Franciscan Newsletter #2

7/29/2019 Franciscan Newsletter #2

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Virtue: DiscernmentWe meet the Hly Spirits seven gifts

ften in the Advent/Christmas seasn. Wehear Isaiah list them as hallmarks f theDavidic King Messiah (Isaiah 11:1-10).Discernment, decisin-making with refer-ence t Gds will, is their underpinning.

one f the King David stries shwswhy, via the quick thinking and faith f awman named Abigail.

She sets ut n the rad thrugh the

hills, t implre mercy frm David. With hisarmy, he is marching t avenge the insultsAbigails ill and cnfused husband hurledn David and his men (1 Samuel 25:14-24,28-39). She awaits his apprach, andstartling the man, wh wuld sn be king,makes her case.

Blessed be yur gd judgment...,prays David, thanking her fr preventing

bldshed, and frm ... avenging myselfpersnally, he cnfesses.

Discernment wrks. Advent is a gd

time t brush up ur practice.

Franciscan Mission AssociatesMt. Vernon, N.Y. 10551

Missions in Guatemala - Honduras - El Salvador, Central America

FMA

Nov.

2011/vol4

5,

No

2

Help those findtheir way

Sometimes, theyrethe last things to behung up onChristmas Eve: the

Christmas stock-ing, or stockings, usually one for eachperson in the household.

Tucked away with Christmas her-itage pieces, they become the lastChristmas things to be brought outand put in place. Rather like thevirtue of discernment. We just have to

work at bringing it back. The feast ofSt. Andrew, the Apostle, on November30 this year on the Wednesday ofthe First Week in Advent can teachus a lot about discernment.

Andrew first appears in theGospels as a disciple of John theBaptizer. A man of deep faith, heapparently took temporary leave of

his job, a fisherman on the shores ofthe Sea of Galilee: all because hebelieved in Gods Promise of aMessiah.


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A decision with consequences: hewas called by Jesus to come and seewhat the Lord was all about. In say-ing yes, Andrew became the first dis-ciple recruited by Jesus of Nazareth.Soon after, he recruited his own

brother Simon (renamed by Jesus:Peter). We have found the Messiah,

Andrew proclaimed, with conviction.Bringing others to Jesus remains

the job description of the baptized inour day and for generations to come.

Ask St. Andrew to help you thisAdvent/Christmas season with thehardest quest of all: reaching out topeople in spiritual need. Hed be thefirst to tell you: Christians begin withprayer.

Pray for Catholics who long tocome home to their Church thisChristmas. Beginning with your ownfamily. Invite them no stringsattached to join you at home or in

church: for Advent evenings of reflec-tion, Reconciliation Service. Or invitethem to join the fun of caroling withyou and if they want to bring some-thing for refreshments afterwards,welcome it. And pray for them, byname, every day of Advent andChristmas, leaving the rest to theHoly Spirit.

Pray for people with no spiritualhome, the spiritually poor. They may

be among your circle of friends, yourneighbors with lovely homes and eventop-notch holiday decorations. Somemay be family members.

Be prayerfully generous to peoplestruggling with decisions, seeking a

way to believe, or to return to theirfamily of faith. Include young peopleaway at school or living somewhereelse where jobs are available.

And always be observant andwelcoming in church.

You need only look to the gracesthe Lord has showered on you andthe difference that gift has made ingood times and bad. With that medi-tation carpeting your heart, makesure no one in your line of visionleaves church, feeling left out orunwanted.

You are the smile, the handshake,the respect and love of Christ tothose your joy, your faith, your loving

heart may touch this season.Pray. Ask for the grace to see the

needs and for the courtesy andkindness to reach out to people whosee themselves as outside, forwhatever reason. Trust that the HolySpirit will take care of the rest.

Time consuming this being a disci-ple? Oh yes. A true sacrifice at times?Oh yes. But a gift-of-gifts to offer theLord at Christmas? You bet!

