Meditation for Sunday, October 21st, 2012

In this month of October in which we have celebrated and marked October fourth as  the Feast of Our Seraphic Father, St. Francis of Assisi, I think it would be beneficial for us to look at two other spiritual hallmarks of this month and how they may relate to our life as Secular Franciscans and members of the great Franciscan Family.

The first of these is the observance of October as the Month of the Rosary. I would like to take a moment and briefly explain the origin of this devotion, specifically the Feast our Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7^th.  This feast dates to 1571 when Pius V attributed the defeat of the Turkish fleet to prayer made by the Rosary confraternities of Rome and elsewhere holding processions for just that purpose. This defeat spared continental Europe from the invasion of the Muslim hordes.  At first this feast was observed only in Spain but was later extended to the entire church by Pope Clement XI. It is through this feast that the month of October has come to be known as the Month of the Rosary.

In the month of October both St. Francis and the Rosary, along with our Blessed Mother, are honored. This is truly fitting and proper since St. Francis held the Mother of Our Lord in great esteem. As Article 9 of the Rule states, "The Virgin Mary, humble servant of the Lord, was open to his every word and call. She was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and declared the protectress and advocate of his family. The Secular Franciscans should express their ardent love for her by imitating her complete self-giving and by praying earnestly and confidently"

And the Constitutions in Article 16.1 & 2 go on to say, “Mary is the model of fruitful and faithful love for the entire ecclesial community. Secular Franciscans and their fraternities should seek to live the experience of Francis, who made the Virgin the guide of his activity. With her, like the disciples at Pentecost, they should welcome the Spirit to create a community of love.

The role that Mary plays to us as Franciscans is really quite simple

•      Mary always leads us to her Son

•      She continuously points to Jesus

•      Indeed Mary brings us to Jesus

•      Mary never separates herself from her Son

•      Mary says “yes” to both happiness and sorrow

•      Mary trusts Our Father, although she might not understand all the mysteries of His Will.

So, it is most truly most appropriate that during  this month in which we Franciscans recall the life and ministry of our Seraphic Father, Francis that we also honor the Mother of Lord who teaches us to follow the humble way of her Son whom St. Francis strove to follow with every fiber of his being. And it is even more of a blessing that Our Lady of Rosary leads us through that most wonderful devotion to a richer and fuller understanding of the life and ministry of her Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The second hallmark of this month of October is of more recent origin.  The tradition of Respect Life Month is now in its 41^st year.

In its statement for Respect Life Month the USCCB states: The theme of this year's Respect Life Program is one often expressed by Pope Benedict XVI: "Faith opens our eyes to human life in all its grandeur and beauty." He reiterated this insight during his recent visit to Lebanon:

The effectiveness of our commitment to peace depends on our understanding of human life. If we want peace, let us defend life! This approach leads us to reject not only war and terrorism, but every assault on innocent human life, on men and women as creatures willed by God. … The grandeur and the raison d'être of each person are found in God alone. The unconditional acknowledgement of the dignity of every human being, of each one of us, and of the sacredness of human life, is linked to the responsibility which we all have before God. We must combine our efforts, then, to develop a sound vision of … the human person. Without this, it is impossible to build true peace.

St. Francis would have understood our Holy Father’s words. Brother Bonaventure said of Francis in his Major Life of St. Francis, "Francis sought occasion to love God in everything. He delighted in all the works of God's hands and from the vision of joy on earth his mind soared aloft to the life-giving source and cause of all. In everything beautiful, he saw him who is beauty itself, and he followed his Beloved everywhere by his likeness imprinted on creation; of all creation he made a ladder by which he might mount up and embrace him who is all-desirable. By the power of his extraordinary faith he tasted the Goodness which is the source of all in each and every created thing, as in so many rivulets. He seemed to perceive a divine harmony in the interplay of powers and faculties given by God to his creatures and like the prophet David he exhorted them all to praise God." Bonaventure also wrote in his Minor Life of St. Francis, "His attitude towards creation was simple and direct, as simple as the gaze of a dove; as he considered the universe, in his pure, spiritual vision, he referred every created thing to the Creator of all. He saw God in everything, and loved and praised him in all creation. By God's generosity and goodness, he possessed God in everything and everything in God. The realization that everything comes from the same source made him call all created things -- no matter how insignificant -- his brothers and sisters, because they had the same origins as he."

How could the simple, poor man of Assisi have done anything but respect human life in all of its stages from conception to natural death.  How could he have not loved each and every one of his brothers and sisters who were created in the image of his beloved God.

Francis who gladly and with profound love embraced Lady Poverty would not have understood a society that placed “creature comforts” above the life of the human creature itself, created in the likeness and image of God. A being sharing the image of the second person of the Trinity, Jesus our Lord and brother, who offered himself as a sacrifice on the cross for our salvation.

I understand that budgets and economy and education are important things. It seems to me, however, that these pale in comparison with the right to live – whether it is for an infant to be able to take his first mewling breath or a grandmother who is nearing the end of her days to take her last breath on her own terms without being rushed by unnecessary drugs, medical procedures or lack of appropriate treatment.

