tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75751359117724700452024-03-13T09:07:23.449-07:00St. Francis Speaks . . .brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-53713295992923996452010-05-30T00:29:00.000-07:002010-05-31T21:38:52.689-07:00Trying to develop the 'Flaming Love' within so as to not feel the 'Cold from Without'!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMB4hACYvI/AAAAAAAAA2U/W13TwblZjfA/s1600/alone_suffering_by_nox_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMB4hACYvI/AAAAAAAAA2U/W13TwblZjfA/s200/alone_suffering_by_nox_k.jpg" width="126" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Followers of Francis have learned that they should reverence and cherish Poverty. However, there is real trepidation in our hearts when we talk about what that means - what real poverty is. The spiritual idea behind it - that we must be empty of self to be filled with God and His blessings - is understandable and seems desirable. However, when Francis spoke of Poverty he wasn't only referring to this 'spiritual' ideal. Francis meant literal physical/material poverty. He saw it as the only real way to experience the spiritual Poverty the saints (and Christ) spoke of. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Poverty is suffering need and not being able to do much about it. Living in poverty means always being in need. Poverty has little to do with what we like or want - our choice to fore go the comforts and pleasures of the world that we have ready access to. It has everything to do with real need and, specifically, what we need to survive and function in the world. This is the poverty that our father Francis lived, suffered and . . . celebrated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMGZu9c2iI/AAAAAAAAA2k/CZM87JNQDSc/s1600/tears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMGZu9c2iI/AAAAAAAAA2k/CZM87JNQDSc/s200/tears.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>In Jesus' travels he was one day accosted by a man who said, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"Lord, I will follow You wherever You go!"</span> Jesus stopped, and looked deep into his eyes. He knew what this man was thinking - <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">'You are the King of Israel! Ultimately You will end up in holy Jerusalem, for it is there that You will assume Your throne. You may travel around a bit between now and then, but in Jerusalem You will be surrounded by the power, riches and glory that is Your right as King. I want to go with You, prove a good follower, so I can have a share of those things.'</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
This man did not understand God's plan. Jesus didn't condemn the man but simply said, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"The foxes have holes. Even the birds of the air have nests. But, the Son of Man has no place to even lay His head!"</span> Jesus would never be at home in this world, never have a place He could relax. It goes without saying that there would be no earthly power, wealth or pleasures. This man, if he followed Jesus, could expect to be just as homeless - just as poor and destitute - as Jesus was. Even worse, Jesus later said, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">'Those who would be with Me . . . must deny themselves take up their cross and follow me'</span>. The cross meant absolute poverty, shame and death. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Francis wanted to follow Jesus and would follow Him to the ends of the world even if that meant there was NO PLACE in the world for him. He took on the poverty Jesus lived and shouldered his cross bravely - putting aside earthly temporal dreams on the journey to Calvary. Francis became a banner for others to follow and many did, enduring the same sufferings with hope of an eternity lived in Christ's presence.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAI8mYPLMUI/AAAAAAAAA1E/yLwxf7U4q1c/s1600/610x+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAI8mYPLMUI/AAAAAAAAA1E/yLwxf7U4q1c/s200/610x+(1).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The brothers who followed Francis had, like him, . . . nothing. Their clothes were donated by others and were often so worn that they were worthless - not worth even trying to mend. The brothers slept and worked in these clothes, the only clothes they had - a pitiful assemblage of rags. But Francis made it clear that, even the clothes on their backs were on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">'loan</span>' until <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">'a poorer person comes along'</span>. Francis often gave parts of his clothing away (sometimes all of it) - to the naked poor. When he told them they must be just as ready to give, they knew it wasn't just a mental exercise or <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">'point of discussion</span>'. It could be very HARD to live without clothes, especially in the winter! It is hard to pray, work - do anything - when you are shivering and your teeth are chattering! Francis wasn't afraid of this poverty and the suffering that came with it. He encouraged his brothers to be just as fearless.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMGnIuQIFI/AAAAAAAAA2s/9VLNaOn_xkQ/s1600/spiritual-fasting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMGnIuQIFI/AAAAAAAAA2s/9VLNaOn_xkQ/s200/spiritual-fasting.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>One winters day, the brothers were together and it was very cold. They were shivering terribly, clutching their threadbare clothes to their hungry thin bodies. The wind was blowing and brought with it a mixture of snow and rain. The brothers, to say the least, were miserable. Suffering can bring out the worst in us leading us to complain. The brothers knew better than to complain around Francis who 'celebrated' poverty and suffering. He would just point out to them that they knew what they were getting into in choosing to follow him in the footsteps of Christ. They didn't say anything but Francis could see on their faces their unhappiness and so, to bolster their resolution and help them to refocus, he gave them a strong exhortation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Francis said through his chattering teeth, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"If we were well covered within with flaming love for our home in heaven, we might easily bear the cold from without"</span></span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #993300; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMHGM_YbHI/AAAAAAAAA20/3Or2r4KpDU4/s1600/ist2_10173324-rain-soaked-hiking-adventurer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMHGM_YbHI/AAAAAAAAA20/3Or2r4KpDU4/s200/ist2_10173324-rain-soaked-hiking-adventurer.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Francis acknowledged that the brothers were not <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">'well covered'</span> with clothes. He knew that they were suffering - he was shivering himself! Using their physical reality as a starting point, he sought to open their eyes to the spiritual reality that they were not <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">'well covered' </span>by love and faith. Francis, aware of their desire for the warmth fire brings, mentions the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">'fire of love'</span>. However, Francis wasn't talking about God's love for them here but THEIR love for God. Their fervor for God, for His love, and their faith in His love for them was weak! He knew it was hard, they were suffering, but none of this changed the fact of God's love for them or their need to try to show faithful love to Him. Francis didn't talk about God's love because what greater proof of God's love - of His Divine provision for them - than Jesus hanging on the cross?! The real issue here was whether the brothers truly appreciated that love and were allowing that love to transform them into Christ - making them like Him in His willingness to suffer and die for the love of God.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Francis was telling them that it was their choice - something they must WILL with God's help - to cloth themselves with these <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">'flames of love'</span>. These flames would warm them, give them peace and joy - even in their sufferings. If they could only see with the eyes of faith like Francis did they would realize it was this very suffering that was the gurantee, if they believed, of the precious and priceless treasures of heaven - eternal life - in the presence of their Divine Father.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAL_iPJfxZI/AAAAAAAAA1s/pHO9I-gHYRs/s1600/rain_snow_mixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAL_iPJfxZI/AAAAAAAAA1s/pHO9I-gHYRs/s200/rain_snow_mixed.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Francis knew that if they could warm themselves with the promises of Christ, they could easily endure the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">'cold from without'</span>. St. Paul said, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"For you not only shared in the sufferings . . . but accepted with joy being stripped of your belongings, knowing that you owned something that was better and lasting. Do not lose your fearlessness now, then, since the reward is so great. You will need perseverance if you are to do God's will and gain what He has promised"</span>. Later he adds, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection. For the sake of the joy which lay ahead of Him, He endured the cross, disregarding the shame of it, and has taken His seat at the right of God's throne . . ."</span> Finally, St. Paul said, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">'That is why we do not waver; indeed, though this outer human nature of ours may be falling into decay, at the same time our inner human nature is renewed day by day. The temporary, light burden of our hardships is earning us forever an utterly incomparable, eternal weight of glory . . ."</span>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMATeH8EOI/AAAAAAAAA2E/tFIqll3c-wE/s1600/Problems-of-Faith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAMATeH8EOI/AAAAAAAAA2E/tFIqll3c-wE/s200/Problems-of-Faith.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Actually, to warm ourselves with the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">'flames of love'</span> is impossible. However, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">'with God all things are possible'</span>. St. Paul explains how this work of grace is accomplished when he said, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">'. . . the immensity of the power is God's and not our own. We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; . . . we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible . . ."</span>. He said to St. Timothy, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">'. . . share in my hardships . . . relying on the power of God . . . I know in whom I have put my trust and I have no doubt at all that He is able to safeguard until that Day what I have entrusted to Him"</span>. It is God who gives us strength to persevere making it so that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">'the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus'</span> during our trials and sufferings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Most of us - even us Franciscans - don't live as Francis' first followers did - in absolute physical/material poverty. This makes it that much harder for us to make progress in dieing to self and learning to let God's power live and work through us. However, all of us experience suffering. Throughout our days there are painful, uncomfortable, humiliating things that happen which we can't do anything about. Francis tells us to see these experiences for what they are in the spiritual realm - opportunities to grow close to God, to experience His saving grace and the power of His love to transform us. I pray we don't let any more of these opportunities to draw near to God pass us by. If unappreciated it is possible God will hesitate to send these blessings our way! We should welcome these opportunities to experience poverty for . . . God is calling us to Himself, seeking to embrace us with both His power and His love.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAISkzNEjgI/AAAAAAAAA0k/yBV5NeQUYcY/s1600/suffering+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/TAISkzNEjgI/AAAAAAAAA0k/yBV5NeQUYcY/s320/suffering+(1).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-78250033934745947812010-05-10T21:54:00.000-07:002010-05-19T14:11:42.803-07:00Poverty teaches us two things: how terribly Christ suffered and how powerful the love was that compelled Him to suffer for US!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/S_ORyuGhAJI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/84zafAOMO1A/s1600/imagesCA2AOS3T.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/S_ORyuGhAJI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/84zafAOMO1A/s320/imagesCA2AOS3T.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">We know how much Francis loved his 'lady Poverty'. He saw poverty as a way to become free - free from sin (which separates us from God) but also from worry about getting and holding on to 'things' which are, in effect,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"> just <span style="color: yellow;">'dust in the wind'</span></span><span style="color: orange;">. Poverty allows one to focus on the Source of these gifts and realize God will provide <span style="color: yellow;">'our daily bread'</span>!</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Francis strongly identified with beggars even before he <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06;">"left the world</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">"</span>. Francis once went to Rome, bought the ragged clothes of a beggar and joined the throngs of beggars in the streets. He wanted to experience the life of a beggar first hand - it's hardships and humiliations - because Jesus <span style="color: yellow;">'though rich, became poor for love of us'</span>. Francis wanted to know what Jesus felt - how hard His life was - so that he could more fully understand His love. Later, by choice He became the Lord's beggar and begging was adopted into the Rule of life for the friars.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/S_OPYy_teeI/AAAAAAAAAuw/qhM2SGLxctE/s1600/imagesCA9SQNDX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/S_OPYy_teeI/AAAAAAAAAuw/qhM2SGLxctE/s320/imagesCA9SQNDX.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">St. Francis tells us: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #993300;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">When you see a poor person, you ought to consider Him in Whose name he comes, Christ that is, who took our poverty and infirmity on Himself. For such a person's infirmity and poverty is a kind of mirror for us, in which we ought to behold with pitying regard the infirmity and poverty which our Lord Jesus Christ bore in His person for our sake." </span></span></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Begging is the desperate act of the poor to keep body and soul together. All people want to feel in control of their lives but those who beg are admitting to everyone that they can't meet their own basic needs. Their situations requires them to depend on the kindness of others and often the 'others' are not so kind. Rejection and humiliation are two of the occupational hazards of begging.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beggars suffer humiliation in numerous ways. Even if people do not verbally abuse the beggar, the tone of voice, a critical eye, can pierce to the heart. Also there are those who draw sadistic pleasure at the beggar's plight and aren't afraid to 'rub it in', laughing at the beggar to demean them further. Other cruel individuals will actually spit upon, yell at, push away and even beat the beggar who gets in their way. What makes the poor mans situation even worse is that, even after exposing himself to humiliation (and abuse), he still might not get what he needs and so . . . must keep on begging, opening himself to even more rejection and humiliation! This ordeal is made worse for those beggars who must beg while suffering the pain and weakness that comes from hunger, exposure (poor clothing and/or no shelter), illness and mental or physical disabilities. It is not like a beggar can call out sick from his work!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/S_OSBGhPgAI/AAAAAAAAAvY/GGeLpgBm33Y/s1600/beggarPICT0111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/S_OSBGhPgAI/AAAAAAAAAvY/GGeLpgBm33Y/s200/beggarPICT0111.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Francis said we should, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">"consider Him in Whose name he comes, Christ"</span>. There was a standard phrase used by beggars, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">"For the love of Christ, please help me . . ."</span>. Those the beggar addresses, like the beggar himself, have all experienced the merciful kindness of God. This experience SHOULD make our hearts tender and ready, when given the opportunity, to help others in need. God's love for us creates an obligation to care for others and especially for those who are suffering.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Francis points out that Jesus identified with the poor (with us!) by taking <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">"our poverty and infirmity on Himself"</span>. Suffering is our due (the consequence for our sins) but we know Jesus never did anything wrong, never did anything deserving punishment. No matter the shape we find Him in (when encountering a poor person)</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, it is only right to be kind and considerate since it is for us that He is suffering. Jesus made it clear that He is the poor person standing in front of us so, when noting His miserable state, we must not forget that He had all the power, glory, wisdom and wealth of the universe - but gave it all up . . . for love of us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Francis points out that the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">"person's infirmity and poverty is a kind of mirror for us, in which we ought to behold with pitying regard the infirmity and poverty which our Lord Jesus Christ bore in His person for our sake"</span>. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When Francis saw the abject poverty of the poor he felt compassion for Jesus who suffered all of the miseries of the poor - hunger, thirst, nakedness, humiliation, abuse - during His life and in His passion. Jesus, reflected in the mirror of the poor man, caused Francis to deeply consider the love that compelled Him to become the lowest of the low, the poorest of the poor.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Seeing poverty, illness, disability, mental illness, in others hurt Francis deeply and he tried hard to alleviate pain and sorrow wherever he found it.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Francis' heart was wounded by Jesus' pain as seen in the pain, sorrow and misery of the poor.. </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As followers and friends of Francis we must also allow our hearts to be wounded for Christ in the poor. We must learn to see Christ, with the eyes of faith, in the poor, feel gratitude for the love that put Him in this state and respond with the same kind of love that compelled Him to suffer for us and . . . we must try our hardest to take care of our dear Jesus, standing in front of us, with out-stretched hand.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/S_OSleSEL4I/AAAAAAAAAvo/V52dIvh6jB8/s1600/beggar-angel2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OAPnhzsb6EE/S_OSleSEL4I/AAAAAAAAAvo/V52dIvh6jB8/s320/beggar-angel2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-5279708202197615232010-05-05T14:32:00.000-07:002010-05-10T23:09:32.291-07:00The Poor and Sick are a Mirror through which we can See Christ and Mary suffering.<div align="justify"><span style="color: #ff6600;"></span></div><br />
