One of the great benefits of technology is that there are Breviary apps for your phone so that we can pray the Divine Office, the prayer of the church throughout the day, anywhere without lugging the entire 4-volume set around with us. Priests and deacons take a vow to pray at least Morning and Evening Prayer each day. All of the hours are…simply divine. I have to admit, there are stretches I like to read and pray from printed volume. Something about its perfect weight in my hand, moving the ribbons to the right places, turning the pages…the rhythm of it. My app version expires every few months and requests that I enter my default password, godislove360, to continue. Doing this always makes me pause and meditate: God is everywhere…God is inside me…God is inside nature and present in others…and God is nothing but love…help me Jesus bring you into the world…
| HEALTHY INSTINCT | UNHEALTHY SIN |
| Security | Greed |
| Justice | Anger |
| Love | Lust |
| Preservation | Gluttony |
| Rest | Sloth |
| Community | Envy |
| Self-Esteem | Pride |
You’ve heard me talk about the kerygma before, the initial proclamation of the church. Our “value proposition” if we were a product or service. It’s this: 1) God loves us, always; 2) we move away from Him, we fall, in sin, we are human; 3) God’s incredible love provides an antidote to sin, a way back at any time: Jesus Christ. That is the love that surrounds us completely. Christ in the world. Us bringing Christ into the world. Most of our repetitive and addictive sin stems from a beautiful instinct given to us by God that has become disordered or outsized. Just look at the healthy instinct behind each of the unhealthy deadly sins:
God is love 360 is an interesting phrase because it combines faith and reason: Supreme Being, the Heart, and a mathematical description of expanse. Sometimes our way to compassion and our way out of sin pull in science to our faith. That’s why Fr. Rafal is so drawn to study psychology during his sabbatical, to better serve us as our pastor. That’s why the upcoming Safe Haven program to be rolled out in our diocese soon to equip us in overcoming pornography in and around us includes: 1) Prayer, 2) Brain Science, 3) Accountability. More to come on this 360-degree solution of God’s love!
May is ordination month in many dioceses, but the ordination of Fr. Michal Los, FDP, a member of the Orionine Fathers, was far from your typical ordination. On May 24th, Fr. Michal was ordained a priest in his Warsaw hospital bed. He was diagnosed with cancer shortly before Easter, and is now in critical condition. Pope Francis granted a dispensation allowing him to be ordained both a deacon and a priest in the same Mass. Fr. Michal was ordained in the Diocese of Warsaw-Praga.
The day before his ordination, he made perpetual vows in his religious community. His ordination took place in an atmosphere of great and profound spirituality. After the initial prayer, the litany for the intercession of the saints followed for the life of Fr. Michal and for his congregation.
The day after his ordination, Fr. Michal celebrated his first Mass from his bed. On May 25th via a video posted on Facebook, Fr. Michal thanked Catholics around the world who prayed for him, asking for more prayers and offering them a blessing with the sign of the Cross. “Praised be Jesus Christ, thanks for all your prayers and I hope you continue to praying, I bless all of you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” said the young priest.
Need he say more? God bless you, Fr. Michal.
Actually, women. Young, vibrant faith-filled women. Three thirty-something-year-old women who start out each weekly 35-minute podcast greeting each other and laughing, sounding like other thirty-something women, but then…they take a deep dive into their Catholic faith. But they are easily relatable. They apply it, and it fits. They talk kinda’ fast like people do now, but not too fast. There is a frankness and depth to their conversation not found in most places. Abiding Together (https://www.abidingtogetherpodcast.com/ ) is one of the most listened to weekly podcasts on iTunes.
Abiding Together is billed as: Providing a place of connection, rest and encouragement for women who are on the journey of living out their passion and purpose in Jesus Christ. The journeyers are Sister Miriam James, Heather Kyhm, and Michele Benzinger. Heather and Michele share about their husbands and kids. Sister shares about her vocation in an extremely integrated way with the others. They connect…together. Subscribers continue to increase at a steady pace, and surprisingly, there is a strong new demographic: Men. More men are “secretly” listening in because the conversation is so connecting and inspiring.
I was hesitant at first, but the 8+ hour ride across I-10 to New Orleans visit the grandkids needed any diversion. Mary Pat had two Abiding Together podcasts saved. I reluctantly agreed to the first one…then strongly requested that the second on be immediately played. Many thanks to “The God of Surprises”! Each weekly podcast comes with Listen Notes to reinforce the rich content. I highly recommend you listen if you’re a woman, man, young, any age.
One of the guest speakers on Abiding Together for Pentecost was Franciscan Friar Fr. Dave Pivonka, who was just named president of Franciscan University in Steubenville, OH. Like Sister Miriam, Heather, and Michele, Fr. Dave spoke
with this incredible…accessibility. He spoke about The Holy Spirit and kindled in me the embers to see The Holy Spirit as a…person…to also have a relationship with. The Spirit of Jesus. His website ministry The Wild Goose (https://thewildgooseisloos
e.com) gets its name from what the ancient Celts called The Holy Spirit. Pope Francis recognizes this wonderful “wildness” to freedom and urges us to “not try to tame The Holy Spirit. Fr. Dave has 14 beautifully done videos that give the viewer a refreshingly different, scripture-based, enriching angle that I’ve never experienced before. I also highly recommend anyone looking to “fan into flames” the grace of The Spirit already received in the sacraments to view one or all of this video series.
THERE IS REALLY NO SUCH THING AS ATHEISTS…
Sounds like good news, right? Wrong. At least with an atheist, you have someone who has searched for the truth and has come up with a conclusion. Someone who has an a theological starting point to start a conversation with. What is much more present today is one of two beliefs…None or pagan idolatry. They are close and usually very related. The “Nones” have no religious affiliation and are mostly in the “Meh” denomination of None…they don’t really care. When you are a None, there is no anchor, you’re like a free radical (was that in high school chemistry?) so you freely attach to something, anything that’s easiest or feels good. Usually, the attachment becomes a form of idolatry.
