FMA How to practice penance

FEB 2007 / VOL 40, NO 3
FMA
Franciscan Mission Associates
Mt. Vernon, N.Y. 10551
Missions in Guatemala - Honduras - El Salvador, Central America
Virtue:
PENANCE
Today the meaning of “penance” is
all but lost. Even many Catholics equate
penance with saying “three Hail Mary’s.”
But from the earliest days of the
Church, penance was a process of
sincerely turning back to God, and
seeking reconciliation with fellow
Christians as well. For sin interferes
with our relationships with both.
And so, to prepare for reconciliation
with the Church at Easter, penance was
observed over the 40 days of Lent. For
some, it could mean donning sackcloth
and ashes, and standing outside the
church during Mass until that great
Easter Day. It was then, especially
during the Vigil, that penitents would
seek and be accepted back into full
communion.
During this Lent 2007, it is appropriate to reflect on our penitential heritage
– the better to practice the spirit of
penance in our daily lives. ■
How to
practice
penance
in the
21st century
This lenten season,
try tossing out the
word, “penance” and see how others
define this venerable word. Chances are
the definition will include “punishment.”
Exactly what penance is not.
Penance or putting penance into action
(repentance) is instead a turning from… a
growth into (something else)… a building
of a new mindset or way of life.
On Ash Wednesday, we hear again the
ancient words of the Prophet Joel, calling
us to true penance and repentance. In the
day’s first reading at Mass, we hear the
Word of God: “ Rend your hearts, not your
garments, and return to the Lord, your
God.” (Joel 2:13).
The second reading looks to St. Paul
for good advice on penance. As usual, he
minces no words. St. Paul reminds us that
all the baptized are “ambassadors for
Christ, God as it were, appealing through
us.” Keep it in mind, he urges, and then
get going.
For Christians are called to “become
the very holiness of God.” Achieving such
a goal and call will be a lifelong process,
so St. Paul implores us to get going, now.
For today “is the day of salvation!”
Urgently, he adds: “We implore you, in
Christ’s name: be reconciled to God!”
(2 Cor 5, 20: 6, 2).
In the Liturgy of the Hours for Ash
Wednesday, the Office of Readings calls
on the Prophet Isaiah. His text, in an
almost angry voice, denounces the
dramatic “exhibits” so many people mistakenly display in the name of “keeping
a day of penance.” Things like penitential
clothing as a mere display or bragging
about harsh fasting practices. Rather,
God declares, “the fasting that I wish” is:
• releasing those bound unjustly;
• setting free the oppressed;
• sharing your bread with the hungry;
• sheltering the oppressed and the
homeless;
• not turning your back on your own.
High on the list of these positive
suggestions: being kind instead of oppressive… giving food to the hungry from
our own provisions… looking at what it
takes to “satisfy the afflicted,” and then
acting on it.
Clearly implied: we need to act in
community; no one person could possibly
bring about such reconciliation on such a
large scale (Isaiah 58: 1-12).
We recognize these same commendations in the Corporal and Spiritual Works
of Mercy, the commands which Jesus
made so central to the Gospel message.
And like the effort needed to put the
“Works” into practice, penance and
reconciliation in any form will build on
discipline, commitment, and determination. Not a one-time “show” for all the
world to see (rending of garments, wellpublicized charitable donations, etc) .
Moreover, putting penance into
practice will be as varied a task as there
are individuals. Try just one example:
Watch your words for the six weeks of
Lent. That can mean a number of “Don't”
– but with a very positive end in mind:
• Don’t speak that hasty word –
because we know words can be as lethal
as knives; they can wound or diminish the
other person to a depth you can never
realize.
• Don’t be quick to condemn.
• Don’t give in to that surging flare up
of anger.
• Don’t gossip.
Practicing such a penance throughout
Lent can be rewarding. Practice begets
habit. And habits pave the way to virtue –
moving closer to a happy, healthy life here
on earth and in the hereafter. ■
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2
Using a missal for Mass during Lent
Attending daily Mass in Lent, even for
one or two days in the week, is one
form of positive repentance
that is both easy to do
and rich in benefits.
The missal or even the
paperback missalettes
often found in the pews
can be a great help in this
pious practice.
One advantage: the
missals provide each
day’s readings. Readings
to savor later in the day,
or to read ahead for the next day. A kind
of preparation, so that we can “bring
something” to the liturgy. It will also
mean that we take more with us as we
leave Mass, commissioned to carry Christ
with us into the marketplace of daily
living.