<div align="justify"><span style="color: #ff6600;">The spiritual man looks at EVERYTHING from a spiritual perspective. God made everything so all things have their origin in God - a Spirit. He made these things to accomplish His will so we must try to learn the spiritual and eternal purpose God has for all things. We must also learn our purpose so that we can fulfill the will of God in our own lives.</span></div><br />
<div align="justify">Jesus asks us to give all we are and all we have to Him. He said that <span style="color: #ffcc00;">"Unless you hate father and mother, brother and sister, wife and children and even your own life, you cannot be My disciple"</span>. What Jesus meant was that our love for God should be so great that, in comparison, our love for others should seem like hate. Jesus made it clear it was all or nothing. He said, <span style="color: #ffcc00;">"The first and greatest commandment is this; You must Love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. The second is similar to it: you must love your neighbor as you love yourself".</span></div><br />
<div align="justify">Francis believed everything that Jesus said. Jesus said we had to give up everything so Francis turned his back on all things. He chose the Love of God above the love of family and friends. Francis was a spiritual man - a man who made the spiritual life his priority. He learned to see EVERYTHING in light of God's purpose.</div><br />
<div align="justify">Francis said: <span style="color: #cc6600; font-size: 130%;">"When you see a poor man, brother, a mirror of the Lord and His poor Mother is held up to you! In like manner consider in the sick the infirmities He took upon Himself."</span></div><br />
<div align="justify">A mirror reflects back whatever is in front of it, and for Francis, <span style="color: #cc6600;">'a poor man (is) a mirror of the Lord and His poor Mother'</span>. This spiritual <span style="color: #cc6600;">'mirror'</span> reflects back the image of Jesus and His dear mother Mary in poverty. Though we aren't literally looking at Jesus and Mary, Francis encourages us to see them, spiritually, in the poor. Francis saw them in the poor and so loved the poor intensely. Being around the poor made him feel close to Jesus and Mary.</div><br />
<div align="justify">Most of us have little idea of what it is like to be poor. Poor people live with hunger. Their only clothes are the ones on their backs, often worn out and falling apart. No one wants a poor person as a friend so, when trouble comes, who can they turn to for help?! They are ignored, despised and rejected because they have nothing to offer. Loving Jesus and Mary means we understand them enough to feel their needs - the needs of those who are poor. Showing we love them first requires being able to look into this mirror of poverty and feel their pain.</div><br />
<div align="justify">A mirror can also reflect back the image of the person standing in front of it. When we stand in front of the mirror of poverty do we (with spiritual eyes) see the person who stands there - ourselves in spiritual poverty? Actual material poverty is a mirror of spiritual poverty - our desperate need for God. This reflection will compel us to cry out to Him for help. Jesus said, <span style="color: #ffcc00;">"Blessed are the poor in spirit. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Theirs</span> is the Kingdom of Heaven!"</span> The poor in spirit are blessed because their poverty brings upon them the blessings of our heavenly Father.</div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Those who don't spend significant time in front of this 'mirror' are doomed to think that all is well with their soul. They will continue to rely on their own righteousness (wisdom, power and goodness) which the prophet Isaiah described as being <span style="color: #ffcc00;">'</span><span style="color: #ffcc00;">like filthy rags'</span> (menstrual rags) - so filthy that it disgusts God. God is ready to meet our need - clothing us in His <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">righteousness</span> - if we would only acknowledge our need and turn to Him. </div><div align="justify"><br />
</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Francis goes on to encourage us to <span style="color: #cc6600;">"consider in the sick the infirmities He took upon Himself"</span>. He tells us that those who are ill, diseased or disabled are also mirrors of Jesus for us. The prophet Isaiah said <span style="color: #ffcc00;">"He Himself bore our sickness and infirmities and it is through the lashes inflicted upon Him that we are healed"</span>. St. Paul put it like this, <span style="color: #ffcc00;">"Feel the need of the sick for you also are in a body"</span>. Thus, Francis loved to be around sick, disabled and suffering people because it reminded him of Jesus who, for love of us, suffered these things.</div><br />
<div align="justify">Francis exhorts us to take advantage of the opportunity the sight of those who suffer need provide us to draw close to our suffering Savior. Jesus once said, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ffcc00;">"You will not always have Me"</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ffcc00;">"You will long for one day with Me . . ."</span>. Through the poor and sick we have Him and can be with Him. Also, ministering to the needs of the poor provides a way to show Jesus our love for Him. Jesus said, <span style="color: #ffcc00;">"When you did this to the least of these my brothers, you did it for Me"</span>.</div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-37293093336120413322010-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:002010-04-28T12:12:06.568-07:00The Sign of Christ's Nobility . . . is the Poverty Evident in the Poor and Needy.<div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">After the fall in the Garden, God explained the consequences to Adam and Eve for believing the lies of the devil (rather than trusting God). He then turned to the devil and promised him that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'. . . He shall crush thy head and thou shalt bruise His heel"</span>. This message indicated that God had a plan for our salvation - that a man would one day conquer evil and save mankind from death. It was Jesus' heel that would be bruised (through crucifixion) even as He crushed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">satan's</span></span> head (authority/power). </span><br /><br />God described to the prophet Isaiah who the Messiah would be and what He would be like, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and He shall rule . . ."</span>. He says in another place, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace'</span>. The prophet Daniel spoke about the glorious and powerful Messiah to come saying, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the ancient of days and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion and glory, and a kingdom that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away and His <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">kingdom</span> that which shall not be destroyed'</span>. Also, foretelling His coming to earth with power to judge and destroy, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">" . . He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked'</span>. The Christ was to be a mighty King who would not only conquer and rule the world - with just a word! - but would do so after crushing all those who opposed Him.<br /><br />This is the Christ the Jews were expecting and looking for at the time of Jesus' birth. One who would not only rule over Israel, but free it from the domination of Rome, subjugate all other nations and rule over the whole earth. However Jesus, our Savior, was not the Christ the Jews wanted. Jesus came as a poor weak insignificant peasant and, as a result, was rejected by His people. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">This rejection was a disappointment but not a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">surprise</span> to Jesus. The prophet Isaiah, speaking about how Israel would respond to Jesus, said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">" . . He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised and we esteemed Him not; we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted'</span>. </div><br /><div align="justify">The prophet Zechariah spoke of Jesus, the suffering Messiah, as King but not as a conquering or majestic one - <span style="color:#ffcc00;">' . . . behold, thy King <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cometh</span></span> unto thee; He is just and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass and upon a colt the foal of an ass'</span>. Jesus, the King of Israel, on entering Jerusalem, was <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'lowly'</span> (humble, gentle, meek), a peasant riding a donkey, surrounded by powerless poor people. He came without any show of power, wealth or political influence. This Messiah, to those expecting a triumphant and glorious Christ . . . was a joke!<br /><br />Jesus came to conquer and destroy sin, first, and this also was foretold by the prophets. Isaiah said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Surely He hath borne our griefs . . . He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">iniquities</span>, the chastisement that brings us peace was upon Him and with His stripes we are healed . . . the Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all . . . for the transgression of My people was He stricken . . . His soul an offering for sin . . . He shall see of the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">iniquities"</span></span>. Daniel also, foretelling Jesus' life and death, said then <span style="color:#ffcc00;">" . . . shall the Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself"</span>. <span style="color:#33ff33;">'Cut off'</span> means <span style="color:#33ff33;">to have one's life cut short - to be killed</span>.<br /><br />Jesus' sufferings and death crushed the devil, death and sin and secured for us eternal life. The writer of Hebrews said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that He, by the grace of God should taste death for every man . . . that through death He might destroy Him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them . . ."</span>. </div><br /><div align="justify">We know (because of the demands of justice) that if Jesus had come as the conquering Messiah (as the Jews hoped He would) rather than the suffering One first, He would have had no choice but to destroy all of humanity. After all humanity was condemned to death, the consequence of our sins - death was all we deserved. Jesus took the sin away, paying the penalty in His own sufferings. It was only after the Messiah suffered and died to save us that He would later appear as the conquering Messiah to reward the faithful and condemn the wicked (those who refused to welcome God's mercy, purchased by Jesus' death). This is the Messiah we (and the Jews) are still waiting for who will come <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'on the clouds of heaven, bringing justice . . .'</span> .<br /><br />Thus we see that Jesus, though He was the One and only Messiah, came in a way that was different than expected - but for good reason. This lowly, sorrowful, broken man released the great mercy of God in a way that saved everyone but was seemingly hidden under rags. It was hidden because the work was spiritual in nature and the fleshy eyes of man are blind to spiritual things. Thus we know, by faith, we are saved but we don't see, with our eyes, those eternal and glorious bodies or the Kingdom of Heaven.<br /><br />It is this noble (but humble and hidden), nature of Christ that Francis was talking about when he said: <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">'Whoever says anything evil to a poor man, insults Christ by it, for the poor man bears the mark of Christ’s nobility, who made Himself poor for us in this world.'<br /></span><br />Francis says a <span style="color:#cc6600;">'poor man bears the mark of Christ's nobility'</span>. What is that mark? It is poverty, for Jesus <span style="color:#cc6600;">'made Himself poor for us'</span>. We respect the poor man because Christ chose to be poor in this world - became poor for us. Christ chose to elevate what most consider to be miserable and ugly - that which is poor - into the realm of the profoundly powerful and beautiful. Thus, when we see a poor person we should try (with the eyes of faith) to see the mark of Christ's nobility. That sign, poverty, should point us to Christ. </div><div align="justify"><br />Jesus said we would be judged on whether we would see Him and respond to Him in the poor. He talked about the last judgment when He would gather all people together, separating the good from the evil. He addressed the 'good' and said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"When I was hungry, you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you made Me welcome; naked and you clothed Me, sick and you visited Me, in prison and you came to see Me"</span>. The righteous reply to His assertions, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"When did we do these things for You Lord?"</span> He replied, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">". . . in so far as you did this to the least (the poorest/most needy) of these brothers of mine, you did it to Me"</span>.<br /><br />The <span style="color:#cc6600;">'mark of Jesus' nobility'</span> was clear in all of these people that Jesus said the faithful served so lovingly. Those <span style="color:#cc6600;">'marks'</span> included hunger, thirst, nakedness, being a stranger, those who are deathly ill and those convicted and sentenced to prison (criminals).<br /><br />Jesus, the King, chose to be poor in this world and even now, from heaven, identifies with the poor. Those who curse at, humiliate, despise and ignore the poor, forsaken and forgotten people are ignoring, forsaking, cursing at and despising Christ. Jesus made this absolutely clear - what you do to the poorest/neediest, YOU HAVE DONE TO HIM.<br /><br />We call ourselves friends and servants of Christ. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Where I Am, there will My servant be'</span>. Where is Jesus? He was always amongst the poor and still abides in their midst. Where are you?!?! Does Jesus wonder about you as He seeks to help the poor, saying, "He calls himself My servant and friend, swears he wants to always be with Me but . . . where is he?"<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, You forsook the wealth, glory and power of heaven, to come to help us poor miserable sinners. You chose to take on the appearance of the most insignificant, most despised and rejected of humanity - to save us from ourselves, our sinful heart and ways. Now, after winning us salvation, You direct our eyes to You in the poor and needy and tell us</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"As I have done to you, so you must do for each other"</span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">. Help us to see You in everyone we meet but especially the poor. Help us to love and serve You in everyone we meet, following Your example of love. Help us to despise the wealth, beauty, power and glory of this world and work for, fight for, the true wealth and power kept safe in heaven, goodness and love. We place our hearts and lives in Your hands. Be exalted forever, in us and through us. Amen.</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-60269681529166484632010-04-21T10:00:00.000-07:002010-04-27T12:12:26.498-07:00How to Respond to God after receiving Spiritual Graces.<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">We have all had</span> <span style="color:#ff0000;">'mountain top'</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">spiritual experiences where, like Moses on mount Sinai, we met God, heard Him speak to us (at least in the depths of our hearts) and the experience changed our lives forever. Or maybe our experience was more peaceful like that of King David who wrote the</span><span style="color:#ff6600;"> 'Good Shepherd' Psalm (23),</span><span style="color:#ffcc00;">'The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul . . . surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!"</span></div><br /><div align="justify">Francis tells us how we should respond to God when He gives us 'mountain top' blessings. <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">'When a servant of God is visited by the Lord with some fresh consolation while at prayer, before leaving his prayers he ought to raise his eyes to heaven and say to the Lord with folded hands: <em>'You have, O Lord, sent unworthy sinful me this consolation and sweetness from Heaven, and I commit it back to You to save it for me, for I am a thief when it comes to Your treasure . . . Lord, take Your good gift from me in this world, and save it for me in the world to come'</em>. That is what he ought to do: so that when he comes away from prayer, he will appear to others as much a poor sinful person as if he had not gained any further grace . . . It happens that an invaluable thing is lost at a cheap price; and that easily provokes the Giver not to give another time."</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;"></span><br />When God hears our prayer to take back these graces we will probably lose the FEELING of peace or joy that comes with that grace. However, the most valuable part of the gift remains with us: real (experiential) knowledge of God's goodness. As a result of this knowledge our faith has been bolstered so we can <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'walk in the Spirit'</span> with greater power. Feelings (emotions) change like the wind but Truth is as immovable as a mountain so our lives should be based on Truth rather than flimsy emotions.