David Foster Wallace was a bright young college professor and author. He searched for the truth and twice started RCIA to come into the Catholic Church. He never made it. He always had too many unsatisfactorily answered questions just before the Easter Vigil. But he spoke some wisdom: He said, in the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the compelling reason for maybe choosing some sort of god or spiritual-type thing to worship—be it, Jesus or Allah, be it YHWH or the Wiccan Mother Goddess, or the Four Noble Truths, or some inviolable set of ethical principles—is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.
Wallace went on to say if you worship money and things, if they are where you tap real meaning in life, then you will never have enough, never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your body and beauty and sexual allure, and you will always feel ugly and incomplete. And when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths. On one level, we all know this stuff already. It’s been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, epigrams, parables; the skeleton of every great story. The whole trick is keeping the truth up front in daily consciousness.
That’s why I love our Catholic faith. When integrated into our whole life, the Truth rarely leaves our daily consciousness.
EASTER HOPE
The women bring spices to the tomb, but they fear that their journey is in vain, since a large stone prevents the entrance to the tomb. The journey of those women is also our own journey; it resembles the journey of salvation that we make every day. At times, it seems that everything we do comes up against a stone: Beauty of creation comes up against the tragedy of sin; Freedom from slavery comes up against infidelity to God’s covenant; The promises of the prophets comes up against the indifference of people. The same is true in the history of the Church and in our own personal histories. It seems that the steps we take never bring us to the goal. We are tempted to think that dashed hope is the bleak law of life.
Our journey is not in vain; it does not come up against a tombstone. A single phrase astounds the woman and changes history: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Lk 24:5). Why do you think that everything is hopeless, that no one can take away your tombstones? Why do you give up? Easter is the feast of tombstones taken away…rocks rolled aside. God takes away even the hardest stones against which our hopes and expectations crash: death, sin, fear, worldliness, the failure of others. Human history does not end before a tombstone, because it always encounters the “living stone” (cf. 1 Pet 2:4), the Risen Jesus. We, as Church, are built on Him, and, even when we grow disheartened and tempted to judge everything in the light of failures, he comes to make all things new, to overturn our every disappointment. Each of us is called every day to rediscover in the Risen Christ the one who rolls back from our heart the heaviest of stones. What is the stone that I need to remove, what is its name?
Often what blocks hope is the stone of discouragement. Once we start thinking that everything is going badly and that things can’t get worse, we lose heart and come to believe that death is stronger than life. We become cynical, negative and despondent. Stone upon stone, we build within ourselves a monument to our own dissatisfaction: the tomb of no hope. Tomb psychology consumes us: everything ends there, with no hope of emerging. But at that moment, we hear once more the insistent question of Easter: Why do you seek the living among the dead? The Lord is not to be found in resignation. He is not there; He is risen! Don’t seek him where you will never find Him: He is not the God of the dead but of the living (cf. Mk 22:32).
Do not bury your hope!
This is Part 1 of the writer’s 3-part adaptation of Pope Francis’ Homily at Easter Vigil Mass 2019
EASTER LOVE
There is another stone that often seals the heart shut: the stone of sin. Sin seduces; it promises things easy and quick, prosperity and success, but then leaves behind only solitude and death. Sin is looking for life among the dead, for the meaning of life in things that pass away. Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why not make up your mind to abandon that sin which, like a stone before the entrance to your heart, keeps God’s light from entering in? Why not prefer Jesus, the true light (cf. Jn 1:9), to the glitter of wealth, career, pride and pleasure? Why not tell the empty things of this world that you no longer live for them, but for the Lord of life?
Let’s return to the women who went to Jesus’ tomb. They halted in amazement before the stone that was taken away. Seeing the angels, they stood there “frightened, and bowed their faces to the ground” (Lk 24:5). They did not have the courage to look up. We do the same thing sometimes. We prefer to remain huddled within our shortcomings, cowering in our fears. It’s odd, but why do we do this? Because closed up within ourselves, we feel in control, for it is easier many times to remain alone in the darkness of our heart than to open ourselves to the Lord. Yet only He can raise us up. “We never know how high we are. Till we are called to rise” (Emily Dickinson). The Lord calls us to get up, to rise at His word, to look up and to realize that we were made for heaven, not for earth…for the heights of life and not for the depths of death: Why do you seek the living among the dead?
God asks us to view life as he views it, for in each of us He never ceases to see irrepressible beauty. In sin, He sees His sons and daughters to be restored…in death, brothers and sisters to be reborn…in desolation, hearts to be revived. Do not fear, then: the Lord loves your life, even when you are afraid to look at it. In Easter He shows you how much He loves your life: Living it completely, experiencing anguish, abandonment, death and hell, in order to emerge triumphant to tell you: “You are not alone; put your trust in me!”.
Jesus is a specialist at turning our deaths into life, our mourning into dancing (cf. Ps 30:11). With him, we too can experience a Pasch…a Passover– from self-centeredness to communion…from desolation to consolation…from fear to confidence. Let’s not keep our faces bowed to the ground in fear, but raise our eyes to the risen Jesus. His gaze fills us with hope. It tells us that we are loved unfailingly, and that however much we make a mess of things, His love remains unchanged. This is the one, non-negotiable certainty we have in life: His love does not change. Ask yourself: In my life, where am I looking? Am I gazing in graveyards, or looking for the Living One?
This is Part 2 of the writer’s adaptation of Pope Francis’ homily at Easter Vigil Mass 2019
EASTER FAITH
The women at the tomb hear angels say: “Remember what he told you while he was still in Galilee” (Lk 24:6). They begin to lose hope because they could not recall these words of Jesus…the words of his call that took place in Galilee. Having lost the living memory of Jesus, they keep looking in the empty tomb.