The lenten daily Mass readings draw
us into a continuing story of faith. Many
missals provide an overview of the
general plan. Prominent among Gospel
themes is the Lord’s command to take up
our cross in life, whatever that may be,
and deal with it – knowing that God will
sustain us.
The First Reading will draw on texts
from Hebrew Scriptures, the Old
Testament. Usually, it is easy to see the
relationship of that text to the theme of
the Gospel which follows.
The homily of the day will often
reference these themes and invite our
further reflection, especially in reference
to our own lives.
For the first three weeks of Lent, the
daily liturgies are taken from the Gospels
of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. With the
Fourth Week of Lent, we find the
Gospel of St. John giving us
an almost consecutive
series of events leading
up to the Holy Week and
Triduum readings. Each
is filled with dialogue,
the spoken words of
our Savior, as well as
the rich narrative that
draws us into the story of
salvation.
Trying to read ahead,
to prepare for the liturgy, to bring something of ourselves and
our faith to the celebration yields rich
rewards. A natural outgrowth is a deeper
understanding of the Gospel, and a more
grown-up relationship with the author:
God, himself.
At Mass, the texts are proclaimed to us
so we should listen attentively. For we are
that group of “two or three”who gather in
the Lord’s name; He is present to us in a
real and grace-filled way. We come to
listen, to hear the words of salvation
together. Listening is part of our prayer.
Our role.
Of course, if there is a hearing problem, by all means follow the proclaimed
readings in the missal or missalette.
Either way, allow God’s holy Word to
bathe you in wave after wave and satisfy
your hunger for God’s presence and
guidance in your life. ■
From this day all generations will call me
blessed: the Almighty has done great
things for me, and holy is his Name.
Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1: 48-49)
3
THE WOMEN WE MEET
DURING THE
PASSION OF CHRIST
complete the ritual of Jewish burial and
observed the sabbath. (Lk 23).
After observing the sabbath, they
returned to the Tomb to complete their
sacred task, but went at dawn for safety
reasons, and before the traffic of the day.
These first witnesses to Easter: Mary of
Magdala, Joanna, and Mary, the mother
of James.
St. John the Evangelist’s Gospel gives
us yet more names: the mother of
Jesus (Mary), and two other women: “his
mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas
[identified in Matthew’s Gospel as the
mother of James and Jose], and Mary
Magdalene.”
With tenacity and courage, nothing
kept this remarkable group from coming
and standing at the foot of the Cross –
along with St John (Jn 19:25-27).
Here, John records the last will of
Jesus spoken from the Cross. Sighting his
mother, Jesus entrusts her to John – and
enjoins Mary to take John as her son (and
through John, all of us who followed them
in faith). There, at the foot of the cross,
Mary became our Mother, also.
Women, in the culture of the times
were rarely counted, even in a census, and
more rare still, would they be named in
any writings. The gospel writers, picking
up the Lord’s teaching on the importance
and value of each person, went against
the tide. They gave us those names, and
thus made these women forever a part the
Gospel story.
Lent is a fine time to read over
these passages, and to understand that
Christianity spoke to the value of women,
to the equality of all people in the eyes of
God, from its very beginning. It is worth
pondering in our own times as well. ■
It is St. Mark, inspired author of the
first published Gospel, who carefully
cites the presence of women standing as
near as possible to Jesus’ Cross on
Golgotha, the “Skull Place” or Calvary
(Mk 15:40). He names three: Mary
Magdalene, another Mary (the mother of
James the Younger and Joses) the
blessed mother’s kinswoman; and
Salome, mother of the Apostles, James
the Great, and John (Mt 20:20).
St. Matthew’s Gospel also puts women
who were faithful followers of Jesus at
the site of the Passion (Mt 27:56).
Matthew tells us that these women had
“followed Jesus from Galilee to attend to
his needs.”
St. Luke, the physician and brilliant
writer who filled his Gospel account with
portraits, provides additional names to
the women who followed Jesus in his
ministry: “Joanna, the wife of Herod’s
steward, Chuza: Susanna, and many
others who were assisting [Jesus and the
Twelve] out of their means” (Lk 8:2).
St. Luke also describes the role of
these same women at the Passion site
and the burial. As Joseph of Arimathea
saw to the burial for Jesus, Luke tells us
these women “followed along behind.”
Afterwards they went home to prepare
the spices and perfumes needed to
4
A PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND BY ST FRANCIS
them the armies of Islam’s leader, the
Sultan.
Along with the others, Francis lived
through a year (1218-1219) of warfare
and skirmishes, all with the inevitable
results ... slaughters, de-humanizing violence on both sides, famine, plagues.
