Monthly Reflections for October 2nd Session
One of the questions guaranteed to be asked is "What has happened in the last month?" as part of our discernment period.
So much has happened since the last inquiry session that it's all a blur. I can say that as my mother was in the ICU that I prayed a lot... let's just say that St Anthony has been busy fielding requests. Let's also say that I did find a chain for my San Damiano cross and I wear it every day. I'm finding an identity in this time.
In the printout of the Session One out of Come and See, it says, "Our way of life requires a person to be a good, practicing Catholic. The Rule requires us to receive the sacraments regularly. If you would not be able to do so, it would be impossible for you to keep the Rule..."
I had to chuckle. A good practicing Catholic does receive the sacraments regularly; it's pretty much the definition of "good Catholic"!! You can't be one without receiving. Isn't it hilarious that it has to be spelled out?
Another thing is deciding where the SFO belongs in one's priorities... whether involvement in other groups makes it impossible to attend SFO meetings, or deciding to make the SFO first. Well, for me it's a no-brainer. I think I'll already have to sacrifice Catechism as my work schedule is not helpful, but serving as an EMHC for me is complementary.
Another quote from Come and See: "Secular Franciscans find ways and means of enriching their understanding and practice of the scriptural word." This is exactly why I'm heading into the fray, to gather more knowledge and make it practicable.
Here I come...
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Franciscan Meditations, Part III
I'm going to finish this and then post other session topics in the days to come. Later I may break this up and add more parts to the meditations, but for today I want to move on because I'm just so far behind.
~~~
Where there is darkness, light.
Who has lost hope? What can we do to bring new light to their lives?
Who? So many. They're some of the saddest people you will ever know. If you really look, they are the angry ones, the ones that lash out at people; they are the people who insult you even as they shake your hand; they are the ones whose life is work and work is life, for they have nothing and nobody, paying lip service to His message or simply refusing to open their eyes to the love of Christ.
To bring light is as simple as the Franciscan philosophy outlined in this quote (in various forms): "Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words."
And where there is sadness, joy.
Are people looking for meaning in their lives? What can we do to make joy a reality for them?
Are people looking for meaning? Of course they are; why else are so many people miserable? The biggest problem is that they think *things* are the answer--which, of course, they are not and never have been. Emperors with floors of gold have been the most miserable people in history. For the everyday person, sometimes it's a shopping spree, sometimes it's gambling, sometimes it's boozing life away or packing their houses full of things that are never used.
The answer is easy if your heart is open: God's knocking. Are you listening?
Making joy a reality can be simple or complex. Sometimes it's as simple as saying hello; sending a card at random; inviting a friend that's blue out to lunch; feeding the hungry; volunteering at a senior center. One of the easiest is just flashing a sincere beaming smile at a total stranger for no reason at all. I learned that one day in a hazy memory, and you'd be surprised as to how the surprised look followed by a relieved smile makes a difference for you.
Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
We all want validation, we are communal animals. But seeking consolation or approval all the time is, frankly, a drag. Listening to others is a great exercise and one can learn new things when someone else is unhappy.
To be understood as to understand;
Back to validation. It's just that it's not all about you.
To be loved as to love;
Tied in with validation; this time, it's personal. I didn't understand this until TJ came into my life. I wanted to be loved (as who does not?), but to have that love unconditionally offered is something I had never encountered before--no questions, no preconceptions, all-encompassing, immutable. And once I realized what was happening, it was so easy to offer it back. And it spills over, it's true.
For it is in giving that we receive;
"Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver." [2 Corinthians 9:7]
'Nuff said.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless."
--G. K. Chesterton
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
This, of course, is the core of our faith--the True Faith--in Jesus Christ. It is His promise, before he ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
Death is nothing to be afraid of; yet it is not to be sought as it is in this culture of death we live in. But while nobody who has Faith really wishes to die, neither are we to flinch when we are called to our final rest, to not be afraid of judgement, to hope that the Father forgives in his immeasurable mercy, and to be reunited with those beloved ones who we have lost.
It is in this sure hope of resurrection that makes this life we live in so sweet.
~~
Quote:
"It is important to speak of suffering and death in a way that dispels fear. Indeed, dying is a part of life."
--Pope John Paul II in Austria: Message to the sick and suffering June 1998
I'm going to finish this and then post other session topics in the days to come. Later I may break this up and add more parts to the meditations, but for today I want to move on because I'm just so far behind.