Our faith always needs to go back to Galilee, to reawaken its first love for Jesus and his call…to remember him…to turn back to him with all our mind and all our heart. To return to a lively love of the Lord is essential. Otherwise, ours is a museum faith, not an Easter faith. Jesus is not a person from the past. He is a person living today! We don’t get to know him from history books. We closely encounter him in everyday life. Remember how Jesus first called us, how he overcame our darkness, our resistance, our sins, and how he touched our hearts with his word.
The women, remembering Jesus, finally leave the tomb. Easter teaches us that believers do not linger at graveyards. We are called to go forth to meet the Living One. Ask yourself: Where am I going on a regular basis in my life? Sometimes we go only in the direction of our problem, and we go to the Lord only for help. When we go to Him rarely, it’s our own needs, not Jesus’, that guides our steps. That’s seeking the Living One among the dead. Or, once we have encountered the Lord, how many times do we return to the dead, digging up regrets, hurts, and resentments, without letting the Risen One change us?
Let’s put the Living One at the center of our lives. Let’s ask for the grace not to be carried by the current, the sea of our problems. Seek grace and not run aground on the shoals of sin or crash on the reefs of discouragement and fear. Let’s seek Him in all things and above all things. With Him, we will rise again!
This is Part 1 of the writer’s 3-part adaptation of Pope Francis’ Homily at the Easter Vigil Mass 2019
These entries actually appeared in church bulletins around the country. Enjoy!
LENTEN MISSION NEXT WEEK: Tuesday Night Topic is “Fasting and Prayer”, Dinner to follow.
SATURDAY’S DAY OF REFLECTION WILL BE IN TWO PARTS: Morning: “Jesus Walks on Water” Afternoon: Finding Jesus”
LADIES, DON’T FORGET OUR PARISH RUMMAGE SALE: It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
THE PEACEMAKING SEMINAR SCHEDULED FOR TODAY HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO A CONFLICT.
DON’T LET WORRY BEAT YOU DOWN – Let the Church help.
ALL SOULS DAY OFFERINGS: Please place your donations in the envelope along with the deceased person you wish re- membered.
POTLUCK SUPPER SUNDAY 5:00PM: Prayer and medication to follow.
MENS BIBLE STUDY WILL BE HELD THURSDAY MORNING 10AM: All men invited to lunch in Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.
PARISH CHILI COOK-OFF TO BE HELD AT PICNIC: Music to follow.
BULLETIN REFLECTION MAY 5, 2019 DEACON BRIAN CAMPBELL
FAST FORWARD
Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week, Triduum, Easter, Divine Mercy! Ready for…ordinary time? Sounds like sort of a let down after so much depth, height, suffering, healing, and glory…
Our Holy Season for me was wonderfully magnified by the Lord Teach Me to Pray 12-week prayer series some 40 men and women shared here at St. Francis. We had a different theme each week based on a different Christian Virtue each (Faith, Hope, Charity, Patience, Perseverance, Wisdom…) Each week was given a different scripture passage to pray based on the virtue of the week. 15 minutes a day in silent prayer minimum. It was a wonderful program to groove the habit of contemplative prayer based directly on what the Word of God was speaking to our individual hearts.
We also learned to deeply look back and review our day scene by scene to see where God was present and where we may have moved away from him. This is called our Daily Examen, and it opens up a whole new world of beautiful God-awareness in our existing world. We also became aware of attachments that block us from God. Attachments can be habitual sin or addictions or even something more insidious but just as blocking. It can be something we take for granted. For me, it was three things I specifically fasted from during Lent: Cable News, talk radio, and financial reporting. I was in the financial services business, so I had to know the news and markets. I had apps on my phone to check these things several times a day. Lately, I started to find this constant feed was making me anxious and agitated.
The algorithms on all social and news media are designed to addict you to it. The drug dopamine is released in your brain, and you always want more. This is especially true with pornography, but even with any social media. A former high ranking media executive with 5 children was asked whether these algorithms’ effect on kids is closer to candy or crack cocaine. He said crack cocaine.
I removed all news and financial apps and unsubscribed from all financial emails. After 40 days of limiting myself to only 60 minutes of evening news (face it, it’s all you need) and checking portfolio value once a week (not twice a day!), I became more peaceful. I became less attached to these dopamine-producing stimulations. I slept better. But here’s the biggie: Jesus was able to show himself more clearly to me each day because I wasn’t attached to something else.
If you find you are unable to do without certain media or technology for a week, you’re attached to it. It may be blocking the full force of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in your life.
O Good Shepherd, you never cease to
seek out the lost, to call home the stray,
to comfort the frightened, and to bind up
the wounded. I ask you to bring (names)
back to the practice of the Faith,
and to remove all obstacles that prevent
them from receiving your abundant mercy,
which flows sacramentally through
the heart of your holy Church.
Through the intercession of Mary,
Mother of God, their Guardian Angels,
their Patron Saints and the ever-prayerful
St. Monica, may you pardon their sins
And unshackle them from whatever
hinders their freedom to come Home.
For you, O Good Shepherd, have loved us
to the end and offered yourself to the
Father for the salvation of all.
Amen
Prayers for the return of a non-practicing Catholic is to be accompanied by sacrificial and private acts of fasting and almsgiving in their name.
As we come out of the intenseness of Holy Week and exultation of the glory of the Easter Season, we rest in God’s superabundant love and mercy. Many we know have recently visited us and return to their daily lives absent of Jesus’ close presence to them. As parents and siblings, our raising and day-to-day lives with these loved ones have been completed in many ways. Our job now is to pray and fast for them and the continued conversion of our own hearts. Continue to repackage the message that “He is Risen!” in a loving and compassionate way. Be a faith witness by your humble ways and kind words. Through the help of the Holy Spirit, bring them home.
Deacon Tom announced last week that RCIA, the program for becoming Catholic, will be starting here at St. Francis. Early interest is strong! Let us know if you may wish to start with us September 2019. Info sessions are Saturday, April 18th 5pm after Mass and Sunday, April 19th 10:30am after Mass.
