FEB 2016/ Vol 49, No 3
FMA
Franciscan Mission Associates
Mt. Vernon, N.Y. 10551
Missions in Guatemala - Honduras - El Salvador, Central America
Virtue:
Inner Peace
The days of lent and Easter season
begin in sorrow but conclude in Joy,
along with the virtue of Peace.
The familiar Litany of the Blessed
Virgin concludes with our lady’s story
and place in God’s plan, reigning with
the title: Queen of Peace.
Parts of the litany were in use 600
years before Pope Sixtus V approved it
in 1587. In that near-Renaissance period, even adults and children who could
not read had no trouble chanting the
familiar invocations, “Holy Mary, pray for
us” - “Mother of our Savior, pray for us”.
Mary’s inner peace, then and now –
invites all of us to trust God’s Will and
Plan for us. Such is the best roadmap
for our pilgrimage in this world and in
the next. ■
Giving and
Accepting the
Kiss of Peace
The Prophet Isaiah gave us the
greatest (and often overlooked) title of
the promised Messiah (Isaiah 9: 1-5).
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
Upon those who dwelt in the land
of gloom a light has shone...
For a child is born to us, a son is
given us ...
They name him Wonder-Counselor,
God-Hero,
Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
The priest Zechariah, father of
John the Baptist (last of the
Prophets), was inspired by the Holy
Spirit to announce the coming of the
Prince of Peace. Tearfully embracing
his infant son, Zechariah sang out the
news:
“…you will go before the Lord to
prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of
salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break
upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in
darkness
and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of
peace. (Luke 1:76-79)
But whether Sunday and/or weekday
– that attendance at Holy Mass
always offers a touch of peace. Just
look around at the Kiss of Peace just
before we move to the Lord present in
the Holy Eucharist. Peace indeed.
Peace I leave with you, my own
peace I give to you, a peace the
world cannot give, this is my gift
to you. Let not your hearts be
troubled or afraid ... (John 14:27)
While Our Lord speaks to the
Apostles in that quotation, he also
reminds us about our mission. For the
practice of being and giving peace will
not be easy. It requires self-discipline,
a practice that may take a lifetime to
achieve.
Holy Mother Church presents
opportunities to practice the virtue of
peace, beginning with a sincere
Greeting of Peace at Mass. It is such
a familiar part of the Mass now that
family members embrace, hug and
kiss one another.
One good ‘peace’ practice, before
concluding night prayers, examine
what you did this day to bring the
Peace of Christ to others. That will
mean practicing peace in your own
home. Then let Christ’s peace become
part of daily life every day of the year.
■
The entire Canticle is prayed or
chanted in Morning Prayer of the
Church worldwide. For it shouts out
that the Messiah would be none other
than God’s Holy Word, the Son of
God, Jesus Christ.
✞ Even taking on himself the darkness and fear cultivated in the human
family by sin, the Messiah would
bring us knowledge of salvation ...
true forgiveness and healing of sin ...
true joy and peace.
✞ A peace that will support our pilgrimage, even when we side step into
the darkness, fear, hatred and smallness-of-soul that is sin.
✞ Jesus gives us the support that
will put us on the road again to God’s
gift of eternal life and peace. In this
holy Lent and Easter season, many
try to attend at least one daily Mass.
FMA Focus, official organ of Franciscan Mission
Associates, is published quarterly in February, June,
September and November.
FMA Focus is a member of the Catholic Press Association,
the National Catholic Development Conference, Inc., the
Association of Fundraising Professionals, and of the Direct
Marketing Association.
Please address all correspondence to Father Primo,
o.F.M., at P.o. Box 598, Mount Vernon, N.Y. 10551. Please
send changes of address six weeks in advance; if possible
include your mailing label, and give both old and new address.
2
FOLLOWING CHRIST’S WAY THROUGH
THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS
and asks help and strength in loving
the Lord more deeply.
Some find time to visit and pray
the Stations with our family and
friends dealing with health or transportation issues and others whose
limbs and joints make it difficult to go
out in challenging weather.
It is with joy and pride that so
many people have the opportunity to
pray the Living Stations of the Cross.