~~~
Where there is darkness, light.
Who has lost hope? What can we do to bring new light to their lives?
Who? So many. They're some of the saddest people you will ever know. If you really look, they are the angry ones, the ones that lash out at people; they are the people who insult you even as they shake your hand; they are the ones whose life is work and work is life, for they have nothing and nobody, paying lip service to His message or simply refusing to open their eyes to the love of Christ.
To bring light is as simple as the Franciscan philosophy outlined in this quote (in various forms): "Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words."
And where there is sadness, joy.
Are people looking for meaning in their lives? What can we do to make joy a reality for them?
Are people looking for meaning? Of course they are; why else are so many people miserable? The biggest problem is that they think *things* are the answer--which, of course, they are not and never have been. Emperors with floors of gold have been the most miserable people in history. For the everyday person, sometimes it's a shopping spree, sometimes it's gambling, sometimes it's boozing life away or packing their houses full of things that are never used.
The answer is easy if your heart is open: God's knocking. Are you listening?
Making joy a reality can be simple or complex. Sometimes it's as simple as saying hello; sending a card at random; inviting a friend that's blue out to lunch; feeding the hungry; volunteering at a senior center. One of the easiest is just flashing a sincere beaming smile at a total stranger for no reason at all. I learned that one day in a hazy memory, and you'd be surprised as to how the surprised look followed by a relieved smile makes a difference for you.
Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
We all want validation, we are communal animals. But seeking consolation or approval all the time is, frankly, a drag. Listening to others is a great exercise and one can learn new things when someone else is unhappy.
To be understood as to understand;
Back to validation. It's just that it's not all about you.
To be loved as to love;
Tied in with validation; this time, it's personal. I didn't understand this until TJ came into my life. I wanted to be loved (as who does not?), but to have that love unconditionally offered is something I had never encountered before--no questions, no preconceptions, all-encompassing, immutable. And once I realized what was happening, it was so easy to offer it back. And it spills over, it's true.
For it is in giving that we receive;
"Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver." [2 Corinthians 9:7]
'Nuff said.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless."
--G. K. Chesterton
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
This, of course, is the core of our faith--the True Faith--in Jesus Christ. It is His promise, before he ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.
Death is nothing to be afraid of; yet it is not to be sought as it is in this culture of death we live in. But while nobody who has Faith really wishes to die, neither are we to flinch when we are called to our final rest, to not be afraid of judgement, to hope that the Father forgives in his immeasurable mercy, and to be reunited with those beloved ones who we have lost.
It is in this sure hope of resurrection that makes this life we live in so sweet.
~~
Quote:
"It is important to speak of suffering and death in a way that dispels fear. Indeed, dying is a part of life."
--Pope John Paul II in Austria: Message to the sick and suffering June 1998
Monday, September 19, 2005
Franciscan Meditations, Part II
Hi folks... sorry about the long interval... so much going on doesn't leave time to blog.
Since I have my 3rd inquiry meeting this weekend, I'll continue on my meditations on the Prayer of St Francis.
~~~~
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Who are the hated "lepers' in our society? How do we sow love?
To answer the session questions (which is in reference to Francis' encounters with lepers), one of the first to come to mind is the homeless, the great invisibles. But who else might be considered lepers? I think of the obese; the ones the pretty people call "ugly;" those who don't play the political games; those who love the truth.
To sow love? Drop the blinders, get active. TJ is much better at this than me, as he is out at this moment doing outreach to homeless teens. After a few encounters with unpleasant disenfranchised while out in the Golden State gave me an aversion to any of them. I have to be better. Assault can do that to you, though.
Closer to home, I was talking to a professed member who said to me, "The hardest thing about being Franciscan is to love those who have insulted or hurt me. It's a constant struggle." It is especially hard when it is one of your own flesh and blood. See the next line.
Where there is injury, pardon.
How can we bring about reconciliation and healing to those who have been injured?
Dialog. Keep on that quiet tapping on the door. Sometimes, all one can do is try to convey such contrition. My sister said to me not a week ago that it's easy to call for forgiveness but it's dreadfully hard to continue to do so when one is constantly being insulted.
Forgive, lest ye be forgiven?
Again, it's easier said than done. I can forgive one who has hurt me, but it's much harder to forget, especially when it festers and is fed and heaped upon. Mom always said that "hate" is a word that should rarely than ever be used. Hate is a draining emotion, as is anger. To aspire to the serenity of Christ, who stayed calm in the midst of so much vitriol!
"Forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance." Mk 11:25
To forgive the grievous ill done to oneself is probably the hardest task of all.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Are the youth around us experiencing doubt? How can we share our faith, give them support, give them encouragement?
Answer to session question: Does anyone doubt that today's children are seeing incredibly mixed signals? Play nice, but daddy talks trash about mommy/grandpa/uncle/auntie. You musn't hit Jane, but the television shows all sorts of horrors. The golden rule is not about doing good unto others, but more about who has the gold. No wonder the kids are all screwed up. No wonder they doubt.
I know what it is like to be in a Catholic minority. Worse than many Protestant sects, the Mormons liken Catholics to the Anti-Christ. I learned early that it didn't pay to advertise, and this was 20, 25 years ago. I can see in my mind the four other Catholics in my grade and only one of them went to CCD with me, and we didn't get along much.
How different would it have been to have someone, an adult, tell me to hold my head up, to not be ashamed to be Catholic in those Mormon dominated days. It's only as an adult that I see that I could have used just one supporter! I didn't know any better, and too ashamed to say anything, without the concrete of the Baltimore Catechism behind me (singing "Kumbaya" and "If the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack!" It's not that Mom and Dad didn't raise me right, but schoolyard politics are something else. Then, in high school, my religious education had been dropped, and though I knew plenty of Catholics there, none were at my parish and again, no one to nudge me to say, 'hey! keep on track!'
Faith starts in the home. Mom instilled the foundation that sustains me today. Is your home a Catholic home? (Notice how I didn't say "Christian"--for we are the original Christians despite what some Papist-haters think). I have a crucifix by the door, adorned with tinder-dry palms. I remember back when I had the birthday party for TJ where a very very very Lutheran friend just stared at it, then looked at me. I just raised my eyebrows and thought... yeeeeesss? May I help you?
I'm watching a niece's doubt being fed when her mother says that they don't have time for her Catechism because said niece has school and sports and club athletics and all this globe-trotting. Excuse me? To me, they have their priorities wrong. The parents are teaching her that God and faith are low on the list, and I think that is very sad.
A nephew has never been to Mass, not that he could sit through it anyway. I need to nudge his mother as he's of age to have his First Communion. But no, Mom doesn't have time and Dad doesn't care one whit. The poor kid.
There's a quote by JPII: "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live." How true, how sadly true. We have watched the destruction of the family unit by the society in which we live, and look where it's gotten us.
Quote of the Day:
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Hi folks... sorry about the long interval... so much going on doesn't leave time to blog.
Since I have my 3rd inquiry meeting this weekend, I'll continue on my meditations on the Prayer of St Francis.
~~~~
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Who are the hated "lepers' in our society? How do we sow love?
To answer the session questions (which is in reference to Francis' encounters with lepers), one of the first to come to mind is the homeless, the great invisibles. But who else might be considered lepers? I think of the obese; the ones the pretty people call "ugly;" those who don't play the political games; those who love the truth.
To sow love? Drop the blinders, get active. TJ is much better at this than me, as he is out at this moment doing outreach to homeless teens. After a few encounters with unpleasant disenfranchised while out in the Golden State gave me an aversion to any of them. I have to be better. Assault can do that to you, though.
Closer to home, I was talking to a professed member who said to me, "The hardest thing about being Franciscan is to love those who have insulted or hurt me. It's a constant struggle." It is especially hard when it is one of your own flesh and blood. See the next line.
Where there is injury, pardon.
How can we bring about reconciliation and healing to those who have been injured?
Dialog. Keep on that quiet tapping on the door. Sometimes, all one can do is try to convey such contrition. My sister said to me not a week ago that it's easy to call for forgiveness but it's dreadfully hard to continue to do so when one is constantly being insulted.
Forgive, lest ye be forgiven?
Again, it's easier said than done. I can forgive one who has hurt me, but it's much harder to forget, especially when it festers and is fed and heaped upon. Mom always said that "hate" is a word that should rarely than ever be used. Hate is a draining emotion, as is anger. To aspire to the serenity of Christ, who stayed calm in the midst of so much vitriol!
"Forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance." Mk 11:25
To forgive the grievous ill done to oneself is probably the hardest task of all.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Are the youth around us experiencing doubt? How can we share our faith, give them support, give them encouragement?
