Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
In celebration of Valentine's Day, we thought we would post some pictures of our members and their spouses.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!
0 Comments
Here is a quote from Martin Luther King Junior.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." The gospel of Matthew tells us: "You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." (Matt 5: 14-16) This idea of being a light for the world is an inspiring and encouraging message. We can drive out darkness with the light of Christ we carry in our hearts. Sometimes, however, this idea of being a light to others can feel rather vague. Here. are some simple ways to practice being light to the world. These things may seem trivial, but by sharing our light in small ways, we can drive out the darkness of sadness, despair, and hopelessness we see all around us in the world today.
Are there any other ways you can be light in this world? Please let us know. JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning icon, an uncompromising foe of apartheid and a modern-day activist for racial justice and LGBT rights, died Sunday at 90. South Africans, world leaders and people around the globe mourned the death of the man viewed as the country’s moral conscience.
Tutu worked passionately, tirelessly and non-violently to tear down apartheid — South Africa’s brutal, decades-long regime of oppression against its Black majority that only ended in 1994. The buoyant, blunt-spoken clergyman used his pulpit as the first Black bishop of Johannesburg and later as the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, as well as frequent public demonstrations, to galvanize public opinion against racial inequity, both at home and globally. "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 1931-2021 Reflection from Br. Benedict Kelley, OSFM
In his address at the opening of the 12th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 6, 2008, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI remarks that the history of salvation is not a small event on a poor planet. It is not a minimal thing which happens by chance in the immensity of the universe. Rather “it is the motive for everything, the motive for creation. Everything is created so that this story can exist, the encounter between God and his creature. The Christmas story is one of the most popular stories in all of history. It is the story of Christ who we strive to keep in Christ-mas. It the story we hear and then go out to “tell it on the mountain.” And so, Luke in the Infancy Narrative of Jesus intentionally detailed the historicity of the moment; “in the days of Herod, King of Judea” (Lk 1:5), at the time of Emperor Augustus and the first enrollment (census) when Quirinius was governor of Syria (Lk 2:1-2). The Jesus of history, therefore, belongs to a time that can be actually dated and geographically located. This marks the entrance of the Logos, the Word made flesh. God has visited his people. The Creator meets his creature. What a history! Jesus did not come into this world alone. He came into this world by way of a family, and he brought us salvation so that we could share membership in the family of God. That is the very meaning of salvation and the meaning of Christmas: “but to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). Therefore, this is our own family history- the church as the family of God. This history has been carefully passed down in the household we call the Church. Therefore, one of the most profound implications of the Christmas story is that God made his dwelling among men, women, and children. He calls us to become his family. This is our heritage, for we are Christ’s family, and the joy of Christmas belongs to us. The entrance of the Christ child into the world calls for joyful celebration because he comes to reveal the loving kindness of the heart of God. St Gregory Palamas (monk of Mount Athos, archbishop of Thessalonike, famous theologian and saint of the Orthodox Church), in one of his sermons, expounds the motive of the divine incarnation with clarity, rhetorical force, and theological profundity. I would like to quote him extensively because of its richness in summarizing the salvation history: “God’s Son became man to show to what heights He would raise us; to keep us from self-exaltation through thinking that we ourselves have secured the revocation of our fall; to join together, as a true mediator, and as Himself being both divine and human, the sundered aspects of our nature; to break the chain of sin; to purify the defilement that sin introduced into our flesh; to demonstrate God’s love for us; to make clear to us to what depths of evil we had fallen, since only God’s incarnation could retrieve us; to be an example to us of humility and a remedy for the pride of flesh and passion; to show how our nature as created by God is good; to be the inaugurator and assurance of resurrection and eternal life, destroying despair; to make men [and women] sons and daughters of God and participators in divine immortality, since He became Son of man and took on mortality; to show how human nature was created in the mage of God above all other created things; to honor this mortal flesh, so that proud spirits should not be thought or think themselves divine because of their bodiless and seeming immortality; to unite what is separated by nature, mankind and God, since he became a mediator both human and divine by nature”. Prayer in reflection. We give you praise almighty God, for sending us the gift of your only son Jesus. May his coming into the world be a source of constant inspiration for all who seek to follow him, may we who have been uplifted by his coming join in the angelic hymn, in all times and in all situations lifting high the the sweet refrain; Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth! Amen. From Br. Benedict Kelley, OSFM