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">Francis said <span style="color:#cc6600;">'I am a thief when it comes to Your treasure'</span>. A <span style="color:#33ff33;">thief</span> is <span style="color:#33ff33;">a person who takes something that is not his</span>. Francis understood a <span style="color:#33ff33;">gift</span> as being <span style="color:#33ff33;">something that someone gives into our possession as a sign of their love</span>. We all know that what makes a gift so wonderful is not so much the 'thing' given as the love of the giver the gift represents. We should enjoy the gifts of God but also never forget that it is the generous heart of God - a heart full of never-ending love for us - that we should truly value. He gave His heart, once and for all, in the person of Jesus who said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Behold I Am with you always, even to the end of time"</span>. </div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify">After all, all gifts received in this life (except the gift of eternal life!) are temporary, even those given by God. Francis referred to himself as being a <span style="color:#cc6600;">'thief' </span>because he saw gifts from God as still belonging to God. After all, since our earthly lives are temporary, we don't have the ability to hold on to anything forever. Therefore, reality dictates that all things ultimately belong to God. Clinging to them, despite the fact that we can't have them forever, is to try to hold on to what is (and will always be) God's property. This 'holding on to' God's property is what makes us thieves! </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis knew gifts are things that exist to be given. Once love is expressed by the giving of the gift the 'thing', the physical gift, is actually no longer necessary. Francis would, after receiving 'things' from God, look around for someone else who might need to be reminded of God's love so that he could pass the gift on. In other words, for Francis, a <span style="color:#33ff33;">gift</span> was <span style="color:#33ff33;">actually a 'loan' from God,</span> and Francis, who never forgot his obligation as a servant of God (to humanity), always sought out someone needier to pass the gift on to - spreading the love of God everywhere!</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis refers to himself as <span style="color:#cc6600;">'unworthy sinful me'</span>. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'To whom much is given, much is required'</span> and also, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The servant who knew his Master's will but did not do it shall receive many strokes of the whip"</span>. St. James said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"To know to do good and not to do it, is a sin"</span>. God's graces have a utilitarian purpose: to draw us close to God and to empower us to show His love to the world. Our sinful nature takes the good gifts of God (including spiritual gifts!) and neglects or abuses them rather than using them as God intends (to bless others). </div><br /><div align="justify">An example of how a devout person doesn't appreciate, but neglects or abuses, these graces is where he leaves church after Mass totally blessed after worshipping God. However, soon thereafter, he gets cut off on the road and ends up cursing the 'cutter'. St. James said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"How can you, out of the same mouth, bless God and curse your brother, made in the image of God?! This is not right brothers!"</span> This is how we profane spiritual things since we couple God's praises with curses toward those He cherishes enough to die for!</div><br /><div align="justify">Another good reason Francis gives for wanting to give back God's graces is to save them for the future - for heaven. He said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'save it for me in the world to come'</span>. Jesus said that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'a man shall receive a reward for the good things done in his life'</span>. Some of these gifts (rewards) are automatically reserved in heaven for us but others God gives to us in this world. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Do not save up good things in this world where they can be stolen or destroyed. Save them up in heaven where they cannot be stolen or destroyed and you can enjoy them forever"</span>. Francis showed us that it is possible to save not only earthly things for heaven but spiritual graces as well! </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis was well aware of how tricky the devil is and how he always uses good things to accomplish evil. As a result of these graces it is apparent to all that we are overflowing with peace, joy and love. Everyone can see our faces shining like Moses' <span style="color:#ff0000;">'coming down from the mountain'</span>. We know that it is the good and faithful that God blesses so the feeling that comes with these graces can be used by the enemy to create jealousy, envy and bitterness in those who see us as well as pride, arrogance and presumption in us who receive them. Francis said this <span style="color:#cc6600;">'is what he ought to do: so that when he comes away from prayer, he will appear to others as much a poor sinful person as if he had not gained any further grace'</span>. He said the blessed person SHOULD do this so that he won't look like (or be treated like) someone special. After all, aside from the grace of God, we are all just <span style="color:#cc6600;">'poor sinful persons'</span>. Jesus said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">". . . only God is good"</span> and St. Paul said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"There is no one good - not a single person - who does what is right!"</span>.</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis concludes by saying; <span style="color:#cc6600;">"It happens that an invaluable thing is lost at a cheap price"</span>. Nothing in this world can be compared to heavenly treasures which last forever, never losing their power or glory. The <span style="color:#cc6600;">'cheap price'</span> he talked about was earthly glory which is <span style="color:#cc6600;">'cheap'</span> because it is <span style="color:#ff0000;">'here today and gone tomorrow'</span>. It is 'good' but loses it's value quickly and is usually given for superficial (delusional) reasons. </div><br /><div align="justify">The <span style="color:#cc6600;">'cheap price'</span> we sell God's gifts for <span style="color:#cc6600;">'easily provokes the Giver not to give another time'</span>. In other words, by considering God's gifts to be inferior to earthly 'things' (since we seem anxious to trade or neglect the heavenly for earthly things) we provoke God to feel it is a waste of time (and blessings) to give anything to us in the future. We prove we don't want it (and so don't deserve it) anyway! How poor we will be without His grace, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'having hope only in this life'</span> - a life destined to end and turn to dust!</div><br /><div align="justify">Brethren, let us treasure the gifts of God and be careful to neither neglect or abuse them. Like our father Francis, let us ask God to care for and preserve them for us. Using the knowledge of the goodness of God gained from these experiences, let us go from <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'faith to faith'</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'grace for grace'</span> as we find our way to God and become better, more faithful, servants of the God of love. This is our calling and . . . how blessed it is!</div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Father Francis, God gave you the wisdom to know how to properly care for heavenly graces. Pray for us that we, like you, might return these spiritual treasures to God for safe keeping. They are so good and glorious that sinful people like us shouldn't ever presume that they are ours by right or that we can retain them without abusing, destroying or neglecting them. Help us father to walk humbly with our humble Savior and to ever be grateful for all of the gifts of God - especially Jesus in the Eucharist. We cry to you, father, that you might pray that we can be as faithful as you and please Jesus always. We know love is the key to everything important so we pray Jesus that You reveal Your love in us and through us, forever. Amen.</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-20555053622477380612010-04-14T10:00:00.000-07:002010-04-27T12:13:36.093-07:00Even Little Things can Distract us from Our Relationship with God.<div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Christ set the standard in how we should behave in our lives and therefore the path to holiness seems daunting, the goal unattainable. How can any of us ever measure up to the standard of behavior that Christ showed us!? Jesus said,</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"This is impossible for men but all things are possible with God"</span><span style="color:#ff6600;">. Remember</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"it is Christ's power within you that accomplishes the will of God"</span><span style="color:#ff6600;">. We cannot do it ourselves but we can be confident that, through faith, the work of God in (and through) our lives will be accomplished to His greater glory.</span></div><br /><p align="justify">Francis measured up to Christ's standard more fully and clearly than most. However, Francis was not perfect. He was fervent, focused and very sincere, but like all those with a body, he was subject to weakness - to being distracted from holy pursuits. Jesus Himself said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak".</span><br /></p><p align="justify">In the following passage we have an example of how the devil was able to use a little 'thing' to distract Francis in his single-hearted devotion to Christ.</p><p align="justify">Francis, at the end of a long day, was sitting with the brothers in front of the fire. He had a little knife and, to pass the time, began to carve a piece of wood into a little bowl. He worked on it for some time, enjoying the mental focus as well as how good it was coming out. Before he knew it, it was time for prayer. During prayer he found his mind going back, again and again, to his unfinished bowl. Francis suddenly realized that he was distracted from not only his prayers but from God Himself! Francis was horrified! With both frustration and indignation he immediately got up, ran over to where he had left the bowl, grabbed and tossed it, without hesitation, into the fire and watched as it burned to ashes.</p><p align="justify">St. Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;"><span style="font-size:130%;">"Bah, the silly gimcrack! To have power enough over me to distract my mind toward it! I will sacrifice it to the Lord, with whose sacrifice it has interfered. Shame on us for being rapt away to these trivial fancies when at prayer time we are addressing the Great King!"</span> </span></p><p align="justify">Though Francis was angry with himself you shouldn't think he actually cursed! <span style="color:#33ff33;">'Gimcrack'</span> is defined as <span style="color:#33ff33;">something that is showy or superficially appealing, but badly made and worthless</span>.</p><div align="justify">The danger in giving <span style="color:#cc6600;">'power' </span>over ourselves to things is that these things can come to control what we think and do. This is one reason Francis took a vow of poverty - a recognition that having 'things' can harm one's relationship with God by being able to <span style="color:#cc6600;">'distract'</span> us from Him. Francis recognized he had given power over his heart and mind to this little thing. He acknowledged that it had, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'power enough over me to distract my mind toward it'</span>. Jesus warned that we won't be fruitful for God if we are filled with <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'. . . the worries of this world, the lure of riches and all the others passions . . .'</span>. Thus, both big AND little things can distract us from God.</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis gives us a great example of 'repentance'. He recognized his error, repented of it by saying, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'I will sacrifice it to the Lord, with whose sacrifice it has interfered'</span> and then backed up his words with actions by throwing the thing into the fire. All of this took seconds - the thought, the words and the actions. Francis was a sincere and fervent follower of Jesus who didn't want to waste any time getting right with God! How long does it take us to recognize our failings and repent of them?! </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis mentions <span style="color:#cc6600;">'sacrifice',</span> recalling the words of St. Paul who said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, which is the right thing to do . . . since He made Himself a sacrifice for you, to save you from sin"</span>. Later he said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"You are not your own any longer for you have been bought with a price"</span> - that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'price'</span> being Christ's own life! We MUST sacrifice every little thing - as well as the big things - for the love of God. He sacrificed everything for love of us. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Unless you give up all your possessions you cannot be My disciples"</span>. He also said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Those who seek to save their lives will lose them but those who give up (sacrifice) their lives for Me will save them"</span>. This 'thing' interfered with Francis' sacrifice of himself so Francis sacrificed the thing and then, free from attachment to it (since it was ashes now!), was free to sacrifice himself totally to God.</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis took advantage of the opportunity his failing afforded to teach the brothers the danger of being distracted by possessions. He said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Shame on us for being rapt away to these trivial fancies when at prayer time we are addressing the Great King!'</span> Whenever anything - person or thing - distracts us from our duty to God, we should feel shame and turn whole-heartily back to our good and patient Father. After all, EVERYTHING is <span style="color:#cc6600;">'silly, trivial, worthless, empty'</span> when compared to God.</div><br /><div align="justify">Some of us have hobbies and neither Francis (nor any other saint) has said that everyday hobbies are evil. However, when they interfere with our relationship with God, take priority in our lives before God and our responsibility to Him, then they are hurtful to us. Christ calls us to have balanced lives, wants us to enjoy ourselves but never forget or neglect our duty to God.</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis found it impossible, on this occasion, to be responsible - to meet his obligation to God properly. He realized a choice had to be made. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"A man cannot serve two masters"</span>. This little bowl had become a <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'master'</span>, demanding Francis' attention and kindling his selfish desire. Francis, dramatically, renounces this <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'master'</span> by burning it to ashes. Now, once again, he had one Master in heaven and on earth!</div><br /><div align="justify">Many of us are overwhelmed with distractions and struggle to remain aware, focused, on the one God. Every day we must fight these distractions and not allow them to either cause us fear or worry or feed our sinful lusts - emotions that strangle our spiritual growth. Though hobbies can be good recreation, can be inspiring and even altruistic, we must not allow them to distract us when we are serving God in prayer, doing penance, reading scripture or serving the needy. </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Jesus and Francis were no different from us when it came to being tempted by various distractions. How they reacted, however, may be different. Jesus and Francis would not tolerate the distractions - would get rid of them - so as to whole-<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">heartily</span> give themselves to God. We are called to do the same at least if we want the full reward Christ has prepared for His faithful.</div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, You gave Your servant Francis the right priorities in life - love God with his all and love everyone like himself. EVERYTHING else was a distant second. Francis carved a useful thing - something that he and the brothers could use. However, You have taught us that even useful things, if they get in the way of our relationship with You, must be sacrificed. Your servant Paul said,</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I consider everything that I had gained in this world to actually be a loss so I could turn from them to get Christ"</span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">. Help us to not allow our hobbies to interfere with our prayer or other holy devotions, and hurt our relationship with You. You Yourself have told us,</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your hearts"</span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">. You also said,</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Seek first God's rule in your life and everything else shall be given to you"</span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">. Finally, Your servant Paul said,</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"God has given us all His gifts for us to enjoy"</span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">. It is through delighting in and seeking You, that we are enabled to truly and fully enjoy all of the good gifts You've given us in life. Help us to always put . . . first things first. Thank You for all of Your gifts and this good lesson in balance we have learned through Your servant, our father, Francis. Amen.</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-78589447953878932362010-04-07T10:00:00.000-07:002010-04-27T12:16:25.483-07:00We Must take Care of our Soul at Least as Well as We Take Care of Our Body, which we Know is Destined to Turn to Dust!<span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">St. Francis, follower and friend of Christ, knew the benefits of spending time alone, in prayer, with God. After his conversion Francis spent countless hours in prayer - both in penance (praying for forgiveness and cleansing of his heart) and in praise, for God's mercy, forgiveness, healing and blessing. We know that Francis frequented deserted churches, forests, local caves and other solitary places - and this was so that, without distraction, he could seek the face of God in prayer without distraction.<br /></span><br />Francis often said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"The benefits of prayer are manifold"</span> when compared with preaching and teaching. God Himself said to Francis at the beginning of his conversion, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"Which is the one who can benefit you more, the master or the servant?"</span> Francis recognized that it was the Master, God Himself, who he should serve and not any earthly person and the primary way we know and serve Him, is by interacting with Him in prayer.<br /><br />Jesus, the Son of God, was always, through prayer, with God. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The Father never leaves me alone for I always do those things that please Him"</span>. And <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"No one knows the Son but the Father and no one knows the Father but the Son and those to whom He chooses to reveal Him"</span>. Jesus' relationship with God was intimate and powerful not only because of who He was but because of how He always interacted with God in prayer.