ST. CLARE of ASSISI FRATERNITY

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1 The ST. CLARE of ASSISI FRATERNITY West Stockbridge, MA SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER JANET CANTARELLA, OFS MINISTER Box 216 Lanesboro, MA Michael Guertin, OFS FRATERNITY SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT Springfield, MA VENERABLE FR. SOLANUS CASEY REGION Vol. 6, No. 2 February 2017 Fr. Matthias Wesnofske, OFM Cap. Patchogue, NY CAPUCHIN REGIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT Fr. Cidouane Joseph, OFM Hartford, CT FRIAR MINOR REGIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSISTANT The Fraternity meets for Teaching, Fellowship, Prayer and Formation on the 2nd Wednesday every month at St. Patrick s Parish Center 30 Albany Road W. Stockbridge, MA The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: To observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and center of his life with God and people. The Rule of the OFS, 4 We dedicate this publication and the Apostolate which brings it to you monthly to the memory of the beloved deceased of the St. Clare of Assisi Fraternity. Venerable Fr. Solanus Casey, Pray for Us! FEBRUARY SCHEDULE Meeting Day/Date: Wednesday 8 February The Council meets at 12:00 pm The Fraternity meets at 1:00 pm 1:30 pm Refreshments 2:00 pm Formation Exploring the Spirit: Reading & Reflection Chapter 18: Chapter 19: The Imitation of Christ Book I Useful Admonitions for the Spiritual Life Leader: Fred On the Examples Given by the Holy Fathers Readers: 1-4: Janet 5-7: Nancy On the Exercises of a Good Religious Readers: 1-4: Corinne 5-8: Sally 3:00 pm Prayer: Sally SAVE THE DATE! Saturday 11 March 2017 Fr. Solanus Casey Region 2017 Formation Workshop See Page 4 for Details... FROM GOSPEL P.P., OFM Cap. TO LIFE AND LIFE TO THE GOSPEL. OFS RULE, 4

2 The LETTER to ALL the FAITHFUL Epistola ad Fideles: The Letter to All the Faithful St. Francis of Assisi (continued) 61. Let every creature in heaven, on earth, in the sea and in the depths, give praise, glory, honor, and blessing to Him Who suffered so much for us, Who has given so many good things, and [Who] will [continue to] do so for the future. 62. For He is our power and our strength, He Who alone is good, [Who] is most high, [Who is] all-powerful, admirable, [and] glorious; [Who] alone is holy, praiseworthy, and blessed throughout all ages. Amen. (to be continued next month) MY GOD AND MY ALL! February Anniversaries PROFESSION Fr. James Joyce IN MEMORIAM Eugene Foldeaki Elizabeth Ryder Paul Martin The Feasts of Secular Franciscan Saints and Blesseds Celebrated during February 3. Martyrs of Japan, religious of the 1st Order, lay brothers and TOSF* Secular, Blessed Pius IX, Pope, TOSF Secular, Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, Bishop, TOSF Secular, Blessed Andre Ferrari, Bishop, TOSF Secular, Blessed Veridiana, Virgin, TOSF Secular, St. Conrad de Plaisance, Confessor, TOSF Secular, St. Margaret of Cortona, penitent, TOSF Secular, 1297; Plenary Indulgence possible for renewal of engagements, Secular Franciscans 24. Blessed Innocent XI, Pope, TOSF Secular, Blessed Antonia of Florence, Virgin, TOSF Secular, Blessed Louise Albertoni, Virgin, TOSF Secular, 1533 * TOSF denotes Third Order of St. Francis 2

3 Feasts of the Roman Calendar for February 2. Presentation of the Lord 3. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr Ansgar, Bishop 5. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr 6. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs 8. Jerome Emiliani 10. Scholastica, Virgin 11. Our Lady of Lourdes 14. Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop 17. Seven Founders of the Order of Servites 21. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor 22. Chair of Peter, Apostle 23. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr 2 FEBRUARY The Presentation of the Lord LA PRÉSENTATION DE JÉSUS AU TEMPLE Jacques Tissot ( ) Brooklyn Museum CIOFS REFLECTS ON THE FAMILY Conclusions of the Synod on the Family The following is an excerpt from the reflections of the Family Commission of the International Fraternity of the OFS on the beautiful treasure that is the family. These reflections posed questions to be examined in the light of the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (19 March 2016) published after the Synod on the Family: On Formation in Self-Giving Question: Do we responsibly assume, as a challenging and exciting mission entrusted by God, the education of our children to help them grow as humans, emotionally, morally and spiritually? Consider: The dynamic of family relations has a primary impact on the formation of younger generations. The speed of changes occurring in present-day society makes the work of accompanying a person s emotional formation in sound growth and development more difficult. This process requires appropriate pastoral action which is abundantly equipped with a knowledge imbued with Scripture and Catholic doctrine and provided with suitable educational tools. A proper knowledge of the psychology of the family will serve as an assistance in ensuring that the Christian vision might be effectively transmitted. Such an effort might already begin with the catechesis of Christian Initiation. This formation is also meant to highlight the admirable character of the virtue of chastity, since the virtue of chastity is understood to mean the integration of emotions which fosters self-giving. It should also take place inductively, so that children can learn for themselves the importance of certain values, principles and norms, rather than by imposing these as absolute and unquestionable truths ( Amoris laetitia, 264 ). 3