THE EXPECTANT MARY TEACHES US As is tradition, on this fourth Sunday, the Gospel focuses on Mary, the Mother of Jesus. In the first part of Advent, we heard a lot from John the Baptist the last prophet who prepared the people for the immediate coming of the Messiah. In these last days of Advent, we are given Mary as the person to prepare us for the coming of the Lord, both by her words and by her example. And so, in this fourth and last Sunday of Advent before Christmas, our Gospel reading gives us the example of Mary who has just found out that she is pregnant. This Mary can teach us lessons about the Christian life, especially about waiting for the coming of the Messiah. We can draw our first lesson from the way Mary waits for the birth of her son. What does she do on receiving the news from the angel, that she is going to be the mother of the Saviour? She does not post the news on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other news outlets. She does not go around town advertising her great scoop. Nor does she close herself in the house. She gets on the road to visit her elderly cousin Elizabeth who is also miraculously pregnant with John the Baptist. Consider this: Mary lived in Nazareth in Galilee in the north, while Elizabeth lived in Judah in the south. The Gospel passage even told us that she "travelled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah.” Galilee her home area is flat, just like south Louisiana, but Judah was hilly. Moreover, according to google maps the distance between Galilee and Judah is about one hundred miles and takes about two hours to travel by car today, and about three days on foot, the means of transport Mary probably used. And so, why is Mary making this long and difficult journey? We know from the cultural norms of the time that younger people usually helped older relatives. And so, Mary went to take care of her older cousin, who was already six months pregnant according to the angel Gabriel. I have never been pregnant, but I understand that especially in the last trimester, pregnant women need some help around the house. That is probably why some mothers today go to help their pregnant daughters. But here Mary, the younger woman, goes out to help the older woman. Luke ends this chapter saying, “Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.” In other words, Mary stayed until Elizabeth had safely given birth to John. And so, Advent Mary in anticipation of what her son Jesus would do, served rather than be served; she, the mother of the Saviour, served the mother of the prophet. God chose Mary among others. Elizabeth resorts “Blessed are you among women.” The message is that just like Mary’s singular election for her specific role in God’s plan of salvation, each of us has also been chosen by God for a particular role in his plan of salvation. By virtue of our baptism and confirmation, we are all called to be disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ. And those among us who have received the sacraments of matrimony and holy orders, we have been tasked with serving others in other ways. Even without waiting for Elizabeth to tell us that we too are blessed, Advent Mary reminds each of us that we have a special place in God’s plan of salvation. Elizabeth then says of Mary: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” She actually said “Yes.” She could have said “No” like Jonah the Prophet in the Old Testament did when God sent him on mission to Nineveh (Jonah 1-3). Or she could have received the news reluctantly and with incredulity like Zechariah received the news of John's conception and was punished with temporary muteness. But she responded affirmatively saying: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” For this response Elizabeth highlights Mary’s blessedness. Again, Mary shows us that when we respond to God's call, we too are blessed. Every time we respond to God’s Word, we too can be counted blessed. Every time we trust in His promises to us, we too can be counted blessed. Every time we give ourselves completely to him, saying, “Let it be done to me according to your will,” we too can be counted blessed. Prayer in reflection God our Father, you gave us Mary your mother as an example if great faith and hope in your holy and perfect will. Allow us to be filled to overflowing as we joyfully await the coming of Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be call the Prince of Peace, and wonderful counselor. May we seek always to serve those who are most in need, until that great day when we shall all gather in festive praise singing O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord! Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen. In case you did not know this story, here it is according to Thomas of Celano.
