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“As a fraternity how do we engage with the poor? Is it possible to bring our individual ministries to the whole fraternity and make them the source of our prayer?”
Rule 4 states: “Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the Gospel, and going from Gospel to life and life to Gospel.” All our ministries are based on the Gospel ~ our ministries have Christ as their inspiration and foundation. We should be very comfortable in moving from Gospel to ministry and from ministry to Gospel ~ both compliment and sustain each other.
I would like to discuss these movements from “Gospel to life and life to Gospel” in future reflections.
When Francis was a young man in his Italian hometown of Assisi, he loved parties and good times. He was very handsome and very rich, so he bought himself the finest clothes, and he spent money right and left. Francis had no desire to either study or learn his father¹s business. All he ever wanted was to just have fun. However, he was never selfish, nor was he impure. After having had two illnesses and other adventures in his life, Francis realized that he must serve Jesus Christ, and so he began by praying much more and by making sacrifices in order to grow strong in spirit. Once he kissed a horrible looking leper while he was giving him money. Often times he gave his clothes and money to the poor and served the sick in hospitals. Still, he felt he should do more than that, so he fasted and he prayed and began to go around with rags, in order to humble himself. It is not hard to imagine how his former rich friends must have looked at him now! His father became so angry with him that he beat him and locked him up at his home. Francis bore all of the suffering for the love of Christ, and when his father took everything from him in disgust, Francis put all his trust in God his Father in Heaven. He said that he was married to ‘Lady Poverty” and began to live as a beggar, with no shelter or food except what kind people gave him.
Everywhere he went, he urged people to stop sinning and to go back
to God. Soon many men began to realize how close to God this poor man was,
and they became his disciples. That is how our great Franciscan Order of
Priests and Brothers began.
Even after the order had spread all over Italy, Francis insisted that they should not own anything and should all love poverty as he did. The brothers helped the poor and sick and preached everywhere. St. Francis had a power of working miracles, and even of making birds and animals obey him. As a reward for his great love, Jesus gave him His own wounds in his hands and feet.
When Francis was sick for a long time, he was told he would live a few more weeks - he welcomed Sister Death. He urged his Brothers to love God, to love
poverty, and to obey the Holy Gospel. ³I have done my part. May Christ teach you to do yours. Amen!
I have a little note of interest: St. Francis of Assisi was born in 1181 in Italy and died in 1226 at the age of 45 years. On the 4th of October we celebrate his birth. We pray that God our Father will enable us to imitate
Jesus as Francis did and walk in the footsteps of our loving Father of Assisi. Amen!
- Erma Recine
Thanksgiving is the one-day that unites everyone in reflection. We are grateful and mindful of the gifts God has given us, we remember those who have gone before us and we are thankful for those who surround us. It is a day filled with parades, football and most of all food! We sit around a bountiful table and enjoy each others company.
As wonderful as it is, this yearly event does not come close to the banquet we share daily in the Eucharist. It is in community that we show our gratitude in sharing Christ’s ultimate gift. But we cannot discount that liturgically, Thanksgiving is a prelude to Advent. It is our mini “fat Tuesday”, our “little lent” that prepares us for the coming of Christ. We fast, we pray, we wait. So this Thanksgiving and everyday let us remember:
Happy thoughts, Praise God
Difficult Moments, Seek God
Quiet moments, Worship God
Painful moments, Trust God
EVERY MOMENT, Thank God!
Difficult Moments, Seek God
Quiet moments, Worship God
Painful moments, Trust God
EVERY MOMENT, Thank God!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Thanksgiving Prayer
This Thanksgiving let those of us who have much and those who have little gather at the welcoming table of the Lord. At this blessed feast, may rich and poor alike remember that we are called to serve on another and to walk together in God's gracious world. With thankful hearts we praise our God who like a loving parent denies us no good thing.
Today and every day, it pleases God for us to sit as brothers and sisters as we share the bounty of the earth and the grace God has placed in each blessed soul. For this we all give thanks and praise to our loving and gracious God.
From Songs of Our Hearts, Meditations of Our Souls: Prayers for Black Catholics, edited by Cecilia A. Moor, Ph.D., C. Vanessa White, D.Min., and Paul M. Marshall, S.M. Read more...