But what about if you are already Catholic, but haven’t been active in a while…WELCOME HOME! Please reconnect with us here at St. Francis or at a parish near your home and rediscover Truth, Beauty, and Goodness not found anywhere else. Take a fresh look:
Truth – God loves you incredibly and desires to love you every minute of every day. Best way to do this is by really getting to know His Son: Jesus of Nazareth. You can do this in the Catholic Church through Sacrifice of the Holy Mass like you can nowhere else. Timeless Truth. Truth that give Direction. Divine Truth. Join a Bible study and let the Word come alive! Church scandals jolted us all and there is good reason to harbor anger and upset for vile and scandalous actions. But remember: People sin; Principles are Truth. THIS is the time to come back and come back strong to the Truth and nothing but the Truth that will set you free.
Beauty – Whether it’s the beauty of time honored liturgy, soaring stones of cathedrals, chant, or sacred art, the Catholic Church is…beautiful. Beauty is the portal through which we see God and God sees us. The rhythm of the church seasons, the devotions, the lives of the saints, music, homilies…and Our Holy Mother. True beauty.
Goodness – “But I’m a good person, isn’t that enough?” Yes, as long as you realize that goodness comes from God, that you are in daily intimate contact with Him, and that you are not going to always “feel good”. That’s life. Question is what you do with not feeling good. You learn how to embrace Christian virtues and sorrow to unite with Jesus, who gave it all for you. Then you take this goodness outside and serve in His Name. Community is the path to holiness. The Catholic Church doesn’t look like the outside world for a reason. It doesn’t want to and that’s why people are actually returning. Outside world is not working for them. Goodness found inside does.
Bottom line: Truth, Beauty, and Goodness heal our brokenness and transform us into the person God deeply desires us to be. You can discover it in your Catholic faith. You are His child…you belong to Him. We missed you. Welcome home!
Think of all the good things you do around here. Maybe you’re a volunteer in one of the ministries; maybe you set up or clean up for one of the special events; maybe you contribute your time, talent and treasure in many other ways, and yet, you are not Roman Catholic.
Well, good news – we are beginning the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process this September.
RCIA is the process for adults who have never been baptized, or were baptized in another Christian tradition, or were baptized Roman Catholic, but did not receive the other Sacraments of Initiation (Confirmation and Eucharist) who wish to become a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
RCIA is the process that begins in September, initiates new members at the Easter Vigil and concludes at Pentecost. We meet weekly to discuss the Word of God and the fundamentals of the Catholic tradition: Jesus, Mary, the Sacraments, Prayer, the Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
It is an exceptional experience which allows you to find yourself in relationship to your God within the Catholic community of St. Francis of Assisi.
Human beings love to flirt. Before our first date, we flirted with the other person to get their attention. Before our marriage, we flirted with our spouses to show them how good we are. You may be “flirting with God” right now. I hope so. I say, “Have a love affair with God in the Catholic Church.” It takes two to tango – God is one, and you’re two. God will wait forever. Why should you?
I invite anyone who might be interested or may know someone interested in learning more about the Catholic Church to join us on Saturday, May 18th at 5:00 pm, or Sunday, May 19th at 10:30 am in the chapel.
Also, all members of St. Francis of Assisi community who are interested in participating on the RCIA team are encouraged to attend one of the Information Sessions. I hope to see you there.
Deacon Tom
Elevated and right through the clear glass. I really don’t get annoyed…maybe I should. My heart just always sinks, and I pray silently, “Forgive them, Father, they know not what they do.” Because if they did know, they wouldn’t do it, I’m certain. But here’s a more snarky take on this situation by Bill Dunn MerryCatholic.blogspot.com 3/14/19…
Trivia question: Who was the first person in history to leave Mass right after Communion? Answer: Judas Iscariot. No, I’m not kidding. Think about it. Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. He held up the bread and said, “This is my body,” and then he held up the cup and said, “This is my blood.” Then, right after He distributed his Body and Blood to His disciples—Judas got up and left. Judas didn’t go back to his pew and pray a little. He didn’t welcome visitors or recognize birthdays or anniversaries. No recessional hymn. Nothing.
Nope, by the time the solemn ceremony in the upper room was concluded, Judas was long gone. Presumably, his car was not blocked in the parking lot, so he was able to make his getaway rather than sit behind the wheel seething with frustration as he waited for everyone else to come out. Many of our fellow Catholics have this weird notion that once you receive Communion, the Mass is over. But to paraphrase that great Catholic theologian, Yogi Berra, the Mass ain’t over till it’s over. (Hear: “The Mass has ended”).
When someone leaves Mass right after Communion, how much actual time is he or she saving? Do they get out of the parking lot first? Hurray, I guess there’s a prize for that. Do they get a table at the Early Bird or at Sunday brunch a bit sooner than others? Congratulations. Do they get home quicker, which allows them to spend time sitting around watching mindless junk on TV? God must be so pleased with their devotion to Him.
The point I’m trying to make is: The Mass is the most awesome event on earth: Jesus Christ becomes truly present in the Eucharist, body and blood, soul and divinity. At Mass, God’s people gather to offer praise and worship to Him and to be spiritually nourished by Him. Is it really such a burden to remain in the church until the Mass is completely concluded?
Obviously, people who leave Mass right after Communion are not doing it for the same reason Judas left the very first Mass right after Communion: to betray Our Lord. And some (very few) have a valid reason. But leaving early certainly does not honor Our Lord. It certainly does not show Him much respect. If you are one of the folks who leave right after Communion, please think about it for a minute. It really looks bad; it insults the priest; it shows little respect for Jesus, and it’s a lousy example for the kids. When it’s all said and done, is that measly seven minutes really so important…?
