The Clarion Newsletter of St. Clare Fraternity, OFS

Transcription

1 The Clarion Newsletter of St. Clare Fraternity, OFS Meeting every 4 th 12:30 PM St. William s Ministry Center, Naples, Florida November 27, 2016, Issue #150 Minister s Message My dear brothers and sisters in the St. Clare Fraternity, As I write his letter, we are approaching the very popular feast of Thanksgiving, a time for great family get-togethers, for great food and much laughter, but also a time for serious reflection on how grateful we should be to our all-loving and beneficent God. As we look back upon this past year, we can certainly see how God has blessed our Fraternity. Our meetings have been filled, in a more noticeable manner that in previous years, with God's peace and joy. By January, we should have 5 or 6 candidates in formation, and that hasn't happened in many years. As for myself, I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful Council, whose members are so helpful and supportive. For the first time in about twenty years, I have decided to go back to New York for the Thanksgiving Holidays. This year probably around two dozen people will be at my daughter's house to celebrate the feast together. All of us, no doubt, myself included, will show the effects of time and trials. Hopefully, we will all have grown in grace and in wisdom. This year, like every year, has not been without sorrow and challenge but the primary sustaining factor is our knowledge that God has been present with us in every situation. Like many I am jubilant at the outcome of our recent presidential elections. I certainly never held either candidate in high regard, but I believe from the Christian point of view it should be considered at least a temporary victory against the forces in favor of abortion, euthanasia, transgender prerogatives, same-sex marriages, and other issues which would force Christians to violate their conscience in both the private and public sector. In recent years, three decisions that would have greatly affected the religious rights of Christians were decided in our favor by a solitary vote on the Supreme Court. The president elect is committed to appointing conservative Justices to fill the three or four vacancies that are likely to occur during his administration. Had his opponent been victorious, there is little doubt that liberal justices would have filled those positions, and that might have spelled the death-knell for our religious rights. To me, that was the greatest issue in the last election, and not whether you liked one candidate more than another. Had the election gone otherwise, Catholic hospitals, orphanages, and schools would have been in jeopardy, not to mention the disastrous effect on Catholic businessmen. Fraternity Council Minister: Bill Roché, OFS Vice Minister: Carol Bart, OFS Secretary: Jeanne Sachs, OFS , Cell: Treasurer: Pat Gagnon, OFS Directors of Formation: Jan Snyder, OFS Councilor at large : Cindy Philips, OFS Spiritual Assistant: Deacon Bob Kronyak, OFS cell Entrée Mars Beverage and Dessert Janet 1

2 I like to think that God definitely had a hand in the outcome of this election. Certainly, a great number of people were imploring His help in prayer. Please God, our nation will now come together, our constitution will be respected and upheld, violence and discrimination will decrease, and the respect for all life will be unanimously defended. I sincerely hope that you all have a most happy, holy and healthy Thanksgiving. May God continue to bless all of us, and may we never stop thanking Him for His love, His mercy and His goodness. Your servant and brother in Christ, Bill TREASURER'S CORNER ST. CLARE FRATERNITY FINANCIAL REPORT OCT 2016 Beginning Balance $2,027 Income: Common Fund $ 240 Misc. (Book Sale) $ 15 Expenses: NAFRA meeting gifts $ 34 Transitus refreshments $ 24 Ending Balance $2,224 Thank you for your generosity. If you are unable to attend the meeting please send your monthly donation to my attention at: St Clare Fraternity c/o Patricia Gagnon, OFS 23 Grouper Dr. Naples, FL Please Pray For.. *Roy Eidem OFS *Janet Eidem OFS(caregiver) *Bill Roche OFS *Bob Kowalski OFS *Our new President Elect, Donald Trump *Sheila s two daughters who have complications related to their pregnancies Catholic Quotes 2