FMA Fcus, fficia rgan f Franciscan MissinAssciates, is pubished quartery in February, June,

September and Nember.FMA Fcus is a member f the Cathic Press Assciatin,

the Natina Cathic Deepment Cnference, Inc., the

Assciatin f Fundraising Prfessinas, and f the DirectMarketing Assciatin.Pease address a crrespndence t Father Prim,

o.F.M., at P.o. Bx 598, Munt vernn, N.Y. 10551. Peasesend changes f address six weeks in adance; if pssibeincude yur maiing abe, and gie bth d and new address.


3/16

Christmas 2011 marks nearly 800years from the Christmas Eve whenSt. Francis of Assisi brought theChristmas Gospel to life with a

Living Christmas Crib for theChristmas Eve Mass.Today, there is another style

Christmas Crib, one which evenhome-based Catholics or those inhealth care facilities can enjoy. Thisstable is also a choice for personalor even family preparation forChristmas: the Christmas Crib Builtin Your Heart. Like a spiritual bou-quet of prayer for a loved one, thiscrche will be your gift for the HolyInfant, come Christmas Eve.

Materials needed: your Faith, a listof the Gospels for each of the Sundaysof Advent, and your commitment totime for prayer during the week. Adefinite Advent sacrifice in todayshectic world.

Helpful tools: a paperback CatholicBible, and perhaps a small notebook.Ready, set, go:

1st Sunday of Advent See Mark13: 33-37. The theme: Stay Awake

Be constantly on the watch makeready for the Lord at Christmas, andagain, at the end of times. An idealtime to look at your life: where you

are now and where the Lord invitesyou to be.

That forms the base, the floor foryour crib or stable.

2nd Sunday of Advent Mark 1:1-8. Theme:Salvation. Here we meetJohn the Baptizer, cousin of the Lord,herald of the Messiah. He preachesrepentance, baptism with water,

and the any-minute arrival of theMessiah. This is a good time to checkon the Parish Advent Sacrament ofReconciliation service, and to reviewthe graces of Baptism in your own life.

You have nowraised the wallsfor your spiritualcrche.

3rd Sunday ofAdvent JohnsGospel, 1: 6-8,19-28. Theme:Joy...Christ, the Light ofthe World. Again, you meet John theBaptizer quoting the prophet Isaiah... Make straight the way of theLord. How do you baptized intoChrists Body bring Christs light toa world still clinging to darknessrather than Light.

And now, youve raised the roofover the stable. Ready to provideshelter?

4th Sunday of Advent Luke1:26-38 (The Annunciation). The

Virgins name was Mary. Lavish timeon Marys faith, words, courage and

commitment. Use it to mirror yourown journey with God and yourdestination.

Now, you are ready to put up thatshining star, a Light welcoming thoseseeking the New Born King.

In the week stretching between thelast Advent Sunday and Christmas,keep your scheduled appointment

with the Lord. Look up the ChristmasGospels. They are distinctive for eachof the four Christmas Masses. Butdont miss the 4th Gospel from theMass of Christmas Day: John 1: 1-18.

It deals with nothing less than theSaviors mission and ministry, yester-day, today, and tomorrow. For alltimes and beyond time. Into Eternity.

But to those who did accept him hegave power to become children ofGod...(John 1:12)

A Merry Christmas, indeed!

3

The Christmas Crib in your heart


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known, (Luke 1:26-38).

On December 8,

1854, Pope PiusIX proclaimedthe dogma ofthe Immaculateonception. By asingular graceand privilege ofalmighty God, he declared, and byvirtue of the merits of Jesus Christ,Savior of the human race, the Blessed

Virgin Mary was, from the firstmoment of her conception preservedimmune from all stain of original sin.

Thus free from sin, Mary was like-wise free from the confusion and fearinherent in human decision-making.Hence, Mary was able to listen atten-tively to the Archangel Gabrielsannouncement of the Good News tocome: The Savior, at last. Marys free-dom likewise allowed her to analyzeanswers to questions that rose from herheart. Free to fully embrace Gods giftof faith, Mary quickly pronounced theFiat that changed the world.

This wonderful holy day marks an

appropriate time to examine our ownprogress as grown-ups in faith. And toaddress Our Lady, adult-to-adult, seek-ing an honest evaluation of what wecan do in this coming year to keep ongrowing as disciples of her Son.