No, Francis I believe would find this a very odd world. A society that had gone even farther astray than the world of the twelfth century in which he walked. As a part of the great family of Franciscans spanning more than eight centuries I would ask that each of us stop and take a moment to reflect on what God may be calling us to in this month of October. 

I would suggest that each and every one of us, in this month of October – this month of Francis, our Blessed Mother, of respect for Human Life – ought to be offering our prayers, our Crowns, our Rosaries, our Novenas, our Communions, our penances, our fasting that our society may come to see and understand and believe and act on the importance of human life – all human life – from conception to natural death and that like our Seraphic Father Francis, may see in all created persons the face of the Creator.

By Brother Maximilian John, OFS (David Homan)

In Times Such as These

          As we all know we have been facing a time of degenerating values and morality in our country: a culture of entitlement, redefinition of marriage, family breakdown, politically correct speech, contempt for chastity, a record low birth rate, and destruction of infants.

 

   The once subtle and hidden spiteful stabs at the Church for Her unfailing adherence to the Gospel of Our Lord have become vicious and open persecution by our society and our own Government.  With the disappointment of the recent elections the dimly lit light of hope most of us had has given way to the darkness of the catacombs and the hateful jeering sounds of the crowd in the coliseum.  The Lions are hungry.  We are preparing for battle.  We know what lies ahead for all of those who live the Gospel life in times like this.

          It is with this in mind that I wish to turn us to reflect for a moment on the story of Esther.  We’ve all heard her story.  Perhaps we remember it from our youth, encountered it in the office of readings, or perhaps we’ve meditated upon it during our daily Holy Hour.  Or like me, seen the Veggie Tale version.    The story of Esther has the makings of a Hallmark Classic Movie.  Beautiful young woman is orphaned and taken in by her Uncle Mordecai a Jew in the Kings court.  As luck would have it the King has to choose a new bride and Mordecai uses his influence to get Esther selected. Esther becomes favored by the King who would refuse her nothing.  Esther has gone from rags to riches and is able to help her Uncle Mordecai if needed.  

         Enter our villain Haman the Prime Minister who hates all Jews especially Mordecai.  Haman congers up a plots to kill all the Jews and Mordecai finds out.  Of course he sends word to his niece Esther who quickly sends word back to her uncle letting him know that she cannot intercede with the King.  Why?  Because anyone who enters the King’s court without being summoned would suffer the automatic penalty of death and she has not been summoned by the King for thirty days.  For Esther the cost was too high.   She did not stand to just loose her material possessions or her status as Queen, she would lose her life. 

          Upon hearing of Esther’s resistance Mordecai answers her reminding her of God’s Providence in her life.  “Do not imagine that because you are in the king’s palace, you alone of all the Jews will escape.  Even if you now remain silent, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another source:  but you and your father’s house will perish.  Who knows but that it was for a time like this that you obtained the royal dignity?”  Esther has a choice to make.  God’s Providence has brought her to this point.  But God now asks her through the request of Mordecai to risk everything to give her all in the Present Moment which she does.  And because Esther gives up her will in-spite of the cost, her people are saved, and Evil Old Haman gets his just reward.  A happy ending!

          My friends whether it is God’s permitting Will or His Ordaining Will the reality facing us in this present moment is God’s Will for us and the Church! We need to let go of what was in the past... what could have been and what will be in the future.  What we have is now.  Here in this present moment.   It is what we do with this present moment that will make the difference.  God would never allow anything that would not in the end be for our own Good and this can be applied to any part of our life.  Holiness is conforming your will to God’s Will.  So give up your will.  Why would we ask for any other reality than that which God has given us especially in this present moment?  Think of how miserable we can make ourselves if we focus on the way we wish things would be rather than the way things are.  This is the opportunity that God has given us to grow in holiness.   Why is the impending persecution or any undesirable thing that happens in our lives a cause for distress?  Why should we let it destroy our peace? 

          Saint Maximillian Kolbe had peace even in the face of being arrested.  He tells the Friars with him:

“Courage, my sons, Don't you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes.”

          Each day as we renew our consecration to Our Lady we place our Fraternity and ourselves in her Immaculate Heart.  Remember the words she spoke to Juan Diego:

"Hear and let it penetrate into your heart, my dear little son; let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you. Let nothing alter your heart or your countenance. Also, do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else that you need?"

We have no reason to fear or to lose our peace.  Holy Father Francis said “The true peacemakers are those who preserve peace of mind and body for love of our Lord Jesus Christ, despite what they suffer in the world.”  So we face a time of peril:

It is times such as this that we are forced out of our complacency.  In times such as this that we can no longer drink from the cup of mediocrity.  It is in times such as this that we are called to perfect heroic virtue.  It is times such as this……that the Holy Spirit raises great Saints in the Church.  It is in times such as this that we face not a martyrdom of blood but a white martyrdom that comes when the desire for human respect dies and true humility remains.  And we should praise God for the opportunity.  Praise God for the opportunity to die to ourselves. Praise God for the opportunity to hide in the Catacombs.  Praise God for the opportunity to face the Lions.  True Joy comes from accepting the Will of God in this Present Moment.