He continued to preach the Gospel values of peace.
Finally St. Francis reached the
Sultan’s camp, following capture and savage beatings by the Sultan’s army. There
he spoke and debated with and preached
while counseling the Sultan.
We know that the Sultan respected
Francis and his companions enough to
release them with safe passage back to
the Crusaders’ camp. The Sultan also
asked Francis to pray for him, so that he
might know the right path for himself.
Like so many saints before and after
him, St. Francis surely felt a sense of failure in his overall “mission” in the Holy
Land.. But he knew preaching peace and
understanding were not merely his goals,
but God’s. And so, even in the midst of
war, he preached peace – to all parties.
Pray to Francis as patron of peace this
Lent. Ask his help in touching the hearts
and minds of world leaders today, for as
an Archangel had instructed 2,000 years
ago: “…nothing is impossible with God.”
■
The term, “Middle East,” is a tinderbox. A rife competition among the three
ancient religions faiths whose origins took
root there, Judaism, Christianity, and
Islam.
Similarly in the 13th Century, St.
Francis, a former soldier and prisoner of
war, knew war too well. He was the oddman-out because he held that prayer,
mutual respect, and discussion, even
debating issues was the way to peace.
This in a world where warfare was a way
of life from town-to-town ... to regions
then considered the far end of the world.
Yet, Francis knew from his own life, war
was not glamour; never a real solution to
disputes; nor ever a lasting pathway to
peace.
In the year 1218, Francis and some
faithful followers sailed off to the Middle
East. Surely he wanted to make the pilgrimage of every Christian’s dream: to the
Holy Land. But he also wanted to preach
to the combatants of the Fifth Crusade,
the Crusaders certainly, but even to the
Sultan.
Then, a storm at sea brought Francis
and his party to Egypt.
His party disembarked at a major port
at the meeting of the Nile River and the
Mediterranean Sea – the base for the
major encampment of the Fifth Christian
Crusade from Europe – and opposing
ST. ANTHONY’S BREAD
Offerings in honor of St. Anthony, either in petition for a favor sought, or in thanksgiving for a favor received, are used to assist the poor. Thus, they have received the
name, St. Anthony’s Bread. Such offerings are also used to help educate priests
and religious.
Father Robert will gladly send you a leaflet explaining the origin and purpose of
this devout practice, now centuries old. Please write:
St. Anthony’s Bread, Franciscan Mission Associates
PO Box 598, Dept 372, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
5
THE FIRST FRANCISCAN MARTYRS:
ST. BERARD AND COMPANIONS
Martyrdom wasn’t part of the plan,
when Francis of Assisi founded his new
kind of religious order. Not in the way that
taking vows, or the apostolate would be.
But it was surely in the air, a likelihood if
not a given.
Christianity was born of martyrdom.
In the late Middle Ages and early
Renaissance period when Franciscans
were in formation and growth, Francis
himself is said to have believed he would
die a martyr. It was later on, during his
pilgrimage to the Holy Land, that Francis
began to realize that martyrdom would be
different for him. A gradual dying to self
that comes with failure in the eyes of the
world, keeping true to one’s call from God
while seeming the “fool” and the patient
bearing of ill health and burnout.
Yet, the news of the first Franciscan
Martyrs came as a shock. Francis was still
in the Middle East, in Acre Syria, when a
nervous young friar named Stephen
brought him the word. The friars commissioned by Francis to preach in Morocco
had suffered abuse, rebuff, but nothing
could deter them from their mission. And
so they went ahead and on January 16,
1220, Friars Berard, Peter, Adjute, Accurs,
Odo and Vitalis were beheaded by the
Saracens in Morocco.
Francis mourned for these young friars,
as did all throughout the Order. But when
some began to weave “legends” of the
Martyrs’ courage, Francis advised them
to change focus. Look to facing your
own fears, he advised, so when the day of
challenge comes, you will accept it out of
love for Christ.
Later, when the bodies of the
Martyrs were returned for burial to their
Franciscan mission house in Coimbra,
Portugal, Francis himself welcomed their
relics back home.
A testament to the effect of their
witness: a young Augustinian cleric and
scholar who befriended them, decided to
join this new Franciscan order, and do
what these young men had tried to do
in Morocco. A shipwreck would forever
change that for the new Franciscan,
St. Anthony of Padua.
