Now is the time for St. Joseph!
I truly believe that the Lord wants to direct our hearts, families, parishes, dioceses, and Church to St. Joseph in a major way. Right now. The action of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church has been gaining momentum for a very long time. God has given us clear indications that he wants people to pay more attention to St. Joseph…clearer indications than any time before.
St. Pope John XXIII believed that God desires devotion to St. Joseph to surge forth in our day in the form of special prayers of “trusting abandonment.” That’s exactly what our parish Consecration to St. Joseph May 17 – June 18 is all about. Join us for 20 minutes a day of reading and prayer that will open up to you a whole new angle on St. Joseph: Provider. Protector. Leader. Father. Worker. Teacher. Chaste Spouse. Terror of Demons. Savior of The Savior. Two reasons are especially important for you to consider joining us on this inspiring journey of consecration prayer:
First, we need the spiritual fatherhood of St. Joseph to help us protect marriage and the family. Marriage and family have always been under attack, but today, the threats have reached extraordinary heights. Many people no longer know what it means to be a man or a woman, let alone what constitutes marriage and family. Many countries even claim to have redefined marriage and the family. To combat Satan’s deceptions, we need the love and guidance of the Head of the Holy Family, St. Joseph, now.
Second, the entire world needs to be re-evangelized, including many baptized Christians. St. Joseph was the first missionary. Today, he desires to bring Jesus to the nations. Many nations and cultures that were previously Christian have fallen away from their Christian roots and are on a path of self-destruction. They are being stripped of all that is sacred and true. Without a major turnaround, civilization will self-destruct.
God is telling his Church that, to defend marriage and the family, elevate morals, recover lost ground, teach our children, and win souls for Christ, we need to bring St. Joseph onto the battlefield. He is the Terror of Demons! With his powerful spiritual fatherhood, incredible love for his spiritual children, and constant intercession, you will be energized, informed, and directed to become a light to your family and the world. (Mt 5:14)
We will start reading as an SFA family on Monday, May 17th, ending June 18th, with consecration prayers at Father’s Day weekend Masses June 19-20th. There will be two tracks available to you: 1) Weekly Discussion Meetings led by Deacon Tom (4 Mondays starting May 24th at 6:30 pm) OR 2) private reading/praying on your own. Books will be available for sale at a discounted price of $10 starting after Mass on April 8th. Join us!
The Year of St. Joseph is nearly half over. It has been a true blessing to many in our SFA family that have completed The Consecration to St. Joseph following Fr. Donald Calloway’s 33-day reading/prayer plan. I never did a consecration before and I was a little skeptical about doing this one. Boy was I wrong! An inspirational, holy model of a man was revealed to me in these 20-minute daily readings. New ways of looking at St. Joseph. Provider, Protector, Model Worker, Pillar of Families, Patient, Chaste…and my favorite: Terror of Demons!
What is presented in Fr. Calloway’s book is the back-up for all these claims of the “Savior of the Savior” …He led (saved) Mary and Jesus (Savior) on an extremely dangerous journey to safety in Egypt). The theology on St. Joseph has been relatively dormant for 2000 years and has now come to fruition in this year 2021 when our culture needs it most! Now…when healthy holy male leadership is needed most. Men: You want to be a better person? Better brother? Better husband? Better father? Don’t miss doing this consecration! Women, please join us too! Come to know your Spiritual Father deeply. How he protected, respected, and loved Mary. How he taught Jesus. How we all can look to him from a new brilliantly bright angle as a source of strength and intercession in heaven.
We will start reading as an SFA family on Monday, May 17th, ending June 18th, with consecration prayers at Father’s Day weekend Masses June 19-20th. There will be two tracks available: 1) Weekly Discussion Meetings led by Deacon Tom (4 Mondays starting May 24th at 6:30 pm) OR 2) private reading/praying on your own. Books will be available for sale at a discounted price of $10 starting after Mass on April 8th.
The year was 1969 and Tommy James and The Shondells typified the ‘60s with their music. Or did they? That chart-topper Hany Panky and all the others you know you can belt out a bit: I Think We’re Alone Now, Mony, Mony, Draggin the Line, and Crimson and Clover just to name a few. And many of us have a special place for that airy dreamy tune: Crystal Blue Persuasion.
