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Posted By Teresa Redder, on September 9th, 2014 This month, I had many experiences which made me think about our common commitment to identify with the poor and marginalized. This seems to me to be the essence of our profession and of our way of life, solidarity with the poor and love of poverty as opposed to social climbing, status seeking and hobnobbing with the rich, the well-educated and the privileged classes.
 When I wrote about the children at the borders last month, little did I know that I would soon meet them face to face living near to me in South Jersey. I now understand that tubing has a different meaning for immigrant children, who when they have walked from El Salvador to the U.S. Mexican border, jump on tires which are tied together across the Rio Grande River and then, they walk across the desert. I have come to know children who were shot at in their home in Guatemala, who have gone hungry and who live in fear of the immigration authorities taking their parents away and leaving them orphans. Then there are those whose political status is in limbo because they were born in the U. S. although their parents lack the proper legal papers. Luckily, there are provisions for these children to get financial aid and go to college in some instances. » Click to continue reading “JPIC News — September 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on September 1st, 2014 (St. Francis of Assisi)
O truly the most Christian of men,
who strove by perfect imitation
to be conformed while living to Christ living,
dying to Christ dying, and dead to Christ dead,
and deserved to be adorned with an expressed likeness!
(Your) most holy soul was released from the flesh
and absorbed into the abyss of divine light …
You were borne aloft straight to heaven …
(you) merited to enter the place of light and peace
where (you) rest with Christ forever.
(Pray for your family on earth that we may share your life with God one day.)
(Major Legend by St. Bonaventure, chapter 14 – adapted)
September celebrates the Impression of the Sacred Stigmata on the Body of our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi.
Excerpts taken from Considerations on the Stigmata, found in many editions of The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi. Daily reflections are taken from Various writings of St. Francis.
1
In the year of 1224, St. Francis went … from the Valley of Spoleto into Romagna, taking with him brother Leo…. Francis heard that many gentlemen were gathered together … he said to brother Leo, Come, let us go up into this festival, for, by God’s help, we shall gather there rich spiritual fruit. – We can be sure someone is a true religious and has the spirit of God if his lower nature does not give way to pride when God accomplishes some good through him. (Admonitions, 12)
2
A certain gentlemen of Tuscany … Orlando of Chiusi … had heard concerning the holiness and miracles of St. Francis and bore him great devotion and had a desire to see him and hear him preach…Francis came to the castle…where the gentlemen were gathered…and spoke these words, So great is the joy which I expect. That all pain is joy to me. – Blessed the religious who treasures up for heaven the favors God has given him and does not want to show them off for what he can get out of them. (Admonitions, 28) » Click to continue reading “Fr. Francis; Reflections – September. 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on September 1st, 2014 Dear Sisters and Brothers in St. Francis,![Bartolome-Esteban-Murillo-Saint-Francis-of-Assisi-Receiving-the-Stigmata[1]](http://www.skdregion.org/wp-content/uploads/Bartolome-Esteban-Murillo-Saint-Francis-of-Assisi-Receiving-the-Stigmata1-246x300.jpg)
The Lord give you his peace!
The world seems inundated with tragedies of all kinds. The Middle East and Africa are plagued by severe persecutions against Christians primarily but also other minority religious groups. Refugees in the Middle East, Africa, as well as at the border of the United States and Mexico arouse multi-national concern for their safety and well-being. Natural disasters are occurring more frequently around the world displacing or killing thousands of people. These occurrences are only a few signs of the sadness and suffering happening around our world. The cross of trials and suffering is not foreign to anyone. Trial and suffering was the culmination of the life of the One we call Lord and Savior. His years of silence and short-lived ministry, were all in preparation for the reason for His Incarnation. The Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ is the throne of fulfillment where Jesus spoke His most eloquent sermon and fulfilled the Will of the Father. It is from the Cross that we were “washed in His Blood” (Revelation 1:5) and made “coheirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17) to the fullness of Life with the Father through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the Name of Jesus, the Cross becomes a sign of hope not despair, of love not hatred, of life not death. How can we accept the “cross” experiences of life – sickness, persecutions, violence, death, uncertainties, and more – the “suffering moments” of life – as beneficial, though not necessarily desired, when they come our way? » Click to continue reading “Fr. Francis’ Greetings – September, 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on September 1st, 2014 Dear Brothers and Sister in Christ, Peace be with you!
Here we are in September which holds for us many feasts, beginning with The Nativity of Our Lady, the Holy Name of Mary, and Our Lady of Sorrows, as well as several Franciscan Saints. They gave up everything to rejoice in the treasures that awaited them in heaven.
Going back a couple of months ago, we read in Scripture, Matthew 13:44-52, another account of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like and that once one finds it, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it. Francis from the beginning of his ministry gave up all his possessions to follow the poor crucified Christ in imitation of Him. » Click to continue reading “Thoughts from your Regional Formation Director – September, 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on September 1st, 2014 Peace to each of your hearts, dear sisters and brothers in St. Francis!
And so we here we are … at that interim season of summerfall … when summer is not quite over and autumn is at our doorstep. Fr. Francis and our RFD, Rosie Viragh, OFS, have provided us with lots to think about as we approach the upcoming Franciscan season. I hope you will share what they have written with our sisters and brothers in fraternity.