Wishing you peace and all good blessings, The members of the OSFM “The day of joy drew near, the time of great rejoicing came. The brothers were called from their various places. Men and women of that neighborhood prepared with glad hearts, according to their means, candles and torches to light up that night that has lighted up all the days and years with its gleaming star. At length the saint of God came, and found all things prepared: the hay had been brought, the ox and ass led in. There simplicity was honored, poverty was exalted, humility was commended, and Greccio was made, as it were, a new Bethlehem. The night was lighted up like the day, and it delighted the people and beasts. The people came and were filled with new joy over the new mystery. The woods rang with the voices of the crowd and the rocks made answer to their jubilation. The brothers sang, paying their debt of praise to the Lord, and the whole night resounded with their rejoicing. The saint of God stood before the manger, uttering sighs, overcome with love, and filled with a wonderful happiness. The solemnities of the Mass were celebrated over the manger and the priest experienced a new consolation. The saint of God was clothed with the vestments of the deacon, for he was a deacon, and he sang the holy Gospel in a majestic voice. And his voice was a strong voice, a sweet voice, a clear voice, inviting all to the highest rewards. Then he preached to the people standing about, and he spoke charming words concerning the Nativity of the poor king and the little town of Bethlehem. Frequently too, when he wished to call Christ Jesus, he would call him simply the “Child of Bethlehem,” aglow with overflowing love for him; and speaking the word Bethlehem, his voice was more like the bleating of a sheep. His mouth was filled more with sweet affection than with words. Besides, when he spoke the name Child of Bethlehem or Jesus, his tongue licked his lips, as it were relishing and savoring with pleased palate the sweetness of the words. The gifts of the Almighty were multiplied there, and a wonderful vision was seen by a certain virtuous man. For he saw a little child lying in the manger lifeless, and he saw the holy man of God go up to it and rouse the child as from a deep sleep. This vision was not unfitting, for the Child Jesus had been asleep in the hearts of many; but by the working of grace, he was awakened again through his servant Saint Francis and stamped upon their fervent memory. At length the solemn night celebration was brought to a close and everyone returned to their home with holy joy.” Our reflection from Br. Benedict Kelley, OSFM
GAUDETE: Joy in Sorrow. Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, Gaudete! This is St. Paul’s enthusiastic hopeful words in his letter to Philippians which simply means “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice! This letter was written to the church in Philippi (Phil 4:4-6) and to all of us, the Church, the mystical body of Christ who gather every Sunday to worship as a joyful community. Gaudete Sunday takes its name from the introit (Antiphon) of the liturgy of the day, which quotes the Pauline positive approach to life: Gaudete in Domino semper. With Gaudete Sunday, our advent journey is halfway, and we are close to Christmas. The Church invites us to rejoice not minding the penitential character of Advent, because we await in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Looking back at Paul’s letter to the Philippians might offer us, perhaps, an encouragement of joy in sorrow. He mentions joy or rejoicing sixteen times and nearly a third of these references speak to his present joy (Philippians 1:4,18; 2:17; 4:1; 4:10). You’d think that he’s on vacation or visiting one of his prospering churches. But Paul was writing amidst some of his greatest suffering—imprisonment in a dark, dirty prison cell in Ephesus. Reflecting on this, Dennis Hamm, SJ says that Paul, like other famous prisoners in confinement - Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King Jr.- was led to reflect on big questions. “For example, what if I die here? What comes after death? Has my life been worthwhile? What can I hope for the people I would leave behind? Jesus has made all the difference in my life- how can I best communicate him to others? How do I make sense of suffering and encourage my friends in their own suffering? What have I learned here that might help them? (Dennis Hamm, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, 61). You are aware of the many trials, wars, conflict, chaos, and tribulations that beset humanity in our world today. How dare we rejoice? It’s almost two years since the Covid-19 pandemic that claimed lives in thousands globally. Families are smacked down with fear and anxiety and mental health has skyrocketed and may other ills. How possible is it to experience joy? But Christian joy or rejoicing is not an experience of a stress-free life, it is joy “in the Lord.” Why? Because no matter the situation, being mindful of our union with the risen Lord evokes a deep, mysterious joy. The great Henri Nouwen wrote how joy can persist even in the saddest times. He writes that joy is something deeper. It is "the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing -- sickness, failure, emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death -- can take that love away" (Henri Nouwen, The Heart of Henri Nouwen. His Words of Blessing). Therefore, in this third Sunday of Advent, "Gaudete" is the word's imperative form. We are commanded to rejoice. Against the backdrop of heartbreaking news out of our nation and cities, against the sad headlines every other day, that our celebration this advent (and at Christmas) is a countercultural declaration that even in sadness, we rejoice because our hope is in the one who is stronger than death. Hence, the readings this weekend highlight this joy beautifully. In the first reading Zephaniah proclaims, “shout for joy, sing joyfully, be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem” (Zeph 