I once read that once all the blood drains from a body that the body then begins to drain water.  He shed every drop of blood for you.  Look at the wound in His precious side.  How could you deny Him anything?

          Like Esther the cost is high.  Like Esther, we will not escape the persecution that lies ahead, we must stand firm and remember who we are and why we are here.  Like Esther we have a choice to sit passively or stand and fight.  Father Strietenberger said, “The Lord today wants our complete selves….our will and our all.  He wants us to give it to him generously and recklessly.  It is Christ himself who teaches us to give our all as he died on the Cross for us and gave us his life in the Eucharist.” 

Remember Brothers and Sisters, We are the soldiers of Church Militant armed with the Charism handed to us by our Seraphic Father.  In our own fraternity we are prepared for battle in living the Particular Constitutions given to us by our Spiritual Director Fr. Streitenberger.  We have our Total Consecration to Our Lady as our breastplate.  It is in times such as this that We must stand in defense of the Gospel, we must stand in defense of Holy Mother Church,  and we must do so with the intention of bringing many souls to Christ. 

          In each moment of Salvation History the Lord raises in the Church exactly what she needs just as The Lord raised Saint Francis in 1208 to repair his Church.   As the impending persecution looms over our heads, as we watch as the moral fiber of society decay, as we find ourselves surrounded by indifference to the Gospel, and the new religion of relativism…. We must ask ourselves could it be for a time such as this that God has brought us to the Secular Franciscan Order? 

Saint Michael the Archangel defend us in battle!

Maggie Wright, OFS

(talk given November 2012)

The Fraternity as Community

When our Father Francis began his quest with his “little brothers”, in love with Lady Poverty, setting out to rebuild the Church, he did not know that the movement he began would extend through the centuries and around the world. The Franciscan movement might have become a mere blessed footnote in Church history, but for the men, women, and children who have followed him throughout the ages and in all corners of the globe. 

For that reason we are called to fraternity as community. The word “fraternity” does not refer merely to an organization of men. It means that Jesus is our brother, and we are called to be brothers and sisters to Jesus with Francis and his other followers.

The fraternity gives us many advantages in our life:

(1) Fraternity keeps us from becoming self-centered.

(2) Fraternity creates the place where apostolic work in the world is fostered.

(3) Fraternity gives us strength where we are weak. 

(4) Fraternity gives us opportunities to love others with all their goodness as well as their flaws and irritating ways. And they can do the same for us.

(5) Fraternity provides an intimate spiritual family within “family” of the Church, where we can grow in holiness.

Under the Leonine rule, the Secular Franciscan Order had “isolated” members. These members were Franciscans who followed the way of Francis on their own without the benefit of fraternity. Today, however, we are returning to Francis’ original plan – we go the Franciscan way together, not as individuals on private journeys. 

Our Rule devotes an entire chapter (Chapter 3) to “Life in Fraternity.” Indeed, the local fraternity is “the basic unit of the Whole Order and a visible sign of the Church, the community of love.” (Rule 22)  But do we attend our gatherings as merely another”meeting” to go to? Or, perhaps as a place where we sit passively and are spiritually “fed,” like needy children?

No. In the General Constitutions of the OFS (Article 30), we are reminded that:

“(1) The brothers and sisters are co-responsible for the life of the fraternity to which they belong….” And

“(2) The sense of co-responsibility of the members required personal presence, witness, prayer, and active collaboration, in accordance with each one’s means and possible obligations for the animation of the fraternity.”

In fraternity, we are reminded of our responsibility to ourselves and each other, as well as our duty to cultivate and practice our Franciscan charism.

Meeting regularly gives us a chance to work together. Individuals grow in friendship in the Lord and each other as they pray together, work together, motivate each other, and share their faith journeys.  The fraternity is a sanctuary of joy where laughter and humor lightens one’s burdens, and gives us the opportunity to lift up our brothers and sisters. The fraternity provides a place to resolve disagreements peacefully. The fraternity is a place to learn to forgive ourselves and others as we begin, again and again, to follow Jesus in the footsteps of Francis and Clare.

Finally, let us end our formation together in prayer: 

“Lord, sometimes the temptation to strike out on my own is very strong. I can’t see how my present life, with my family, or my brothers and sisters in community, is allowing me to grow. Everyone around me seems only a distraction or a burden, and I wish I could just leave everything and everyone and be free.

But that is only a temptation, most of the time, Lord. For I find You in my commitments and responsibilities, my loves and friendships, not in fleeing them. And in finding You, I find myself. You are where I am, not somewhere else. Lord Jesus, help me to discover You where I am. Amen.”

 Pax et bonum (Peace and all good),

Pat Johnson, OFS