to our future, whatever again that may be.
23
He (Pope Innocent III) granted what was asked and promised even more. He approved the rule, gave them a mandate to preach penance, and had small tonsures given to all the lay brothers, who were accompanying the servant of God, so that they could freely preach the word of God (Major Legend, chpt.3) – The one redeeming trait of suffering is that it helps to bring out love.
24
The brothers must not have large churches built in order to preach to the people or for any other reason, for there is greater humility and better example when they go to other churches to preach.(Mirror of Perfection, chpt.1,#10) – God has come to do what he could not do in his heaven: to suffer with man. The cross of Christ is the meeting point of suffering humanity.
25
On Sundays and Feast Days, they leave their small dwellings and go to preach the word of life in the parish churches. (Roger of Wendover) – The infiniteness of God in the concreteness of a man, a few years that span eternity, a limited presence that fills creation…is Jesus!
26
The prelates of the church saw these documents (Papal documents approving the Order and the brothers’ preaching) and having verified their authenticity, generously permitted the brothers to build, live and preach in their dioceses.(Three Companions) – If the Son of Man can make the Father present, so can we, in our smallness and poverty, reflect his glory till he comes.
27
He used to say that, because of the office of prelacy or of zeal for preaching, they should not abandon holy and devout prayer, going for alms, working at times with their hands, and performing other humble tasks like the other brothers, for good example and for the benefit of their souls, as well as others. (Mirror of Perfection, chpt.3,#73) – We are signs in the Sign.
28
The blessed father knew through the Holy Spirit and even repeated it many times to the brothers, that many brothers, under pretext of edifying others, would abandon their vocation, that is, holy humility, pure simplicity, prayer, devotion, and our Lady Poverty…because they will think themselves to be more imbued and filled with devotion…and enlightened by knowledge of God because of their understanding of the Scriptures. (Mirror of Perfection, chpt..3,#72) – Faith is the capacity to be disturbed, to let God into one’s life, to cope with the unusual and to be surprised into glory.
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 28th, 2015 On Christmas Day, my daughter, Nicole, was sporting a new sweater, a gift from her big brother. Although a little tight on her, it was the perfect thing for her for it read “This is a girl who still believes”.
This was so perfect because she is the one who plays Christmas songs on the radio beginning Halloween, decorates a 7 foot Christmas tree with hand painted glass ornaments, takes her mother to Longwood Gardens to see the lights, attends an Ugly Sweater Party each year and watches a host of Christmas favorites on TV and often sings along to the Grinch Who Stole Christmas as she knows all the words. Of course, she also remembers the religious significance and this is paramount; being with family is all she ever wants for Christmas. But my point is she, not Macys, does BELIEVE.
But so do I in a quieter way, for each January, ever since I drug my family to Peddlers’ Village a few years ago on the coldest, bleakest day in winter, and became enamored of paper whites. The Miracle Grow Website proclaims “Paperwhite Narcissus will grow happily and bloom with nothing more than water and stones or beach glass.
Fill a 3 to 4 inch deep bowl or shallow container without drainage holes with crushed rock, pebbles or decorative stones. Pack your Paperwhite bulbs into the container and push them down into the stones so the tips stay upright. “
And from experience, I know that you will see flowers well before the Philadelphia Flower Show, and hopefully this little exercise will get you through winter until Spring.
Believe. As JPIC coordinator, as a Secular Franciscan, I try hard to keep believing
- That world peace could be a viable goal
- That each baby born is a sign that God has not thrown up His Hands in despair over the human race
- That people will write their Congressman at least one time in life
- That our fraternities will get new vocations, people who want to do penance, experience interior conversion, change the way they think about things and people, incarnate the words of the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis
- That one day, the city of Camden will again be a great place to live
- That one day, people of all ethnic groups and races will people our fraternities
- That torture will go out of style
- That people in authority will serve and protect all our citizens
- That human traffickers will go out of business because people find other things to watch other than pornography
- That families will eat dinner with each other and have enough to eat and will want to linger over their meals and talk to each other
- That people will take the part about resting on the Sabbath seriously and they will take vacations, not just to work on laptops on the beach, but to play with their kids and neck with their spouses
- That one person can make a difference.
Perhaps you have heard of the story of the boy who was observed throwing beach starfish back into the sea. When someone told him that his efforts were for naught for there were so many beached starfish , he replied that “ it was important to that one (starfish) “.
I do believe and am “ claiming it “, like a good Protestant would, that one day we will replenish our fraternities not only with mature pious people but also with enthused , wild and a little crazy, tattooed, ear ringed, long haired, faded jean , goofy, smart, idealistic, unrealistic, passionate , wannachange the world people who love God and want to learn about Francis.