Whether from the parish school
and/or with CCD participants, the
young enact the “Live Stations of the
Cross.” This ancient practice and
meditation displays the insight, love
of God, and deep Faith which these
young people experience when
“Living” the Stations.
And again, this devotion invites all
participants to remember the Love
that Our Lord floods into our hearts –
if we make time to open the door and
invite Him always into our lives.
It is a good time as well, to pray for
our Missionaries who live in the shadow and shoes (sandals) of the Lord
who called them to a very special
vocation of living with and for God’s
apostolate: loving, cherishing, educating those called to life in this world
and the next. ■
It was in the year 1342 when
Franciscans were entrusted with
Custody of the Holy Places in the
Holy Land. It was just some 100 plus years after the death of St.
Francis in 1226. But long before that
time, pilgrims sought to pray at the
Passion Sites, even as far back as the
5th Century.
In modern times, Pope St. John
Paul II offered yet another set of the
Stations of the Cross. But he contributed only Passion events provided
in the Gospels.
They included: Jesus in the Garden
of Olives… Jesus denied by Peter…
Jesus scourged and crowned with
thorns… Jesus speaks from the Cross
to his Mother and John (Disciple and
Evangelist), Jesus promises the kingdom to the repentant thief.
Although many people pray the
Stations year-round, it is in Lent that
Catholics seek out the Stations of the
Cross. They find value in praying
with others who want to pray the
Stations. In reading the texts, meditating in quiet, asking forgiveness for
our own contributions to the Lord’s
Passion: Such communal practice of
the Stations speaks volumes. For
each person seeks forgiveness of sin
3
A hymn, a revelation and a prayer of peace
book to jot down the inspirations that
prayer will open up in your own life
and circumstances. And look beyond
Lent to find ways this practice will
serve all year, and many more to
come.
This is an exercise that can work
well for families coming home to
Sunday dinner after Mass. Senior citizens can work out their best time to
get together in the course of the week.
Seniors have years and decades of
experiencing peace. They discover
their own wisdom to this weekly
checkup and how-to live the virtue of
peace all year round.
Many people will be happy if just
one of these prayerful practices can
be achieved, declaring that it will
have made this Lenten observance
worthwhile. Others may find themselves storing away their
refreshed look at the virtue of
peace allowing them to cancel
out sin and obstacles and look
forward to more joy all year.
Exactly the path lived by St.
Francis.
As we look to Lent 2016,
let each day remind us that
we are called to be peacemakers. That commitment, beginning in our
own families, can bring
the Peace of Christ to
our homes, parish,
city, nation and the
whole world. ■
It’s a hymn. It’s a revelation of a
saint’s prayer life and faith. It’s ecumenical and interfaith in usage. It
offers the cumulative wisdom and
practice appealing even to those who
profess no faith. Such is the widely
reprinted Peace Prayer of
St. Francis of Assisi:
Lord, let me be an instrument of
peace
Where there is hatred – let me
sow love
Where there is injury – pardon
Where there is doubt – faith
Where there is despair – hope
Where there is darkness – light
And where there is sadness – joy
Those six stark lines of the poetic
prayer can offer a unique penitential
practice for the six weeks of Lent.
One week at a time, beginning
with the first line of this song
and poem, reflect on both dealing
with an obstacle to faith
(hatred), versus the power of
virtue of healing (love).
During the week, put
time and reflection to work
as you examine your life
and how, with God’s
grace, you can practice
the virtue – the better to crush away
the sin and obstacles
to living a deeper faith
as God calls you to do. You
may want to keep a little note4
4
MUSIC IS PRAYER TOO – YES, IN CHURCH
Often in the Lenten and Easter
seasons, non-Catholic neighbors and
friends may ask if they might come
along to Mass with you. That is one
occasion when you arrive early for
Mass, so that guests may have time to
acclimate to the aura and beauty of
the liturgy.
Often the guest will reach for the
hymnals and find quite a surprise. In
looking over the contents of the
hymns and songs, anyone – a visitor
or regular parishioner – would pause
for thought.
We have a large collection of music:
hymns and songs that are also prayer.