<br /><br />We know that Jesus was perfect, knew God better than anyone (was God!), so . . . why did He need to spend so many hours and nights in prayer? If anyone could skimp on prayer it was Jesus, right? However, before appointing the twelve Apostles we read that Jesus spent the whole night in prayer. Later, after an exhausting day of teaching, casting out demons and healing the sick and disabled - Jesus went up a mountain and spent the night alone in prayer. We read that He would often go off by Himself to pray in the wilderness for hours at a time. Also, He wasn't afraid to pray, silently in the Temple of His heart, in the company of his disciples. It is apparent that Jesus was the Son of God, the Christ, but that He, as the son of man, a human being like us, needed His quiet time with God.<br /><br />Jesus recognized that the need to be alone with God (at least alone in one's heart) was a need that He shared with all men and that this need was greatest after times of trials or a hectic day of work. When word reached them that John the Baptist had been beheaded, He directed His disciples to go to a desert place where they could be by themselves and He could minister to them and strengthen their faith in the face of this great loss. Also, after a hectic day for the Apostles of healing and casting out demons, He had them get in a boat and go to the other side of the lake, so that they could refresh both their bodies and their souls.<br /><br />Francis, like Jesus, knew the importance of seeking the presence of God through prayer. Francis said, <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#cc6600;">"If the body takes its food while at rest, yet both food and body are to be eaten by worms; with what peace and composure ought the soul to take its food, which is God!" </span><br /></span><br />A person can be divided into, at least, two parts: the body and the soul. Here Francis tells us that, when we feed our body, we want the food to go down easily and this will most likely happen when we are <span style="color:#cc6600;">'at rest'</span>, at ease, while eating. To eat <span style="color:#cc6600;">'at rest'</span> means we should eat calmly, with focus, and in a safe and comfortable environment.<br /><br />Francis points out that people are very conscientious about making sure they feed their bodies well even though <span style="color:#cc6600;">"both food and body are to be eaten by worms"</span>. His point is that, even though we nurture the body with the intent to prolong our lives, it is INEVITABLE that we will die and both our investments in the food and our bodies will end up being eaten by worms! We are temporal, the time of our lives quickly slips through our fingers, and almost before we are aware of it, we stand near the end of our lives and must soon stand before God's judgment seat. Solomon said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Naked from his mother's womb he came, as naked as he came he will depart again; nothing to take with him after all his efforts"</span>. And <span style="color:#ffcc00;">" . . . the dead know nothing; no more reward for them, their memory has passed out of mind. Their loves, their hates, their jealousies, these all have perished, nor will they ever again take part in whatever is done under the sun"</span>. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"If, even with all of your worries, you cannot add the smallest amount of time to the span of your life, why do you worry about everything else!?"</span><br /><br />Francis argues that, we need to be at least as conscientious when we feed our soul - that part of us that is eternal and has an eternal destiny - as when we feed our bodies. When we commune with God (feed ourselves spiritually) we should take our time and fellowship with Him while at ease. We should choose a quiet and comfortable place, where we will not be disturbed or distracted, concentrate our hearts and minds on scripture or other holy writings and, in prayer, turn all of our attention to God, who is always waiting and ready for us to approach Him.<br /><br />Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"with what peace and composure ought the soul to take its food, which is God?!"</span> How does the soul <span style="color:#cc6600;">'take its food'</span> and what does the soul eat? Well, Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"You must eat My flesh and drink My blood if you would have eternal life"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"My flesh is food indeed and My blood is drink indeed"</span>. Obviously, the clearest example of spiritual food is our Lord, Christ Jesus, found in the Eucharist.<br /><br />However, there are other types of <span style="color:#cc6600;">'food'</span> offered during the Mass that we can also eat outside of Church. There are Jesus' words, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"If you make My word your home you will indeed be My disciples; you <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">will</span> come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free"</span>. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Let the Word of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you"</span>. And he added about being joyful while singing to God, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to Go"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Sing psalms and hymns and inspired <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">songs</span> among yourselves, singing and chanting to the Lord in Your hearts, always and everywhere giving thanks to God . . ."</span>. Also, about prayer, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Always be joyful; pray constantly and for all things give thanks"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"In all your prayer and entreaty, keep praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all God's holy people . . ."</span>. Finally, there is just doing God's will as Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I have food to eat that you know not of. My food is to do the will of My Father"</span>. This is our food so with joy . . . come to the feast and eat to your hearts content!</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, You taught us by Your own example the importance of prayer. Your servant Francis encouraged us to</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'taste and see that the Lord is good'</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">by seeking You in prayer constantly. You've given us other forms of spiritual 'food': the Eucharist, the Word, Singing hymns and, finally, just doing Your will. Give us constancy in prayer so that we never let up on interacting with You, following the injunction of St. Paul -</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Pray without ceasing'</span>. <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Help us to not be afraid to stay awake to pray and to seek You in prayer even when around other people. It is through You, Your goodness, love and power, that we are able to live a holy and good life. It is by relying on You, expressing our needs to You and trusting You to meet them, that we can live our lives in peace and joy - Your priceless gifts to us. We thank and praise You Lord for all Your help and all of Your blessings and trust You to develop our relationship with You so that it mirrors the one You had with Jesus and with Francis - where we are always with You and You are always with us because we</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'always do those things that please You'</span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">. Help us Lord, as we pray . . . Amen.</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-90401552906408020442010-03-31T10:00:00.000-07:002010-04-27T12:17:44.804-07:00Francis Wanted to Save Everything and Anything that Contained the Name of God.<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Our father Francis had the profoundest respect and appreciation for the Name of God and the place where that Name is most honored, God's Word. God is the key to understanding all things - discovering the meaning, of all that is created. God made all things and made them all so wonderfully - with love, joy and profound beauty. All things find their fulfillment in God as did Francis. It is for these reasons (and many others!) that Francis loved the Name of God and reverenced it, above all things, in his words and actions.</span> </p><p align="justify">Francis sought meaning in everything. He especially sought <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">meaning</span> in words (repositories of meaning) and specifically in Gods words. Francis plumbed the depth of meaning in God's Word and cherished the understanding that God gave him of them. He knew these Words had been passed from God to our spiritual ancestors, to pass on to us. </p><p align="justify">Francis OFTEN begged people to pick up <span style="color:#cc6600;">'stray writings'</span> - pieces of paper which were discarded, mislaid or forgotten - since God's Name might be written on them. Francis feared that God's Name might be destroyed with those scraps of paper. Francis even requested his disciples to pick up stray writings that were pagan or heretical since God's Name might be on them! </p><p align="justify">Francis was questioned about his desire to save pagan writings. <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"Because the letters are there which spell the glorious Name of God our Lord. The good too, which is in them, does not belong to the pagans nor to any other human beings, but to God alone, Who is all that is good."</span> </p><p align="justify">Francis saw everything in relation to God's eternal plans. After all, everything was made by God for a good and glorious purpose. After each day of creation, God, gazing at what He had made said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"It is good"</span>. Human life was the pinnacle of God's creation - since we were made in His image. That is why He said, after creating Adam and Eve, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"It is good. It is very good!"</span><br /><br />We can be sure that even the difficult and painful experiences we all have during our lives can bring us great blessings. If God wills (and if we cooperate with Him through faith) He can accomplish something truly good for us through them. St. Paul was talking about this when he said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"All things work together for good to those that love God, for those who are called according to His purposes"</span>. The best example we have of this is what happened in Passion week: even as the great evil in the heart of man was being revealed, the infinite goodness and love of God was also being revealed through Jesus' humble and loving sacrifice of Himself for us! </p><p align="justify">Francis' concerns about scraps of paper with God's Name written on them, from the world's perspective, might seem extreme. Francis explained that the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'letters are there which spell the Name of God our Lord'</span>. The Name of God was, like all other 'things' of God, of paramount value and importance. Francis didn't need any other reason than the fact that the letters formed the Name of the Divine One to show respect and appreciation and want to protect them. The care he took was a small but serious indication of how much Francis loved God and cared for His Name. </p><p align="justify">Francis explained that there was something truly 'good' in God's Name and His Word. Francis was referring to this when he said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'The good too, which is in them . . .'</span>. God's Word, and of course the meaning of the word 'God', were all very good! The word 'God' channels the very goodness of our heavenly Father. </p><p align="justify">Francis explained that the Name and Word of God were precious, even when used by pagans and heretics since His Name <span style="color:#cc6600;">'does not belong to the pagans nor to any other human beings, but to God alone'</span>. A heretic has a faulty understanding of God and His ways and may even use God's Name in an evil or hurtful way. However, since these Words are Gods Words, nothing these people do can change the goodness those Words contain. </p><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Though God allows us to speak and otherwise handle His Words, it does not give us or anyone else the right to use them in a wrong way. After all these Words are God's and they are God's alone. No one has a claim to them besides God so even believers should see His Word as being a precious treasure that deserves our greatest respect, appreciation and care. That is why those God inspired to write down His Words made it clear that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'nothing is to be added and nothing taken away'</span> from them. St. Paul told us that the message was given (in it's totality) <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'to men once and for all'</span>. He also encouraged St. Timothy to <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'hold to the traditions passed down to you . . . and pass them on to reliable men'</span>. St. Paul said that the Holy Spirit safeguards scripture and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'will lead you into all truth'</span>. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The Holy Spirit will remind you of all I have taught you, bringing it to your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">remembrance</span>'</span>. We can see that God actively protects His Word so that, nearly 2,000 years after it was written down, it remains truly His, in all purity.</div><p align="justify">Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"There is no one good except God alone"</span>. Francis says something similar when he said about God that He <span style="color:#cc6600;">'is all that is good'</span>. There are many good things in the world which are good because the good God made them. However, compared to God, all good things seem to lose their goodness since God is so beyond them in goodness. Only those who know God can know the true goodness of all things. Those who realize the goodness in things can get some sense of the infinitely great goodness of God since He put His own goodness within them.</p><p align="justify">It was God, His goodness and wonder, that Francis loved and celebrated. This goodness can be found in the Name of the One who is so good. This Name can be found in the Words of God - the scripture recorded in the Bible. Those who want to encounter this goodness and come to know the goodness of God, need only seek it in God's Word. Also, if in a pinch, all we need to do is call out the Name of God (Jesus), in our times of need and in times of joy, to realize that God Is (with us) and also that He deeply powerfully loves us. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Those who come to God must believe that He is and that He is a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">rewarder</span> of those who <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">diligently</span> seek Him"</span>.</p><p align="justify">Followers of Francis love God's Name and God's Word. They reverence the Name and celebrate it by living a holy and good life. Saving every scrap of paper that has God's Name written on it would be logistically impossible given our modern ability to print so much so quickly. However, like Francis, wherever we encounter the Name of God, we should at the least show our appreciation and give God thanks for all of blessings. St. Paul describes giving God thanks as <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'our reasonable service'</span> given the fact that He has done so much for us. Let us wonder at the Name of God and never fail to give Him thanks, worshipping Him with all of His creation and glorifying Him to the highest heavens. Alleluia!</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord God, help us to reverence You and Your Name. Help us, whenever we come across Your name to recall that it points to You - a living person who is also God, glorious and exalted but ever so near. You are, after all, our very Father. Help us to realize, like Your servant Francis did, that You are not only good but the greatest good and that whatever is good gets its goodness from You. Help us to celebrate Your goodness in all things and in all the experiences of our lives - especially those that try our faith. Lord God, You are the God and Your Word truly expresses the wonder that You are. Help us Lord to see You and know You, to honor, praise and thank You and to come to a true and perfect understanding of You and Your love for us - in Your Words. Thank You for loving us so perfectly. Make us true followers of Francis who followed Your Son, Jesus, so whole-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">hearted</span> throughout His life. Amen.</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-89359467995584084062010-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:002010-03-31T18:08:05.181-07:00The Name, Presence, Voice, Word and Love of God are too profound and powerful to even talk about!<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">The word 'God' is</span><span style="color:#ff6600;">, for the believer, not only extremely profound and sublime but has power. St. Paul said it is even alive! It is a force that sustains and can transform the world if proclaimed with faith. Its meaning and power are all out of proportion to its size and sound but that doesn't change the reality of what it is and what it can do.</span> </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Our spiritual ancestor, Jacob, wrestled with God all night. God was about to leave Him at dawn when Jacob begged Him to tell him what His name was. God's reply was <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Why do you ask My name since it is too wonderful?!"</span> God disappeared and Jacob said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I have seen God face to face . . . and I have survived!"</span> God's name causes great wonder in the hearts of men so much so that humans have a hard time getting their minds around it - the glory of it's reality. God is wonderful but, as Jacob's story indicates, His Name is also wonderful!</div><br /><p align="justify">Moses received the 10 commandments of which the second was, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"You shall not utter the name of Yahweh your God to misuse it, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished the man who utters His name to misuse it."</span> Misusing it means to swear falsely by God's name or to utter it irreverently. God cares about His Name and taught us, as His children, that we should do the same. He told Moses that anyone swearing by God's name must speak the truth since He would take vengeance on anyone who coupled His name with a lie. He also made it clear that His name should never be used in casual conversation. It should be spoken with reverence and gratitude and only in holy circumstances.</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Taking God's Name in vain"</span> means to use it as casually as any common word. We not only hear, nearly everyday, His Name <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'taken in vain'</span> but His name coupled with profanity, applied to sinful situations and used disrespectfully everywhere and always. People's response if confronted is,<span style="color:#ff0000;"> "Oh! It's just talk - just a word! I didn't really mean anything by it. It's just an expression. Why are you getting so worked up about it!"