The Canticle
February, 2003
web site:
www.franciscan-sfo.org
|
Minister |
Helen Caldarone SFO |
Commissions |
Jack Solloway, SFO |
|
Vice-Minister |
John Matthews SFO |
Family: |
Susan Solloway, SFO |
|
Secretary |
Jennie Donlin, SFO |
Peace & Justice: |
Sarah Hardy SFO |
|
Treasurer |
Sarah Hardy, SFO |
Ecology: |
Fred Schaeffer, SFO |
|
Formation
Dir. |
Gene Caldarone, SFO |
Youth: |
Jim Cantrambone, SFO |
|
Formation Team |
Jennie Donlin, SFO |
Webmaster |
Fred Schaeffer, SFO |
Meetings: Regular:
Council:
Agenda:
committees – it’s not too soon to plan and organize the work which
must be done.)
2:10 - ONGOING FORMATION; Father Richard LaCorte, SFO, vacationing in Vero Beach, has graciously
agreed to
lead our formation
lesson for our February meeting as we study Article 12 of
the SFO Rule: “Witnessing
to the good yet to come and obliged to
acquire purity of heart because of the
vocation they embraced,
they should set themselves free to love God and their
brothers and sisters.”
Please Note:
• Refreshment Committee for February: Snacks - John
and Elaine Matthews
Soda or fruit drinks - Carmela
La Mattina
• Remember
our fraternity apostolate, St. Helen's Food Pantry
Remember to include in your prayers:
• our deceased members, Jean
Kurtz SFO and Trudy Thomas SFO and all deceased Franciscans.
• all those in formation in our fraternity and in other fraternities of
the Five Franciscan Martyrs Region that God will keep them
as
the apple of His eye and protect them in the shadow of His wings"
(Ps.17)
• that our plans for 10/4/03 will be successful.
• my granddaughter, Maria Elizabeth Caldarone (9 mos.), who is scheduled for surgery on Feb.
5th for pyelonephritis,
a kidney
infection.
From the Formation Director's Desk:
All
of us, (Professed SFO, Inquirers and Candidates) are seeking to follow the
example of St. Francis of Assisi through prayer and living the Gospel of Jesus
Christ in an proactive way. St. Francis walked away from wealth and position,
family and friends, to serve God and all those he met especially the poor, the
sick and the friendless. We are called to realize, as he did, that everything
we have is a gift from God and we are to share these gifts freely.
While we are all involved in a wide
variety of spiritual and corporal works of mercy, we, as a fraternity, must
remain committed to our apostolate (the only work of mercy to which we can all
contribute each month), i.e., donating non-perishable food items to St. Helen's
Food Pantry which provides food and other assistance to those who are in need
regardless of where they live, where they worship, or who they are.
It is
very important to continue to bring these donations to our monthly meetings and
not to excuse ourselves. About $10 to $20 worth of food items would be
appropriate. If necessary, you might try to plan a meal at home one night
instead of eating out and use the money you save for our Fraternity Apostolate.
Don't we
all know, deep down in our hearts, how difficult it must be to ask for a
helping hand? Let us thank and pray for those helped by St. Helen's Food
Pantry, for in their humility, they provide us. with a
beautiful
opportunity to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as St. Francis
did, the blessings God has given to us.
Page 2-4
Franciscan Joy
A few years ago, I
attended an ordination of five transitional deacons to the Holy Priesthood. It
was held at Epiphany Cathedral Parish in
I think that is how we're
all called to treat one another, with kindness. There is a relationship between
kindness and taking a stand on difficult issues, too. For example, when someone
tells one of us that he or she is pro-choice, do we stand up for the unborn in
a kind but firm way, or are we giving a pro-life and "pro-Christ"
message to someone with a little harshness in our voices and manners? This is
not merely speculation on my part, rather, it is from
experience that I've found people are more willing to listen to a viewpoint
they do not agree with when the issue is presented with kindness rather than
with brusqueness.
When we tell people that
we follow Jesus because He loves everyone regardless of their human condition
(he does not love sin) but that because we are made in His image, He expects us
to behave accordingly, He wishes us (as the Church does) to respect all life.