Answer to session question: Does anyone doubt that today's children are seeing incredibly mixed signals? Play nice, but daddy talks trash about mommy/grandpa/uncle/auntie. You musn't hit Jane, but the television shows all sorts of horrors. The golden rule is not about doing good unto others, but more about who has the gold. No wonder the kids are all screwed up. No wonder they doubt.
I know what it is like to be in a Catholic minority. Worse than many Protestant sects, the Mormons liken Catholics to the Anti-Christ. I learned early that it didn't pay to advertise, and this was 20, 25 years ago. I can see in my mind the four other Catholics in my grade and only one of them went to CCD with me, and we didn't get along much.
How different would it have been to have someone, an adult, tell me to hold my head up, to not be ashamed to be Catholic in those Mormon dominated days. It's only as an adult that I see that I could have used just one supporter! I didn't know any better, and too ashamed to say anything, without the concrete of the Baltimore Catechism behind me (singing "Kumbaya" and "If the devil doesn't like it he can sit on a tack!" It's not that Mom and Dad didn't raise me right, but schoolyard politics are something else. Then, in high school, my religious education had been dropped, and though I knew plenty of Catholics there, none were at my parish and again, no one to nudge me to say, 'hey! keep on track!'
Faith starts in the home. Mom instilled the foundation that sustains me today. Is your home a Catholic home? (Notice how I didn't say "Christian"--for we are the original Christians despite what some Papist-haters think). I have a crucifix by the door, adorned with tinder-dry palms. I remember back when I had the birthday party for TJ where a very very very Lutheran friend just stared at it, then looked at me. I just raised my eyebrows and thought... yeeeeesss? May I help you?
I'm watching a niece's doubt being fed when her mother says that they don't have time for her Catechism because said niece has school and sports and club athletics and all this globe-trotting. Excuse me? To me, they have their priorities wrong. The parents are teaching her that God and faith are low on the list, and I think that is very sad.
A nephew has never been to Mass, not that he could sit through it anyway. I need to nudge his mother as he's of age to have his First Communion. But no, Mom doesn't have time and Dad doesn't care one whit. The poor kid.
There's a quote by JPII: "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live." How true, how sadly true. We have watched the destruction of the family unit by the society in which we live, and look where it's gotten us.
Quote of the Day:
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Franciscan Meditations.
...
We were given a paper with the Prayer of St Francis this weekend, broken down, line by line. I thought it was a great idea for a series of postings and reflection.
Of course, the irony of it all is that it wasn't written by St Francis at all. See The Story Behind the Prayer of St Francis, straight from the Franciscans, so no arguments from the peanut gallery. Yet, I think we all know that this simple and beautiful prayer embodies the philosophy of Franciscan life, whether secular or ordained.
So, today I start with the thoughts on the first line of the prayer.
...
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
As a Franciscan Fraternity, how do we work to be instruments of peace for our society?
Oh, this is a hard one to start off with. Peace? Me? And why would the Lord want me to do such a thing?
Peace in the workplace. The corporate mindset, the corporate atmosphere is not a peaceful one. If one is in some kind of customer service, dealing with selfish people is not conducive to a peaceful state of mind. I used to get involved, I used to get into the alliances and the garbage talk as an element of survival. I used to hunt for a person or a few people I could vent to when the poo hit the breeze-making device.
I learned--the hard way--that it almost always backfired, no matter how justified my grievances were. Even in the temp job before this, even though I was totally, absolutely correct in my assessment of the person who was a peace-stealer, and even though I had spoken to the correct people about the issue, it didn't matter. The corporate politics won out.
I know what my problem is: I can't play the corporate game; I am not a corporate animal. So, slowly, painfully, I have learned to distance myself, to say non-committal things, to gently change the subject; therefore, in the stormy atmosphere, I create around me an island of serenity.
And the funny thing? I found that people were drawn to that more than the intrigue that I used to involve myself in.
Peace in the larger scene: local and global. I think this is my weakest spot. I'm more of an introvert, I like the parish activities: catechism, EMHC, SFO. It's not that I'm *not* needed within the parish, as a conversation with the catechism director proved this weekend. I don't think anything is wrong with that, because the Lord certainly knows that the smaller world of the local parish needs people, and I really do like that niche.
