The Canticle
July, 2004

Divine Mercy
Secular Franciscan Fraternity
Vero Beach, Florida

www.franciscan-sfo.org

 

Regular Meeting: Sunday, July 11, 2004 - South Rm., St. Helen Christian Living Ctr., 2-4 pm.

Council meeting: Saturday, July 17, 2004 - Hibiscus Café, Vero Beach at 9:15 am.

 

Agenda and Schedule for meeting: Please note that the 1:30 Initial Formation sessions will be suspended for July and August.  Instead, Initial Formation will be combined with Ongoing Formation during the regular meeting so that all inquirers, candidates and professed members will have the opportunity to study and/or review the chapters listed below.  Those who own a copy of “Fully Mature in the Fullness of Christ” are asked to review the material and  bring the textbook  to the meeting.

 

 2:00     Opening prayer, reports, old and new business. 

 2:20     Welcoming Ceremony for our new Inquirers, Marie and Elizabeth

 2:30     Formation: The following chapters will be reviewed and discussed:
                Inquiry:   Ch. 1 (Elizabeth) “Called to Holiness within the Church;”
                Ch. 2 (Marie) “Prompted by the Spirit to Deepen this Calling.”

                Candidacy:  Ch. 10 (Pauline) “Through a Life of Prayer;” Ch. 17-18 (Edward) “Through the Example
                and Help of Mary” and “In Intimacy with Jesus, In Conformity to Jesus”

 3:10      Break and Refreshments

 3:25      Liturgy of the Hours in the Chapel

 3:45     Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary for the intentions of the Franciscan Foundation
 4:00     Closing Prayer and Dismissal

 

Refreshments Committee:  Snacks:  Julie McHugh and Ed O’Donnell - Soda/Juice: Pauline Pavlick

Prayer Intentions: As I was writing this issue of the CANTICLE, Caroline DiGennaro called to let me know that Marcella Richard is in the hospital with a serious heart problem.  Please keep her in your prayers and visit or send her a note or card.  She is in Room 369 at Indian River Memorial Hospital, 1000 36th Street, Vero Beach FL 32960 - (772)567-4311. 
Also:  Ed O'Donnell's brother, Tom, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor; he is in the hospital awaiting surgery. Ed asks for your prayers - the need is urgent! You can call Ed at (xxx)xxx-xxxx or email him at: ebodsfo@copper.net (the phone number is on the mailed out copy of the newsletter)

 

From the Minister=s Desk:  A Day of Recollection has been scheduled for the eight fraternities in our East Central area  from 9 am to 3 pm on Wednesday, September 8th.   Fr. Tom Murphy OFM will be the leader and will say Mass.  It will be held at San Pedro Center in Winter Park.  We are asked to bring lunch and snacks while beverages will be provided.  There is no fee involved for participants, but be prepared to make a small donation to help defray the moderate cost for the meeting room.  A few members from Vero have expressed an interest in attending - of course, we will plan to car pool.  Please consider coming with us as it’s a great opportunity to visit San Pedro and to meet and pray with Franciscans from other fraternities.

Franciscan Saints and Blesseds in July

  1    Bl. Junipera Serra, priest of I Order

  4    St. Elizabeth of Portugal, III Order

  8    Bl. Gregory Grassi, bishop, & comp. martyrs I & III Or.

  9    St. Nicholas Pieck, priest, & comp. martyrs of I Order
 10   St. Veronica Giuliani, virgin II Ord. (Feast for Nuns)     

 12   St. John Jones and John Wall, priests & martyrs I Ord.

 13   Bl. Angeline of Marciano, religious of the III Order
 14   St. Francis Solano, priest of I Order

  15   St. Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of I Order

  21   St.  Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and doctor of I Order

  23   Bl.  Cunegundes, religious of II Order

  24   Bl.  Modestino of Jesus and Mary, religious of I Order

  27   Bl.  Mary Magdalene of Martinengo, virgin of II Order

  28   Bl.  Mary Teresa Kowalska, martyr of Nazi persecu-
           tion in Poland.
   

Excerpts from
"Set Out Into The Deep"

Message by Doug Clorey, SFO,
Presidency Councilor, English (Europe and North America)
To the National Fraternity of the SFO, USA, Elective Chapter
November, 2003


Today, I would like to share with you a few thoughts on what is expected of us as Secular Franciscans. And in particular, I would like to share with you some of the words of our Holy Father directed to Secular Franciscans during our last General Chapter in November, 2002. 1'd also like to share with you the six priorities for the Secular Franciscan Order, world-wide, as developed during our General Chapter. These priorities should provide orientations for us at all levels of the Order-local, regional, national, and international.

 

[The Holy Father, in his Message to the Secular Franciscan Order at the General Chapter in November 22, 2002, outlines three points:]

 

1. What does the Church expect of the Secular Franciscan Order? "The Church expects from the Secular Franciscan Order, one and only, a great service in the cause of the Kingdom of God in~ the world of today. The Church desires that your Order should be a model of organic, structural and charismatic unity on all levels, so as to present itself to the world as a community of love."