And when they come, what will we say to them when they ask us “Well, what exactly do you do? At these meetings you all have, I know you pray and talk about Francis, but please tell me, what do you do? “
Anticipating all of this, I humbly ask that we start to do things in 2015 like we never did before. First off, there is a Mass for Human Trafficking on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at Noon at the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Let’s go. Let’s car pool. No big deal. Don’t even think too hard about it. We don’t need to get a bus. Let’s just drive to Washington and sit together and pray together for our Immigrant church, made up of people who are poor and marginalized.
Later this year, maybe in July, let’s have a gathering to talk about JPIC. I can bring the sandwiches, you can bring the drinks, etc. easy …
Let’s get out of our comfort area. Invite people we meet to Come and See. Do a project with us.
Volunteer. Write letters to the Editor about the Assisted Suicide Bill in Jersey or Fracking in PA.
I have some ideas for speakers and kind of a theme maybe something like: What can one Person do?
Let’s help Kate Kleinert man the information table at the World Meeting of Families in Philly in September. Let’s talk up the Order and get excited about it.
We have kicked around some ideas about the young adults at the colleges. What will stop us JPIC people from getting together for a coffee house to watch a video and talk about a response to a movie? Perhaps we can sponsor a movie/coffee house in conjunction with the Campus Ministry, the Newman Centers. Maybe we can get some interest in having the young people plant Liberty Gardens in the inner city (who remembers that title ?) , clean the beaches, have a soup can drive on Super Bowl Sunday or download a poster to prevent Human Trafficking (from Franciscan Action Network today ) and put it in your local church on Super Bowl Sunday ? Let’s visit the colleges, let’s go to Theology on Tap and just listen to what the young people are saying. What do you say?
I recently visited a fraternity and was talking about doing JPIC and a woman said to me “Oh, aren’t we all supposed to be doing that? And there is such diversity in how we all do it. She was right on.
Kathy Agosto, OFS
JPIC Animator, One of Many
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 1st, 2015 Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
PEACE to each of your hearts!
The end of an old year and the beginning of a new one finds me rummaging. Trying to clear out the clutter to begin … at least in spirit … to be organized. This, of course, is not a resolution; I gave up on those a long time ago. It is, however, an attempt, however feeble, to get my house in order which, after this past year, is no small feat!
Resolutions, as admirable and well-intentioned as they may be, have a tendency to be very selfish things. I resolve to begin to exercise. I resolve to lose weight. I resolve to get organized. The resolutions can be endless but, possibly because they involve changes of habit, are short-lived. » Click to continue reading “From the Heart of our Minister – January, 2015” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 1st, 2015 Dear Brothers and Sisters,
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. My prayer is that the Lord Jesus fills your life in the coming year with an abundance of blessings.
Let us begin again this New Year to be at peace and love in our daily lives and in our Franciscan family. We need each other. Saint Francis with the help of God made us family – like-minded people to be filled with joy and love for each other and to be forgiving.
In the year 1965 Pope Paul VI spoke at the United Nations to make an appeal for peace and the end to all forms of warfare. His words were to the whole world, “Let the weapons fall from your hands,” he pleaded. “You cannot love with weapons in your hands.”
In a world that brings many challenges let us work together for peace and live the Gospel life and reach out to all in compassion for the good of our fraternities and in our world.
We can apply the message of Blessed Pope Paul VI to our daily lives as Franciscans, through the prayer he gave us – MARY TEACH US LOVE
MARY TEACH US LOVE.
WE ASK YOU FOR LOVE, MARY, LOVE FOR CHRIST,
THE ONLY LOVE, THE HIGHEST LOVE, TOTAL LOVE,
GIVING LOVE, LOVE AND SACRIFICE FOR OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS.
HELP US TO LOVE IN THIS WAY.
OBTAIN FOR US, OH MARY, FAITH,
SUPERNATURAL FAITH, SIMPLE FAITH, FULL AND STRONG, SINCERE FAITH,
DERIVED FROM ITS TRUE SOURCE, THE WORD OF GOD, AND FROM ITS FLAWLESS CONDUIT,
THE MAGESTRIUM, ESTABLISHED AND GUARANTEED BY CHRIST, THE LIVING FAITH!
LOVE & PEACE
ROSIE
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 1st, 2015 
January 2015
Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace!
The Lord give you His peace and blessings now and throughout the New Year!