Our Lady will be there to help us.We need just ask.

So many times, we have read orheard of Marian devotion in the contextof children and their delight and secu-

rity in honoring the Blessed Mother.But most often today, devotions to

Our Lady speak to her as model andguide for adult men and women,serious about growing in their faith.

Blessed John Paul II openly spoke ofhis devotion to Mary. So much did thatdevotion mean to him in his vocationand personal faith, that he had the let-ter M emblazoned on his papal coat ofarms, the first pope to do so.

We too can go to Mary in prayer, asadults. We can speak to her as amother. That could be as our ownmother in Heaven or even praying,mother-to-mother. Or, with men,parent to parent. Our Lady surelyunderstands the needs and challengesof that vocation.

Likewise, we can call on Mary as awoman with a grown child especiallywhen we deal with our own grownchildren seeking advice, or refusing tohear it! We know Mary did not hesitateto give her Son, Jesus, sound advice atthe Wedding Feast in Cana! There are

countless times when mothers andfathers need to do the same with theirchildren.

Senior citizens, of course, can look toMary as a daughter, as Our Ladysparents, Anne and Joachim surely did.

The Feast of the ImmaculateConception, this year on Thursday,December 8, provides a great opportu-

nity to brush up our relationship withMary. A holy day of obligation, thissolemnity will bring most of us to Mass,to hear once again one of the most freeand adult decisions the world has ever

LOVE FOR MARY:

A DEVOTION FOR ADULTS

Visit us on the webranciscanissionassoc.org


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We usually celebrate the memorialfeast day of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini,the first American citizen to be canon-ized a saint, on November 13. Becausethe feast this year falls on Sunday, the

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, it issuperseded by the Sunday Liturgy.Yet, the contributions to our Church

and nation, the mission and ministry ofthis dynamic 19th and 20th centuryreligious order founder and modern-eraevangelist, in no way fade into thebackground. To the contrary, St.Frances Cabrini called simply, Mother,by the thousands of people she touchedand inspired continues to offer thekind of dynamic inspiration and exam-ple that our 21st century Church, andnation, needs more than ever.

Some quick background: Born inLombardy, Italy in 1850, Sr. Frances

Xavier Cabrini was only 30 years oldwhen she founded the MissionarySisters of the Sacred Heart in l880, inCodogno, Italy. And by 1887, she hadestablished numerous schools, hospi-

tals and orphanages indeed, makingher sisters and herself available toserve the Lord via the Works of Mercy(Corporal and Spiritual).

None other than Pope Leo XIII calledMother Cabrinis attention to similarneeds elsewhere, particularly in theUnited States. Needs that includedassistance for the ever-growing Italianimmigrant population in America.

Mother Cabrini left her homeland forthe United States in 1889, eventuallybecoming a citizen. There for the next

28 years, Mother Cabrini and herSisters filled in mighty gaps: homes fordelinquent youth; prison visitation pro-grams and spiritual counseling; hospi-tals for the sick, the infirm and the

poor. And help of all kinds to the con-stant flow of immigrants at a timewhen people not of northern Europeanorigin were less than welcome, exceptas workers for jobs nobody else wanted.

Her missionary zeal took MotherCabrini and her Sisters to South andCentral America where schools wereestablished in Argentina, Brazil andNicaragua.

Mother Cabrini died in Chicago onDecember 22, 1917.

On the day of her canonization, July7, 1946, Pope Pius XII cited the factorsthat helped this gentle little womanfrom Italy to achieve so much for GodsKingdom, here and in heaven. Alongwith a vibrant faith, a kind of mysticalawareness of the divine love whichburned within her, Mother Cabriniprayed, constantly. St. Frances Xavier

Cabrini Humbly asked, he said, andobtained whatever her human weak-ness could not obtain.

The Prayer for her Feast Day pointsto ways we, and the Church, can helpthe many new immigrants in todaysturbulent world.

By her example, teach us concern forthe stranger,

the sick, and the frustrated.

By her prayers, help us to see Christ inall the men and women we meet.