</span> We often hear people on T.V. say when <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">surprised</span>, <span style="color:#ff0000;">"Oh my g--!"</span> for no reason. This is offensive to God and God has indicated He will punish those who misuse and abuse His Name! St. James said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"God says, "Vengeance is mine. I will repay them as they deserve!"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God!"</span> </p><p align="justify">Moses, after leading the Israelites out of Egypt, asked God, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Show me Your glory, I beg You!" 'I will let all My <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">splendor</span> pass in front of you and I will pronounce before you the Name Yahweh. You cannot see My face for man cannot see Me and live . . . you shall see the back of Me; but My face is not to be seen." Later, Yahweh passed before him and proclaimed, 'Yahweh, Yahweh, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness; for thousands He maintains His kindness, forgives faults, transgression, sin; yet He lets nothing go unchecked, punishing the father's guilt in the sons and in the grandsons to the third and fourth generation.'</span> </p><p align="justify">It is written that when Moses came down from the mountain after talking with God, the skin on his face was <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'shining'</span>! All of the people were terrified at the awe-inspiring sight of his face shining as brightly as lightning! We read here that Yahweh proclaims His Name before Moses and expresses the goodness within Himself, His Name and His presence - filled with compassion and blessings - but also justice. He forgives, to the faithful, the sins of thousands of generations of descendents but punishes the unrepentent!</p><p align="justify">We all know that God is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, eternal and all good. However, since we are all temporal, weak, sinful and ignorant . . . how can we expect to know and understand a God that is so unlike ourselves?! How can we ever grasp, have the strength to endure or the goodness to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">perceive</span>, all the 'Wonder' He is?!</p><div align="justify">Through Jesus (a human completely like us in every respect) we can come to know the Living God. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Those who have seen Me, have seen the Father"</span>. And, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"No one can come to the Father except through Me"</span>. St. Paul explained that in Jesus, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"we find the full expression of God's divinity"</span>. When the Apostle Philip asked Jesus to show them God, the Father, He replied, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Have I been with you so long and still you do not know Me? Don't you know that if you have seen Me you have seen the Father?!"</span></div><br /><p align="justify">St. John gave us insight <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">into</span> the essence of God's being when he said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"God is love"</span>. The Person, the Presence, the Name, the Voice (Word) and finally the Love of God are all so pure and powerful that none of us can grasp them. However, because God IS Love, we can get some sense of Him through a pure understanding of what Love is - even by looking at limited human love! God is love and everything He made is an expression of His love. We know that we are the ultimate expression of the Love of God since we were <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'made in His image'</span>, the image of God is the expression of Love, since God is Love. </p><p align="justify">St. Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;"><span style="font-size:130%;">"Love is so great and precious it ought never to be mentioned except rarely and under great necessity, and with much reverence."</span><br /></span><br />Since God is love - the word 'love' should (like the Name, the Word and the Presence of God) be treated with the same reverence and wonder. However, the devil is constantly trying to corrupt God's holy words doing this through 'popular culture' - <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the World'</span>. For example, men often use the word <span style="color:#ff0000;">'love'</span> to get a woman to accept sexual advances even though these men have no love for these women and just want to use their bodies to satisfy their selfish sensual greed. All of their supposed <span style="color:#ff0000;">'love'</span> vanishes after they get what they want from them! Also, we often hear people telling others that they love them and afterward hear they have done heartless things which prove they don't even know the meaning of love! This is something often seen in many of the 'Reality' T.V. shows e.g. 'The Bachelor'. Even religious folk talk about <span style="color:#ff0000;">'loving'</span> things e.g. that new dress, a sport's team or the 'good' weather. This abuse of the word Love cheapens Its Divine significance in the world and the hearts of men - including the hearts of us who are religious!</p><p align="justify">Our father Francis said that love <span style="color:#cc6600;">'ought never to be mentioned except rarely and under great necessity, and with much reverence'</span>. This a very interesting thing to say since the love of God, in this world, seems to be almost forgotten! Shouldn't we try to mention God's holy name and the infinite love He has for humanity, all of the time? Francis was an evangelist. One of the great A<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">postolates</span> of the early Franciscans was evangelism - spreading the Good News of God's great love for humanity. The Franciscans, as we know, went literally around the world bringing this message of salvation to all and, without hesitation, proclaimed to all the Love of God. </p><p align="justify">So . . . what did Francis mean when he said <span style="color:#cc6600;">'rarely'</span>, under absolute <span style="color:#cc6600;">'necessity'</span> and with<span style="color:#cc6600;"> 'much reverence'</span>? He meant that, each BELIEVERS heart, should wonder at the greatness of God's love and should gaze with awe at God's love as shown on the cross of Christ. However, BETWEEN BELIEVERS the Love of God (which we should already know since we know God) should rarely be spoken. Francis said we should mention it <span style="color:#cc6600;">'rarely' </span>to each other but that we should always have it in our hearts and shown through our actions. He said it should only be uttered under great <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'necessity'</span> - only when absolutely necessary as when a believer is suffering doubts or is experiencing terrible trials. Finally, he said, on those rare occasions when it is absolutely necessary, it should be uttered with great <span style="color:#cc6600;">'reverence'</span> - with the greatest sense of awe, wonder, respect and gratitude (between believers).</p><p align="justify">Also, even when God's Love is talked about during evangelizing, Francis said that his followers were to spread the Gospel <span style="color:#cc6600;">'by their lives and, if need be, with words'</span>. If we hold Christ sacred in our hearts, tremble at His glorious name, are shaken at His presence in our lives and overwhelmed by His voice speaking through His holy Word, then our lives will reveal the wonder of this Love that Francis was reluctant, due to his great reverence, to mention. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"People will know you are My disciples by your love . . . "</span>. That is what Francis told the brothers: <span style="font-size:130%;">love is not something we talk about between ourselves but something we MUST show to everyone we meet</span>. St. John said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Let our love not just be something we talk about but something that is real and active in our lives"</span>.</p><p align="justify">St. Paul said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">" . . . planted in love and built on love, you will with all the saints have strength to grasp the breadth and the length, the height and the depth; until, knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge, you are filled with the utter fullness of God!"</span> Amen! Let us live lives filled with love until, transformed in love we can love like the Father of Love - perfectly!</p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord God, You are too great to even mention just like Your Word and the Love You revealed through Your Son, Jesus, our Savior. We thank You for not letting us be destroyed by Your glory and holiness. You draw near us because You love us and know that the greatest blessing You can give us is . . . Yourself. Lord, our sins make us Your enemies but we look to Jesus, our brother, crucified out of love, to cleanse us from our sin. Help us to always be with You so that we can always rejoice in Your presence. It is You that gives us life and allows us to know the glory of true Love, Your Love. Help us to reveal Your Love to the world, not so much by what we say but by what we do. Help us to love like Your Son Jesus loved so that the Light of Your Love might find a home in every mans heart. Amen.</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-595800460331503042010-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:002010-03-17T16:07:13.808-07:00The Virtue of Obedience as applied to men, animals and inanimate creatures.<div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Those who love and obey God are called the 'Faithful'. Such a person 'trusts' God . . . for everything. Francis was faithful, trusting God to control every aspect of his life - both those things of great importance as well as the trivial. This means that he didn't just trust God's goodness when things were going well but held on to his faith, enduring with patience and love, when things were going wrong - even when they were going terribly wrong!</span></div><br /><div align="justify">Most of us consider ourselves to be people of faith but, as St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The evil day will prove it"</span>. It is easy to SAY we trust God but, when things get rough, do we STAND on our faith or surrender to despair?! When abused by others do we continue to do what God has shown us, by Jesus' example, that we should do - <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'bless those that curse you, do good to those who abuse you'</span> - or rely on harsh words to deliver us from our persecutors? If we resort to the tools of this world then . . . we have proven we don't believe Jesus' promises and won't act in ways He showed used by example.</div><br /><div align="justify">Our faith in God is really tested when it comes to Obedience. Do we believe that God can use even the bad intent of those who try to hurt us? Are we able to endure, focus on God, and do what is right anyway - be obedient to God's word - in the face of this apparent evil?</div><br /><div align="justify">Jesus placed Himself in God's hands and, in obedience to the Father, allowed the soldiers to torture and execute Him. Francis entrusted himself to God when he encountered the robbers on that deserted road, even after they beat and humiliated him. Throughout Church history, the faithful allowed themselves to be Martyred, trusting God to take care of them even while being abused, tortured and killed. They sealed their faith, in obedience to the law of love, with their blood.</div><br /><div align="justify">St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"All things work together for good to those who love God"</span>. We should believe that ALL THINGS - even those that look bad - accomplish God's good purposes in our lives. The ultimate proof that something can look bad but actually be good is Jesus' crucifixion. What worse thing could happen to the Son of God and yet, it was that which exalted him and brought redemption to all things - including those who killed Him! What great good was accomplished by God through this evil crime! Jesus believed God had a good plan, so submitted obediently to it, with faith!</div><br /><div align="justify">St. Francis said: <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#cc6600;">"Holy obedience . . . makes a person subject to anybody in this world; and not to men alone, but to all the beasts and wild things, so that they can do what they please with him so far as the Lord on high might grant it them." </span><br /></span><br />St. Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"Holy obedience . . . makes a person subject to anybody in this world"</span>. Francis was not speaking <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">glibly</span> and meant what he said - he would obey ANYONE. When Francis said <span style="color:#cc6600;">'subject'</span> he meant he would submit to the will of everyone. Francis was subject, and a servant, to all, following Jesus' example. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I have not come to be served, but to serve and give my life a ransom for many."</span> Jesus was obedient to His Father, becoming a humble servant to humanity. Remember what Jesus said after washing the disciple's feet at the last Supper, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"You call me Lord and Master and this is right since I am. Yet I have acted among you as one that serves. I have left you this example so that you WILL DO to each other as I have done to you." </span>Our Master, Jesus, has ordered us to do as He did.</div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Francis didn't mean only people when he said true Obedience submits to all. He said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">' . . . and not to men alone, but to all the beasts and wild things.'</span> The question <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">arises</span> - how does one submit to wild animals? If a wolf wants to eat us or a mosquito wants to take a sip of our blood, do we submit to their desires? </div><br /><div align="justify">We know that, in faith, Francis confronted the Wolf of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Gubbio</span> and rebuked him for eating people. He confronted this ferocious man-eater without any protection, weapons and without a large group of people to back him up. He did it with faith that God was fully in control of the situation. Of course, God was in control, so Francis was able, through faith, to bring peace between the wolf and the people - the wolf was dangerous no more!</div><br /><div align="justify">We have the story of Daniel in the Lions den. Those lions were given human flesh to eat, had been deprived of food for several weeks to make them hungrier, and they were very anxious to eat the prophet Daniel. However, when Daniel was thrown into the pit, the lions found their mouths sealed shut. They not only didn't bite Daniel but didn't try to touch him with one of their claws. Of course, we read that Jesus, driven into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tested, was, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'surrounded by wild animals</span>' but left the wilderness unharmed. Remember when St. Paul was building the fire and the poisonous viper latched onto his hand? He shook it off into the fire and continued to serve, without a worry, and without being harmed! Francis, like Jesus, Daniel and St. Paul, believed in God's promises and so submitted in faith, to God, in whatever trial came his way. </div><br /><div align="justify">The <span style="color:#cc6600;">'beast'</span> test is hard enough for us to trust God in so what does Francis mean when he says <span style="color:#cc6600;">'wild things'</span>? He must have been talking about inanimate objects. For example, while sitting by a fire one day his habit caught on fire. Francis leaped up and extinguished the fire but soon after regretted his actions saying,<span style="color:#cc6600;"> "I deprived brother fire of the clothes he wanted to eat!"</span> It is apparent he felt he should have let brother fire eat the clothes off his back, literally! </div><br /><div align="justify">Now, having faith in tough situations does not mean that we should seek them out. There is a sin called 'testing' God. The devil tempted Jesus in this way when he took him to the top of the Temple and told Him to throw Himself off with the idea that God would send His angels to catch Him before he hit the ground. Jesus' response was, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"It is written, 'You must not test the Lord Your God."</span> It is when we find ourselves in circumstances beyond our control and when our efforts to extricate ourselves (in the ways God approves) fail, that we submit to the situation with faith that God actually has some good plan in it for us. </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis concludes this passage by saying these people, animals and things <span style="color:#cc6600;">"can do what they please with him so far as the Lord on high might grant it them"</span>. Francis acknowledged that people, animals and things have a will of their own. However, he knew that there were limits to what they could do since <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'all things are subject to the will of God'</span>. That is why he called the devils <span style="color:#cc6600;">'God's servants to punish every disobedience and sin'</span> in the faithful. Francis didn't trust the devils themselves (whose only desire is to <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'steal, kill and destroy'</span>) but he knew that they couldn't go past what God allowed and that God used them (along with everything else) to accomplish His will. So when he was being attacked by demons he encouraged them to inflict more pain on him since God was working through them to purify him of his sin (through trials of faith). Francis desired purification with all of his heart since it is <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the pure of heart who see God'</span>.</div><br /><div align="justify">We know it is faith that draws us close to God, allows us to hear and see Him in our daily lives and gives us both peace and joy and the power to love without limit - no matter what we are suffering at the time. Faith is revealed very clearly, through our acts of obedience. Each act of obedience proves how much we truly trust God. Through Obedience, the progress one makes in faith can be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">phenomenal</span>. Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"No act done in obedience is a waste of time"</span>. Francis always wanted to live under obedience since he wanted to always move forward in the way of God - grow in faith. How much do you want to grow in faith?</div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord, Holy Obedience sounds like a wonderful virtue but it also sounds really hard to achieve! Yet, it is the way we prove we truly love You and appreciate all You've done for us! Help us Lord by hearing our prayer, the same prayer offered by the man struggling with his faith who said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I believe Lord! Help me in my unbelief!"