And a footnote: When Church
authorities told Francis, years earlier, to
concentrate his growing Order on ministry
to Italy, Francis stood his ground. Surely,
he reasoned, the Holy Spirit would not
limit the ministry of the Friars to
Christians in Italy. Rather, Francis
emphasized, echoing the Gospel, God
wanted salvation for all – the baptized in
Italy and elsewhere, yes; but also for
people all over the world… like the people
in Morocco. And thus was worldwide
mission woven into the garment of
Franciscan life – and as with the Church
down through the ages, that life was fed
by the blood of martyrs. ■
REMEMBRANCE
You can continue to carry on your
own good work for the missions and
the people they serve by remembering
them in your will. To do so, simply
make a bequest of whatever you
wish to: FRANCISCAN MISSION
ASSOCIATES, Mount Vernon, NY
10551. If you wish additional information about how to do this, please feel
free to contact:
Father Robert, O.F.M.
Franciscan Mission Associates
PO Box 598, Dept 373,
Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
6
Director’s
Letter
Fr. Robert, O.F.M.
FRANCISCAN FRIARS/P.O. BOX 598/MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. 10551-0598
TEL. AREA CODE: 914 664-5604
Dear Friend,
There is a saying going around: “Perform a random act of kindness.” You find it in
self-help articles, in advice to the lonely and dispirited, you even find it in TV
commercials and occasionally in obituaries.
It is a request or an urge to do “something spontaneous,” unexpected, for which
you’ll likely get no reward but your own self-satisfaction of knowing you have “done
somebody good.”
In today’s world, it can be a little dangerous though, because “spontaneous acts,”
even good natured ones, from a stranger can easily be misinterpreted. It is too bad in
our growing suspicious culture to have come to this place. It is actually sorrowful not
to be like St. Francis in offering that kindness to strangers.
So I have a suggestion. A way to avoid any suspicion or mistake. And I believe it is
one which our Father Francis himself would heartily endorse.
You can continue to hold the elevator for a late-comer, let another go first in line,
even accept doing without if there is only one cookie left. Such acts are good and
generous – and sometimes rewarded.
But, suppose you see the tired mother, or overburdened shopper, or old, slow walker
stalled at the cross walk. Perhaps you yourself are equally burdened, or old or even
handicapped – what can you do?
I suggest there is no one who doesn’t need a prayer, now and then. So, let your
random act be one no one ever sees or even knows about. Say a deliberate prayer
mentioning the mother or shopper or walker and ask God to help them, give them
peace, give them strength, give them compassion, give them love.
And then go on your way.
You’ll probably never see the effect of your prayer, or know how it may have helped
a tired soul or even know how much God appreciates your sharing his love with
another. But, I guarantee, when you take the next step along your way, you’ll know
that you have “done somebody good” even if no one else but God knows about it.
Have a happy and saintly Lenten time.
Gratefully yours,
Fr. Robert, O.F.M.
7
THE PRESIDENT VISITS OUR CHURCH
By Fr. Guy, O.F.M.
I had only the sacristan to help me.
Just two of us to clean the whole church.
We got brooms and started to sweep.
Then, another security guard appeared to
check out the place for safety reasons. He
said, “Father, give me the broom. I want to
help you.” I said I would feel ashamed if
he did that, but he told me: “Don’t feel
ashamed!” I studied with the Marists. (The
Marists Brothers have a high school in
San Salvador, the capital).
I told him I had also studied in a Marist
school in the States. My ‘Mister Clean’
then called four other officers and the five
of them proceeded to clean the church. I
found out later that this security guard
was a high ranking colonel and the
President’s right-hand man.
The president came up to me on the
sidewalk, smiled, shook my hand, and
with his other hand on my shoulder, said,
“Padrecito (a respectful way of saying
Father in Spanish), I am happy to see
you. I would like to make a visit to the
church.” I felt very honored by what he
said and replied, “Mr. President, let’s go!”
The doors to the church were wide open,
and so we walked in together followed by
his right-hand man (the colonel), his
security guards, and many admirers.
We all walked down the middle aisle
and when we got to the main altar, the
Fr. Guy, O.F.M. tells the story of a special visitor to
his parish
Towards the end of February we heard
the President of El Salvador, Tony Saca,
was going to visit our town of San Pedro
Puxtla. Although no one knew exactly
when he was coming, everyone became
very excited.
Early on Sunday morning, March 5th,
we had just finished Forty Hours Devotion
to the Blessed Sacrament. Almost 1000
people came to the all-night vigil and
stayed until 5 am the next morning. We
ended with a solemn Mass and the
people went home.
Around 8:30 am that same morning,
we heard the President was coming
today. As I was finishing my 9 o’clock
Mass, I could see that the park in front of
the church was packed with people. The
Mass goers also ran out to the park.