I know many, many
priests. I've known them as teachers, as mentors, Novice-masters, advisors,
confessors, as prayer-partners, as Abbots, Bishops, Religious Superiors,
Pastors, Provincials, Minister Generals, and yes, even as friends—and it would
be very difficult for me to believe that priests, and also deacons, are
anything but kind—all beam with God's love and all show His compassion and
mercy in dealing with the problems of our human conditions. I remember one
young priest in the confessional some years ago; the joy on his face as he was
talking with me was so evident. I'll never forget it. Could his joy have been a
reflection of Jesus' joy in forgiving a penitent whose love for Jesus was
evident, too? I think so. Priests and deacons are eager to help their
parishioners in the Name of Jesus, to give them more peace of mind, a little
joy and deep Faith.
But priests are human and
sometimes their "human condition", like ours, cries out for help, for
love, too. Always affirm and support your clergy whether priests, deacons,
religious brothers or sisters. St. Francis even suggests this. Their lives are
spent for those they serve. They live a life of celibacy in order to be ready
to minister to us whenever they are called upon. But how could we blame the
priest (especially in a "one-priest" parish) when he answers the 35th
telephone call after dinner, when he'd more than likely be catching up on
personal prayer or on tomorrow's homily, for being a tad impatient.
Particularly since many of these so-called urgent calls can be handled by the
office staff the following morning.
Support your priests, not
only the newly ordained but also the aging priest whose health isn't so great
anymore but who never complains.
Many priests, who are not in the slim
minority who have fallen, are true to their ordination promises, and/or Vows,
and serve the Church honorably, but they seem to be forgotten in light of all
the scandals. Right now, I'd say they really need a helping hand because they
have to listen to the daily complaints about the Church by all who seem
compelled to have some opinion to share. The media likes for us to believe that
the Church is riddled with scandal. It is not! The vast majority of priests are
true to their calling. Let us lift them up in prayer, for their credibility is
under siege. A recent
People hunger for some
expression of God's love. That is the love our priests seek to convey to
you—and thus they become the expression of God's love, as the "Alter Christus," the representative (literally, the
other Christ) of Jesus. Ask for His blessing—and the blessing the priest
gives you will come from God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Most Franciscans are
always happy, and following in the footsteps of Saint Francis, who, by his
example, taught us to love our brothers and sisters as equals, that happiness
usually comes through. Franciscan joy is not complaining too much, and to reach
out to everyone else regardless how you feel yourself.
Please pray for Life. Abortion, Euthanasia,
etc., are not options for those who are Pro-Life! Let us pray for forgiveness
for our sins and those of the world.
Saint Francis –
Sermon to the Birds
(@ 1220)
My
little sisters, the birds, much bounden are ye unto God, your Creator, and
always in every place ought ye to praise Him, for that He hath given you
liberty to fly about everywhere, and hath also given you double and triple rainment; moreover He preserved your seed in the ark of
Noah, that your race might not perish out of the world; still more are ye
beholden to Him for the element of the air which He hath appointed for you;
beyond all this, ye sow not, neither do you reap; and God feedeth
you, and giveth you the streams and fountains for
your drink; the mountains and valleys for your refuge and the high trees
whereon to make your nests; and because ye know not how to spin or sow, God clotheth you, you and your children; wherefore your Creator
loveth you much, seeing that He hath bestowed on you
so many benefits; and therefore, my little sisters, beware of the sin of
ingratitude, and study always to give praises unto God.
If God so loves the birds of the air, how much more
does He love us…
Praise God!
Suggested Franciscan
Much has been written about Saint Francis. When one wishes to
study the life of Saint Francis of
·
Marian A. Habig, Ed., St.
Francis of
Covered
in the above are: First Life of St. Francis, and, Second Life of
St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, as well as, Major
& Minor Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure
These are additional primary sources because the authors knew St. Francis. A number of writings were, in part, based on these sources, for example:
- Regis Armstrong, Ignatius Brady, trans./ed. Francis and Clare: The Complete Works. Paulist Press, 1982.
- Blaiklock
and Keys. The Little Flowers of Saint Francis. Servant Books,
- Ewert Cousins, trans./ed. Bonaventure: The Soul's Journey into God, The Tree of Life, The Life of St. Francis. The Classics of Western Spirituality, Paulist Press. 1978.
- Regis Armstrong. St. Francis
of
Secondary Sources:
There are endless lists of secondary sources. Some of the more notable books are:
·
John Moorman. St. Francis of
· Mark Hiegner. The Poverello. Franciscan Press
·
G.K. Chesterton. St. Francis of
·
Omer Englebert. St.
Francis of Assisi, a biography. Servant Books
·
Arnoldo Fortini. Francis of
·