Gatherings

 
What's In a Name? 
 Let Us Begin 
 Paz y Bien from the Infirmarian 
SFO International Council Weekly News 
Repentance Prayer 
 Calendar of Saints/Feast Days: February 
Classes and Meetings 
St. Anthony's Corner 
 Like a Light to the World 
 Miscellaneous 
 In Order to Serve 
 Librarian 
Tertio Millennio Adveniente
 
 

What's In a Name?

  "For the ancients a name is not simply a conventional designation, but rather an expression of a beings place in the universe. God perfects His creation by naming creatures; day, night, heaven, earth, sea (Gen 1, 3-10); He calls each star by name (Is 40, 26);..." (Dictionary of Biblical Theology).
    Our newsletter belongs to all and it is time to recommend a name which reflects the wishes of all. So far suggestions have been:

     We need further suggestions or we may vote on one of the above suggestions. We may also keep it as it is. I urge you to let one of the councilmembers know which one you prefer!

 
Fr. Paul Juniet, OFM- Spiritual Assistant

"Let Us Begin"

      In the 1950s the Church let up on the practice of fasting and abstinence. Many Catholics rejoiced at this and didn't pick up on the "Rest of the Story". The observance of meatless fridays and fast days had become ritual without spirit. The Church asks us to enter into the depth of the spirit rather than the law. Removing the obligation did not mean that we no longer needed these practices. Rather, the Church asks us to enter into these practices with our inner spirit and life. Each one of us must take responsibility for our journey to the Lord.
    Francis showed us the way in his own life. When he went forth from the world he tells us he was led by the Spirit calling him forth.
    In his testament he tells us, "While I was in sin, it seemed very bitter to me to see lepers. And the Lord himself led me among them and I had mercy on them. And when I left them that which seemed bitter to me was changed into sweetness of soul and body."
    Jesus in the Gospel tells us "whoever does not take up his cross is not worthy of me." Our life of penance is not so much limited to fasting and self denial as it is to walking with the Lord in our daily struggles as He calls us forth. When I was in the novitiate on Ash Wednesday we as novices wanted to give up dessert. So we let the pies sit on the table. Our novicemaster told us to eat the pies since the cooks worked to bake them. He told us that rather than give up dessert we needed to cut out bickering and being uncharitable with each other. This is true penance and taking up our cross and following Jesus.
    During the Lenten season we as Franciscans are called are called to spend time with the Lord in prayer and to walk with the Lord in our daily life. To let the Lord be with us in our daily struggles and to walk with each other as we take up our own crosses to follow Jesus.

Fr. Paul

 

 "Paz y Bien" From the Infirmarian:

  •  LET US KEEP OUR FRANCISCANS IN OUR DAILY PRAYERS:
  • Prayer in Time of Sickness
    O Jesus, you suffered and died for us; you understand suffering.
    Teach me to understand my suffering as you do:
    To bear it in union with you.
    To offer it with you to atone for my sins and to bring
    you grace to souls in need.
    Calm my fears, increase my trust.
    May I gladly accept your holy will and
    become more like you in trials.
    If it be your will, restore me to health so that I may
    work for your honor and glory and the
    salvation of others.
    Amen.
    Mary, helper of the sick, pray for me.
    =====================
    "For I will restore you to health; of your wounds I will heal you,
    says the Lord." (Jeremiah 30:17)
    =====================
    Especially remembered this month are:
         Barbara Heilman, Helen McGrath and Tillie Rojas
        Our Franciscan Spirit is alive and well, praise God!
     

    SFO INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL Weekly News
    FROM: CIOFS BULLETIN, 1999, VOL 5    N.1(January)

    PROCLAMATION OF THE HOLY YEAR 2000 (Continued from last month)

     
     2. The great Jubilee of the Year 2000 is almost upon us. (...) The period of the Jubilee introduces us to the vigorous language which the divine pedagogy of salvation uses to lead man to conversion and penance. These are the beginning and the path of man's healing, and the necessary condition for him to recover what he could never attain by his own strength: God's friendship and grace, the supernatural life which alone can bring fulfillment to the deepest aspirations of the human heart.
        The coming of the Third Millennium prompts the Christian community to lift its eyes of faith to embrace new horizons in proclaiming the kingdom of God. It is imperative therefore at this special time to return more faithfully than ever to the teaching of the second Vatican Council, which shed new light upon the missionary task of the Church in view of the demands of evangelization today. At the Council, the Church became more deeply conscious both of the mystery which she herself is and of the apostolic mission entrusted to her by the Lord. This awareness commits the community of believers to live in the world knowing that they must be "the leaven and, as it were, the soul of human society, destined to be renewed in Christ and transformed into the family of God." In order to meet this commitment effectively, the Church must persevere in unity and grow in the life of communion. The imminent approach of the Jubilee offers a powerful stimulus in this direction. (...)

        3. The years of preparation for the Jubilee have been placed under the sign of the Most Holy Trinity: through Christ in the Holy Spirit to God the Father. In the mystery of the Trinity, the journey of faith has its origin and its final goal, when at last our eyes will contemplate the face of God forever. In celebrating the Incarnation, we fix our gaze upon the mystery of the Trinity. Jesus of Nazareth, who reveals the Father, has fulfilled the desire hidden in every human heart to know God. What creation preserved as a seal etched in it by the creative hand of God and what the ancient Prophets had announced as a promise is disclosed in the revelation of Christ.
     