3 Franciscan Spirit in Jacksonville: Preaching the Gospel, and sometimes using words. In Jacksonville, Florida, the Franciscan approach of embracing the leper is catching the eye of people around the state and the nation. Operation Meaningful Life is only a year and half old and has drawn 5,500 Facebook followers who avidly await the weekly postings which illustrate that there are still lepers among us: specifically, in this case, the mentally-disabled, cognitivelychallenged and neurologically -impaired. They include autism, Down Syndrome and an array of other labels by which adult and young adult individuals are relegated to daily regimens most people in society do not give thought to. We rarely think about what happens to a mentallyimpaired individual, or his family, when the child becomes an adult. We assume such individuals are taken care of, and provided for. The reality is different when one is confronted with the nature of adult day programs that are baby-sitting centers with meaningless activities; and residential homes with no purpose other than to provide a place to sleep, eat and watch television. Their lives are given no purpose and no sense of fulfillment. The reasons are simple: they may have physical features that are odd, behaviors that are disturbing or inexplicable, strange verbalization, self-injurious antics and reasoning that appears outside of our own logic. So, as with lepers, we hide them, separate them, shun them and pretend they are taken care of in their own community. Operation Meaningful Life challenges that approach by presenting the Truth of the matter: that despite these individuals challenges they all possess the same desire that we do: to be productive in their lives, achieve success and experience accomplishment. The only thing they lack is appropriate training in areas of life skills and career skills. We have learned that once they obtain this training their behaviors diminish, if not disappear, altogether; demeanor becomes joyful; and their characters mature; while gaining the experience of knowing that they are loved and valued. Hence the example of Francis of Assisi, who embraced the lepers, and provided the care that they needed. He knew of God s love for these rejected individuals and embraced them not with his own love, which was insufficient, but with God s love that came through him. They were repulsive to him, at first; a clearly understandable human reaction, but he accepted the Grace of seeing them through God s eyes, and hence God s love flowed through him in an expression of caring that human love alone could never provide. Mother Teresa said it beautifully to her Missionaries of Charity you can never love enough with your love..only with God s love. Operation Meaningful Life is a graced program: the Lord is its only director, and those of us who oversee the program are all referred to as assistants. We assistants accept no salary; only the trainers receive compensation. We do what other programs in Florida and the nation will not do: focus on the most severely-impaired individuals.those labeled lowerfunctioning, and train them to be higher- functioning and productive citizens. We teach an 3

4 array of career and vocational skills that will cover a life span of productivity, particularly into old age. We target the overlooked special interests and abilities of the individual: be it in commercial baking, culinary arts, restaurant skills, hotel skills, retail skills, horticultural skills, community beautification skills, office and business operation skills, and residential independence skills. OML s Franciscan spirit emphasizes the individual s development of problem-solving skills to confront the inevitable problems of daily life, and solve them in the Franciscan spirit of joy and acceptance. There are thousands of individuals and their families in Florida, both Catholic and non-catholic, who need this program, as they either sit at home with aging parents who don t have anywhere to send them; or they are in adult day programs, perhaps doing daily arts and crafts, or watching TV. They may have forms of entertainment, but no meaningful and productive life. We at Operation Meaningful Life take those whom no one else wants, the rejected ones, the unteachable ones, and give them what other programs and state agencies will not: a chance to have a productive future. These are the lepers, the poorest of the poor. It takes more than bread to satisfy their hunger. Theirs is a much- deeper poverty: of being ignored, unwanted, separated from society, and under- valued. Francis believed in a life of work and productivity for his brothers and sisters, while emphasizing the simple joys of life. The program is still new and small; but, every day it sees an expansion of opportunities and successes, refinement of techniques and new challenges in growth. We are looking to open up its graces to the larger community of mentally-disabled and their families, and are waiting for the Lord s guidance, as to His desired path. Be it through an apostolate, local ministry or some other call. Pax et bonum. Mike is a secular Franciscan of the St. Clare Fraternity in Naples, Florida. He is a retired teacher with a 25 year old son with autism. He and his wife, Harriet, have moved twelve times since Aaron was diagnosed at the age of three, searching for meaningful, humane and compassionate programming for his son. Finally, Mike allowed God to take the reins. The result is Operation Meaningful Life, under the protection of the Blessed Mother, and following the role models of Saints Francis of Assisi and Teresa of Calcutta. Nov. 24 th Nov. 25 th. Birthdays - Dec. 11 Janet Eidem Anniversary of Profession - No Profession anniversaries 4

5 Upcoming Events November 22 St. Matthews House December 18 Fraternity Christmas Party December 22 On Going Formation Francis and the Blessed Virgin Mary Page 16, Questions 1-5 Franciscan Reading From the Rule: Articles 1,2, and 3. How are these rules applied to our everyday life? St. Matthews House NAFRA Conference hosted by The Five Franciscan Martyrs Regions, Orlando, Florida 5