What you probably didn’t know is that this song is about Tommy James’ conversion to Christianity. He said: “I was becoming a Christian at that time, and we never thought a thing about it. We never thought that doing something semi-religious was any big deal. We didn’t think of it as being politically incorrect or anything like that. We just did what felt right. And it just felt very right as a sort of semi-religious poetic song, but it turned out to be one of the hardest records I’ve ever made.
James continued, “It’s out of the Bible. The imagery was right out of the Book of Revelation, about the lake of crystal, and just what John sees. The imagery was just right there. Crystal blue persuasion, although those words aren’t used together, it was what the image meant to me.” The lyrics, “It’s a new vibration,” are about James’ transformation, about becoming Christian, but many listeners had their own secular interpretation. “In the Book of Revelations, I read about the New Jerusalem. The words jumped out at me, and they’re not together; they’re spread out over three or four verses. But it seemed to go together, it’s my favorite of all my songs and one of our most requested.”
He explained: “Of course, everybody thinks if they don’t understand what you’re talking about, it must be about drugs. But it wasn’t. We were going through a real interesting time back then, and a very wonderful time. Everybody in the band, by the way, became Christian. And we’re very proud of it. And Crystal Blue Persuasion was sort of our way of saying that in a kind of pop record way.”
He was also inspired by his reading of the book of Ezekiel where it speaks of the Blue Shekinah Light which represented the presence of the Almighty God and the Books of Isaiah and Revelation where it speaks of a bright future of a brotherhood of mankind living in peace and harmony. So, go ahead, pull it up on YouTube, crank up the volume, and get into it. “Love is the answer!…ooh oooh.” The words will never be the same for you.
PEACE AND GOOD…BROTHERHOOD…
CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION…
Most of us have done it. We receive two similar sweaters, an aromatic candle to add to our unlit collection, or another plate of wonderful cookies. We re-gift them to someone else. Nothing wrong with it. It was given to me. It’s mine. It’s mine to give. So I give it. I re-gift it. (Btw, there’s a hilarious Seinfeld episode on this topic!)
Actually, everything is a re-gift…a gift given that we received from another. God has given me…everything: Life, loving parents, intelligence, drive, health, a wonderful wife, beautiful kids/grandkids, accumulated wealth…Everything. None of it is mine in the first place. I am blessed by God in receiving them and I am called by Him to steward them…manage them, grow them, disburse them, and share them for His Greater Glory. To build His Kingdom here on earth. Did you know that the #1 topic spoken about through the entire bible is not sex or sin or even love? It’s money and possessions! Think parable of the talents. Think parable of the young rich man.
Bless the Lord! Why do the psalms and biblical canticles urge us to bless the Lord? Isn’t that backward? Shouldn’t God be the blesser and us be the blessed? One direction only? Nope. You may have heard the expression returning thanks. This means you are returning back a portion of something you received as a gift in a concrete expression of gratitude. You are re-gifting. And since everything comes from God, it is only right that we re-gift to him. Bless him back. Bless the Lord!
That’s what the Bishop’s Stewardship Appeal is and that’s what our weekly SFA Offertory Collection is. A rightful re-gift. The Appeal money doesn’t go to the bishop…it goes right to God’s people. Forming new priests to serve you and me. Remember this: No Bishop’s Appeal – no seminarians, no seminarians – no priests, no priests – no Mass! Also, serving the poor, prisoners in need of ministers, and pro-life outreach. The bible urges the faithful to tithe, give 10% of their income.
The formula I was taught years ago is 5% to my parish, 1% to the Bishop’s Appeal, 4% to other charities/persons in need I choose. I recently looked at my weekly offertory and it’s the same amount I have for years. I know the Publix prices, my homeowners’s insurance, and my property taxes have all gone up in that time. My re-gift to God? Not-so-much. Time to adjust. (Hey, if it’s a really tight time for you, don’t worry about giving more or giving at all right now. We love you. Just keep coming and be part of the SFA family!)