If I don't do it on my own, though, the St Clare Emerging Community will soon cure that, as we are seeking out a fraternity area of service. It hasn't been decided yet. But then I will be back in the arena I was in high school when I was a part of Interact--the things we did in the community. Gotta think about that one.
Peace in the family. It depends on the family. On both sides of my family there are histories of fractures in family unity--different catalysts, same results. Unfortunately, they have been distilled within my siblings and myself. It's a hard habit to break when the other sibs don't see that it's repeating itself. I had a long talk with a dear old monsignor about that, and the wise old man just shrugged in the end: "be the best daughter you can be," he said in his lovely Irish brogue. When an 80 year old monsignor has no solution to offer, you know it's bad ju-ju.
I have done my utmost to forgive the ill done to and wished upon me, but others just can't seem to let go. I have now learned that I have to distance myself from it.
I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said that nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission. I decided to revoke that permission and seek peace for myself instead of sacrificing it.
Peace in marriage. This is an area in which I am incredibly blessed. TJ and I are amazingly compatible, attuned to each other, totally on the same page. We talk about everything, withhold nothing, play no games, baring our hearts to each other.
It's really easy, and I don't see why people make marriage so hard. Maybe they just can't give of themselves enough--that's all it is, really, is giving. When both sides give, there's no thought of 'what am I getting out of this,' because the giving is the joy.
The peace and contentment in my marriage gives me strength to deal with everything else in my life.
Peace within oneself. Fr Albert Hoorman said in a homily last December, "If you have no peace, you can have no joy." I remember sitting there slackjawed throughout the rest of his homily, and my mind was blown. The light bulb had not only come on, but exploded in my head.
This is the heart of the entire matter! I realized that morning. If *I* am not at peace, then how can I be an *instrument* of that peace?
It is the starting point of my secular Franciscan journey.
~~~
To start on that road, I have started to jettison those very things that drag me down and rob me of that peace.
Things. People. Ideas. Items. Happenings. Memories.
Thoughts--oh, yes, all those negative thoughts.
Words, the expressions of those thoughts, have to clean up my mouth.
Events. Mindsets. Prejudices. Irritations. Ill will. Grudges.
Moody moods--oh, another one that crops up every Saturday morning, according to TJ. Impatience. Wants (as opposed to needs).
And on and on.
Then I need to build up the positive and good. That's the easy thing, I think.
...
We were given a paper with the Prayer of St Francis this weekend, broken down, line by line. I thought it was a great idea for a series of postings and reflection.
Of course, the irony of it all is that it wasn't written by St Francis at all. See The Story Behind the Prayer of St Francis, straight from the Franciscans, so no arguments from the peanut gallery. Yet, I think we all know that this simple and beautiful prayer embodies the philosophy of Franciscan life, whether secular or ordained.
So, today I start with the thoughts on the first line of the prayer.
...
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
As a Franciscan Fraternity, how do we work to be instruments of peace for our society?
Oh, this is a hard one to start off with. Peace? Me? And why would the Lord want me to do such a thing?
Peace in the workplace. The corporate mindset, the corporate atmosphere is not a peaceful one. If one is in some kind of customer service, dealing with selfish people is not conducive to a peaceful state of mind. I used to get involved, I used to get into the alliances and the garbage talk as an element of survival. I used to hunt for a person or a few people I could vent to when the poo hit the breeze-making device.
I learned--the hard way--that it almost always backfired, no matter how justified my grievances were. Even in the temp job before this, even though I was totally, absolutely correct in my assessment of the person who was a peace-stealer, and even though I had spoken to the correct people about the issue, it didn't matter. The corporate politics won out.
I know what my problem is: I can't play the corporate game; I am not a corporate animal. So, slowly, painfully, I have learned to distance myself, to say non-committal things, to gently change the subject; therefore, in the stormy atmosphere, I create around me an island of serenity.
And the funny thing? I found that people were drawn to that more than the intrigue that I used to involve myself in.
Peace in the larger scene: local and global. I think this is my weakest spot. I'm more of an introvert, I like the parish activities: catechism, EMHC, SFO. It's not that I'm *not* needed within the parish, as a conversation with the catechism director proved this weekend. I don't think anything is wrong with that, because the Lord certainly knows that the smaller world of the local parish needs people, and I really do like that niche.