2. What does the Church expect of Secular Franciscans? "The Church expects from you, Secular Franciscans, a courageous and consistent testimony of Christian and Franciscan life, leaning towards the construction of a more fraternal and gospel world for the realization of the Kingdom of God." How can we render this "service"? How can we be this "model"? How can we realize the "Kingdom of God"? The Holy Father is clear on this point. He tells us that our Rule should be the "reference point for everyday experience". These are important words as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the approval of the Pauline Rule. In September, 1982, he exhorted us to "study, love, live the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order". The Holy Father refers to our Rule as the "authentic treasure in your hands corresponding to what the Church expects of you." I believe the Holy Father is telling us that, if we study, live and love our rule, we will realize the expectations of the Church for the Secular Franciscan Order. But what is even more extraordinary is that he exhorts us to "study, live, love also your General Constitutions!"

. . . In both the Rule and the General Constitutions, the Holy Father reminds us that "you are called on to give your own contribution, inspired by the person and message of St. Francis of Assisi, in speeding up the advent of a civilization in which the dignity of the human person, co ¶esponsibility and love will be a living reality".

Perhaps we could reflect on what is at the heart of the "person and message of St. Francis" for a moment.
Is it not that God is all, and that we are nothing without God? Is is not that, if we have God, we have everything and that we ought not to want anything but God? And, are these two notions not the very basis of "humility" and "poverty", two of the primary charisms of Franciscan life? Our Rule also makes it clear that our vocation calls us (through humility and poverty) to set ourselves free to love God and our brothers and sisters [cf. SFO Rule 12].

                                                                                                                                   .   

During the General Chapter, the Holy Father reminded us . . . "It is now necessary to look to the future and to set out: Duc in altum!"  Set out into the deep! Get on with it! Move on!

3. How will we respond to these expectations? There is a real sense of movement in these words of the Holy Father and that we ought to be moving forward. The directions in which we move will be different for each of us, both individually and collectively. But, move forward we must, setting out into the deep. We know how our General Minister [Encarnación del Pozo, SFO] has responded to these words of our Holy Father, on our behalf: "We are disposed, with joy and courage, to set out and live Gospel radically, in fraternity, in order to construct a more fraternal and gospel world.”

            
During the General Chapter, six priorities were established to guide the Secular Franciscan Order at the international level: Formation; Presence in the World; Franciscan Youth; Finances; Spiritual Assistance; Communion Within the Franciscan Family, and in that order. Specific actions were also developed corresponding to each of these priorities.

 

1) Formation: Facilitate the sharing of formation materials world-wide; support formation projects in Eastern Europe and Africa; develop means to support and assist isolated Secular Franciscans; and support the formation of spiritual assistants, both religious and lay                                                                                                 2) Presence in the World: Involve Secular Franciscans in initiatives promoting justice, peace and the integrity of creation; assume the "Spirit of Assisi"; encourage the engagement of Secular Franciscans in public life and in the world of work; and affirm the Secular Franciscan Order's commitment to the family.
3) Franciscan Youth: Develop demographic information on Franciscan Youth around the world; provide guidance to national fraternities interested in establishing Franciscan Youth within their nations; develop and share formation materials for Franciscan Youth; and revitalize the relationship between Franciscan Youth and the Secular Franciscan Order.
4) Finances: Develop means to ensure a continuity of income to support the international fraternity; consider new financial instruments to provide financial support; and establish new criteria for annual financial contributions.
5) Spiritual Assistance: Provide assistance in the formation of spiritual assistants, both religious and lay; and provide support to those providing spiritual assistance to Franciscan Youth.
6) Communion Within the Franciscan Family: Promote dialogue between branches of the Franciscan Family; support common initiative and projects by various branches of the Franciscan family; and promote true and substantial equality among branches of the Franciscan family.

[Paragraph notations refer to the Holy Father's November 22, 2002 Message to the Secular Franciscan Order, indicating his thoughts on each of these priorities.] 1) Formation: "You must deepen the true foundations of the world-wide fraternity and create everywhere the spirit of welcome and the atmosphere of brotherliness" [cf, ¶ 3].  2) Presence in the World: "You, Secular Franciscans, by vocation, live belonging to the Church and to society as inseparable realities. Therefore, you are asked, above all else, to bear personal witness before all in the environment in which you live: in your family life; in your work; in your joys and sufferings; in your associations with all men and women, brothers and sisters of the same Father; in your presence and participation in the life of society; in your fraternal relationships with all creatures" [cf, ¶ 4].  3) Franciscan Youth: "Consider your family as the primary environment in which to live the Christian commitment and the Franciscan vocation" [cf, ¶ 5].  4) Finances: "It is necessary to commit oneself with conviction to the high measure of ordinary Christian life" [cf, ¶ 4].  5) Spiritual Assistance: "Spiritual assistance, as a fundamental element of communion to be carried out collegially on the (local), regional, national and international levels, is important" [cf, ¶ 2].  6) Communion Within the Franciscan Family: "Commit yourselves evermore in the promotion of meeting and understanding, especially within your Order, then before other Franciscan brothers and sisters, and finally with maximum care, as St. Francis wished, in your relations with the hierarchical authorities of the Church" [cf, ¶ 2].


Set out into the deep! ... Together, and led by the Spirit, we will deepen the true foundations of the world- wide fraternity, a community of love, and in building the Kingdom of God.