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What blocks us from living out this new life with Christ? I believe the answer is guilt. By dwelling on past sins and failings we allow guilt to chock that new life Christ brings us. Wallowing in guilt is really a very selfish thing to do. St. Francis knew this and gradually pulled the weeds of guilt from his heart.
Read the following words from Thomas of Celano’s
The Life of Saint Francis:
He began to lose himself;
his feelings were pressed together;
and that darkness disappeared
which fear of sin had gathered in his heart.
Certainty of the forgiveness of all his sins poured in
and the assurance of being revived in grace was given to him.
Then he was caught up above himself and totally engulfed in light
and, with his inmost soul opened wide,
he saw clearly the future.
As that sweetness and the light withdrew,
renewed in spirit,
he now seemed to be changed into another man.
My prayer for all of you this Lent is to know the certainty of the forgiveness of sins and the love God has for you. Let the darkness of guilt give way to the bright future of a new life with Christ. Through our baptism and Christ’s resurrection “Salvation and power of God has come upon us and the accuser of our brothers and sisters is cast out (cf. Rev. 12:10)
Dear Fraternity,
I am going to be in Rome for Ash Wednesday and then at San Giovanni Rotondo, the home our Padre Pio. The Vatican and the Capuchins are sponsoring a conference on "Reconciliation in the Modern World". I will be with priests and Capuchins from all around the world leading and praying about ~ but more importantly, experiencing God's love and mercy in a world torn apart by sin.
I ask for your prayers and assure you of mine.
Fr. Andrew Nowak, OFM Cap
The Fraternity made a donation of $35 this month to The Let's Share the Sun Foundation for their
fundraiser at Fordham Prep on March 19th to provide solar panels for a school in Haiti. As we progress through Lent--Sacred Heart Church is providing a soup, salad, and bread lunch at 11:30 on the Fridays of Lent. The repast will be followed by the Stations of the Cross at 12:30. Our Fraternity will be Providing the lunch on Friday, April 1st. We will have a sign up sheet at our March 27th meeting for this event.
Many times, children ask, What is Lent? As adults, we know it is a season of repentance and conversion, and a time of purification in which we are called by God with a much greater reflection and commitment. It is a time when we fast, for the good of our bodies and our souls. When the children ask us, Why do you give something up? We tell them it's not necessary to give up something for Lent, but we try to help ourselves to find out what we are attached to that might keep us from God. So, we show God how great is our love for Him. We do one thing everyday to help ourselves to not cling to something that might keep us away from God. And so, we can do one thing everyday that we might not like not because we have to but we do it freely without resentment or resistance. Its our way of saying yes to Jesus.
We tell the children that during Lent we follow Jesus on the way of the Cross. Why? That was when Jesus told us that, Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up the cross and follow me. That's why many of us follow by walking around in our Church to pray the Stations of the Cross. When we stop in front of scenes that show Jesus in suffering and death, we can reflect on the way of the Cross more fully. During Lent, we learn to realize that following Jesus does not mean just going to Mass every week or being kind to others. To follow Jesus, we must follow the way of the Cross.
We teach our children that during Lent we follow our Lord's path and do much to please Him that is saying YES to Jesus. Lent is a positive time a time for new life to appear and old attitudes to disappear. It is a time we celebrate the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection, a time when we are called to respond to God with greater reflection and commitment. It truly helps us to follow Christ more deeply in our daily life. It has been the Church's preparation for Easter.
During this Lent, may we as Secular Franciscans respond to God with greater reflection and commitment, and follow our Lord Jesus more deeply in our daily lives and always say YES to Jesus. Amen!
An excerpt of 2011 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI
Lent: The Season of Opportunity
We are creatures of habit. We get up a certain time, we have weekly routines both at work and at home. Let’s admit it, we even have become creatures of habit in our spiritual lives as well.
What will we give up, becomes the topic just before Ash Wednesday. Normally we choose things not “too out there” so that it will not throw off our “routine”. If we truly want to take up our cross and follow Christ, We MUST STOP! Mix it up a little, be SELFLESS! don’t think of what you can deprive yourself of and think of what you can give of yourself for others.
Volunteer, be generous with your busy time. Think about it, Isn’t that what Jesus Christ did for us?
Blessings!
Our Franciscan Sister Catherine of Siena
“May Lent be for every
Christian a renewed
experience of God’s love
given to us in Christ, a love
that each day we, in turn,
must ‘re-give’ to our
neighbor, especially to the
one who suffers most and
is in need.”
Christian a renewed
experience of God’s love
given to us in Christ, a love
that each day we, in turn,
must ‘re-give’ to our
neighbor, especially to the
one who suffers most and
is in need.”
Pope Benedict XVI
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