It happens almost every time I prepare a homily, or facilitate a meeting, or have a conversation with someone. We drift off topic. We introduce eleven other topics. We talk about all the other stuff that needs to be done or we want to do. I get flooded with ideas. All these topics, stuff, and ideas are good, but they can divert us from hearing or doing…The Main Thing.
In public speaking, the enemy of The Main Thing is called message creep. You start piling all your wisdom, sounds bites, and pithy statements so that your primary purpose is lost. In daily life, unless there is some order and priority to our tasks, we can fritter a day away. In a life, unless there is destination, calling, or center, it is empty. Yes, Jesus IS the center of our life as Christians…but how do I maintain this center…how do I not drift…how do I keep The Main Thing the main thing? Answer: Kerygma.
Kerygma is an unfamiliar term to Catholics. Not sure how or why this happened because some may say it is the most important starting point of our faith…of its transformative power to make us holy. Kerygma is Greek for preaching, but more specifically kerygma is the initial proclamation that introduces a person to Christ and to a path for conversion.
Here it is:
- GOD LOVES YOU
- YOU SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM GOD THROUGH SIN
- THE ONLY WAY BACK TO GOD IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
That’s it. The Main Thing. Now, we can go on and on holding seminars, conferences, and courses. We can have devotions, prayer groups, and days of reflection. We can even pray the rosary daily, attend Mass daily, and go to confession regularly. But unless we keep in sharp focus: Love>Sin>Only Way Back, we may be diverted, distracted, or dismayed from conversion, transformation, and True Reconciliation.
Lent is Kerygma time. It’s time to do whatever you need to do to make the main thing The Main Thing.
Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing particularly special about Franciscan beliefs and spirituality! I recently did some digging hoping to find the hook, the distinctive feature of Franciscan prayer and life. Something that would help guide the spirituality of our mission church. I found out that, at its core, Franciscan spirituality isn’t so very special…
The Jesuits have their Ignatian meditation, Exercises, and Examen, the Benedictines have their structured life of Ora et Labora, the Trappists have their silence and contemplation, the Dominicans have their learned preaching. What do the Franciscans really have? The Gospel. That’s all. Not to say that the members of the Society of Jesus or the Order of St. Benedict or the Order of Preachers do not have the Gospel; of course, they do. But the Franciscan tradition advances only the Gospel in a way that is at the same time shockingly simple and incredibly difficult. Francis of Assisi begins his Rule or way of life for the Franciscan friars with the line: “The Rule and Life of the Lesser Brothers is this: To observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.” Sounds simple enough.
Francis goes on to say that the so-called First Order (the Franciscan friars) is to do this, “by living in obedience, without anything of one’s own, and in chastity.” But this mandate to live according to the pattern of the Gospel isn’t unique to the friars. In fact, the respective Rules of each of the different branches of the Franciscan family begin similarly. The beginning and end of the way of life that Francis envisioned was just to live the Gospel. This helps explain why there is absolutely no particular ministry or apostolate associated with the Franciscan charism. Nowhere in the Rule does Francis explain that it is the priority of those who would come after him to minister in hospitals or staff local parishes or serve as missionaries or lead retreats or teach at the great universities. All Francis says is that the friars are to work and receive in return “whatever is necessary for the bodily support of themselves and their brothers.”
The vision that Francis had for his community was that the brothers would live together, pray together, support one another like a family, and work in the world among and alongside ordinary members of society. There was no special commission apart from what Christ tells all his followers to do in the Gospels. In other words, the core of Franciscan spirituality is the universal call to holiness that all women and men receive at baptism. To be a good Franciscan means to be a good Christian.
The simplicity of this message seems just too difficult to accept. There is a temptation to complicate it, to qualify it, to repackage it, and to make it palatable. In its truest form, Franciscan spirituality cannot be reduced to any one thing or even a series of bullet points, which is why I believe that Franciscan spirituality is simultaneously attractive to so many people and also nearly impossible to articulate in terms of distinctiveness. Though we may not all formally profess to follow Francis of Assisi’s way of life, it seems to me that we can all cultivate Franciscan hearts open to the Joy of the Gospel. This not-so-special spirituality is an invitation to a relationship with all people, to work with our brothers and sisters in everyday life, and to follow in the footprints of Christ. On second thought, maybe that is pretty special after all…
This article is an adaptation of a blog post from Daniel P. Horan on 1/14/19 to franciscanmedia.org
Apollo 11, an IMAX film, was just released to mark the upcoming 50-year anniversary of man’s landing on and walking on the moon that took place July 20, 1969. Today, we commemorate in our Gospel story a high-place event: The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor.
Both are places of height, awesomeness, and…thin air. God calls us up to the mountain from time to time to pray…to a special place (a retreat, the Adoration Chapel, a place of beauty), but he knows we can’t stay there long because we eventually have to “come down from the mountain” and live in the flat, sometimes boring, plains of everyday life. Along with boredom is stress, ups, downs, and ordinariness…not what we had “on the mountaintop” or “in space” with Him. He gives us these special times, like The Transfiguration, to glimpse Jesus’ Glory, the result of His Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. He gives them to us, even though we can’t hang there with them for long periods to let us know the peace of living the Christian life waits us as the result of preparing ourselves in Lenten conversion and sanctification (holiness). The take away is to follow the three simple words The Father urges when it comes to His chosen Son: “Listen to Him.” Clear the clutter, noise, and distraction ASAP so you can listen to Him.
Here’s some space thoughts to ponder as you go up to your prayer place: Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders were so moved when they circled the moon and took the famous “earthrise” photo on Christmas Eve 1968, they took turns reading to the world the creation story from Genesis: “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth…” Ponder this too, a fact not disclosed in most documentaries: When Apollo 11 astronauts landed and prepared for Neil Armstrong’s historic first steps on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, an elder in his Texas Presbyterian church carried bread, wine, and a chalice to celebrate the Eucharist and receive communion in accord with his church’s tradition…he said it was the only and best way for him to express thanks in such a high place where the air is so thin…
Listen to Him.