</span> You can save us Lord - even despite our self-destructive tendencies. You can give us faith and make it strong to stand any test the Flesh, World and devil can throw at us. Help us to always rely on Your promises, to recall how deeply You love us and are committed to us - revealed by Your sufferings on the cross. Give us the faith of Your servant Francis who loved You <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'unto death'</span>. Thank You for showing us the way and we believe You will move us down the Way and give us Life. Amen.</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-58076854297117880312010-03-10T10:00:00.000-08:002010-03-15T15:17:58.558-07:00Humility, Charity and Obedience - Virtues that drive away evil and bring us close to God.<p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Francis, in the previous post, celebrated the various Virtues as gifts of God that share His Divine nature. Francis talked about Holy Wisdom, Pure Simplicity and Holy Poverty and how they were the enemies of the Flesh, the World and the Devil, vanquished them, and set us free to know God. </span><span style="color:#ff6600;">Francis continues with his 'Salute' to the Virtues by talking about Humility, Charity and Obedience. These virtues, along with the others, allow us to get the victory over ourselves and, as St. Paul said, be <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'transformed into Christ'</span>. </span></p><p align="justify">St. Francis said, <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"Holy humility gives shame to pride and anybody of this world and anything in all the world. Holy charity gives shame to all temptations of the devil, and the flesh, and any carnal fear. Holy obedience shames all self-will of flesh and body, and keeps a body mortified to obey the spirit, and obey one’s fellow man."</span></p><p align="justify">Proud is the best <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">character trait to </span></span>describe our 3 spiritual enemies - the Flesh, the World and the devil. Pride made the devil try to take control of heaven from God. He said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I shall sit on the throne of God and be God!"</span> Pride and the desire for glory were the tools the devil used to persuade the snake to become his ally in tempting Adam and Eve. Finally, it was pride and lust for power that led the first humans to disobey God. Remember, they were led to believe that, by eating the fruit, they would <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'become like God'</span>. All three ended up claiming beauty, power or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">intelligence</span></span> as theirs by right and aspired to a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">position</span> that only God has the right to assume. This sin of pride ultimately led all three to rebel against God. Humanity has been paying for that sin ever since . . . with sorrow, suffering and death. </p><p align="justify">Pride is not only one of the most horrendous sins we commit in our lives but the one that we commit nearly every day of our lives! St. James was referring to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">prideful</span></span> presumption when he wrote,<span style="color:#ffcc00;"> "Who are you to say, 'I will go to this city, trade there for a year and make some money' when you do not know what tomorrow will bring?! All such talk is evil. The most you should say is, </span><span style="color:#ffcc00;">'If God is willing I will be alive to do this or that'"</span>. How often do we 'declare' what we 'will do' instead of saying, as St James tell us we should, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'if God is willing'</span>? We sin in this way, daily, without it ever <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">occurring</span> to us that we are thinking in a sinful way - a way opposed to God's will!</p><p align="justify">Francis tell us that <span style="color:#cc6600;">"</span><span style="color:#cc6600;">Holy humility gives shame to pride and anybody of this world and anything in all the world''</span>. God loves Humility and that is the reason He loved the prophet Moses so much. He was extremely humble. God said about Moses, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I have not found a more humble man in all the earth."</span> God loves humility and is humble Himself. Jesus, the Son of God, is just as humble. That is why St. Paul says, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Though Jesus was the Son of God, He did not cling to His divinity but emptied Himself of His Divine power and became a man. And, being a man, He humbled Himself even further and willingly suffered death, even death on a cross."</span> </p><p align="justify">No thing can withstand the force of the power, glory and goodness of God. Scripture tells us that <span style="color:#ffcc00;"><span style="color:#cc6600;">"No man can see the face of God and </span></span><span style="color:#cc6600;">live"</span>. St. Paul describes God as being a <span style="color:#cc6600;">'<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">consuming</span></span> fire'</span>. Francis says that <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Humility shames anybody and anything in the world'</span> because Holy Humility gives both humans and angels the clarity in seeing the great goodness and power of God. It is in God's Light that we can see what we really are - nothing (at least in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">comparison</span> to God). We should feel shame that we presume to think we are so great! It is God who deserves all the glory for the good He has placed within us and the good He does through us. </p><p align="justify">However, our sinful ignorance and pride cause us to try to claim God's glory for ourselves! Yet we prove, day after day, that the only thing we deserve is death, because of our sins. All goodness comes from God since Jesus said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"God alone is good"</span>. </p><p align="justify">Francis said <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Holy charity gives shame to all temptations of the devil, and the flesh, and any carnal fear'</span>. Charity, like all of the virtues <span style="color:#cc6600;">'shames'</span> the sinful works of the flesh, the world and the devil by showing us what they really are - low, dirty, cheap and ugly. However, like all evil, those works of evil are shrouded by delusion and ignorance so most men don't realize how terrible they are. The work of our spiritual enemies is characterized by selfishness - what 'I want', rather than what God wants. </p><p align="justify">The great quality that is most admirable about love is that it is selfless and pure. Love <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">teaches</span></span> us to always look for opportunities to help others. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I have not come to be served, but to serve and to give my life a ransom for many"</span>. Jesus, who deserves to have everyone serve Him since He is Lord of all, chose to take care of everyone else first. That is what Charity is, selfless and humble.</p><p align="justify">Charity reveals to us the true nature of the lies of the devil. He wants us to think only about 'number one' (ourselves). This attitude is short-sighted and mean-spirited. Unlike the devil, God <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Gives His blessings equally to the good and the bad, the sinful and the righteous man'</span>. Jesus goes on to tell us we must <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'be like your Father in heaven'</span>. St. Peter tells us that Jesus, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Went about everywhere, doing good to all men"</span>. He was our example for He said to His disciples after washing their feet, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"As you have seen me do this for you, do this also to each other."</span></p><p align="justify">Love shames <span style="color:#cc6600;">'carnal fear'</span> because God is so infinite in His love for us that we learn we <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'can rely on Him to take care of us'</span>. There is no reason to fear anything or anybody in this world. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Behold, I Am with you always, even to the end of the world"</span>. There is no reason to fear since we have an all powerful, all knowing and ever present ally, God Himself, on our side.</p><p align="justify">Obedience is the last virtue Francis mentions but it is also one of the most powerful ones. Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Holy obedience shames all self-will of flesh and body, and keeps a body mortified to obey the spirit, and obey one’s fellow man'</span>. When Francis speaks of the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'spirit'</span> here it appears he is talking about the same thing St. Paul is when he said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"My mind knows what is right and wants to do it but the law of sin prevents me from doing what I want."</span> Jesus said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak"</span>. St. Paul said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the flesh is evil and is not subject to God, nor can it be'</span>. This is why Jesus, St. Paul and Francis stated that our bodies, 'the Flesh', must submit to the spirit and should never be allowed to do what it wants for it doesn't think about what is right (doesn't want to!) and is constantly at war against God.</p><p align="justify">St. Paul tells us to <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the Flesh'</span>. When Francis says <span style="color:#cc6600;">'mortify the flesh'</span> he is just repeating what Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"You must die to self"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Those who give up their lives will save them."</span> We must kill the Flesh if we want to be with God. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Following the dictates of the Flesh leads to death."</span> The urging of our Flesh is, literally, a dead-end street so we must <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'walk in the spirit' </span>to assure our place in the eternal Light.</p><p align="justify">A powerful way to practice Obedience toward God is to make a promise of obedience in a community of believers. We practice obedience by submitting to the will of those whom God has placed above us spiritually. We thereby surrender body and soul to the will of God. Like Jesus we seek, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Not My will but Yours be done."</span> </p><p align="justify">The love offered in obedience is a perfect love for it is empty of self. St. Paul says, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Jesus, learning obedience through the things that He suffered, was made perfect."</span> We know, in the Garden of Gethsemane, that Jesus struggled to be obedient and did ultimately forsake His own will for His Father's. We must become like Jesus and learn to be <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'obedient unto death'</span> for love of God and for each other. That is what it means to be a <span style="color:#33ff33;">Christian</span> - to be <span style="color:#33ff33;">Christ like</span>.</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord, no wonder Your little servant Francis celebrated the Virtues! Through Your grace he was able see Your Light, the Light of Love, dawn in his life through the Virtues. Please make these virtues flourish in our hearts since we know they make it possible to be with and be like You. Forgive us our pride and save us from our Flesh, the World and the devil so that we can always celebrate the wonder of knowing You. We believe You can do this and so, with all Your creation, we proclaim Your goodness and love with thanksgiving. How truly wonderful You are! Amen.</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-7716644780749355462010-03-03T10:00:00.000-08:002010-03-05T19:18:39.909-08:00The Virtues vanquish our enemies: the devil, world and flesh, leading us into the promised land (communion with God) flowing with milk and honey!<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Francis was a violent man. Jesus was describing people like Francis when He said,</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The Kingdom of God is suffering violence and the violent are taking it by force."</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">St. Paul talked about this as well when he said,</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"We must do violence to ourselves . . ."</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">and</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I treat my body hard and make it obey me . . ."</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">Francis was gentle and kind toward everyone but was hard with himself. Francis knew who his enemies were and the worst one was lurking within. God said through a prophet, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The heart of man is a despicable things, filled with all wickedness and deceit"</span>. It is this enemy, the Flesh, that Francis fought against to his last breath and, by the grace of God, overcame. We all must overcome this enemy if we want to be with God.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">St. Paul talked about <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'living in bondage to sin'</span> and being <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'subject to spiritual corruption'</span> and the horror of <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'living in darkness'</span>. All of these are the consequences of <span style="color:#33ff33;">being separated from God</span> - <span style="color:#33ff33;">spiritual death</span>. We were made to not only know God but to be in constant communion with Him. Without God we are mere shells of what we were intended to be and it is only by being united to God that the full wonder of our being is revealed. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!"</span> Jesus brought life - the great gift of God - and wants to give it to all of us.</div><br /><div align="justify">Those without God are spiritually dead and this death means that one's life is filled with misery, sorrow, pain and darkness! Those who want to truly live - to know the joy and peace of being in a relationship with God - hate those things that separate us from Him and delight in those things that help us to get close to Him. This is what Francis is celebrating in the Virtues. They enable us to overcome our enemies and draw close to God - the source of all goodness and life.</div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"And every one of you puts vice and sin to rout; Holy wisdom shames the devil and all his evil arts; Holy pure simplicity shames all the wisdom of this world, and the wisdom of the flesh. Holy poverty shames all grasping and hoarding, and the worries of this world." </span></div><br /><div align="justify">Francis says that every virtue <span style="color:#cc6600;">'puts vice and sin to rout'</span>. We can see here that Francis is talking about war! This means that the power in the army of virtues is so great that the evil forces of sin cannot stand their ground against them and must turn tail and 'run away'. </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#cc6600;">'Holy wisdom shames the devil and all his evil arts' </span>because the wisdom of the devil comes out of darkness - ignorance, delusion and lies. The devil's <span style="color:#cc6600;">'evil arts'</span> are those abilities and skills that enable the devil to accomplish his work of death and darkness in the world and in the hearts of men. <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Holy Wisdom' </span>is the Light that reveals the true nature of what the devil says and does - that his motivations are hatred, spite, envy, jealousy, selfishness and rage. The devil is <span style="color:#cc6600;">'shamed'</span> in that everything he is and says and does is shown to be stupid, weak, and valueless. He is humiliated when God reveals, through the light of <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Holy Wisdom'</span> shining in the lives of His people, that the devil is actually a powerless fool and worthless. After all Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"He was a murderer from the beginning"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"He is a liar and the father of lies and there was never any truth in him."</span> His business is death and lies - that is all he is, all he cares about and all he does.</div><br /><div align="justify">We know the Wisdom of God leads to God and to all that is good. There is also a wisdom of the world but, compared to God's wisdom, it is pure stupidity. St. Paul said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"If anyone of you thinks of himself as wise in the ordinary sense of the word then he must learn to be a fool before he really can be wise. Why? Because the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God."</span> (This is why Francis referred to himself as <span style="color:#cc6600;">'a new kind of fool in the world'</span>.) This is exactly what St. Francis is talking about when he says <span style="color:#cc6600;">"pure simplicity shames all the wisdom of this world, and the wisdom of the flesh"</span>. The world tells us that what is 'real' and truly important is focusing on indulging selfish pleasure, here and now, in this world. The commercials on T.V. celebrate the idea of ' instant gratification'. That is why money is so valuable because it provides the maximum flexibility - in time and space - allowing people to misuse the many good gifts of God. </div><br /><div align="justify">A life that is focused only on itself, that is selfish and petty, is tragically empty and meaningless. Simplicity shames the wisdom of the world and the flesh (two of our worst enemies, the third being the devil) by revealing how empty, meaningless and worthless - how spiritually bankrupt - they are. The <span style="color:#33ff33;">world</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">the values and principles that people without God operate under</span>) and the <span style="color:#33ff33;">flesh</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">undisciplined, therefore excessive exploitation our sensual nature</span>) promise so much but, in the end, all they offer is 'dust in the wind'. It makes no sense to follow the dictates of the world and the flesh since they end in nothing but ruin and sorrow. </div><br /><div align="justify">Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The real substance of life is not found in having or using things."