5

Mother Cabrini: A Saint for Our Time

A SpirituAl ChriStmAS Gifti you ws o gve a sua g o you oved ones o o seca ends a Csas, ay

we sugges a g enoen n fancscan msson Assocaes.tose you eno a Csas w sae suay n e masses and ayes o a ou

fancscan as dung 2012 and n a Soen Novena o masses o begn on Csas Day.You w eceve beauuy engaved Csas g cads, we n advance. Eac cad s

desgned o sow you nae as e dono and e nae o eac eson you decde o eno. Youay ea o gve e g announceens as you coose.

A sae announceen s encosed. to oban addona Csas enoen cads,ease we oday o:

f. po, O.f.m., Box 598, De. 2112, moun Venon, NY 10551


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Yet, as in St. Pauls letter to theCorinthians, the Prophet Isaiahs cau-tion about describing Heaven is noted:

... no eye has seen, nor ear heard, northe heart of man conceived what Godhas prepared for those who love him.(Isaiah 64:3)

Jesus has opened heaven to us, itsays, yet the mystery of blessed com-munion with God and all who are inChrist is beyond all understanding anddescription. (Catechism, 1026-1029)

For us, the celebration of a Mass forour loved ones speaks to some kind ofcontinued contact with them, inHeaven. Dont know how to explainit, people say, but I felt so close toMom and Dad at this Mass. The samething happens anytime we schedule aMass for their anniversaries of death,their going home to God.

Ask the Holy Infant this Christmasto strengthen our faith. Pray for thegrace to take advantage of all theglimpses of Heaven that His Nativityhas made possible. Ask for the grace tokeep on point, Heaven as our destina-tion, as we strive to live as Jesus disci-ples in this world.

All thE frANCiSCANS iN hEAVEN(St. ANthONY, St. frANCiS)

As we look forward to Christmas the celebration of the Saviors Birth itis a good time to recall what we can

know about the home God has preparedfor those who love him, Heaven.

We know that Jesus in his resur-rected, glorified body, ascended toHeaven. And tradition speaks to us ofOur Ladys Assumption, being taken upbody and soul into the glory ofHeaven.

The Catechism of the Catholic

Church reminds us that Christianhope comes from Jesus and his preach-ing ministry and looks to the promiseof Heaven.

Specifically in Jesus preaching andproclamation of the beatitudes. For thebeatitudes raise our hope towardheaven as the new Promised Land.

Indeed, the beatitudes are calledthe heart of Jesus preaching, mark-ing fulfillment of the promises to

Abraham and his progeny, a promise ...no longer merely to the possession of aterritory, but to the Kingdom ofHeaven.

St. Francis practiced and lived thebeatitudes. Even to seeing and hailingthe face of Jesus, the face of God, in themost feared and rejected people of his

world: the very ill and the poor.At the same time, St. Francis lived

and experienced that which all the bap-tized share: by Gods grace, and surelywith the sacraments, especially in theHoly Eucharist, a little bit of Heaven,even while we move in hope towardeternity.

The images Holy Scripture has pro-

vided regarding the new PromisedLand include: life, light, peace, weddingfeast, wine of the kingdom, the Fathershouse, the heavenly Jerusalem,paradise.

rEmEmBrANCEYou can connue o cay on you

own good wok o e ssons and eeoe ey seve by eebeng en you w. to do so, sy ake abeques o waeve you ws o:frANCiSCAN miSSiON ASSOCi-AtES, moun Venon, NY 10551. i youws addona noaon abou ow

o do s, ease ee ee o conac:fr. prio, O.f.m.

franciscan mission AssociatespO Box 598, Det 2113,

mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598


7/16

Dea fends,

fo oe an y yeas e ad wokng eoe bend e fancscan

msson Assocaes ave gone no e a cones o e wod eacng eGose o evey ceaue. i s s essage and sson i uby undeake as i

begn y jouney w fmA as s new deco.