In those hymnals will be found Mass
in many seasons, special settings for
youth music for concerns like hope or
peace in the world. There are settings
for morning and evening prayer,
Sacraments (such as Marriage and
Baptism) and the major feasts and
observances in the year (Lent, Easter,
Pentecost, Christmas). While looking
through the hymnal contents, the
music director may be playing some
of the music appropriate for the day,
and guiding the choir in preparation
for the Celebration of the Mass.
And to the surprise of visitors,
Catholic parishes are often overflowing with hymns, songs and instrumental music. Which is just the icing
on the cake, for songs and music are
indeed prayer itself.
Music at Mass is not a performance. It is actually another kind of
prayer enhancing the Liturgy of the
day or the event. Music and hymns
call us to prayer and to celebrate the
wonder and joy of being in the presence in Word and Sacrament of Our
Lord, Jesus.
One good decision parishioners can
make this Lent and Easter would be
to ponder the virtue of peace – especially given the world in which we
dwell today!
Among the songs and hymns that
help us deepen our own prayer for
peace:
• Let There be Peace on Earth
• The Peace Prayer (of St. Francis)
• Make Our Lives a Prayer of
Peace
• Peace is Flowing like a River
Each of these hymns and songs
teaches us how to reform ourselves
first of all. Because the number one
step to seeking peace as Jesus has
taught us is a life-long effort to help
bring about peace in the World. ■
ST. ANTHONY’S BREAD
offerings in honor of St. Anthony, either in petition for a favor sought, or in thanksgiving for a favor received, are used to assist the poor. Thus, they have received the
name, St. Anthony’s Bread. Such offerings are also used to help educate priests
and religious.
Fr. Primo will gladly send you a leaflet explaining the origin and purpose of this
devout practice, now centuries old. Please write:
St. Anthony’s Bread, Franciscan Mission Associates
PO Box 598, Dept 3163, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
5
SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF DISTRACTION
Seeking the voice
of experience is one
way to get good
advice. And we surely
need good advice
when it comes to distraction in prayer –
which just may be in
the same category as finding time to
pray.
And who could be a better role
model than St. Anthony of Padua,
Doctor of the Church, among many
other titles.
His life of prayer stretched back to
childhood, in Portugal. The first-born
child of an aristocratic family, he was
baptized “Fernando” – a name meaning seeker or peace combatant.
Instead of walking the path of his
noble parents, he insisted on a life of
prayer and service to God. While
exploring his vocation in the
Augustinian Abbey close to Lisbon, he
found himself tracked down by wellintentioned friends and relatives who
wanted to enjoy his company. Which
was – well, not exactly the monastic
life the young would-be monk and
servant of the poor and needy sought.
Moving away to another abbey in
Coimbra, then the capital of Portugal,
the future Doctor of the Church freed
himself for Gospel living. It was there
that Anthony completed his formation and was ordained a priest in
1220. Yet he still could not find the
peace he wanted.
But it was there that Anthony met
a small group of Franciscan friars
from a new kind of religious congregation, men who lived in simplicity
and poverty. And he knew that was it.
Transferring to the Franciscan
Order, he would soon sort out his
problems, or so he thought. Friar
Anthony was trying to do what he
believed was needed: peace, prayer,
and penance – chief among them.
And it was with the Franciscans
there Anthony found the peace he
sought. For what Anthony was not
doing was waiting on God’s will – not
his own.
“Prayer is the experience of love of
man towards God ... Who loves always
prays.” In accepting God’s will, not his
own, Anthony was freed for the work
(and peace) that God held out to him.
In these holy days of Lent and
Easter, we can try to fit St. Anthony’s
solution to our own lives. We need but
remember his formula: seek to welcome God’s will; do not tell God what
his will is for you. Instead, admit and
accept the gifts God holds out to you
from all eternity. Then, like a person
holding a lantern in a dark tunnel,
you will gradually see the light that
awaits you. ■
REMEMBRANCE
You can continue to carry on your
own good work for the missions and
the people they serve by remembering
them in your will. To do so, simply
make a bequest of whatever you
wish to: FRANCISCAN MISSION
ASSOCIATES, Mount Vernon, NY
10551. If you wish additional information about how to do this, please feel
free to contact:
Franciscan Mission Associates
PO Box 598, Dept 3162
Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
6
Director’s
Letter
Fr. Primo, O.F.M.