Here’s the kicker. And I do not know how and why this works. The more generous you are, the more you give…the more you receive back…by multiples! It’s a literal re-gift fest! He’s already started it. We just need to take the next step.
The Third Secular Order (tertiaries) is by far the largest of the Franciscan orders. It was created by St. Francis in 1221 because many married men and women, and diocesan clergy, were asking to embrace his style of life and could not enter either the first (Order of Friars Minor or O.F.M, priests and brothers), or second-order (the Poor Clares, cloistered nuns). Within the Third Order of St. Francis, it is necessary to distinguish between the Third Order Regular and the Third Order Secular.
Third Order Regular (TOR) – Eventually some of these tertiaries started living in communities. These later developed into a religious order professing vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and are now referred to as Third Order Regular (TOR). Members of these communities can be male or female but they live in community according to their gender. This branch of the Franciscan Family was officially founded in 1447 by a papal decree uniting several groups. Today there are hundreds of Third Order Regular communities around the world.
Third Order Secular/ Secular Franciscans (OFS) – The Third Order Secular (Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis), known as the Secular Franciscans, includes devout persons, both men, and women. Members do not live in a community but live their everyday lives in the world. However, members do gather together in community regularly. They commit themselves to living the Gospel according to the example of Francis. The process of becoming a Secular Franciscan involves a commitment of 18 to 36 months of formation. There are nearly 13,000 Secular Franciscans in the United States today. Interested?
We are blessed to have Secular Franciscans in the pews with us here at St. Francis! If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Secular Franciscan…or just plain interested, come hear Nani Lafont, Secular Franciscan Formation Director, and Kathy Straub, Secular Franciscan, and SFA parishioner speak to us next Sunday at 10:30 am in the Quiet Room.
Pax et Bonum (“Peace and the Good”, the Franciscan motto).
You may recall, I tried out having a “word of the year” last year. You don’t pick a word. God picks it for you. We think we know our own word, but we sometimes get too wrapped up on fixing ourselves…thinking we know what’s right for us that, we can miss the right word. Like me, I thought at first “patience” should be my word last year. After all, I know can use a lot more of it. But after getting silent for a while, and asking: “Lord, what one word do you most desire I focus on during this year 2020?” He told me: “Precious”. Precious? It kind of surprised me at first. I thought it might be too dainty or something. But I think it was His way to help me become more patient and get ready for what was coming…. What’s precious? Everything I found out. Every person. Every task. Every thought. Every moment. It is amazing how this word became so meaningful to me as the disruptions of 2020 unfolded. Scripture tells us that each of us is precious in God’s eyes. That’s was my first thought. But I also realized going to the Publix is…precious. Participating in-person in The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is…precious. Helping another is…precious. If you don’t always think these things are precious…the simple things…just have them taken away, restricted, or quarantined. Joni Mitchell was right: “Oh, it always seems to go that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone…”
So, I invite you to not jot down the first thing that comes to your head but spend time with Jesus. If you can get to Thursday Adoration, great. Quiet time in the chapel is good too. Your prayer chair / quiet space at home works too. Settle down, be still, then ask God what word He desires you to ponder this year. It’s important that your word be written down and placed in a visible place that you can see it at least once a day: On an index card or a sticky put on your bureau, fridge, or car dashboard. Mine’s on a post-it on the corner of my laptop screen. I moved it around the house during the year so I could keep it’s viewing fresh. A new twist this year: You are invited to write your word down and post –it on our “Word Wall” (aka above the Welcome Counter) to share your beautiful conversation with God with us!
Yesterday ended the Christmas season…but one parting shot if I may…an annual movie classic view in our house: It’s a Wonderful Life. There is something very special about this film. It is a tapestry of characters woven to create a profound lesson in how important each of our lives is and how much of a difference each of us can make…even when we don’t realize it. It’s a morality play in many ways. George Bailey is the dutiful son who gives up his dreams in order to do the right thing. He is compelled to carry on the legacy his father began with a small savings and loan that helped a community grow and prosper. There is the somewhat goofy Uncle Billy and the wise and supportive wife, Mary. There is the horribly misguided antagonist, Mr. Henry Potter, who owns the “big bank” and wants to control everyone by owning all of the property and the revenue generated by the town.