3:14); our Responsorial Psalm says, “cry out with joy and gladness” (Is 12:6); and the second reading is the main text of this reflection (Phil 4:4). The Gospel is John the Baptist’s joyful declaration about the coming of the mighty one, the Christ (Lk 3:10-18). Sisters and brothers, yes, “we are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies” (2 Cor 4:8-10). And so, we pray to God to enable us to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing Amen. Prayer of Reflection Most gracious and loving Father, as we continue to prepare for the great feast of the nativity, fill our hearts with unspeakable joy so that we may rejoice in all things and at all times. Fill us afresh with your unspeakable joy so that streams of living water may flow always from within us. May our hearts swell with great anticipation as we approach the manger to humbly offer our song of praise, to Jesus our soon coming King. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever, Amen. Second reflection from Br Benedict Kelley, OSFM
This Sunday's gospel tells of how John the Baptist's message is a fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. "Prepare the way of the Lord!" John the Baptist is presented as one who helps to prepare the way for the Lord. This Sunday's scriptures remind us that Jesus enters into our human history following a line of holy men and women who looked forward to God's promise that baptizes us into a changed life. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: Prepare the way of the, make straight his paths." Jesus is the long-expected Messiah who comes to save us and give the entire world hope. John the Baptist calls each one of us into this covenant of announcing the Lord's coming and preparing a way for him. We are to prepare a place for Christ to be born again in our hearts. Through baptism, our hearts are cleansed and we are made open to God's action in our lives. This is the covenant relationship that makes us God's people. Advent announces to us all that - We matter to God! God will never leave us in exile. God constantly calls his people back to him with hearts and hands and voices. We must trust that God's words are true. God will never abandon his people. We all can imagine that our way of doing things is not the same as God's way of doing things. Nevertheless, we must continually seek God's will in our lives. The Season of Advent offers us an opportunity to witness and proclaim God's love for us all. The simple lesson of Advent asks us to 1) Be ready to change. 2) Acknowledge that God will help us change. 3) Welcome the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to others along this journey. 4) Always have trust that God is with us. At the heart of this lesson, we must recognize that we cannot do this alone. We need each other. Identify at least one action that you will take this week to try to be more faithful followers of Jesus. Advent is a season of a faith journey into which we are invited. How strong is your faith? What causes you to doubt the most? Many times, when these questions are asked, we often think of someone other that ourselves who either helps or causes doubt in our faith life. Today, Jesus is asking, who do you say that I am? If what has is true, how has Jesus' presence in your life made a difference? Do others see in you what it means to be a follower of Christ? Advent asks a new mindset from us. With this new change of heart, we will become more believable as we announce Christ's forgiveness in our lives and become more open to God's forgiveness in the lives of others. Prayer of Reflection Heavenly Father, Lord of All, come and fill this world with your peace. May there be an end to hatred and division among your people. Cease all the fighting and war in this world. Heal the bitterness and hurt in my own heart. In this season af Advent, prepare my heart for the coming of Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Fill my heart with your peace which passes all understanding. For of the greatness of his government and peace, there shall be no end. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen. As you prepare to celebrate the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we invite you to join with us to celebrate this season. We will have a weekly reflection and prayer from Br. Benedict Kelley, OSFM. Here is the first reflection on the three comings of Christ.
ADVENT AND THE THREE COMINGS OF CHRIST One of the optional penitential rites summarizes but also prepares us for a fruitful Advent journey. The invocation says: Lord Jesus, you CAME to gather the nations into the peace of God’s kingdom; Lord Jesus, you COME in word and sacrament to strengthen in holiness; Lord Jesus you WILL COME in glory with salvation for your people. This is an understanding that Advent calls to mind three “comings” of Christ: the first in history, the second now, and the third at the end of time. Meditating upon each of these is a helpful preparation for the holy season of Advent and the eventual celebration at Christmas. HE CAME: The Old Testament scriptures is replete with indications and anticipations of the arrival of the Messiah, and the New Testament authors use the language of fulfillment and insist that the events around Jesus occurred “kata tas graphas” (according to the Scriptures). They acclaimed Jesus profoundly as the one who brought to full expression all of the institutions of Israel. His rising from the dead demonstrated that he is the New Temple, the New Covenant, the definitive prophet, the Law or Torah in person. Furthermore, they understood that Jesus had brought all of history, in a very real sense, to its climax. The turning point of the human story is not, therefore, the emergence of modernity, not the revolutions of the eighteenth century, but rather the dying and rising of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel. If we turn Jesus into a mythic or legendary figure or we construe him simply as an inspiring religious teacher, we miss this crucially important truth. Every