I stood in the church doorway and
watched. I could see the President with
some of his cabinet members, his
security guards, and many of his followers. He had come to campaign for the
people he endorsed for the coming elections. After he gave his speech for nominees for town mayor and state senators,
he mentioned that he wanted to visit
El Fray (a Spanish term for a religious
brother or Franciscan monk).
The President was still speaking when
one of his security guards approached
me. The President wanted to see me and
make a visit to our church. I felt very
honored - but I also felt quite perplexed
because the floor was still a bit dirty with
some litter left by the people from the
vigil. I wanted to clean the church
thoroughly but I knew there was not
enough time.
8
petition to him. We asked him if he could
either help us find the statue or, in
some way, assist us in having another
one made.
About a week later, the mayor came to
my church after Mass and handed me an
envelope. There was $500 in it and a note
from the President. He said, in the note,
that the money was for a new statue and
that he I would send more help later on. I
could hardly believe it! I said to myself,
“God bless the President! I believe the
blessing I gave him a month ago when he
visited my church went a long, long way.”
All for the honor and glory of God the
Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit,
and our Blessed Mother! ■
President, with all humility, knelt down
and prayed very devoutly. Then he got up
and said to me, “Padrecito, could you give
me your blessing?” At that, he knelt down.
With great admiration for him, I gave him
a special blessing, asking God to give him
the strength, wisdom, and protection to
continue being a good President. I also
gave the colonel and everyone who
accompanied the President a special
blessing.
My blessing that day for the President
came back to me. Early in the morning on
the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, April
8th, we discovered a theft. Robbers had
broken into the Church of St. Andrew in
nearby Guaymango, another church in
my parish. Robbers took an old 18th
century statue of Our Lady of Sorrows.
The people were stunned and hurt.
Despite our search and the police
investigation we had no luck whatsoever
in finding Our Lady’s statue.
Three days after the theft, on Monday
of Easter Week, the newly elected mayor
of Guaymango, Rene Mauricio Castro,
came to my rectory. “With all respect,” he
said, “Padrecito, the President of the
republic, Tony Saca, is very sorry for the
robbery and wants to help you in any
way.” I told the mayor that I was very
grateful for the President’s concern and
asked him to thank the President for me.
I told my parishioners that the
President was willing to help us in any
way, and so we decided to write up a
A LETTER FROM
JUTICALPA
By Fr. Albert, O.F.M.
Fr.Albert, O.F.M., tells a new friend about his life in
Honduras
G
9
reetings from Olancho! Thanks for
your letter. First time in my life I got a letter
from Switzerland! In a way it feels good to
know someone out there cares about
what we’re trying to do over here.
It’s nearly midnight, no electricity
today and I’m writing by the light of a candle. So I’ll probably ruin your eyes by
the time you finish reading this, but midnight is about the only hour I can sit and
write.
I think that Honduras – together with
Haiti – is the poorest country on earth. I
come from Europe too, the island of
Malta, but my Franciscan vows sent me
here to the Central American missions
some 33 years ago. At first it seemed like
this was the worst place on earth, since
everything is so different from my home
Mediterranean country of Malta.
Then gradually, with God’s help, I fell
in love with these wonderful people.
Honduras has about 8 million of them.
Olancho is one of the 18 states of
Honduras. Olancho boasts about 550
thousand people, that’s a little more than
half a million.
I run an old people’s home and an
orphanage in Juticalpa, the state capital,
both the only ones in the state. In
Olancho there are about 600 registered
AIDS cases. Absolutely nothing was
being done about it. So with much
sacrifice, sweat and labor, we managed
to build a home for those who are dying or
forgotten and penniless. They usually end
up on the street, since more often than
not, their own family abandons them. We
started a few months ago.
The only thing we can offer them is
love, a roof and a plate of food. AIDS
medication is out of bounds for us and we
don’t have that. To tell you the truth, I’m
learning as I go along, but at least we’re
trying to do something.
The truth is AIDS is not taken
seriously here! Why? Simply because
these people do not much care if they live
or if they die - they simply do not have
much to live for.
Now to maintain the house for the
elderly, orphanage and AIDS hospice,
we’ve put up a bakery to produce our own
bread and some we sell. I think that one
good thing we have achieved is this:
There’s now no stigma at all attached to
those of us working with AIDS patients,
but the stigma with the AIDS patients is
still huge – they lose jobs, family,
community... everything. At least now, in
the state of Olancho they have a place
where they can live, meet one another,
and die with some kind of dignity.