TEEN TRACK – Andrew Laubacher is a songwriter, worship leader and speaker based in Southern CA. After straying from the Lord in high school, he was brought back into relationship with God through youth conferences, powerful prayer experiences, and the witnesses of many influential people in his life. After graduating from Franciscan University in Steubenville, he began to pursue ministry full-time. Andrew’s heart for worship and his belief that God is always at work in our lives shine through in his music. He released his first EP, Living Water and followed that with a full-length record, No Match for Love. He tours the US and abroad sharing his music, praying with communities, and helping people embrace the miraculous, healing, matchless love of God.
TEEN TRACK – Sarah Swafford is the founder of Emotional Virtue Ministries. She speaks internationally to people of all ages on a variety of topics such as Emotional Virtue, Dating and Relationships, Modesty of Intentions, and Interior Confidence. Sarah worked as a Residence Hall Director at Benedictine College, taking care of 142 freshmen women being exposed to the hearts of women and men transitioning from high school to college, giving her a deeper look into the struggles facing teens and young adults today. Sarah is author of Emotional Virtue: A Guide to Drama-Free Relationships. She has appeared on EWTN’s Life on the Rock, EWTN Live, and is co-host of EWTN’s At the Heart of Relationships.
KIDS TRACKS – K – Grade 2 Track is a one day “Vacation Bible School.” The Congress’s HOPE theme and Eucharistic focus is explored through crafts, music, storytelling, guided Adoration, and other supportive materials presented through a variety of media. Grade 3 – Grade 6 Track will engage participants in activities that enhance their knowledge about the Mass and the Eucharist. They will move from station to station exploring and sharing how they can “Live In His Love” through their participation in the Mass. A guided Adoration will also occur in this track. Register your kids for only $5 ahead of time to complete paperwork for this fun-filled faith-filled time as you go and listen without interruption to Main Track speakers! Go to www.floridaeucharist.org for registration details.
YOUNG ADULTS will attend the General and/or Spanish Tracks, and then meet up at 5:30 pm for a Social at Intuition Ale House located at 929 E. Bay Street in Jacksonville!
COME, BE PART OF THE FIRST EVER!
For the first time, the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Mission banner will enter the Florida Eucharistic Congress on Saturday, March 30th 8:00am. Come and be a part of this wonderful event!
I’m not talking about the inspirational Catholic speakers you’ll hear… I’m not talking about the amazing display of the Catholic books, tapes, and sacred art made available to you… I’m not talking about the joy-filled faces of the many religious sisters and brothers you’ll see… I’m not even talking about the many priests that lovingly wait to share the freeing sacrament of Reconciliation at all times throughout the entire day.
What I am talking about is…JESUS. You being with Jesus in a totally different way. In Community with your Catholic brothers and sisters from near and far. We are blessed to have this incredible event in our diocese, and take note: It is the FLORIDA Eucharistic Congress. People travel from far away to come…surely we would want to travel 25 minutes to the Prime Osborn Convention Center in town. It is a nearby event that can be the pilgrimage of your life.
Join us in one of two ways that Saturday morning: 1) Be part of the procession behind our St. Francis banner for the first time ever or 2) Be part of the SFA gang inside the hall cheering your support! Soon after the joyous entry of the parish banners, the hall will fall silent, and thousands of Catholics gathered will fall to their knees as Jesus enters the hall. You have never experienced something so awesome. Then your day of pilgrimage continues…
We love our community in a very special way here. Coming to this event has the power to transform you as an as individual. Coming to this event as a strong joyous community tells our sister parishes, our Bishop, and Florida Catholics everywhere that we are thriving and doing great things for God where we He has planted us in Yulee!
1. Develop a rousing case for why Jesus Christ is your King – Each Catholic man should be able to give a rousing argument why Jesus Christ is the greatest Man and why Jesus is his King. If a man is not convinced about Christ’s greatness to the point of being able to articulate the case, his growth in faith will be stunted and he will be unable to draw others to Christ. Committed Catholic Men can make the case for Christ.
2. Commit to being a Saint of Christ the King – There are no nice people or good people in Heaven, only Saints. By making a commitment to Sainthood, a man starts with repentance and aspires to greatness.
3. Go to Reconciliation at least once a month – Regular and frequent Reconciliation changes men; supernatural Grace flows to men during Absolution.
4. Pray for 15 minutes every day – How can a man know Jesus if he never talks to Him? He can’t. Commit to get to know Christ the King on a personal basis by talking with Him every day for 15 minutes. It is in this personal conversation that Christ will make His will known to each man.
5. Discover the majestic manliness of the Mass – Most men don’t know what is occurring in the Mass: they have little understanding of the manly symbolism of the Mass. They don’t realize that during the Mass they are witnesses to the actual Bloody Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Learn the Mass to such a degree that you can explain each part to others with the reverence and devotion that Christ’s Sacrifice deserves.
6. Participate in Sunday Mass + 1 – Go an additional step to encounter the Eucharist at least one more time during the week either by participating in daily Mass or by kneeling in Adoration for 30 minutes. Most men have precious little time; drawing closer to Christ more regularly will help men make up for lost time.
7. Pray the Rosary regularly and carry the Rosary with you
8. Get to know your Patron Saint and Guardian Angel
9. Read Holy Scripture for 15 minutes each day
10. Be a priest, prophet and king in your home
11. Build a brotherhood with other Catholic men in your parish
12. Commit to tithing and begin to work toward it
The above are excerpts from the blog and facebook page TheCatholicGentleman
There are three kinds of saints:
SAINTS – The New Orleans Saints. The NFL Football team that got robbed of a Super Bowl berth due to a lousy…and I mean down right lousy call in the playoffs. Lawsuits have been filed. The dedicated New Orleans fans have organized a Boycott Bowl to encourage a party with a cause while not watching the Super Bowl. You do not need a television in New Orleans to know there is a Saints game on…just walk down any street and you can hear it wafting from every single house with every emotional cheer, grunt, and howl in unison from every single viewer.