Wa a beauu e o be wecoed no e od, s oy season o Adven.

fo any, Csas eans soe cobnaon o cowded cuces, ay

gaengs and eegany waed gs wang seny o be oened. ts yea,

and evey yea, usbands and wves soud eaze anoe g ey ave been

gven, e g o aage. in e wods o Bessed Jon pau ii aage and

e ay consue one o e os ecous o uan vaues

ts yea a e Basca o e Naona Sne o e iacuae Conceonn Wasngon D.C., 829 coues aended a seca mass coeoang 25-73

yeas o aage. tose nevewed dd no say ananng a aage was

se.

Bu any key, beeved God nevened a es wen e oad was ocky.

God can becoe a coanon n you aage and a souce o seng.

One can ony agne ow ad us ave been o young Jose and may

aveng w e oney o ood, usng n e lod. how oen ey us ave

caed ou o God o s gudance and ove. maage s no easy, wee you aec o oo bu s a bessed unon a can be a ue exae o Gods nne

ove.

Dung s Csas season kee newyweds and ose w any aed

yeas bend e, n you ayes and ay you a ave a bessed and oy

Adven.

may God Bess you,

f. po, O.f.m.

7

DirectorsLetterFr. Primo, O.F.M.

FRANCISCAN FRIARS/P.O. BOX 598/MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. 10551-0598TEL. AREA CODE: 914 664-5604


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CHRISTMASALONE,BUT NEVER LONELYFr. Flavian, O.F.M.

As aways I wi spend my Christmasday ane. I receie many initatins fr

Christmas but I try t treat a f my

friends the same and d nt want them

t think I chse ne famiy er anth-

er. on Christmas day I usuay isit the

sup kitchen. That is where AGAPE

began. I g there fr an hur, hug athe hmeess pepe we are feeding

and gie each f them three dars fr

a Christmas gift. Mst f them ie in

the streets. Eery day AGAPE prides

them with three meas, heath care and

any ther needs they may hae. our

sch chidren hae been n acatin

fr the ast mnth and a haf and wisn return t casses. We hae a day-

care, grammar sch and high sch.

We as ffer casses fr pepe wh

want t finish their high sch degree,

a sch fr specia chidren and a

Uniersity. last year we gae ut mre

than 600 scharships.

This year we hae a new scharship

prject. Chidren f thirty msty unwed

mthers wi receie a they need t

attend kindergarten, incuding bks,

unifrms, shes, bus fare etc. They wi

receie the same assistance eery year

unti they graduate high sch. This is

an expensie undertaking but ne f

my friends ffered t hep and he wi

see his prject in actin ater this mnth

when the schs pen again.

I am nw in my 47th year here in

Centra America. I reay e my wrk

and especiay the teeisin wrk. The

ny prbem with appearing n Tv is


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THE JOY OFWATCHING CHILDRENGROW UPFr. Albert, O.F.M.

In Hnduras, chidren are usuay weed and cared fr. In genera it is nt

a cuntry where chidren are aban-dned r treated bady. But naturay ina cuntry f eight miin pepe there

are aways cases where the chidren

might, due t unfreseen circum-stances, end up n their wn.

our dicese f oanch is in the

biggest State f Hnduras. With a pp-uatin f a haf a miin pepe it did

nt hae a singe rphanage. S abutseen years ag tgether with twFranciscan Sisters, we started the

Hgar de Nins Santa Maria De lsAngees.

Wrking with the Pastrs f the 12

surrunding Parishes we hae in theDicese, itte by itte, ur famiy started

t frm. First came Jse, then Maria,then Jarin, and Frinda and s n andnw after seen years we hae a beau-

tifu famiy f 26 itte kids wh seem t

be grwing up by the hur. Withut

that yu can nt g anywhere withut

being recgnized. But it is wrth it.

Pepe isit AGAPE by bus amst

eery Sunday s we usuay hae a t

f pepe attending Sunday Mass.

Be assured f my prayers t yu

dear reader, especiay in my Mass inthe new year. Pease pray fr us and

many thanks fr a yur generus gifts.

le t a.

Bessings and peace.