That’s about it. To tell you the naked
truth, I’m not doing much, but I felt that as
a Franciscan I had to at least do
something. Maybe one day we’ll have
proper medication, supplies, help for all.
I dream a lot today, as I’ve been dreaming
for more than 30 years. Hey, the candle is
nearly out, I’m hungry (I still have to cook
dinner) and half asleep. It was nice talking
to someone out there.
Love
Fr. Albert, O.F.M.
10
Words
Worth Noting
The fruit of a tree shows the care it has had; so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind.
Sirach 27
Lord help me in my weakness. Then I will have the strength to be patient.
St. Francis of Assisi
Anyone can be a Pope; the proof of this is that I have become one.
Blessed John XXIII
Everyone if wise until he speaks.
Irish proverb
Constant complaint is the poorest sort of pay for all the comforts we enjoy.
Benjamin Franklin
A home-made friend wears longer than one you buy in the market.
Austin O’Malley
The most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice, and with extreme effort.
St. Padre Pio
Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.
Kahill Gibran
Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half
who have nothing to say and keep on saying it.
Robert Frost
I want to preach not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of strenuous life.
Theodore Roosevelt
A classic is something everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.
Mark Twain
Virtue is a state of war, and to live in it we have always to combat with ourselves.
Rousseau
11
Our Readers gladly write…
Dear Fr. Robert:
I am happy to thank the Sacred
Heart of Jesus, St. Anthony of Padua,
the Blessed Mother, my personal
guardian angel and the guardian
angel of the nameless person who
was able to facilitate the happy
outcome of a governmental glitch
with my passport. I am enclosing $60
in thanksgiving which my husband
and I are grateful to donate. Please
keep us in your prayers and in the
prayers of the Franciscan Missions.
Sincerely,
M.&T.W.
Hackensack, NJ
SOCIATES
MISSION AS
FRANCISCAN BOX 598
P.O.
551
ON, N.Y. 10
MOUNT VERN
Dear Fr Robert:
St. Jude, thank you, my prayers
are answered.
M.S.J.
Kingman, AZ
Dear Fr. Robert
We want to publicly thank the Holy
Spirit for granting us an answer to a
very special intention.
We also want you to know how
much we enjoy your magazine. It is a
great source of inspiration.
Sincerely,
M.W.
Schaumburg, IL
Dear Fr. Robert:
Thank you very much for taking
the time to bring a finger rosary from
your Pilgrimage for me! How gentle
and kind you are!
You are quite a blessing to me and
all the others you help to better
appreciate you.
Thanks again,
S.N.
Anaheim, CA
Dear Fr. Robert:
I wish to testify and glorify the
Lord through you and all your
prayers did for me.
I did finish my nursing prerequisites with not much calvary. I couldn’t
explain it because I am doing managerial work in the office and a mother
of four children, still studying at the
same time. My classmates did a lot of
remedial exams but because of your
prayers I made it.
Thanks,
E.M.M.
N. Hollywood, CA
Dear Fr. Robert,
Thank you for the Lady of
Czestochowa rosary. I am sure the
Blessed Lady will hear our prayers.
Keep us in your prayers. Thank
you again and May God Bless you
Father Robert and all your helpers.
Peace, Hope and Love,
G.L.
Sterling Hts, MI
12
NO SACKCLOTH AND ASHES TODAY
You’ve seen the distinctive Franciscan
robe so often, for example on garden statuary – the familiar figure of St. Francis of
Assisi, virtually patron of everything
growing or moving. Then, again, the same
simple robe is often integrated into masterpieces hanging in great museums. And,
yes, being worn by friars walking across a
campus, today. We may well see the same
“habit” on a hospital chaplain moving
quickly to an emergency room door.
As the Franciscan friar’s simple robe
has been “in vogue” now some 800 years,
it has a “recognition factor.”
Above all, the brown robe is actually an
outward sign of penance, from its earliest
form to the present day. It mirrored what
many of the poor of the 13th century
might wear, even to a color common
enough to be found in the woodlands, in a
garden, on the seashore. No expensive
dyes, no luxury weave. Simple, plain,
ordinary. Like the poor among whom and
near whom the Franciscans were familiar
sights. Then and now.
In today’s world, the Franciscan robe
is what some would call an “evangelizing
moment.” For such a garment says:
I have vowed to keep my life
God-focused, Gospel-focused. That’s a
penitential garment.
And like the Franciscans who went
to the poor so long ago when that
was somewhat revolutionary, so too do
the poor now come to everybody — on TV,
newspapers, the internet.