Saints – The Saints of our Church. They progress through a process to be declared a Saint. A Cause is started by their Bishop five or more years after they die…they are determined to be either a Martyr or one who lived a life of Heroic Virtue…then declared Venerable…Beatified (Blessed)…then Canonized (Saint). The Church declares that the Saint is in heaven and a model for our imitation.
saints – St. Paul refers to members of the early church as saints, or holy ones. (1 Cor 1: 1-3; Romans 1:7; Col 1:12). Why don’t we use this reference for each other now? We tend to use the word saint today in two ways: Cynically…”I ain’t no saint” or as a rare compliment…”She should be canonized a Saint”. The reason why St. Paul refers to us as saints is that by our decision to live the Christian life, by the grace of our baptism, by the frequent reception of the grace of Penance and Eucharist, we live a life apart from the world, but very much in it. We need to be reminded that we are saints every once in a while. St. Francis de Sales was notable for this reminder and so was Vatican II’s universal call to holiness. Fr. Pat Williams put it clearly and simply for me at Mass in New Orleans a few weeks ago…he added a very important reminder of his own: We are all called to and capable of being holy. A saint. Maybe a Saint. Probably not a SAINT.
SAVE THESE DATES: MARCH 29TH – 30TH THEY ARE FULL OF HOPE FOR YOU!
There has been much chatter recently about the SFA gang making a much larger show at this year’s Eucharistic Congress! And why not? If you have never been, come for an hour or come for the entire event. You will not be disappointed. Top-notch Catholic speakers, the Spirit present when we ALL gather, the inspiration of being together / chatting with so many dedicated religious men and women, beautiful Catholic vendor products, and of course: HIM. Jesus seems to be present in a special way at this event…when parish banner after banner processes in…when we all drop to our knees as He enters the great convention hall…in His love and mercy through Reconciliation being available throughout the entire Congress. Not to mention, it’s a world-class meeting space, easy to get to, and free parking! One of the main speakers will be the inspirational Teresa Tomeo. Here is a little bit about her…
Teresa Tomeo is a bestselling author and syndicated Catholic talk show host. Her weekday radio program, Catholic Connection, a co-production of Ave Maria Radio and EWTN, is heard daily on over 500 stations worldwide. Her TV show, The Catholic View for Women, is seen twice weekly on EWTN. She has been featured on The O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, Fox and Friends, and the Dr. Laura Show. She was named a Vatican conference speaker and conference delegate and spoke at the 2013 conference the “Rights of the Family and the Challenges of the Contemporary World” sponsored by the Pontifical Council for the Family. She participated in the Vatican Women’s Congress in 2008.
Teresa speaks throughout North America and also leads overseas retreats and pilgrimages. She is a teacher for St. Benedict Press’ Catholic Courses. She is best known for her bestselling books: Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ, Not Conformed to the Culture; and Noise: How Our Media Saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families. Teresa’s latest books include Beyond Me, My Selfie, and I: Finding Real Happiness in a Self-Absorbed World; Girlfriends and Other Saints: Companions on My Journey of Faith; and Intimate Graces: How Practicing the Works of Mercy Brings Out the Best in Marriage, co-written with her husband, Deacon Dominick Pastore.
Other inspirational speakers and aspects of the Eucharistic Congress will be featured in the coming weeks. Plan on joining the gang!
It was a written by college students, performed in small theaters at first, then scooped up and became a long-running Broadway success in the ‘70s: Gospell. The musical is primarily a series of parables based on the Gospel of Matthew. I hadn’t thought of it in many years…it’s popular theme song popped in my head out of nowhere the other day. It’s simple and what I still desire, but tend to complicate. Here are the lyrics with a change in line order as it came to my mind…
Day by day…
Day by day…
Oh, dear Lord, three things I pray…
To see Thee more clearly.
To follow Thee more nearly.
To love Thee more dearly.
Day by day…
The refrain follows a prayer ascribed to a 13th-century English Catholic bishop Saint Richard of Chichester. Play it for your prayer. I contemplated the three humble requests…
To See Thee More Clearly – The clutter in my life came to mind. Not physical clutter…I’m a fairly tidy guy…I’m talking about the tech clutter, media clutter, consumption clutter, frenetic activity clutter, and the I-gotta-have-it-now clutter that this world presses on us. These things obstruct my thinking of Jesus…they block Him from dwelling in my heart. I thought about our overly sexualized culture and how it is almost inescapable and how this can block my vision of Jesus. Mother Teresa, keeps it very simple and on point: “If we have a pure heart, then we can see God.” What is it Lord you wish me to remove from my life to see You more clearly? What is it Lord you wish me to do to sharpen my vision to see You more clearly? Give me the strength to do it.
To Follow Thee More Nearly – Seeing you can be active, but tends to be “inside” me…my heart, my head, a sense. Following is action, right? I have been following you, I think. What can I do to follow you even closer, more nearly? I get the sense by action; it’s not reading another book on spirituality, church history, or any book. Do you want me to walk behind you? With you? Follow you. Do what you do. Do. Not in a busy, activity-addicted way. In a prayerful way. Pray and act. Act and pray. Together. So that it is following your example and the examples of your saints. To make you known in the world, not just to my church friends I know and love.
To Love Thee More Dearly – While I have been blessed to come to know you better over the years, it is sometimes hard to love you like I love someone here on earth. Thank you for being physically present in The Eucharist. Thank you for coming alive to me in prayer. Help me to hang out and spend more time with you. “Waste time” with you. Be alive to me. Sacrifice for you. Love you.