6 Franciscan Saints and Feasts November 29 th All the saints of the Franciscan Order We pray the Franciscan Litany of Saints. Beginning of the Novena for the Immaculate Conception LITANY OF THE SAINTS AND BLESSED OF THE FRANCISCAN FAMILY Lord have mercy St. Conrad of Parzham, mediator of divine mercy Christ have mercy. St. Pius X, full of apostolic zeal to renew everything in Christ Lord have mercy. Holy Mary, Queen of the Seraphic Order Blessed John XXIII, humble and beloved pope Holy Father Francis Blessed Luchesius, first confessor for Secular Franciscan Order St. Berard and companions first martyrs Blessed Giles of Assisi, 3rd companion of St. Francis Prayer St. Daniel and companions, martyrs in Africa Blessed Contardo Ferrini, lay helper in a student community St. Peter Baptista and companions, Nagasaki Blessed Joseph Freinademetz, missionary in China (six of the 1st Order, 17 of the Third Order Secular) All you holy and blessed confessors of the Franciscan Family St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, martyr, St. Clare, mother of the Poor Ladies of San Damiano Blessed Apollinaris and companions, martyrs in Japan (18 of the 1st Order, 27 of the Third Order Secular) St. Elizabeth of Hungary Patron of the Secular Franciscan order Blessed Apollinaris of Fribourg (Switzerland), martyr St. Rose of Viterbo, model of perfection at 18 Blessed Engelbert Kolland who called his murderer "friend" St. Margaret of Cortona, great penitent St. Maximilian Kolbe who gave his life at Auschwitz St. Elizabeth of Portugal, mother and promoter of peace Saint (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina marked with the stigmata St. Bridget of Sweden, gifted with love for the crucified All the Saints and Blessed of the Franciscan Family.. St. Colette, great reformer with the Spirit of prayer St. Anthony of Padua, powerful teacher of the Gospel life St. Angela Merici, educator of the youths St. Ferdinand, king of Castile St. Veronica Giuliani, perfected by suffering & renunciation St. Louis, strong in faith St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds St. Bonaventure, teacher of the Seraphic Order St. Mary Magdalene Postel, lover of children St. Roch, helper in times of the plague Blessed Agnes of Prague, cared for the homeless St. Bernardin of Siena, preacher, unifier of east and west Blessed Crescentia, miraculously joyful in suffering St. John Capistrano, peacemaker and apostle of charity Blessed Francisca Schervier, mother of the poor St. Peter of Alcantara, man of prayer and contemplation St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Spirit of counsel and fortitude All you blessed and holy women of the Franciscan Family Praise the Lord all you His saints and all who fear Him, small St. Vincent Palotti, pillar of the Church in troubled times and great. St. John Mary Vianney, inspired by the Good Shepherd Let us rejoice and sing and give honour to the Lord and our God Almighty eternal God, we remember all the Brothers and Sisters St. Joseph Cafasso, man of limitless patience of the Franciscan family whose life is perfected in You. We beg you because of so many people who : Give to us too All the Saints and Blessed of the Franciscan Family.. the promised land after this our sojourn in a foreign land as You have promised to those who love You. We ask this through St. Anthony of Padua, powerful teacher of the Gospel life Christ our Lord. 6

7 Advent is almost here. A voice is calling in the desert. On the importance of meditation; by Bernard of Clairvaux. Action is a necessity, and we are in fact prevented from remaining always in silence, contemplation, study and prayer. But action is only valid if it is nourished by a deep interior life. It should not absorb so much of our time and energy that meditation, prayer and silent reflection become impossible. St. Bernard insisted on the need for prayer above all in the life of those who have the highest and most responsible position in the church. Whether he guided a pope, a bishop, or a simple monk, Bernard always thought of that soul s interest in relation to its place in the church. His direction, therefore, always centered on duties of state and one s place in the providential plan of god. In an Advent sermon St. Bernard says; it does not behoove thee, o man, to cross the seas, to penetrate the clouds, or to climb the Alps (in search of god.) No great journey is necessary for thee. Seek no further than thy own soul: there will thou find thy god! This was taken from The Last of the Fathers by Thomas Merton. Peace and good Deacon Bob Richard Rohr Advent is not about a sentimental waiting for the Baby Jesus. Come Lord Jesus, the Advent mantra, means that all of Christian history has to live out a kind of deliberate emptiness, a kind of chosen non-fulfillment. Perfect fullness is always to come, and we do not need to demand it now. This keeps the field of life wide open and especially open to grace and to a future created by God rather than ourselves. This is exactly what it means to be awake, as the Gospel urges us! We can also use other a words for Advent: aware, alive, attentive, alert, awake, are all appropriate! Advent is, above else, a call to full consciousness and a forewarning about the high price of consciousness. Editor of St. Clare Fraternity newsletter: Sheila Solomon OFS, (sheilasolsfo@gmail.com) 7