If I don't do it on my own, though, the St Clare Emerging Community will soon cure that, as we are seeking out a fraternity area of service. It hasn't been decided yet. But then I will be back in the arena I was in high school when I was a part of Interact--the things we did in the community. Gotta think about that one.
Peace in the family. It depends on the family. On both sides of my family there are histories of fractures in family unity--different catalysts, same results. Unfortunately, they have been distilled within my siblings and myself. It's a hard habit to break when the other sibs don't see that it's repeating itself. I had a long talk with a dear old monsignor about that, and the wise old man just shrugged in the end: "be the best daughter you can be," he said in his lovely Irish brogue. When an 80 year old monsignor has no solution to offer, you know it's bad ju-ju.
I have done my utmost to forgive the ill done to and wished upon me, but others just can't seem to let go. I have now learned that I have to distance myself from it.
I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said that nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission. I decided to revoke that permission and seek peace for myself instead of sacrificing it.
Peace in marriage. This is an area in which I am incredibly blessed. TJ and I are amazingly compatible, attuned to each other, totally on the same page. We talk about everything, withhold nothing, play no games, baring our hearts to each other.
It's really easy, and I don't see why people make marriage so hard. Maybe they just can't give of themselves enough--that's all it is, really, is giving. When both sides give, there's no thought of 'what am I getting out of this,' because the giving is the joy.
The peace and contentment in my marriage gives me strength to deal with everything else in my life.
Peace within oneself. Fr Albert Hoorman said in a homily last December, "If you have no peace, you can have no joy." I remember sitting there slackjawed throughout the rest of his homily, and my mind was blown. The light bulb had not only come on, but exploded in my head.
This is the heart of the entire matter! I realized that morning. If *I* am not at peace, then how can I be an *instrument* of that peace?
It is the starting point of my secular Franciscan journey.
~~~
To start on that road, I have started to jettison those very things that drag me down and rob me of that peace.
Things. People. Ideas. Items. Happenings. Memories.
Thoughts--oh, yes, all those negative thoughts.
Words, the expressions of those thoughts, have to clean up my mouth.
Events. Mindsets. Prejudices. Irritations. Ill will. Grudges.
Moody moods--oh, another one that crops up every Saturday morning, according to TJ. Impatience. Wants (as opposed to needs).
And on and on.
Then I need to build up the positive and good. That's the easy thing, I think.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Father Evan is my personal favorite priest.*
Evan A. Howard, OFM, was the priest who married TJ and I. He's a lovely man who ad libbed the homily at our wedding Mass using my bouquet as the base of his talk. His rather dry sense of humor was always worthy of a chuckle, and his kindness and generosity is legendary. His retirement a couple of years ago remains heavy on the hearts of his former parishioners. He is so missed.
He has cropped up here lately in my life.
Well, not physically...
A friend who went on a pilgrimage said that Fr Evan had led it--oh, I was so jealous!
And then, attached to the SFO meeting minutes from yesterday's do was this beautiful gem by those who had gone to Santa Rosa:
__________________________
* Wellll... I dunno. He's going to have to duke it out with Father Alonso de Blas. Heh... now that's a mental image that makes me giggle!
Evan A. Howard, OFM, was the priest who married TJ and I. He's a lovely man who ad libbed the homily at our wedding Mass using my bouquet as the base of his talk. His rather dry sense of humor was always worthy of a chuckle, and his kindness and generosity is legendary. His retirement a couple of years ago remains heavy on the hearts of his former parishioners. He is so missed.
He has cropped up here lately in my life.
Well, not physically...
A friend who went on a pilgrimage said that Fr Evan had led it--oh, I was so jealous!
And then, attached to the SFO meeting minutes from yesterday's do was this beautiful gem by those who had gone to Santa Rosa:
Spiritual Role in the Church for Franciscans
Presented by Fr. Evan Howard, O.F.M.
Santa Rosa Mission Retreat
August 5, 2005
Fr. Evan broke down the Spiritual Role in the Church for Franciscans to the five “E”s.
1) Evangelical: Franciscans are to go tell the good news. They are to study the gospel, meditate on the gospel, provide spiritual direction, share with friends, go to formation and bring the gospel to the people.
2) Environmental: Care about the planet earth and all its people and creatures. Be peacemakers. An example of being peacemakers that he gave was how the Franciscans openly protested against nuclear weapons. Franciscans are also involved with the conservation of the Rain Forests, which he called the “Lungs of Mother Earth”. Franciscans are concerned with how the world should be sharing the ‘fruit’s of Mother Earth to eliminate water and food shortages around the world.