Day by day…
I really have cut down on my coffee intake over the years. I am down to two morning cups. I have also rediscovered the joy of an afternoon cup of tea. Drinking a cup of tea seems to be more of a break “event” for me…a time to stop and sip…think, rather than drink while doing something else like coffee. One tea company has new age messages on their tea bags…messages that are “spiritual but not religious” or “SNR” as we say in the business. SNR can many times be a greater block to coming to know Jesus than atheism or agnosticism since with the latter two the person has or is wrestling with his/her faith and has done some deep thinking and searching. The SNR person thinks they have found the answers in the cosmos and/or themselves…anywhere but in the Truth.
At first I got annoyed with the new age message tea bags. Now I use them to strengthen my apologetic (defending our faith) muscles. The danger is that SNR and new age spirituality sounds good at first, isn’t totally wrong many times, and it pleases. It’s not heresy, but it’s darn close. So, I gathered the tabs from my recent tea breaks and offer you the “Best of my Faithful Tea Breaks”…
“Happiness is an accomplishment” – I default to my Baltimore Catechism on this one…I was created to know, love, a serve God in this world and be happy with him forever in the next. Need I say more? I don’t accomplish happiness. Happiness is a result of knowing Jesus more deeply, loving Him more intimately, and removing my selfish self from the center of the universe by serving others.
“We are born wise, we are born complete” – They missed the original sin thing on this one. They missed the idea of being called to holiness. Once again, the SNR message is that you are it and there is no need to look outside yourself to, dare I say, the Creator?
“Use your head to live with heart” – This is really close to the Truth. St. Paul tells us to put on the mind of Christ. Faith talk usually speaks in terms of the heart…heart of a servant…change stony heart into a natural heart, etc. It is really our brain that gets rewired when we come to know, love, and serve. We create new brain plasticity tracks that lead us to holy behavior. The heart is a muscle that pumps blood. We pray for the knowledge of God’s will for us and the strength to carry it out. In other words, we pray for God to rewire us to love like He does. The Eucharist administers The Blood that courses through our veins and heart…
“Love is an experience of infinity” – Another really really close one. We use the word eternal, not infinity. A soul, not a car. God is love and He is eternal. Always was, always will be. He loved us in our mother’s womb. He fashioned us in the depths of eternity. Long before we were born, He knew us. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. As Christians, we are invited to live our lives with a sense of urgency and eternity.
“Let things come to you” – Yes and no. Not all the time. This is where spiritual discernment with a spiritual counselor with a strong Christian foundation is very useful. We need to cooperate with God…this means listening, verifying, and then acting…or not, depending on God’s will. Usually the time not to act is when we are exerting our selfish self on a situation. We need others sometimes to help us see God’s will, we always need prayer to see God’s will.
Relax, take a break, sip, think, pray…
“I really don’t know how to pray…”
“I just don’t know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus…”
As Catholics, we are blessed with beautiful formal prayers, but few of us receive guidance to pray like Jesus did…at a deeper, closer level.
If you have chased after happiness in this world, only to find life empty and lacking direction, you are being called to deeper prayer. If you are restless, you are called to deeper prayer. If you are too busy to take time to pray, you are being called to deeper prayer. With the help of the Holy Spirit 500 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola developed an approach to prayer that is still widely followed by contemplatives, monastics, and ordinary people today. He had a practical vision: Make prayer adaptable for busy people in a busy world.
Which men should consider this invitation to learn to pray?
Fathers who want to become better fathers. Men juggling work demands, home life, and a crazy world. Unmarried men called too a single Christian single life. Men worried about the future. Men desiring purity in their lives. Any man searching to find their next step in life.
Here’s how…
Lord Teach Me To Pray is a free program that teaches you how to pray…how to slow yourself down…how to use Jesus’ words of Holy Scripture to speak directly to you…how to discern what God’s will is for you at this time in your life.
Deacon Brian Campbell and Tom Claridge will facilitate a 12-week Lord Teach Me to Pray session for men starting Tuesday, January 29, 2019 at 7:30am in the St. Francis of Assisi Quiet Room.
All you need:
• A desire to pray more deeply
• 15 minutes of quiet time a day
• Meet once a week for 60-90 minutes
Come and learn to connect with your Creator in a way you never thought possible. Come find peace and direction in an ever-changing and restless world.
Questions? Call Deacon Brian at 678.491.6646
To start learning to pray Tuesday, January 29th: Email Deacon Brian
“I really don’t know how to pray…”
“I just don’t know how to have a personal relationship with Jesus…”
As Catholics, we are blessed with beautiful formal prayers, but few of us receive guidance to pray like Jesus did…at a deeper, more intimate level.
If you have chased after happiness in this world, only to find life empty and lacking direction, you are being called to deeper prayer. If you are restless, you are called to deeper prayer. If you are too busy to take time to pray, you are being called to deeper prayer. With the help of the Holy Spirit 500 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola developed an approach to prayer that is still widely followed by contemplatives, monastics, and ordinary people today. He had a practical vision: Make prayer adaptable for busy people in a busy world.
Who should consider this invitation to learn to pray?
Young mothers with a busy and stressful life. Career women who are running hard in a demanding world. Single women who find a calling to the single life. Women with the joys and challenges of married kids and grandkids. Any woman searching to find their next step in life.
Here’s how…
Lord Teach Me To Pray is a free program that teaches you how to pray…how to slow yourself down…how to use Jesus’ words of Holy Scripture to speak directly to you…how to discern what God’s will is for you at this time in your life.
Mary Pat Campbell and Marcella Claridge will facilitate a 12-week Lord Teach Me to Pray session for women starting Monday, January 28th, 2019 at 6:30 pm in the St. Francis of Assisi Quiet Room.
What is required:
• A desire to pray more deeply
• 15 minutes of quiet time a day
• Meet once a week for 60-90 minutes
Come join other searching women and learn to connect with your Creator in a way you never thought possible. Come find peace and direction in an ever-changing and restless world.
Questions? Call Mary Pat at 770.262.2081
To start learning to pray Monday, January 28th: Email Mary Pat at 4camp@bellsouth.net