    (Continued next month)....
     
     

     
    Repentance Prayer

     "O Lord, how can I
    respond to you when I
    see your perfect obedience, love and humility
    as you hung on the cross?
    O Lord, I pour out my heart
    to you in prayer and love.
    Let your cross not be in vain.
    Let it transform my life!
    O Lord, hear my cry for mercy!
    Let the power of your cross change my heart
    and make me into your servant!"
     

    Calendar of Saints/Feast Days: February
     

    4. St. Joseph of Leonissa, priest, I Ord.
    6. Sts. Peter Baptist, Paul Miki and Companions, martyrs, I and III Ord.
    7. St. Colette, virgin, II Ord.
    17. ASH WEDNESDAY- LENT BEGINS
    19. St. Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit of III Ord.

    Lenten Reflections
         Lent is the most important time of the year to nurture our inner life. It is the time during which we not only prepare ourselves to celebrate the mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also the death and resurrection that constantly takes place within us. Life is a continuing process of the death of the old and the familiar, and being reborn again into a new hope, a new trust and a new love. The death and resurrection of Jesus is not therefore just an historical event that took place a long time ago, but an inner event that takes place in our own heart when we are willing to be attentive to it. True repentance is an interior attitude in which we are willing to let go of everything that prevents us from growing into spiritual maturity, and there is hardly a moment in our lives in which we are not invited to detach ourselves from certain ways of thinking, ways of speaking, ways of acting, that for a long time gave us energy, but that always again need to be renewed and recreated.
        Lent offers a beautiful opportunity to discover the mystery of Christ within us. It is a gentle but also demanding time. It is a time of solitude but also community, it is a time of listening to the voice within, but also a time of paying attention to other people's needs. It is a time to continuously make the passage to new inner life as well as to life with those around us.
        When we live Lent attentively and gently, then Easter can truly be a celebration during which the full proclamation of the risen Christ will reverberate into the deepest place of our being.
                                                                                        (Henri J. M. Nouwen)

    A GUIDE TO CONFESSION THIS LENT
        Take some time to consider what held Jesus firmly on the cross. Surely it could not have been the nails. He could have called upon his father to send a legion of angels to save him.

    Do I recognize God's authority over my life, or do I follow my own agenda?
    Is my life controlled by my plans rather than God's commands?
    Do I take God's commands lightly and presume upon His mercy?
    Do I allow myself to be formed by the wisdom of His word?
    Are there any specific commandments against which I have sinned? Are there any relationships in my life that are wounded by unforgiveness?
    Have I allowed bitterness and resentment to keep me from forgiving?
    Have I closed my ears to the cries of the poor?
    Have I answered God's call to share his love by giving to those who are suffering? Have I allowed pride to keep me from coming before God and receiving His healing touch?
    Have I avoided the call to serve my family?
    Have I dwelt more on what they should be doing for me than on how I can care for their needs?

     

    Classes and Meetings

    INQUIRER'S CLASSES:
     
    February 13 at 1:00pm, and February 28 at 1:00pm at Queen of Angels
    . Instructor: Joanne Elfers
     
     CANDIDATE CLASSES:
     
    Feb 28 at 1:30pm at Queen of Angels.
     Instructor: Rena Xuereb.
     
    ONGOING FORMATION:
     
    Feb 28 at 1:30-2:30 pm at Queen of Angels. Topic: Series- Our Journey to the Father. The third and final year of preparation for the Great Jubilee.
    Bring your Bibles!
    . ALL PROFESSED ARE WELCOME. Instr.: Louise Baca

     

    Prayer for
    CONVERSION: FROM CHOOSING SIN
    TO CHOOSING GOOD
    In youth it was clearer, God. 
    There was evil and goodness, 
         mortal sin and grace, 
         the evil and virtuous, 
         the saved and the lost. 
    I knew the enemy and attacked 
    with all the pompous self- righteousness 
    of one who is certain of divine revelation. 

    Maybe it was trying to listen 
         with the ears of my heart. 
    Maybe it was repeating the chant: 
          "Turn my heart of stone to a heart of flesh." 
    Maybe it is looking in the mirror 
         day after day. 

    All I know is that my tears 
    fall more freely now, 
    turning a black and white world 
    into shades of gray. 
    I still pray for conversion of heart. 
    I still pray to choose good over evil. 
    My deepest plea, though, 
    is not to hurt another 
    in the pursuit of any truth. 
    With the mystic I pray, 
    Do you want to be a saint? 
         Be kind. Be kind. Be kind. 
     

     
    FRATERNITY GATHERING:
     
    Feb 28 at 2:30 pm at Queen of Angels. Second Sunday of Lent
     Topic: MASS OF PROFESSION

     
    COUNCIL MEETING:
     
    March 6 at 1:30 pm at Queen of Angels. PROFESSED MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.

     
    SPECIAL WORKSHOPS/ ACTIVITIES:
     
    Profession Retreat
     Feb. 27 Retreat for candidates making profession.
     Location: Felician Sisters House, 4210 Meadowlark Ln., SE, Rio Rancho
    Time: 9am- 3pm. Contact Rena if attending.