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10

actuay reaizing what was happening,

I started t act ike the father and thetw sisters fe in pace as if they were

the mthers f the chidren.The rea beauty f ur famiy is

watching the kids grw up right befre

ur eyes. During the year we actuayceebrate 26 birthdays. This year

Frinda graduated frm Primary

Sch. Fie f the chidren hae fin-ished kindergarten and Jse is studying

with prfessina carpenters, because

that is his passin.Famiy disagreements, tys that dis-

appear by the art f magic and ther

dmestic prbems are sed at night

in nisy meetings er candy and arare piece f chcate. We run a verytight famiy budget, since yu, urbenefactrs at FMA are ur ny stabeincme.

But fr us it is a daiy mirace the way

St. Francis is aways s attentie tmst f ur basic needs; fd,

medicine, cthes, bks, pencis. ourbiggest wrry is the yungest f the

can, Mary. We ca her Mary f the

Anges, r Ange fr shrt. She is 11mnths d and was brn with a seere

heart prbem and needs daiy medica-tin. She wi be perated n when sheis tw. We pray fr her eery day, she is

a beauty with big back eyes and the

hair f an ange.In a cuntry as pr as Hnduras,

ny the Franciscans can face the day

t day chaenge and mirace f bring-ing up a famiy f 26 chidren. And that

is ny pssibe because St. Francis is

ur rea father, St. Care is ur reamther and yu at FMA are ur beed

benefactrs.


11/16

11

It constantly happens that the Lord permits a soul to fall so that it may grow humbler.

St. Teresa of Avila

God prefers bad verses recited with a pure heart over the finest verses by the wicked.

Voltaire

Most people do not pray they only beg.

George Bernard Shaw

Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.

Lady Bird Johnson

Assume a virtue if you have it not.

William Shakespeare

We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.

Anne Frank

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.Blessed John Paul II

In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Anonymous

If you want a place in the sun you have got to put up with a few blisters.

Abigail Van Buren

Words Worth Noting


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12

Dear Father,I wish to give thanks to St.

Anthony, The Blessed Mother, St.Jude, St. Theresa and especially tothe Lord Jesus for the many answersto prayer, and the favors and bless-ings which have been bestowed on meand my family.

Through Gods mercy and the

intercession of the Blessed Motherand the saints, most of all of my fam-ily has employment. I am confidentthat through prayer God will blessthose who are still seeking employ-ment with steady jobs, and continueto keep them working.

Thank you Father for your many

prayers and good works. And I thankall of your priests and the children ofthe missions who continually pray formy intentions and those of my family.

I am enclosing $10.00 for you mis-sions. I will send more next month,and will certainly remember all of youin my prayers. God bless all of you.

Sincerely,K.H.Salem, OR

Dear Father,I thank you so much for thinking of

me on my 52nd birthday. Your birth-day card came as a nice surprise. Ihad a lovely birthday. I wish you a

good day too.E.A.Richmond BC, Canada

Our Readers gladly writeFRANCISCAN

MISSIONASSOCIATES

P.O.BOX598

MOUNTVERNON,N.Y.10

551

Dear Father,

I want to thank you for the beauti-ful rosary. I will say my first rosaryfor you and the poor. I am 86 yearsold. I turn to St. Anthony every timeto help me. Many years ago mydaughter was 17 and she was going tocollege. She had bad cancer. St.

Anthony gave her life. I thank God

and St. Anthony because they gaveher life. She has seen her 62 birthday.I bless you for all you do and I thankyou over and over again for thebeautiful rosary.

M.V.Cornwall, NY

Dear Father,I wish to thank Our Lady ofLourdes for requesting and obtainingfrom God a successful eye operationfor my granddaughter. I am nowpraying faithfully that she will do themiracle for the other eye. Thanks forall the blessings which have beengiven to me.

Thank you and God Bless You,G.V.Clifton, NJ


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We do plenty of promising aroundChristmas Time and such promisesoften look to our spiritual goals andcommitments. Beginning with thatwell-know phrase: If only you help me,Lord, I promise to ...

Get to our Advent parishpenance service

Keep Christ in Christmas Incorporate sacrifice into our

Christmas budget Carve out time for prayer of

praise and thanks to God at leastonce a week, while not asking foranything material

Keep from negative comments and eliminate them at Christmasparties or anywhere; instead,praying for those who criticizeme

And, on it goes, until the crash,because we fail in whole or inpart. Mostly, we just promisetoo much. Forgetting weare human. We live withlimitations.