</span> A person who has the virtue of Simplicity knows this Truth Jesus talked about by experience - that a truly wonderful life is filled with what is really important, 'spiritual' things like love, goodness, patience, kindness, faith, etc. People of the world willingly trade relationships for things and love for pleasures and cheat themselves and others of what is really good, meaningful and beautiful. </div><br /><div align="justify">St. Francis is talking again about our enemy, the World, when he says <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Holy poverty shames all grasping and hoarding, and the worries of this world'</span>. Jesus, in the Parable of the Sower, explained that the weeds that choked out the Gospel seeds, preventing them from bearing fruit were <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"the riches, pleasures and worries of the world"</span>. Holy Poverty reveals the foolishness of the world, how stupid and ugly it is, to cling to 'things', gather large amounts of these things, and refuse to share the bounty of the Lord by giving to those with real needs. The World is worried about two things - getting (and keeping) everything it can for itself and getting it here and now. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"If you cannot control the smallest things in life, why are you worried about all the rest?!"</span> He added, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Don't be like those who live without trusting the living God and who are always worried about food and clothes"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"God will provide all you need"</span>. Poverty frees us by revealing the delusions and lies of the World (that 'things' are what is important in life). Poverty shows us we can rely upon our loving Father to provide all we need and, in addition, fill our lives to overflowing with peace, joy and love. Seeing the reality behind the lies and delusions of the world allows us to stop being greedy, selfish and worrying about 'things'. Poverty frees us to focus on what is truly important - knowing Love, being peaceful and living in joy - the things God wants us to 'worry' about. In regards to what we need to live in this world Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Seek first God's will in your lives and all of these other things will be given as well"</span> . </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord God, Francis fought all of his life and with all of his strength to overcome himself (his 'flesh'), the world and the devil and, by Your grace, was successful. You gave Him a multitude of spiritual treasures - the holy virtues - that filled his life to overflowing with what is good and made him a man of limitless peace, boundless joy and infinite love. Free us from the lies, the delusions of the devil, the world and the flesh and help us to know the</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Truth that will set us free'</span>. <span style="color:#cc33cc;">We would know You, walk with You and work with You in doing all Your Father asks - loving for the sake of Love - for love of You our dear God and ever faithful Father. We believe in You to provide all of our needs so ask for grace to</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'hunger and thirst for righteousness'</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">because we know, You will fill us to overflowing. Amen.</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-12916948689577565262010-02-21T20:33:00.001-08:002010-02-24T22:10:15.766-08:00Poverty + Humility, Charity + Obedience: More treasures from God!<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Francis always had his eye on treasure, that is 'spiritual' treasure. Seeking earthly treasure, to the worldly man, makes more sense and it's benefits are easier to grasp since, with wealth, one can buy almost every thing in this world. However, even the earthly man knows that NOTHING in this world lasts forever. Whatever benefits a person gains from worldly wealth only brings temporary benefits. Jesus encourages us to</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'seek the treasure that never fades away - that thieves cannot steal, rust corrode or worms consume'</span><span style="color:#ff6600;">. </span><br /><br />The problem the worldly man has with spiritual treasures is that they are so 'unsubstantial'! You might see these 'treasures' in someone's actions (like when someone feeds the poor or takes care of the ill) and find them beautiful and inspiring, but understanding their real value and striving to get them?! The worldly man thinks that would be ridiculous - a waste of time even to think about trying to do!<br /><br />Francis understood the value of virtues because he experienced their benefits. His heart and life always overflowed with these treasures!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#cc6600;">"Holy Lady Poverty, the Lord save you, with your sister holy Humility. Holy Lady Charity, the Lord save you, with your sister holy Obedience. All you most holy virtues, may the Lord save you, for from Him do you proceed and come to us. No one there is in all the world that can possess anyone among you unless first he die. Whoever has one of you and does not offend the rest, has all of you. And whoever offends against any one of you, has none and offends you all."<br /></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Francis was extremely devoted to <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Lady Poverty'</span>. Although <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Queen Wisdom'</span> and <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Holy Simplicity'</span> came first in this passage, it was Lady Poverty that helped Francis EVERY DAY to know, love and serve God. He admired Wisdom and appreciated Simplicity but he felt out of his depths in their presence since they were so sublime and majestic. </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Francis felt comfortable and safe in Lady Poverty's presence - she was very humble and meek, lowly and pure. She taught him to despise and reject this passing world for the treasure of knowing Christ. Francis often told his followers that Poverty kept Jesus free from attachment to things and allowed Him to focus all of His energies on serving God alone. She helped Francis do the same. Holy poverty, most importantly, taught Francis to rely only on God, at all times and in all circumstances.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#cc6600;"></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color:#cc6600;">"Lady Poverty"</span> is coupled with <span style="color:#cc6600;">"Lady Humility"</span> because if you </span><span style="font-size:100%;">own nothing in this world then, in the eyes of the world, you count for nothing. This gives one the opportunity to find the key to abiding forever in the presence of God - Humility. Those without 'things' realize how totally dependant on God they are. Poverty shatters the illusion that most men cling to: that they are in control of their lives. Wealth creates and sustains this illusion. Therefore, experiencing <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Poverty'</span> will force a person to become well acquainted with <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Humility'</span>!</span><br /><br />Francis next salutes <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Charity'</span> (love) and <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Obedience'</span>. <span style="color:#33ff33;">Love</span> (Charity) means <span style="color:#33ff33;">thinking of others before one's self and offering, generously, the good things that God has given to you, to all who are in need</span>. <span style="color:#33ff33;">Obedience </span>is <span style="color:#33ff33;">that vow (promise) which the Friars (and brothers and sisters of penance) make that requires them to do whatever they are told to do by their superiors</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">unless it is clearly sinful</span>).</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis couples Charity with Obedience because Obedience brings Charity to perfection. When we do acts of <span style="color:#33cc00;">C</span><span style="color:#33ff33;">harity, we act voluntarily, freely</span>. However, when one acts in obedience, that action is not voluntary. For example, when a superior demands that you do something, you have no choice but to do what is ordered (because of your promise to be obedient). If you are able to do it with the same generous attitude as when you do have a choice then you have achieved perfect Charity since this act of love reveals the power of Love - SELFLESSNESS! Remember what St. Paul said about Jesus, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Learning obedience, He became perfect through the things He suffered."</span> We MUST do the same if we want to call ourselves Jesus' followers.<br /><br />Francis tells us that these virtues <span style="color:#cc6600;">'proceed and come to us"</span> from Christ. These virtues, since their nature is spiritual, are eternal and share eternity with God. They actually reflect God's nature since they are part of His personality. They should be a part of our personality as well since we <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'are made in His image'</span>. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Be like your Father in heaven who is good to both the righteous and unrighteous, the good and the bad."</span> We must learn to be like God who IS good and DOES good, without thought of self and with a heart open in love to all, even sinners like us!</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis speaks somewhat cryptically when he says <span style="color:#cc6600;">"No one there is in all the world that can possess anyone among you unless first he die", </span>but he only echos what Jesus Himself said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"If you want to save your life, you must give it up for My sake"</span>. He also said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Unless a man gives up everything he has, he cannot be my disciple."</span> Francis knew that it is only by giving up what we have that we can get what God wants to give us. It is the one who is <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'poor in spirit'</span> - realizes he is nothing spiritually, that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'inherits the Kingdom of Heaven'</span>. Dying means that we refuse to follow our old way of doing things - <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'denying self'</span> means we try to not focus on ourselves - and adopt, in faith, Christ's will. Remember, when facing death, Christ said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Father, not my will but Yours be done."</span> This is what it means to <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'die to self'</span> .<br /><br />No one can have just a single one of these treasures or should think he will lose only one of them if he acts poorly toward that one. Francis said <span style="color:#cc6600;">"Whoever has one of you and does not offend the rest, has all of you. And whoever offends against any one of you, has none and offends you all."</span> Having one virtue is the first step in getting all of them. However, a person who offends one of them (is disrespectful or unappreciative) loses that one and chases off the rest as well! One is a <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Queen'</span> and the others are <span style="color:#cc6600;">"Ladies"</span> so we must treat them all with the royal dignity they deserve!</div><br /><div align="justify">Wisdom and Simplicity - Poverty and Humility - Charity and Obedience - these wonderful treasures God freely gives to us! What can compare with these spiritual gems - that reflect the multi-faceted glory, wisdom, power and goodness of God! </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord God, you know we are poor and broken people, covered with the filth of sin and, up to this time, satisfied to remain in the darkness of ignorance. However, You've shown us, through Christ, the riches, the treasures, that Jesus purchased for us and that he would lavish upon us. Lord, though unworthy, You have encouraged us through Your servant Francis, to ask for these treasures. So we ask for them with faith in Your generosity. Through them we know we will be able to always be with You and be able to see Your goodness. You, after all, are the only treasure we desire - in this world and the next. Grant our prayer and help us to draw near to You, our Lord and Savior, our friend and our True Love. Help us Father for we cry to You!</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-11636938048663098002010-02-17T10:00:00.000-08:002010-02-21T22:54:16.572-08:00Queen Wisdom and Pure Simplicity are the 'wise serpent and the gentle dove' Jesus spoke of.<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Most people <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'of the world'</span> celebrate the things of the world (a new car or a new house for example) that come into their lives. Although believers enjoy the things of this world as much as 'worldly' people, their joy isn't focused on these material 'things.' Those who trust God realize that what is most important in life are spiritual things and so they focus their desire and joy in God. God gives us all of His gifts, both material and spiritual, but tells us the greatest ones are spiritual in nature - the three chief ones being <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Faith, Hope and Love'</span>.</span></div><br /><p align="justify">St. Francis tells us about some other spiritual gifts in this first of a series on Francis' <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Praises of the Virtues'</span>. Most of the passage is included here but this post focuses only on the first two sentences.</p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"Hail, Queen Wisdom! The Lord save you, with your holy sister pure Simplicity. Holy Lady Poverty, the Lord save you, with your sister holy Humility. Holy Lady Charity, the Lord save you, with your sister holy Obedience. All you most holy virtues, may the Lord save you, for from Him do you proceed and come to us."</span></p><p align="justify">Francis uses the feminine to describe all of the virtues because God made women so wonderful and, more so than with men, they are known for their beauty, wit, tenderness, empathy, kindness and . . . so much more! Besides God, there is nothing that can enrapture and captivate a man more powerfully or completely than the woman he loves! Therefore, Francis uses the feminine attribute to inspire both himself and his brothers to strive for <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the things of God'</span>.</p><p align="justify">Francis calls Wisdom the Queen and refers to the other virtues as <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Ladies'</span>. Wisdom is the Queen that should rule our hearts and direct the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Ladies'</span>, the virtues, in our lives. Wisdom rules over the virtues in that she keeps them coordinated and balanced, assigning them, as necessary, to handle various situations. </p><p align="justify">Wisdom is not the same as knowledge since <span style="color:#33ff33;">Knowledge</span> is only <span style="color:#33ff33;">the accumulation of facts and the ordering of them in relation to each other</span> (like the date collected through the scientific process). <span style="color:#66ff99;">Wisdom</span> is <span style="color:#33ff33;">the organization of knowledge that allows us to use that information to avoid danger and to be successful in all of our endeavors</span>. </p><p align="justify">Wisdom tells us, given the circumstances, what is best to do in any given occasion given the particular circumstances. For example, we know that both mercy and justice are good and yet we might have trouble deciding which is best to use. Should we forgive ( just 'let it go') or demand (for justice's sake) the person who hurt us to make things right? Jesus Himself did both, turning the cheek to some people but standing up against abuse on another occasion (<span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Why did you strike me?!'</span>, he asked Caiphas' guard.) </p><p align="justify">Simply because a person knows a lot of facts doesn't make the person wise. Many educated and knowledgeable people don't know how to use their knowledge in a way that is prudent, balanced and appropriate. The proof of this is how many politicians (many of whom are well educated lawyers) have no commonsense when it comes to what is truly important in life or what is the best way to treat other people. For example, we've all heard the stories of state and local politicians engaging in extra-marital affairs - which is madness in itself! - and how foolishly they handled things when the news ultimately hit the media! Sometimes it seems like Washington is full of fools! A spiritually Wise person might not have knowledge about a lot of things but he knows a lot about doing what is right and how to achieve a happy, positive and productive life. </p><p align="justify">The pinnacle of all spiritual Wisdom is to know and appreciate our heavenly Father. Therefore, the full flowering of spiritual Wisdom is to desire, before everything else, to serve, honor and love God. We know we possess this Wisdom when we are able to show we love God by being kind to everyone we meet in our lives. Jesus said acting in love is the essence of <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the law and the prophets'</span>.</p><p align="justify">Francis couples Queen Wisdom with her <span style="color:#cc6600;">'holy sister Pure Simplicity'</span>. Simplicity, as well as the other virtues, share royal ancestry with the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Queen'</span> since they are all <span style="color:#cc6600;">'sisters'</span>. </p><p align="justify">Simplicity is <span style="color:#33ff33;">'holy'</span> in that God has <span style="color:#33ff33;">set it aside (from the ordinary and profane) for His good purposes</span>. Thus simplicity, compared to many other personality characteristics found in humanity, has a special place and reflects the very nature of our God - who is most humble and simple.</p><p align="justify">What is most provocative about sister Simplicity is that she is coupled with Wisdom. Many people see them as contrary to each other since how can a person be wise and simple at the same time? But spiritually, the only way to have one is to have the other! </p><p align="justify">Wisdom and Simplicity are coupled because they provide a wonderful counterweight to each other. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Knowledge makes a person proud and arrogant while love is most concerned with taking care of one's brother.'</span> Simplicity balances out the tendency of Wisdom (knowledge) to be proud and selfish since true <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Simplicity</span> is always humble and thinks only of others.</p><p align="justify">Simplicity and stupidity are not synonyms in the spiritual realm. The power of spiritual Simplicity is that it enables one to truly see and value what is most important in life. Simplicity disperses the cloudy mists of selfishness and pride which obscure our vision and disorder our priorities in life. Simplicity allows us to SEE and choose not only what is right but what is best for ourselves. Being proud and selfish, is just plain stupid! It is the virtuous person, the one who avoids those sins, who is the one who is wise since he will have peace and joy throughout his life and be able to accomplish the work of love God has called us all to complete. The educated man who commits sins without considering the consequences is the stupid one not the simple man who chooses what is truly good for his life.