4 Fr. Solanus Casey Region 2017 FORMATION WORKSHOP ST. PIUS X PARISH HALL WHY FORMATION? SATURDAY, MARCH 11, WESTFIELD STREET MIDDLETOWN, CT GOAL FOCUS TOPICS Clarifying Strengthening Building Bonds Between Formators Working Together Listening and Examining Sharing Ideas and What s Working Formation Tools Connections for Formators Why Continuing Formation? What is Franciscan Formation and What is Not? Join us for Mass at 9 AM in the Church Workshop from 10 AM to 3 PM in the Parish Hall Continental Breakfast Bring Brown Bag Lunch Contact Formation Director Fred Conforti for Details (Professed Only) fpcon@verizon.net FRATERNITY NEWS 2017 CALENDAR February (Wednesday the 8th), March (also Wednesday the 8th) and May (Wednesday the 10th); Ongoing-formation sessions with readings and reflections on passages from The Imitation of Christ April (Wednesday the 12th) Our Regional Minister Dorothea MacNeil will visit at our April meeting to fulfill the obligation for a fraternal visitation this year. June (Wednesday the 14th) Fraternity Chapter July (Wednesday the 12th) Our Fraternity Spiritual Assistant Mike Guertin will give a presentation on Spiritual Growth. More details as they become available. 4

5 SECULAR FRANCISCAN FOCUS Blessed Veridiana ( ) Feast Day: 16 February Blessed Veridiana was born in the same year as St. Francis who, in about 1222, himself invested her with the habit of the Third Order. Here is her remarkable story: Veridiana was born just outside of Florence in the town of Castelfiorentino to a noble family, the Attavani. Humble, innocent and charitable from early youth, she demonstrated extraordinary skills of hospitality, helping a relative s wife administer her household. A story is told of how she distributed a great quantity of beans from her uncle s storeroom to the poor, not knowing that her uncle had already sold the beans. She was severely reproached for this. She spent an entire night in acts of penance. On the following morning, the bins of the storeroom were again filled to the brim. In order to escape the notoriety that this brought her, she set out on pilgrimages to the shrines of St. James in Compostela, Spain, and to the tombs of the apostles in Rome. On her return hom, Veridiana had a ten by three-and-one-half foot anchorage built into the wall of the chapel of St. Anthony in Florence. The cell is preserved to this day. For furniture there is only a ledge, a foot wide, projecting from the stone wall and serving as a seat. A small window in the cell opens upon the chapel. Through it she could attend Holy Mass and receive Holy Communion as well as the necessary bodily nourishment. At the age of 26, escorted by her spiritual director and a great number of people, she entered the cell and permitted the door to be walled up behind her. In this voluntary retirement she spent the remaining thirty-four years of her life as an anchoress in prayer and severe penance. In summer her bed was the bare earth; in winter she lay on a board with a block of wood serving as a pillow. Her food consisted of bread and water and herbs. Her only living associates were two large snakes which crept in and out of her cell, with whom she shared her food and her dwelling, in the spirit of penance, for many years. About the year 1222, when St Francis was preaching penance in the vicinity of Florence, he also went to visit the poor anchoress, gave her the habit of the Third Order and many beautiful lessons on the proper way to live a contemplative life. After a very saintly life in which she had been granted the gift of miracles, Veridiana was also privileged with the revelation concerning the hour of her death. She prepared herself with the devout reception of the holy sacraments. While praying the penitential psalms she died on February 1, 1242, being sixty years old. Moved by the extraordinary miracles that had occurred, Pope Clement VII approved the devotion to her in the year 1533, and later on Pope Innocent XII added his approbation in Adapted from The Franciscan Book of Saints, by Marion Habig, OFM Practice the Presence of God I have left off all devotions and prayers that are not required for me, and I occupy myself solely with keeping myself in God s holy presence. I do this simply by keeping my attention on God and by being generally and lovingly aware of Him. Brother Lawrence (Nicholas Herman), O. Carm. ( ) 5

6 "I have done what is mine to do; may Christ teach you what is yours to do." II Celano, 214 6