single New Testament author witnesses to the fact that something happened in connection with Jesus, indeed something so dramatic that all of time should be understood as falling either before him or after him. And so, during Advent, we look back with deep interest and spiritual attention to that first coming. He COMES: It is important to remember that that Jesus comes to us daily, in word and sacrament. This is what Advent recalls- his coming to us in the here and now. We might think of that famous painting of Jesus knocking at the door (Rev 3:20). This is the Christ who presents himself every day, seeking entry into our hearts and minds. In his first coming, he appeared in the context of Israel. In this present-day Adventus, he appears through the sacraments of the Church, through good preaching, through the witness of the saints, through the Eucharist especially, and through the poor who cry out to be cared for. We recall his words, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, you do to me (Mtt 25: 31-46).” Now just as many rejected him when he came in history long ago, so, sadly enough, many reject him today. Can we see that the most important decision we will ever make—more important than decisions regarding job, family, livelihood, etc.—is whether we allow Christ to become the Lord of our lives? During the season of Advent, we are meant to stop and pay close attention. How is Jesus coming to us and how, precisely, are we dealing with his arrival? HE WILL COME: Advent calls to mind Christ’s definitive coming at the end of time. One of the peculiar marks of Christianity is the belief that time is going somewhere. It is not just “one damn thing after another,” as the cynical adage famously has it, nor simply an endless cycle, nor the “eternal return of the same.” Rather, time has a direction, moving toward its consummation, when God will be all in all. The Church identifies this final culmination as the “second coming” of Jesus, and the Gospels speak of it often. Here is just one example from the Gospel of Luke: “Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay. . . . People will die of fright in anticipation of what is coming upon the world. . . . And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.’” What this remarkable language conveys is the conviction that, at the close of the age, the old order will give way and God will renew the great structuring patterns of reality. At this second coming of Christ, all the seeds that had been planted throughout nature and history will bear fruit, all of the latent potentialities of the cosmos will be actualized, and God’s justice will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The Church’s belief—and it governs the whole of its life—is that we are living in the in-between times; that is to say, in between the culmination of history in the cross and Resurrection and the definitive fulfillment of history in the second coming of Jesus. In a sense, the war against sin and death has been won, and yet mop-up operations continue. The Church lives in that middle zone where the final stage of the battle is still being fought. Pay attention, especially during the Advent season, to our daily Gospels at Mass. I think you’ll be surprised how often they reference the second Advent of Jesus at the end of time. I might offer just two well-known examples: “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again,” and “As we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” This is the how the Church speaks during the in-between times. Though we are beset on all sides by failure, pain, sin, sickness, and the fear of death, we live in joyful hope, for we know that history is going somewhere, that God has won the decisive battle and will win the war. Therefore, this Advent, look back; look around; and look forward. With each glance, you will see the Christ who comes. Prayer of reflection: Blessed are you God, our Father and King of all the ages. You revealed your love to all when Christ came in poverty as a little child wrapped in swaddling clothes laying among the animals because there was no room for him in the inn. Keep us in your constant care as we await his manifestation in glory. May this Advent season remind us of your faithfulness and constant love for us which refreshes us, and calls us to the manger where we fimd unspeakable joy in the everlasting King of Glory who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the begining, is now and will be forever. Amen. Here is another ministry that one of our members participates in.
Fortunate Families, a Catholic Family, Friends & Allies Ministry, supports LGBTQ+ siblings by facilitating respectful conversation with bishops, pastors and Church leadership, through sharing personal stories and by working to establish intentional Catholic LGBTQ+ Ministry Sites in dioceses, parishes, educational institutions, and communities. Through accompaniment and bridge-building we seek to celebrate and safeguard the dignity of LGBTQ+ children of God. This ministry travels throughout the United States speaking about LGBTQ+ intentional welcome and LGBTQ+ Ministry within the Catholic Church including such topics as "Prudence and Possibilities," "Do Whatever He Tells You," "Orthodoxy Means Living Our Social Teaching," "What Is the Reason For Our Hope?" and "Fratellu Tutti: dialogue, not simply talking" helping those discerning or beginning Catholic LGBTQ+ Ministry. There are Days of Discernment and Visioning, Days of Reflection, retreats for parishes, colleges, high schools, teachers, campus ministers and ministries, presbyterates, parish staffs, and communities of consecrated women and men. For more information about this vital ministry, visit https://fortunatefamilies.com or email Stan “JR” Zerkowski @ [email protected] |
AuthorFranciscan Musings is the collective blog of the members of the OSFM. Here, our brothers and sisters and friends of the OSFM share their reflections on their Franciscan experiences and their Christian journeys. Archives
September 2022
Categories |