In his letter this month, Fr. Francis reminds us that,
God’s Word and healing grace are made more apparent and effective when we walk together supporting, encouraging, and nourishing each other through our loving example and care, rooted in Faith and Hope with our eyes fixed on the Cross of Jesus our Victorious Redeemer. (Emphasis added)
How do we do this walking together, encouraging and supporting and nourishing each other? Is this something we really believe with our hearts and through our actions or something we only give lip service to? » Click to continue reading “From the Heart of Your Minister – September, 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on August 21st, 2014 (See previous post)
“I am relieved that we have been able to secure the return of the sacred Host, and that we have prevented its desecration as part of a planned satanic ritual,” said Archbishop Paul Coakley of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. “I remain concerned about the dark powers that this satanic worship invites into our community and the spiritual danger that this poses to all who are involved in it, directly or indirectly.”
Details on the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City website.
Posted By Teresa Redder, on August 17th, 2014 As many of you may already know, a group of occultists have scheduled a black mass at the Oklahoma City Center Music Hall on Sept. 21. Although Oklahoma’s governor has strongly condemned the event, lawyers for the state have said that nothing can be done to prevent it.
Below are some links to additional information. Please be sure to join with our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Tulsa and the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City as they fervently pray and fast for the cancellation of this blasphemy.
Background on the story from the secular press (venture into the comment section with care):
From Catholic sources:
Posted By Teresa Redder, on August 5th, 2014 One of the benefits of this new regional website is the synergy that can be created . I read Mattie Ward’s inspiring words about being how we are taught to hate and I can pick up on that with the thought that there is just so much rhetoric and hostility in our world today. This website ought to not only encourage us to think about things with a more Christ like attitude but also it can stir us out of lethargy and into action as we as Secular Franciscans are called “to be in the forefront of bringing about a more peaceful and evangelical world “. How is it that we are not talking about this more in our fraternities ?
Over the last few weeks, I have heard such vitriol about the immigrant children at our borders. Perhaps because I live in a very diverse community, I have a different view. I also participated in a web chat last week produced by Catholic Relief Services in conjunction with the USCCB. People are looking for someone to blame for this humanitarian crisis. The upshot of the webchat was we can blame ourselves and our fellow Americans who are clamoring for more drugs. This is one of several of the root causes of this crisis. Another tack to take when attacking that problem is working with disenfranchised youth in the Third World who turn to violence. The real work being done at the community level in Central America is giving those young people alternatives to violence and alternative careers away from the drug cartels.
» Click to continue reading “JPIC News — August 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on August 2nd, 2014  PEACE to each of your hearts dear brothers and sisters on this Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula!
We are tickled beyond pink to welcome you to our new Regional Website. Last year, we were approached by three computer-savvy brothers, Ted Bienkowski, OFS, Evan Ortiz, OFS, and Lee Potts, OFS, who gently explained to us that it was time to bring our Region into the 21st century. Now, through the efforts of our webmaster extraordinaire, Lee Potts, OFS, we are on our way! Soon, there’ll be an “app” for that, for those so inclined.
Lee has worked diligently and tirelessly to create this new site and continues to work to transfer the information from our former site to this one. In addition to his work in the world, supporting and caring for his family, serving as Formation Director for his Fraternity, and the myriad of other things in which he is involved, Lee has graciously agreed (and we are most grateful that he has) to serve as our web administrator. While Lee subscribes to the “do good and disappear” principle, we wanted to let you know exactly who was responsible for this wonderful “upgrade” of our Regional website and thank him publically for sharing with us his time and his talents. We are MOST grateful.
Those of you who are Facebook, Twitter and Tumbler friendly will note icons on the site that invite you to share information with others who are connected to the same forms of social media. We hope these additions to our site will open up lines of communication with many others … including, and especially, youth! We place this site under the protection of Our Lady of the Angels and ask her intercession as we move forward.
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You’ve got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught
From year to year,
It’s got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff’rent shade,
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
» Click to continue reading “From the Heart of Our Minister – August, 2014” »
Posted By Teresa Redder, on July 31st, 2014 Dear Sisters and Brothers,
PEACE and good to each of you. As we begin this month of celebration with the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiucula, we are reminded of the Portiuncula Indulgence, the first written document of which was dated October 31, 1277. The Portiuncula was the place where St. Clare received her religious habit at the hands of St. Francis in 1211. In a vision in 1216, St. Francis obtained from Our Lord the indulgence of the Pardon of Assisi which was approved by Pope Honoroius, III. We are the beneficiaries of this plenary indulgence which is a mighty tool for works of mercy and a weapon in our ongoing spiritual warfare. To obtain the Portiuncula plenary indulgence, a person must visit the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels at Assisi (would that we could), or a Franciscan sanctuary, or one’s parish church, with the intention of honoring Our Lady of the Angels. One should then perform recite the Creed, an Our Father and pray for the intentions of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. One should be free, at least intentionally, of attachment to venial and mortal sin, and truly repentant. One should make your sacramental confession 8 days before or after the feast and participate at Mass and receive Holy Communion 8 days before or after the feast.
Last month we began an article written by Sr. Clare Andre in honor of St. Clare. As the Feast of St. Clare occurs this month, the conclusion of the article follows.
» Click to continue reading “Thoughts From Your Regional Formation Director – August, 2014” »
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