FRANCISCAN FRIARS/P.O. BOX 598/MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. 10551-0598
TEL. AREA CODE: 914 664-5604
Dear Friends of the Franciscans,
It is not easy in today’s world to even contemplate the word peace. Even
though the term often appears on shirts, billboards and in songs, there is so little real peace on the roads, in the news and even sometimes in our homes.
As Christians, it is our privilege to promote peace. But first, we must find it
in ourselves. What we may forget is that because of our profound relationship
with the Lord, peace is always with us – always in us – and can always be our
tool to change the world.
In the Gospels we hear Jesus speak of this gift and its importance. “Peace I
leave with you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is
my gift to you. Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27)
How reassuring. How necessary. As we age, the peace we took for granted
as children is so shattered. It is when we delve into our relationship with
Christ, when we strengthen our bond through sacrifice, prayer and the sacraments that we know true peace.
Then, with His help, we can move into the world and spread the Word of the
Lord to those for whom peace is a concept seen only in the distance.
God gives us the tools and the strength. We need to share it with those desperately in need of peace.
May God bless you during this holy Lenten and Easter Seasons,
Fr. Primo, O.F.M.
7
MY NEW BEGINNING
Fr. Jack, O.F.M.
A
s a young Franciscan missionary
working in Guatemala and Honduras from
1971-1982, little did I know that my life
would enter new and different phase of
ministerial commitment within the Church
with the illness and subsequent passing
of my father to cancer at the young age of
54.
For approximately 30 years I had various opportunities of ministry, working in
High School education in New York City,
ministering to both the Hispanic and the
Italian immigrant communities, was a US
Navy chaplain for some 24 years travelling all over the world with Marines, only
to return to America as pastor to a bilingual parish in Connecticut. Then came
the day when I had to return a prosperous, unified bilingual parish community to
its Archbishop and find myself wondering:
“What´s in store for this Spanish speaking, Navy veteran gringo?”
Ah….perhaps a return to where it all
began and finish off my ministry in some
tiny latin American parish. As it turned
out, I did return to Central America and
found myself ministering for the first time
in El Salvador, but not in some out-of-theway tiny parish. I became a member of
the Association AGAPE of El Salvador.
Well, let me tell you – that became my
“new beginning.”
I once traveled the world with Marines
and Sailors, now I travel the whole tiny
country of El Salvador. I give spiritual
talks on Franciscan Spirituality to more
than 1,200 employees of AGAPE so they
have an understanding of the spiritual
foundation upon which the Association
was founded (thanks to the sacrifices of
Fr. Flavian, o.F.M. some 37 years ago). I
go from playing soccer (futbol), volleyball
or JENGA with our socially at-risk children (approximately 200 youngsters from
cardboard shacks and dysfunctional families) to hurrying to the TV station for an
afternoon Mass (live) or the taping of one
of the two TV programs or to one of our
three radio stations.
The other day, at some routine traffic
stop, an officer said: “okay, Padre, I see
8 you on TV and have heard you on the
radio, now I get to see you in person.”
8
FIFTEEN YEARS OF
CARING FOR THE ELDERLY
AND THE FORGOTTEN
Wow, I´ve become famous all because of
the work I am doing with TV and our communications department. I never imagine
with this type of popularity that I would
become a familiar face in the country in
such a short time. Every Sunday we have
busloads of pilgrims attend our worship
services at our Sanctuary (shrine) of
Divine Providence from all over the country and after Mass they love to pose for
pictures.
The work of AGAPE provides attention
to the most vulnerable sectors of society.
It helps the needy improve their standard
of living so that they may contribute to the
development of their environment. It is for
this reason that AGAPE runs productive
programs as well as professional and
high quality service projects grounded on
ethical principles and Christian values
that enable the Association to project an
institutional image both nationally and
internationally. I am proud to be a part of
such an organization that offers hope and
love to the poorest of the poor. ■
Fr. Albert, O.F.M.
B
ecause of our generous benefactors so many of those who might be discarded by others are cared for until the
end of their days. Even though it has been
fifteen years, I still remember very well
the origin of our glorious home for the old
and sometimes forgotten. When the
Franciscan vow of obedience sent me to
work in olancho, I was assigned to the
Cathedral parish of Juticalpa as Pastor.