3) Ecumenical: Franciscans should make peace with other faiths. Show respect and offer friendship and respect to them. They offer retreats to non-Catholics and ecumenical charities.
4) Enthusiasm: Show enthusiasm by promoting prayer and the desire to share the word. Franciscans are very supportive of Music Ministry….it is one of the best ways to convert. Missions used music to convert natives. Appreciate faith through music and prayer groups.
5) Eucharist: Franciscans have total devotion to the Eucharist, to Adoration and to Holy Hours. They promote Perpetual Adoration, Daily Mass, and respecting and sharing the Eucharist.
They should have added a sixth E: Evan's Wisdom: how to live in this crummy secular world with God as your guide.
Health to you, dear Father Evan!
__________________________
* Wellll... I dunno. He's going to have to duke it out with Father Alonso de Blas. Heh... now that's a mental image that makes me giggle!
Sunday, September 04, 2005
9/4/2005 - Orientation.
S pointed out today that the cord that holds her Tau has three knots on it, three knots that are for the three points of Franciscanism: poverty, chastity, and obedience. Sounds like an ordained Friar, eh? So what does it have to do with being a Secular Franciscan?
Well, first, the definition of "secular," from Dictionary.com:
Next, the definitions of poverty, chastity, and obedience, again from dictionary.com, truncated so that this post doesn't last a century.
Poverty, noun: "the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions"
Chastity, noun: The condition or quality of being pure or chaste; or, virginity; or, virtuous character; or, celibacy.
Obedience, noun, second definition: A sphere of ecclesiastical authority, or, a group of people under such authority.
Put these under the proper perspective and it makes sense.
If you look at the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, it says the following under "Poverty": "Jesus Christ did not condemn the possession of worldly goods, or even of great wealth, for He himself had rich friends... [but] it is true that Christ constantly pointed out the danger of riches, which, He says, are the thorns that choke up the good seed of the word... now poverty has no intrinsic goodness, but is good only because it is useful to remove the obstacles which stand in the way of the pursuit of spiritual perfection," which of course, Franciscan spirituality pursues that perfection. Like I said in a previous post, it doesn't mean to sell everything--we're not heading into the Friary/Convent here. It's recognizing that things are just that--things--and be able to set them aside and give to those who need those things more.
To put it as The Rule on the NAFRA website puts it, "...Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God's children. "
When it comes to Chastity, if you are a truly practicing Catholic, is not an issue. But for our Cafeteria Catholic friends and those who are of different faith, it is simply, again as described above, or, again referring to New Advent: "Chastity is the virtue which excludes or moderates the indulgence of the sexual appetite." It also applies to other bacchanalian self-indulgences and delectations, such as food and drink, which of course is hard when most Franciscan meetings revolve around food! But in all seriousness, in today's world, I think it's the virtue most Catholics shrug off, especially in our sexually charged society.
So what does chastity mean to a secular religious person? Obviously, if one is married, the sex issue is not the problem. If one is single, it's a matter of self-control--which is hard when sex is thrown into one's face from billboards and TV. Chastity also means tempering behaviors, such as drinking and eating and general self-indulgence. Think of it in terms of "constraint with reference to all acts that give rise to shame" (again thank New Advent under "chastity"). The so-called old fashioned virtues of chastity, modesty, generosity, kindness, et cetera, really weren't off-base. It's a shame that our society sniggers at the thought of virtues in general--it would be a kinder place.
Back to the subject at hand:
Obedience is probably pretty much as the definition above says, especially in the Church. The Secular Franciscan Order is recognized by Rome and is subject to Her command. New Advent refers to it--correctly in my humble opinion--as being yet another virtue. "It is the recognition of the authority of God vicariously exercised through a human agent that confers upon the act of obedience its special merit." Disobedience, the other half of this particular coin, didn't buy Adam much, nor Lucifer, nor anyone else who had blown off the rules of God. Obedience as Christ was obedient to His Father, or as his Blessed Mother was obedient--it's a tough concept to wrap a brain around in this world of independent thought and action.
Together--poverty, chastity, and obedience--are pretty much the antithesis of modern mores, are the heart of Catholicism, the baseline for secular orders, and are distilled in the religious life. Separately, one or two are probably manageable for the average Catholic; together they may well be near impossible without the dedication and persistence and God's grace.