But we need not worry. Godkeeps his promises. As he didwith our ancestors when they failed,while living in the Garden of Eden.

For on that Christmas night more

than 2,000 years ago, the Lord God ful-filled his promise of the Redeemer. Andin ways far greater than the Patriarchsand Prophets ever thought possible. Forthe Holy Infant, born of Mary, was theSon of God, the God/Man, Jesus, theChrist. Redeemer and Savior.

Many people had been hoping for theRedeemer, perhaps coming in their own

time. Yet their involvement with earth-ly affairs, blinded them to the possibili-ty that God would indeed fulfill hispromise. And so, in Bethlehem, busypeople went about obeying Rome and

working to complete the census, mak-ing money, providing for their families,and on that Night of Nights fillingevery available room as fast as theycould. Visitors and officials involvedwith the Census, getting priority, ofcourse.

And thus, the residents and inn-keepers in Bethlehem, the City ofDavid, the first great King, missed themost important night in human history.

Yes, God has fulfilled his promise,then and now. He has helped us indeed

and continues to do so.For the graces of thetheological virtue of Hopeinspire us, as St. Paul says, tolook to life in eternity,...where Jesus has gone as a

forerunner on our behalf.(Hebrews 6: 19-20)

What can we do to build on

the virtue of hope? TheCatechism of the CatholicChurch gives us this answer:Hope is expressed and nourished in

prayer, especially in the Our Father, thesummary of everything that hope leadsus to desire. (#1820)

The short but powerful Act of Hope,which many of us learned by heart as

children, can serve as our special medi-tation for Christmas, 2011.

O my God, relying on your infinitegoodness and promises,

I hope to obtain pardon of my sins,the help of your grace, and life

everlasting,through the merits of Jesus Christ,

my Lord and Redeemer. Amen.

God is love, St. John the Evangelistteaches. And God, is in fact, our Hope.

hE hAS kEpt hiS prOmiSE; WE ShOulD tOO


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We can never

claim that society

ignores Christmas.Indeed, the advertising,

marketing, entertainment, and retail

corporate structures seem to have

hijacked Christmas for one purpose:

achieving financial goals. The Holiday

Season end of day tallies, end up being

the benchmark of success or failure.

For that reason, and many more,

putting Christ back into Christmas, is

no easy task. Many believe that what

we really need is commitment in time

and effort to celebrating Christmas

more fully in the home.

Today, the Advent Wreath is a well-

known sign that Christmas is coming.

Centered on the dinner table at home,

the wreath, with one candle lightedeach week, counts the days as Advent

grows into Christmas. A kind of

announcement that Christmas in this

house will mean more than opening the

presents!

The Advent Wreath calls the family

to prepare for and welcome the Lord

Jesus as he came into the world the

first time: as a gift of God the Father to

people desperately in need of the Son,

the Holy Infant, the Light shining in

the Darkness.

Most parishes provide a leaflet with

brief Advent prayers, some, even with

discussion starter questions. But fami-

lies can look to more than a brief prayer

and lighting a candle. With a focus onSunday of each week in Advent.

Beginning with The First Sunday of

Advent. Before or after the first candle

is lit, children can assist in the reading

and, even acting out of the

Annunciation (Luke 1: 26-38).On each of the three remaining

Sundays of Advent, the family can look

to more of the real Christmas story.

Almost like pieces of a puzzle the family

can put together. With guests also at

the table: the more the merrier.

The Second Sunday a reading of

Marys Visit to Elizabeth (Luke 1:

39-45).

The Third Sunday a reading and

praying of Marys Canticle (Luke 1:

46-56).

The Fourth Sunday a look back

at Gods plan, with the story of Jesus

cousin, the Birth of John (Luke 1:

57-66).

Who knows? With preparation, thefamily may have its own living Crche

-its own Nativity Scene, as family

members gather around the Christmas

Tree on Christmas Eve.