We used to have a parish council meeting
every three months. In most of those early
meetings, I often used to hear the same
complaint, “Padrecito, tenemos que hacer
algo para los ancianos” (Father, we have
to do something for the elderly of the diocese). I soon came to understand that in
all of the state of olancho, with a population of more than half a million people,
there was not a single home for the elder9
embassy. Marina offered to bring him over
to see if he could help. (A couple days
later, Frank, an important Canadian official from ottawa arrived.) Ten days later,
we were presented with a check to construct a roof, courtesy of the Canadian
embassy in Honduras. Yes, St. Francis
sure works in mysterious ways. Bishop
Mauro, blessed the Hogar de Ancianos
“Paz y Bien.” on the very same day of its
opening, the old age home received the
first five “ancianos” (seniors) who used to,
literally, eat and sleep on the streets of
Juticalpa.
Today, our home for the elderly is
known all over the country. In fact it’s even
well known by the same president of
Honduras who, once in a while, without
any notice, shows up to chat with the seniors at the residence. Benefactors from
Toronto, the United States and Europe,
help us maintain the place with their constant donations and people from all over
olancho chip in with donations of corn,
beans and rice. We are very happy to be
able to help our older brothers and sisters. one day, we too will be old and who
knows, maybe some of us will be looking
for a bed at the Hogar (home)!!! For now,
the elderly of olancho do not have to live
and die on the streets anymore. The
doors of our home are always open for
them! ■
ly. It took many years of hard thinking,
reflection and prayer to really do something about this urgent problem.
The proverbial straw that broke the
camel’s back was when we actually found
an eighty-year-old man dead, wrapped in
old rags, plastic and cardboard in a doorway in Juticalpa. He had no family. We
buried him and then and there, we decided that as a Church, we had to urgently
address this problem. Back in those days,
when I was a Pastor at Santa Gertrudis in
the same town of Juticalpa, the Bishop
gave us a piece of land. An architect from
the parish generously drew up the plans.
The entire parish began to organize activities to raise funds. on my end, I began to
write letters to all my friends, contacts,
brothers and sisters asking for help.
To complete this project, it took us
fourteen months of hard work. A major
delay came when Hurricane Mitch hit
Honduras. We battled the hurricane as
best we could and moved forward, and
continued with our work. The walls were
completed but we ran out of money, that
was it, “nada,” we did not have anything.
St. Francis entered the scene through
a very mysterious way. I once knew this
girl, name Marina, who in her early adult
life ended up marrying a Canadian. one
day, Marina turned up telling me that her
husband worked in the Canadian
10
Words Worth Noting
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.
St. Augustine
Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.
Helen Keller
No one heals himself by wounding another.
St. Ambrose
A people free to choose will always choose peace.
Ronald Reagan
Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.
Victor Hugo
The pine stays green in winter, wisdom in hardship.
Norman Douglas
There is a difference between listening and waiting for your turn to speak.
Simon Sinek
The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.
Flannery O’Connor
You can’t blame gravity for falling in love.
Albert Einstein
11
Our Readers gladly write…
Dear Father,
Please publish my eternal gratitude to God and to all the Angels and
Saints, especially St. Anthony whose
intercessions I have sought in the
restoration for lost things and in
many favors received.
A.U.
Salt Lake City, UT
SOCIATES
MISSION AS
FRANCISCAN BOX 598
P.O.
551
ON, N.Y. 10
MOUNT VERN
Dear Franciscan Friars,
Thank you for sending the statue
of my dearest friend, St. Anthony. He
has a special place in my room. I am
80 years old and live with my family.
E.C.
Cameron Park, CA
Dear Fr. Primo,
I am sure you keep very busy but
you still took time to send me a very
beautiful birthday card and a matching bookmark. Thank you for the card
and keeping me in your prayers and
at Mass. This is the best gift one can
receive, and I am very grateful to you.
B.J.
Anchorage, AK
Dear Fr. Primo,
Please publicly acknowledge my
sincere thanks to Saint Anthony for
all my many blessings. My sincerest
thanks also to the Infant of Prague,
Blessed Mother Mary, and all Saints
and Angels for the many blessings I
have received.