While many can dismiss stories about
poverty as irrelevant to them at the
moment, few can turn away from the
haunting image of a child, utterly homeless and abandoned after a tsunami… or
an old man or woman, terrified that help
will never arrive in the wake of a hurricane’s flooding, not before death calls.
That image remains a call to action for
today’s Franciscans.
While most people will not respond by
becoming vowed Franciscans, many will
be challenged by that Franciscan image in
service to the poor.
I couldn’t do what they can do, but like
them, I too need to examine my life… to
see what I can do to help… to turn back to
God and check where I am in the order of
things ... and if things are not right, what
must I do to put my life on course again?
An evangelizing moment, thanks to a
penitential garment.
And while most of us will never wear
that friar’s habit, it can remain an icon
of sorts, beginning with this Lent. One
simple response would be to limit our own
spending on “finery” during Lent.
Beginning with one’s own wardrobe.
Or the amount of money spent on
soaps and perfumes, after-shave lotions
or shampoos and conditioners. Then,
donate the amount you saved to any of a
number of programs for the poor,
programs run in your own parish.
Programs for the hungry, for local food
banks, for shelters. The list goes on
and on.
Begin with this one simple project and
see how a such a simple thing can grow
on you. ■
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Father Robert includes a special remembrance for all Franciscan Mission Associates on
their birthday if he knows when it is. To be remembered at his Mass on your birthday
please send him the filled in form below at any time.
My name is __________________________________________________________________
My Birthday is Month and Day ________________________________________________
My address is ________________________________________________________________
City__________________________________ State_______ Zip ______________________
Fr. Robert, O.F.M., Dept. 373,
Franciscan Mission Associates, PO Box 598, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
13
The Easter Celebration and new Christians
The Easter Vigil and Easter
Sunday come early this year,
respectively April 7 for the Great
Vigil, and April 8, Easter Sunday.
Without question, this is our Night
of Nights (Vigil) and Day of Days
(Easter Sunday). So much so that
every Sunday is celebrated as another
Easter. For it is the Feast of the
Resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God,
the Savior whose Life, Death, and
Resurrection made all of us truly
children of God.
The Liturgy of the Vigil is rich in symbolism – fire, candles, incense, the sound
of ringing bells, glorious music, and so
much holy water. The Vigil is rich in God’s
Word and Sacraments as well. The
Liturgy of the Word offer readings taking
us from the beginnings of Creation
through the historic moment of the
Resurrection. Usually the Sacrament of
Baptism is celebrated, since it is integral
to this liturgy.
The full congregation renews
baptismal vows. But very particular to
this joyful celebration is the entrance of
new members, converts, into full life in
the Church. Many are adults, people who
made inquiry and remained, to study,
pray, participate and to become members
of the Church. Their baptism is the heart
of the Vigil celebration. And an inspiration to others in the congregation, those
who renew their own baptismal vows
celebrated while most were infants.
With the introduction of the Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) in
every parish in the US, the hope
is that more and more people
who “inquire” may elect to enter
the Church.
This once new rite, coming
via the Holy Spirit in the
whole Church gathered in Vatican
Council II calls for the candidate
for admission to the Church to
associate closely with Christians in
the parish.
Some parishioners will be teachers or instructors for these men and
women interested in the Church.
Others will be formal “sponsors;” still
more will help in the traditional ways…
with refreshments, offering rides, or just
“being there” in prayerful support of these
budding Christians.
Perhaps the most obvious job is open to
all: Welcoming the new Church members
– with joy and consistency.
When there is a receiving line, a
reception following the Vigil – attend.
Consistent welcome will mean looking
in on new members in the Sundays that
follow.
To coin a popular phrase from show
business today: Give it up for those
members. Get to know them, before and
after the Vigil. And help in whatever way
God calls you to do so.
More than all the words in any bulletin
or hand-out, that personal welcome will
demonstrate what a Christian community
these new members, called to us by God,
have joined. ■
VOCATIONS
Please pray for the young people at home and in the missions who are ready and eager to dedicate their lives to God and the spiritual welfare of His people.
Often all they really need is the special courage to hear God’s call and to answer him. Please
join us in daily prayer, especially during the seasons of Lent and Easter, for God’s grace in providing devoted brothers, sisters, deacons, priests, and religious for Christ’s work in today’s world.