Dad or Mom, or a teenager can read

the Christmas Story in St. Lukes

Gospel, Chapter 2: 1-20. And the chil-

dren (and older family members) can

take a role: Shepherds, Angels, Mary

and Joseph. Ending with the youngest

child placing the Holy Infant in the

Christmas Crib.

While other genuine Christmas goals

remain such as sacrificing to make

gifts to Food Banks, to purchase gifts

for families in hard times: a family-

based Christmas preparation in thehome will create spiritual memories

and personal growth, carried forward to

generations yet to come.

PUTTING THE CHRIST BACK IN CHRISTMAS


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15

Would you believe it? There arepeople out there who say Catholicsdont sing, wont sing, cant sing!

Well, its likely those naysayers

have seldom been to Christmas Eveor Christmas Day Mass, at least notlately.

Because some of us know peoplewhove threatened to seek anotherparish if they could not take part insinging their favorite Christmashymn with the Christmas congrega-tion.

We wait for the Christmas seasonevery year to hear and sing our tradi-tional favorites, they complain tothe pastor. And this year: NoGreensleeves! Yes, indeed. Catholicscan and do like to sing, especiallyChristmas hymns.

That being said believe it or not,singing is very Catholic.

St. Francis of Assisi often prayed insong. He encouraged his ever-growingband of 13th century followers to singhymns and songs of praise to theLord.

It is said that for Vespers on hisfinal evening in this world, October 3,1226, a blind, feverish, gravely ill anddying Founder asked his friars to join

him in chanting Psalm 142 (Longingfor God) ceasing only as hefaded from this life and passed

on, going home to God.For Francis and the peo-

ple of his time,song as worshipwas simply anancient tradi-

tion, familiar

from the very first days ofChristianity, and further back.Rooted in the worship of our ances-tors, the children of Abraham. We

need but look to the glorious Psalmsand Canticles, still an integral part ofour worship.

The Church in the United States isflavored by many cultures. Of course,the same must be said of the nation:

A collection of many peoples andcultures from many places.

All, however, have a history of

singing especially in matters ofimportance, like rendering worship toa loving and gracious God, a God wedare to call Our Father. The Creatorwho sent his Son to be born, live, dieand rise again for us. To invite ushome to that Loving Father andeternal life itself, when our work onearth is complete.

If you observe family members whohesitate to sing in church, encouragethem beginning this Advent. Athome or family gatherings, you willwant to note how well they sing, whata gift! Thus, such hymn-singing neo-phytes may grow quite comfortable.They may even sing out with volumeloud enough to be heard in the next

pew where good Catholic people arealso singing out in a very oldtradition.

No doubt they are rememberingthose Angels who saluted theShepherds in the skies overBethlehem on that First ChristmasEve.

Silent Night. Holy Night.A Very Merry Christmas, indeed.

SILENT NIGHT, HOLY NIGHT


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Special Novena ScheduleAdvent-Christmas 2011

All year round Franciscan Mission Associates conducts a regular schedule of spiritual and

devotional exercises in which benefactors are invited to take part. During the Winter months

the Special Novena schedule is:

November 21-29 ..........................................Novena for the Faithful DepartedDecember 1-31..........................................................Infant Savior (31 Masses)December 8-16 ........................................Feast of the Immaculate ConceptionDecember 16-24 ................................................Feast of Christmas (in Padua)December 16-24..........................................Feast of Christmas (in Bethlehem)December 24-January 1 ......................................Feast of Christmas (in Assisi)December 25-January 2 ..........................Christ Child Novena (in Bethlehem)

All Franciscan Missin Assciates, spnsrs, and benefactrs are asked t jin in prayer frthe intentins and petitins f thse taking part in the exercises. Please pray als fr ur

Franciscan missiners, fr the peple they serve, fr an increase in vcatins and fr all urassciates. Kindly frward yur petitins fr the Nvenas scheduled t:

Father Primo, O.F.M., Franciscan Mission AssociatesPO Box 598, Dept 2111, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598

Cpy f card receied frm a missinary

cngratuating us and yu n FMAs 50th Anniersary

Franciscan Newsletter #2

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Transcript of Franciscan Newsletter #2