The one who drives the entire story is the angel in training, Clarence. He needs to earn his wings and does that by showing George Bailey how tragically different his life and his town and all those in it would be had he not been born. The pride and greed of Potter, who was more concerned with control and how much money he had in the bank, had turned the town of friendly and cooperative neighbors into a selfish batch of drunkards and bullies. The community that supported and celebrated each other’s lives disappeared and was replaced by mean spirited individuals, all out for their own self-preservation. Potter ridicules George and the others who support one another through the Savings and Loan as being foolish and weak. Potter is loathed and feared by all and yet, in reality, he is the most pathetic of all the characters in the movie.
Of course, in the end, good does triumph over evil. When Potter tries to capitalize on the accidentally lost deposit that absentminded Uncle Billy failed to get to the bank, the people rally around and all come to George and his family’s rescue, saving the Savings and Loan and securing the community’s sense of pride and spirit of cooperation.
It’s just the kind of simple and wholesome message we need to hear in our world today. It’s important to be reminded that we need to be there for our neighbors, our co-workers, and our families. We need to be selfless and think more about the well-being of our brothers and sisters than building up our pile of stuff. Each one of us can make a positive difference. There is something that every one of us can do to lift the spirits of another. An act of kindness…a word of thanks, these things can make a big difference in someone who is feeling depressed and alone, fearful and threatened.
The Birth of the Christ Child and now The Baptism of the Lord: Two great gifts. And the greatest gift we can give one another is the generosity of our hearts and the kindness of our spirit. Because God’s gift to us, sending his Son to dwell among us, was the finest example of both virtues, generosity, and kindness. God’s was the gift of absolute and unconditional love! These are the stepping stones to a better world…..and dare I say, to A Wonderful Life.
My contemplative prayer recently has me spending a lot of time on the richness of Philippians 4:4-14. Let me try to share this richness with you as you start your new year. There are 5 pearls from Paul here. I invite you to take one verse group at a time, open it up, and be silent for a while. See where the Holy Spirit leads you…don’t rush…
Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again, rejoice! Phil 4:4. This became my “mantra” for a few weeks. I woke up one morning and Mary Pat asked “What did you just say??” I blurted out “Rejoice in the Lord!” upon awakening. I couldn’t believe it! We just laughed with joy. I like Paul because he’s direct and clear-cut. He uses the word always here. Not sometimes. Not just when it’s working out or things are going my way. Rejoice in the Lord always! OK, you try it.
Your kindness should be known to all. Phil 4:5 Another one of those absolute black & white words Paul uses: All. Do people think of me as a kind person? Do I think of myself as a kind person? Not really if I am honest. My steam-rolling hard-driving way gets in the way. Yeah, those qualities are good in a “get-er-done” context, not so much in the “Let him show you the way” context. Lord, help me see and feel the hearts of others…
The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:5-7 This scripture quote was printed on a crumpled piece of paper, pasted to faded construction paper, and taped to a small chipped votive candle holder placed above our kitchen sink nearly 20 years ago. You can tell it is burned in my memory. It’s the first scripture I ever memorized. The “have no anxiety at all” part got me. Paul doing his absolute thing again. I breathe this prayer. Try it…
Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise think of these things…Then the God of peace will be with you… Phil 4:8 Whatever. “Whatever” in today’s vernacular is a dismissive word usually used to blow off someone or shut down a conversation. Not with Paul. He’s going big. He’s going abundance. He’s going quantity and quality. After meditating on this passage and I find myself on the hunt to find these whatever beauties. Hint: when you are looking for them, they’re everywhere.
I indeed know how to live in humble circumstances; I know how to live with abundance. In every circumstance, I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance, and of being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me. Phil 4:12-13 Here Paul speaks of a chief building block of the spiritual life: detachment. Indifference, not as we think of it…as if we are cool and emotionless. He’s talking about a “holy indifference” to created things so that we always keep their gaze on The Creator and His love when making decisions. Seeing all as a blessing…