The prophet, speaking in the name of God, says, My Word will not return without fulfilling the purpose for which It was sent (Isaiah 55:11). From the very beginning of time, when the Almighty Creator and Father of all life brought out of nothing all that is and all that ever will be, there has been a yearning in creation for something, or better ‘Someone’. This ‘hope’ that groans until now (Romans 8: 22) is our constant companion on life’s journey that urges us to move forward into God’s Providence. We journey without knowing what the next moment will bring. We journey, and we trust. We trust because we believe. We believe because our hearts have been touched at birth by the Spirit of God Who enables us to see signs of the One greater than all. He encourages us to know Him more deeply as we see Him in and through the many gifts of His Creation. And, Jesus is the excellent and flawless example, the epitome of His magnificent creation. » Click to continue reading “Fr. Francis’ Greetings – January, 2015” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on January 1st, 2015 January 2015
All-powerful, most holy, Almighty and supreme God,
Holy and just Father, Lord King of heaven and earth
we thank You for Yourself, for through Your holy will
and through Your only Son with the Holy Spirit
You have created everything spiritual and corporal
… making us in Your own image and likeness,…
We thank You…
Following are excerpts taken from various Franciscan writings that refer to St. Francis lover of Chastity. Daily meditative phrases based on: – Readings from Pope John Paul II
1
The truly clean of heart are those who look down upon earthly things, seek those of heaven, and, with a clean heart and spirit, never cease adoring and seeing the Lord God living and true (Admonitions, #16) – Let yourselves be charmed by Christ…attracted by his example…loved by the love of the Holy Spirit…fall in love with Jesus Christ.
2
We carry Him (Jesus) in our heart and body through love and a pure and sincere conscience; and give Him birth through a holy activity, which must shine before others by example. (Letter to Faithful) – Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!…Open to his saving power.
3
He taught them to mortify not only vices and to check the prompting of the flesh, but also to check the external senses, through which death enters the soul. (1Celano, chpt.16) – Human beings are called to become disciples of that Other One who infinitely transcends them, in order to enter at last into true life. » Click to continue reading “Fr. Francis’ Reflections – January, 2015” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 15th, 2014 Advent greetings of peace, dear Family!
I pray this finds you well and filled with the Lord’s peace in this week of honoring our dear Mother Mary. What I most love about our Blessed Mother is not only her YES to God to bear the Messiah, but also her love of justice. During her visit to her cousin, Elizabeth, she uttered the prayer of her ancestors, the Magnificat. She prayed for justice for those who were considered the lowest, the poorest and the most vulnerable. As Franciscans, this too is our prayer. We must collectively echo the words of our Mother Mary and seek justice and peace for all those who are abused and mistreated.
You have no doubt read or heard the massive yet disturbing report from the Senate Intelligence Committee on Torture. From the National Religious Campaign Against Torture:
“Torture violates the basic dignity of the human person that all religions, in their highest ideals, hold dear. It degrades everyone involved — policy-makers, perpetrators and victims. It contradicts our nation’s most cherished ideals. Any policies that permit torture and inhumane treatment are shocking and morally intolerable.”
I am writing to ask you to join with me and raise a collectively Franciscan voice.
- Check your daily print or online newspaper for stories on the coverage of the report.
- Write a letter to the editor. Mention that you are a member of the U.S. Secular Franciscan Order (or your Franciscan Province or Community).
- Forward me a copy of your letter with the name of publication, city and state.
There are talking points and suggestions on the NRCAT website. I will collect the letters and forward to NRCAT – or you can go on the website and inform them yourself. Just copy me whatever you do. If the link does not work for you, visit http://www.nrcat.org.
May the God of peace give you his peace as we await the coming of Emmanuel!
Wishing you Advent blessings of peace and all good,
Carolyn
Animate Peace
“Peace begins within each of us. It is a process of repeatedly showing mercy to ourselves, forgiving ourselves, befriending ourselves, accepting ourselves, and loving ourselves. As we learn to appreciate ourselves and accept God’s gift of peace, we begin to radiate peace and love to others.” ~ Rev. John Dear
Posted By Teresa Redder, on December 3rd, 2014 The Longest Night, Waiting in the Darkness
Our Lutheran Brothers and Sisters invited our fraternity to participate in their “Longest Night” service last December. We are again invited on December 21st at 7:00 p.m. to Messiah Lutheran Church, Cape May Court House, to be with people who are not so very merry at Christmas, those who have lost a love one, those who have a child who is on drugs, whose marriage is on the rocks, those who can find little enthusiasm for the Charlie Brown Christmas Show or the endless Lifetime movies about having a happy ending by the end of the two hours with everyone coming over to the country house for hot chocolate and fresh chocolate chip cookies lighting up the TV screen like a Thomas Kincaide painting.
How true it is that we sometimes feel as though we are walking in the darkness, that we are far from home, far from where we want to be, estranged from family, This experience of night, feeling we are in a world soaked in darkness , has been experienced many times by many different peoples. Our Sacred Scriptures recount the Babylonian exile, the Jews oppressed by Pharaoh, the land of Palestine in Our Savior’ s time governed by the Romans. » Click to continue reading “JPIC News — December 2014” »
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