N. L. E.
St. Clairsvle, OH
Dear Fr. Primo,
Thank you for all the good work
you do and for your thoughts and
prayers I have a cross to bear and
knowing I will be remembered at your
Mass is a great comfort to me. Merci
et que Dieu vous benisse, from a
neighbor to the North.
J.V.
Vanier, ON, Canada
12
No One Knows the Mind of God
Who would have thought he would be
a man with a deep faith in God’s will?
In the depths of the colorful and burgeoning culture of Medieval Forli, Italy,
the wealthy parents of a beautiful baby
boy celebrated the birth of their son,
Peregrine Laziosi, born in 1260.
Growing up, he emerged as a leader
among other teens engaging in what
we would consider higher education.
Some people regarded Peregrine as
a know-it-all, because he was a young
student with special intellectual gifts,
including public oratory. An encounter
with a brilliant and holy priest, St.
Philip Benizi, would call Peregrine’s
mind to more important things than
claiming to be the best in everything.
With what many thought must have
been a miracle, Peregrine went on to
recognize his true vocation as a priest
and religious of the Servite congregation. And just as he had given his all to
study and public speaking, Fr.
Peregrine grew into a devoted servant
of God.
By his middle years, Fr. Peregrine
was renowned as a preacher of the
Gospel, a sought-out confessor, a holy
priest, a servant of God who ministered
to the poor when black plague, almost
constant war, and injustice prevailed.
All this until the day when his religious superiors began to notice
Peregrine’s limp and walking troubles.
They called in the best of physicians.
Their diagnosis: Cancer of the foot,
moving into Fr. Peregrine’s leg. The
only remedy was to be amputation.
Fr. Peregrine, an obedient Servite,
gave up protesting. Trusting in God, he
went to Chapel, prayed, and fell asleep.
When he awoke – and a full night’s
sleep was rare for this servant of God –
he remembered what he thought was a
‘dream.’ He recalled the Image of the
Crucified Lord stretching out his Holy
Hand and touching Peregrine’s diseased foot and leg.
Immediately, he could walk and
stand – and lost few minutes in informing his superiors and thanking his doctors.
He would work for another 40 years,
preaching the Gospel, converting sinners, and always, he attended and ministered to the sick and the very poor.
His own now famous illness demonstrated that “Father’s cure” was an
example of how Faith could touch and
impact our lives.
Today, people young and old look to
Peregrine’s method of healing; They
first seek to rest in God’s will, and then
ask for prayers of healing, should that
be God’s will.
St. Peregrine was canonized in 1726,
and after some 500 years, his body was
exhumed, incorrupt and emitting a fragrance of beautiful flowers. ■
VOCATIONS
Please pray for the young people at home and in the missions who are ready and eager
to dedicate their lives to God and the spiritual welfare of His people.
Often all they really need is the special courage to hear God’s call and to answer him.
Please join us in daily prayer for God’s grace in providing devoted brothers, sisters, priests
and religious for Christ’s work in today’s world.
For further information please write Franciscan Mission Assoc.,
P.O. Box 598, Dept. 3164, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
13
LENTEN PENANCE – PERSONAL AND
TOGETHER WITH OTHERS
A good confession today could
mean forgiving people who hurt us as
well as realizing the countless ways
we human beings stray into sin.
And so it was when the Second
Vatican Council brought us the wonder-filled gift of Lenten Communal
Celebrations of Reconciliation. Or as
so many call it: Going to Confession in
preparation for Easter.
Most dioceses will publicize at
least half a dozen parishes hosting
the
Lenten
Sacrament
of
Reconciliation, beginning with the
Cathedral. There will be music, readings, a welcome and homily.
Depending on the size of the parish
church, there may be half a dozen or
more confessors, stationed throughout.
Reconciliation is not a “me ... me”
experience. People make a special
effort to seek the grace of this
Sacrament and a spiritual look at
where one has been and where one
may be going. For we are a people
striving to be the Body of Christ in
this world.
In this reverent and even joyful
celebration, we experience God reaching out to us with love and compassion ...
From Psalm 103
He does not treat us according to
our sins
so strong is his love ...
so far does he remove our sins.