For further information please write Fr Robert, O.F.M. at
Franciscan Mission Associates, P.O. Box 598, Dept. 371, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
14
God loves you — winter, summer
and all. (St Jude)
It’s so sad to hear their words. To be
specific: quotes from people who are now
“famous” – howsoever that status is measured – and talk about why they no longer
practice their Catholic faith. Very often,
they say they did not have a sense of
being loved or cared about. For so many of
us as Catholics – the feeling is just the
opposite. For we learned, among other
things, that as baptized members of
Christ’s Body, God is always near to us…
that God has appointed a Guardian Angel
to watch over us and be with us always, so
precious are we in God’s sight.
Moreover, baptized into Christ’s Body,
we have “friends” – the saints whose lives
demonstrate how we too can be disciples
of Christ, even in life’s darkest moments.
When we are faced with challenges, we
can reference that assuring quote from
St. Gabriel the Archangel: “…nothing is
impossible with God.” (Lk 1: 37).
That great messenger of God had just
announced to Mary of Nazareth that she
would be the virgin mother of the longawaited Savior. It was the moment
commemorated in the Feast of the
Annunciation (usually March 25, but this
year, transferred to Monday, March 26,
the day immediately after the Fifth
Sunday of Lent).
It was a moment when faith changed
the world, Mary’s great faith, and her
“yes” to God’s plan – no matter how
impossible that may have seemed in the
ordinary sense. It was a moment when
the greatest of all miracles took place.
No doubt it was strong faith in Jesus,
even in the face of impossible tasks, that
led St. Jude to undertake his own difficult
ministry, indeed to face martyrdom in
First Century Middle Eastern lands
hostile to the Gospel he preached..
This Lent pray for the
inspiration and help
of St. Jude as you
practice your
own
faith.
Ask Jude’s help
in clinging fiercely
to your faith…
its practices and
its flexibility in
expressing that faith,
no matter what your
culture or ethnic origin… your Gospelbased understanding of what is right/
wrong… and above all, your love of God
and your experience of God’s deep love and
support for you and your loved ones.
And as you pray, keep in your heart all
those friends, neighbors, acquaintances,
and yes, even the “celebrities” whose faith
or lack thereof gets “play” in the media.
Bring them to St. Jude. No one but God is
or should be privy to another’s heart and
soul, so pray for the grace to suspend
judgment of others; instead, believing
even more deeply in God’s power to bring
about miracles.
This wholesome devotion and prayer to
the Saint of the Impossible can only
increase your own belief in God’s loving
care, for all. ■
The Eucharist, as Christ’s saving presence in the community of the faithful and
its spiritual food, is the most precious
possession which the Church can have
in her journey through history.
Pope John Paul II
15
FMA Spiritual Exercises
Lent-Easter 2007
For the petitions and special intentions of all our benefactors, Franciscan Mission Associates
will conduct this series of spiritual exercises during the Lenten and Easter season.
You are cordially invited to join us in prayer for your own needs and petitions, for those of
our Franciscan missionary friars and their people, and for all who cooperate by prayer and
sacrifice for the spread of the faith.
During the Lenten-Easter Season these Novenas of Masses have been arranged:
February 2-10 / February 11-19 ......................................Our Lady of Lourdes
February 11 - April 1 ..........................................................Lenten Masses (40)
March 27 - April 4............................................................................Passiontide
April 8 - April 16........................................The Risen Christ…in thanksgiving
April 17-June 12 ......................................................9 Tuesdays to St. Anthony
Holy Mass is offered each day for all Franciscan Mission Associates benefactors and the
special intentions they request. So kindly forward your petitions for the Novenas scheduled.
Father Robert, O.F.M., Franciscan Mission Associates
PO Box 598, Dept. 376, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
Join us on Pilgrimage to the Shrines of Italy
We will pray at the Shrines sacred to our faith and other
shrines with a Franciscan Spiritual Director
MAY 19 - 31, 2007
Venice • Padua • Cascia (St. Rita) • Assisi
San Giovanni Rotondo (St. Pio) • Capri • Rome
Vatican City • and more…
$3,645.00 + $195.00 Departure Taxes & Fuel Surcharges Inclusive from New York
Includes: Round-trip economy class on scheduled airline - 11 nights accommodation in First
Class hotels - Buffet Breakfast and Dinner daily - 2 Lunches - Gondola Ride - Entrance fees
and porterage - sightseeing - gratuities and more…
Dear Father, Please send information on Pilgrimage to the Shrines of Italy
NAME __________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS________________________________________________________________
CITY___________________________________STATE_______ ZIP
________________
Pilgrimage Office, Dept. F, P.O. Box 598, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
Tel: 914-664-1747 or 914-664-5604