~~
O Lord Jesus Christ, who, when the world was growing cold, did renew in the flesh of the most blessed Francis the sacred stigmata of Thy Passion, in order to inflame our hearts with the fire of Thy love, graciously grant unto us, that yoked to his merits and prayers we may bear the Cross, and bring forth fruits worthy of penance: You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
S pointed out today that the cord that holds her Tau has three knots on it, three knots that are for the three points of Franciscanism: poverty, chastity, and obedience. Sounds like an ordained Friar, eh? So what does it have to do with being a Secular Franciscan?
Well, first, the definition of "secular," from Dictionary.com:
OK, that's pretty thorough--except that the SFO is a religious order. This will work, though.sec·u·lar (sek-ye-ler) adj.
1. Worldly rather than spiritual.4. Not bound by monastic restrictions, especially not belonging to a religious order. Used of the clergy.
n.
- A member of the secular clergy.
- A layperson.
Next, the definitions of poverty, chastity, and obedience, again from dictionary.com, truncated so that this post doesn't last a century.
Poverty, noun: "the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions"
Chastity, noun: The condition or quality of being pure or chaste; or, virginity; or, virtuous character; or, celibacy.
Obedience, noun, second definition: A sphere of ecclesiastical authority, or, a group of people under such authority.
Put these under the proper perspective and it makes sense.
If you look at the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia, it says the following under "Poverty": "Jesus Christ did not condemn the possession of worldly goods, or even of great wealth, for He himself had rich friends... [but] it is true that Christ constantly pointed out the danger of riches, which, He says, are the thorns that choke up the good seed of the word... now poverty has no intrinsic goodness, but is good only because it is useful to remove the obstacles which stand in the way of the pursuit of spiritual perfection," which of course, Franciscan spirituality pursues that perfection. Like I said in a previous post, it doesn't mean to sell everything--we're not heading into the Friary/Convent here. It's recognizing that things are just that--things--and be able to set them aside and give to those who need those things more.
To put it as The Rule on the NAFRA website puts it, "...Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God's children. "
When it comes to Chastity, if you are a truly practicing Catholic, is not an issue. But for our Cafeteria Catholic friends and those who are of different faith, it is simply, again as described above, or, again referring to New Advent: "Chastity is the virtue which excludes or moderates the indulgence of the sexual appetite." It also applies to other bacchanalian self-indulgences and delectations, such as food and drink, which of course is hard when most Franciscan meetings revolve around food! But in all seriousness, in today's world, I think it's the virtue most Catholics shrug off, especially in our sexually charged society.
So what does chastity mean to a secular religious person? Obviously, if one is married, the sex issue is not the problem. If one is single, it's a matter of self-control--which is hard when sex is thrown into one's face from billboards and TV. Chastity also means tempering behaviors, such as drinking and eating and general self-indulgence. Think of it in terms of "constraint with reference to all acts that give rise to shame" (again thank New Advent under "chastity"). The so-called old fashioned virtues of chastity, modesty, generosity, kindness, et cetera, really weren't off-base. It's a shame that our society sniggers at the thought of virtues in general--it would be a kinder place.
Back to the subject at hand:
Obedience is probably pretty much as the definition above says, especially in the Church. The Secular Franciscan Order is recognized by Rome and is subject to Her command. New Advent refers to it--correctly in my humble opinion--as being yet another virtue. "It is the recognition of the authority of God vicariously exercised through a human agent that confers upon the act of obedience its special merit." Disobedience, the other half of this particular coin, didn't buy Adam much, nor Lucifer, nor anyone else who had blown off the rules of God. Obedience as Christ was obedient to His Father, or as his Blessed Mother was obedient--it's a tough concept to wrap a brain around in this world of independent thought and action.
Together--poverty, chastity, and obedience--are pretty much the antithesis of modern mores, are the heart of Catholicism, the baseline for secular orders, and are distilled in the religious life. Separately, one or two are probably manageable for the average Catholic; together they may well be near impossible without the dedication and persistence and God's grace.
~~
O Lord Jesus Christ, who, when the world was growing cold, did renew in the flesh of the most blessed Francis the sacred stigmata of Thy Passion, in order to inflame our hearts with the fire of Thy love, graciously grant unto us, that yoked to his merits and prayers we may bear the Cross, and bring forth fruits worthy of penance: You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
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