The Catechism of the Catholic
Church reminds us that the
Sacrament of Penance frees us “from
our sins.” Confession and sorrow for
sin “also challenges us” to have the
same kind of compassion and forgiveness for those who sin against us.
“We are liberated to be forgivers. We obtain new insight
into the words of the Prayer of St.
Francis: ‘It is in pardoning that
we are pardoned.’ ”
As with every time we present ourselves for Confession year-round –
great Holy Days or frequent
Confession – we come away asking
God for strength and guidance for our
pilgrimage in this
world. Likewise – we
pray for the grace
that Jesus asked for
us: to forgive and
forget transgressions against us.
The Sacrament
of Reconciliation
blesses us with a
peace that only
God can give. ■
My soul, give thanks to the Lord ...
It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills ...
The Lord is compassion and love,
slow to anger and rich in mercy ...
14
How to listen for the Gentle Whisper of God’s
Will – tapping on the Door of our hearts
“Rebuild my Church.” That was
the call and will of God as St. Francis
first “heard” those three powerful
words. He would hear that request
more than once, as he prayed in a
worse-for-wear battered old chapel
with all but a holy Icon remaining on
the wall. So Francis took to repairing
the chapel, and did so with great care
and prayer.
But in his heart, Francis began to
understand those haunting words
were more than a literal ‘fix it’ job.
God was inviting him to fix what was
wrong with the society and spirituality of the times.
From those three little words,
came a revolution in
the form of what would
be a new kind of religious
order
and
indeed, a new kind of
Church.
Our Lenten and
Easter Days, blossoming into 50 Days of
Easter, touch us too in
the 21st century. As
St. Francis discovered, the
doors of the
heart open if
we spend some time
listening and opening
those doors.
What better time to
do so than throughout
the solemn days of
Lent, the Triduum of
Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy
Saturday and the glories of Easter
Time.
The key is to carve out some quiet
time with the Lord. Why not try to
arrive at church even 15 minutes
early. That might provide some “listening” time to seek God’s will. And
during the Liturgy, we need to listen
attentively to the Readings and
Gospel for the day – for listening to
God’s Holy Word is indeed a powerful
prayer.
Such may remind us to listen
throughout the day, listening with
courtesy to others – in our home, in
our family, at work. We need to listen
closely, for as all the saints experienced: the Lord answers in his own
way.
With St. Francis, we come to the
Lord in the silence of our hearts,
sweeping out the cobwebs of our own
excess and selfishness. Ask God what
is right for you. Many people these
days seek the help of a spiritual director. But, as Francis found, we must
pray silently: “Have mercy on us” (in
Lent) – and “Alleluia” (in the Easter
Season).
Perhaps then, even arriving just 15
minutes before Mass will afford time
to kneel or sit quietly, leaving behind
all the hectic moments of our charged
lives, the better to ask God for His
Will in our particular lives. Ask God
to help you know what “mission” is
needed in the new life of grace showered on us in this Holy Season. ■
15
FMA Spiritual Exercises - Lent-Easter 2016
For the petitions and special intentions of all our benefactors, Franciscan Mission Associates
will conduct this series of spiritual exercises during the lenten and Easter season.
You are cordially invited to join us in prayer for your own needs and petitions, for those of
our Franciscan Missionary Friars and their people, and for all who cooperate by prayer and
sacrifice for the spread of the faith.
During the lenten-Easter Season these Novenas of Masses have been arranged:
January 1-9 ......................................................................Holy Family Novena
February 2-19 ..................................................................Our Lady of Lourdes
February 10 - March 20 ......................................................Lenten Masses (40)
March 15-23 ..............................................................................Feast of Easter
March 15 - June 7 ..................................................13 Tuesdays to St. Anthony
March 27 - April 4 ............................................In Thanksgiving - Risen Christ
Holy Mass is offered each day for all Franciscan Mission Associates benefactors and the
special intentions they request. Kindly forward your petitions for the Novenas scheduled to:
Father Primo, O.F.M., Franciscan Mission Associates
PO Box 598, Dept 3161, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598
A small sacrifice from you means so much to so many. These children in one
of our schools in Honduras eat, learn and grow in God’s love, thanks in part
to your generous gifts. The joy they give others is a gift to the world.