</p><p align="justify">What characterizes holy Simplicity is that it is pure and NOT corrupt, base, mean or ugly. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Be wise as serpents yet gentle as doves."</span> He meant that we should have common sense so that we can function in this world but that we should keep our hearts pure from the world's evil influence and so have a heart like Jesus', filled with all that is good and heavenly. </p><div align="justify">The spiritually Simple person knows about sin but remains untainted by this knowledge. His holy simplicity and goodness lead him to hate and fear sin since he knows (through spiritual Wisdom) that it results in death. For that reason he tries to avoid <span style="color:#33ff33;">people, places, things and situations that might lead to sin</span>. There is great danger in what the Church calls <span style="color:#33ff33;">'<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">occasions</span> of sin'</span> and the wise man learns to avoid them! </div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord God, You gave our father Francis both great spiritual Wisdom and profound spiritual Simplicity. We ask for grace to be like our father and be able to discern what is truly valuable and important in life. We know we need these precious gifts to be able to walk with You and do good in the world. We bow before You, Father, begging that you take away the pride and arrogance, greed and lust, from our hearts and replace them with spiritual Wisdom and Simplicity. You are so good Lord and we know it pleases You to give us all of Your priceless gifts, including Wisdom and Simplicity. Lead us Jesus to Your Father and make us pleasing to Him in all things. We ask in Your name - Jesus. Amen.</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-58463203185825892602010-02-10T10:00:00.000-08:002010-02-11T15:54:46.844-08:00Francis used a light touch when it came to possessions . . . but not with the Portincula!<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">There were few THINGS Francis loved more in this world than 'the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Portincula</span></span>' - the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels. Francis was not one to love 'things' because he was focused on loving God. He loved things only in relation to how much he found God in them and to the degree he was able to please God by using them.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Below we get some idea of his love for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Portincula: </span></span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"My sons, see to it that you never abandon this place. Should you be driven out one way come back another way. For this place is truly holy and God’s abode. Here, when we were few, the Most High increased us. Here He enlightened the hearts of His poor with the light of His wisdom and there He inflamed our wills with the fire of His love. Whoever prays here with a heart full of devotion will obtain what he is asking, but who offends here will be the more heavily punished, Therefore, my sons, regard this place of God's dwelling as worthy of all honor and with all of your heart, with a voice of exultation and praise, give thanks there to God."</span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">We <span style="color:#cc6600;">'abandon'</span> a place when we give it up. Francis wasn't talking here about losing interest and walking away from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Portincula</span></span>. He implied, in his statement, that the brothers were being DRIVEN out. He was saying they should do EVERYTHING possible to get it back rather than just forgetting about it! He tells his followers <span style="color:#cc6600;">'if driven out one way come back another way!'</span> We can see Francis determination to hold on to the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Portincula</span></span>! </div><br /><p align="justify">How determined should Francis' spiritual children, be then to regain possession of this little chapel if it is ever taken from us? If thrown out the door, we must come back in through other doors! If the doors are all locked then we must come in through the windows. If those are made impassible then . . . look for a chimney, vent holes or . . . any hole or crack you might be able to force yourself through! Finally, if it is all closed up then - like in the Gospel story - a hole must be made in the roof to get in! Though my tone is somewhat humorous, Francis was completely serious about how hard the brothers should try to regain possession of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Portincula</span></span> (if ever taken from us) no matter what it might cost us!<br /><br />Francis had good reasons for wanting the brothers to retain this 'little Portion'. It was <span style="color:#cc6600;">'holy'</span> since it is <span style="color:#cc6600;">'God's abode'</span>, God's home. Remember that <span style="color:#33ff33;">holy</span> means - <span style="color:#33ff33;">that which is set apart by God for His divine and eternal plans based on love</span>. If the holy God lives there then EVERYTHING in it is also holy because God is using for His good and <span style="color:#cc6600;">'holy'</span> purposes. </p><p align="justify">When we visit someone at their home we don't think about the house so much as about the person who lives there. We look at their things and think about what they tell us about the person. Francis looked at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Portincula</span></span> in a similar way but even with greater intensity since it was not only the place where God lived but where He lived WITH Francis and the brothers! This was their 'home'. Francis saw everything in the Chapel, as in all churches, as a sign of God's love for the world but, when it came to the Portincula, he saw all of these signs as proof of God's infinite love FOR HIM and all of the brothers. Hadn't God done amazingly generous and wonderful things for them in that place?!</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#cc6600;">"Here, when we were few, the most high increased us"</span>. Francis remembers how there were very few brothers but how, in just a few years, God added thousands to the community - so many that they all couldn't fit into the tiny chapel anymore! </p><p align="justify">But even more importantly, God released the power of His love in the hearts and lives of those in the brotherhood - giving them Light. God <span style="color:#cc6600;">'enlightened the hearts of His poor with His wisdom'</span>. He gave the brothers, who were <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'poor in spirit'</span>, so ignorant and simple, the Light to understand the deep mysteries of God - His eternal plans - of goodness and love. This <span style="color:#cc6600;">'wisdom'</span>, powered by faith, was a <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'light that shines in darkness'</span> and allowed the brothers to receive the power and wisdom of Christ and so know God's wonderful and glorious will for their lives.</p><p align="justify">However, the most important gift of God was how He <span style="color:#cc6600;">'inflamed our wills with the fire of His love'</span>. God's profound and absolute love so inflamed their desire for Him that they put the whole force of their wills into seeking, knowing, loving and serving Him. This fire of God's love was fervently intense, all consuming, and compellingly drove them . . . to Love, to God. This fire of love purified and transformed them into living flames of love. Alleluia!</p><p align="justify">God accomplished these great works of love and grace in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Portincula </span></span>through simple, holy and fervent . . . PRAYER. The brothers filled the chapel to the rafters with prayers! That is why Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Whoever prays there with a heart filled with devotion will obtain what he is asking'</span>. All the blessings God poured upon them was the proof that He not only heard but granted ALL of their fervent prayers. God's power, light, life and love was released into the hearts and lives of the brothers in prayer, and, through God's work of love that transformed their lives, this power and love of God transformed Assisi, Rome, Italy and . . . the world! </p><p align="justify">However, because God in His goodness was so generous in giving grace in answer to prayer in that place, those who were resistant and selfish in their dealings with God, had to bear the consequences. Jesus said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"To whom much is given, much is required."</span> God expects a return on His gifts in the sense that He wants us to be open to receiving them and allowing them to change our hearts, minds and lives. Francis, in recalling what he had seen happen to others, said those <span style="color:#cc6600;">'who offend here will be more heavily punished'</span>. Jesus told His disciples to not <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'throw your pearls before swine.'</span> If He told us not to do that then, of course, HE won't do it! If we prove ourselves willfully ignorant, arrogant and proud in our hard-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">heartedness</span></span>, and clueless as to the value of the gifts God offers us - proving we are spiritual <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'pigs' </span>- He will not only take those gifts away from us but refuse to give us more in the future. He also said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The servant who has not even begun to prepare to do the work assigned to him shall receive many strokes of the whip."</span> We can be sure that, in addition we will find ourselves, at the judgment, suffering terribly under God's whip of justice! </p><p align="justify">It was for all of these (good) reasons that Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Therefore, regard this place of God's dwelling as worthy of all honor;' </span>Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"When you honor the Temple of God, You are honoring Him who lives there."</span> Francis wanted his brothers to treat with loving respect and great tenderness the Chapel of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Portincula</span></span> because, in doing so, they would actually be honoring God who lives and does such great works of grace there.</p><p align="justify">Francis concludes by pointing out the way this <span style="color:#cc6600;">'honoring'</span> of God should take place. He said,<span style="color:#cc6600;"> 'and</span><span style="color:#cc6600;"> with all of your heart, with a voice of exultation and praise, give thanks to God''</span>. The brothers were to, WHOLE-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">HEARTEDLY</span></span> raise their voices and give honor, praise and thanks to the living God, our heavenly Father - Abba! Just as the brothers found God and received His blessings through prayer at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Portincula</span></span>, they were to give to God the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'fruit of their lips'</span>, words flowing from hearts filled with gratitude, of praise and thanks for His goodness. The rafters should vibrate, the walls shake, the windows rattle, at the sound of their singing and praising of God. And if thanks is given silently, the temple of their hearts should throb with gratitude and overflow with heart-felt prayers of thanks, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'for this is both reasonable and right for us to do'</span>, St. Paul said.</p><p align="justify">All Churches are the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'abodes'</span> of God just like all houses are made to serve the purpose of providing shelter to those who live there. However, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Portincula</span></span> is not just a 'house' of God for Franciscan's. It is OUR HOME that we share with God. Because of what God has done, our long history as a special people of God that began there, we should love and honor God there more than at other places. Those who are able to visit the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Portincula</span></span> during their lives should do so so as to receive the blessings of God and our father Francis that can only be found there. However, wherever we are and especially whenever we gather as a family (fraternity meetings, etc.) let us never forget to pray fervently for each other and NEVER neglect to give God praise, worship, honor and thanks for His goodness to us - His poor little ones.</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord God, over 800 years ago You gave the poor little man, Francis of Assisi, the 'little Portion' and allowed him to find You there, to hear Your voice. He loved this little place for it was a gift from Your gentle and generous hand. Help us to be able to receive this gift (by truly honoring it in our hearts) and to honor and serve You there as our father Francis did. However, wherever we are, let us fervently seek You in prayer and be just as fervent in showing our love and appreciation for You and Your gifts by rendering You the thanks and praise You deserve. You are so wonderful, so good, so faithful in Your love, that You deserve all our hearts, our lives, our love and our thanks, forever and ever. Amen.</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-86679365190076698512010-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:002010-02-08T17:58:43.050-08:00In one place, at one time, get all the sins you've committed wiped clean!<p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">The <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portincula</span> Indulgence is a profound spiritual grace, given by Christ to St. Francis and, through Francis to the Church and the world. The basic idea behind it is that any believer who goes to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portincula</span> chapel during a set period of time each year and gives a</span> <span style="color:#cc6600;">'good'</span> <span style="color:#33ff33;">general confession</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">- feeling</span> <span style="color:#33ff33;">sorrow over his sins, confessing them ALL to a priest and repenting of them</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">- will have ALL OF THEIR SINS forgiven (at least those committed up to that point in time)!</span></p><p align="justify">Francis was known to visit delapidated churches but he was drawn to one in particular dedicated to St. Mary - the Mother of Jesus, and having a history of Angelic visitations. While praying at St. Mary's one evening, Francis heard God's voice directing him to see how broken down the chapel was. God then told Francis to <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Repair my church.'</span> Francis was faithful to God's direction and did so with the help of his early followers.</p><p align="justify">The chapel subsequently became the center of the small community that formed around St. Francis. Francis felt blessed in being able to use the chapel (which had been given to the small community by it's owners, the Benedictine Monks of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Subasio</span>). There were several acres attached to the chapel and that small piece of land, including the chapel, had the nickname of <span style="color:#33ff33;">'<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portincula</span>'</span> which means <span style="color:#33ff33;">'little portion'</span>. It's official name thus became, 'St. Mary of the Angels' but Francis lovingly referred to it as the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'little portion' - 'the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portincula</span></span><span style="color:#cc9933;">'</span>!</p><p align="justify">Francis' great love for the chapel was a reflection of his gratitude toward God. God had powerfully blessed him and his brothers in so many ways there over many years. Francis had heard the call of God there - a voice speaking from the San Damiano crucifix telling him to forsake the world for the love of God. (The San Damiano cross hangs, to this day, at the front of the chapel). There the family of brothers had first formed. It was there that God had inspired Francis' to form the Order (currently the largest Religious Order in the Church). It became the base for repairing the other small churches in the area and also the base for the brother's missionary journeys as they went <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'two by two into the world!'</span> to preach the Gospel. It was there that Clare was taken into the Franciscan family and had her hair cut, symbolizing her forsaking the world for the love of God. She of course, with Francis' help, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">founded </span>the second Order of Franciscan's - the Poor <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Clares</span>. All of the early <span style="color:#33ff33;">'Chapters'</span> - <span style="color:#33ff33;">conventions</span> - of Franciscans were held there in which thousands of brothers came from around the world to learn, be advised and get direction in the work of the Lord. Finally, it was the place where Francis chose to pass from this world to the next, where Christ awaited him in glory. </p><p align="justify">God gave Francis the Indulgence as follows. One night, while Francis was praying intensely to Christ in the chapel to save all sinners, he sensed spiritually that people from around the world were converging on the little Chapel, hungry for salvation. Suddenly the dark interior of the chapel was illuminated - as if by a million candles. Jesus and Mary appeared to him in glory, surrounded by countless brilliant clouds of angels. Francis was enthralled as he heard a voice, musical in it's beauty, say to him, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"What do you wish Me to do to help poor sinners?"</span> Francis, his prayers for the salvation of sinners still on his lips, asked the Lord to forgive everyone their sins if they made a <span style="color:#cc6600;">'good'</span> confession to a priest, in the chapel. Jesus' face expressed pleasure at this request as he turned from Francis to gaze at His dear Mother. She also seemed pleased as she looked at Francis and smiled as she nodded her approval to him. Just as suddenly as it appeared the vision of the glorious Christ and His Mother was gone.</p><p align="justify">Francis, overjoyed by what had just happened, and inspired by God to immediately get approval from the Church, got up from where he had been praying and went off to see the Pope (the Pope, conveniently, was in the nearby city of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Perugia</span> at the time). The Holy Father, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Honorius</span> III, was <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">surprised</span> at Francis request since these kind of indulgences were rarely given and were given recently only to those men risking life and limb in the Crusades. Francis was gently persistent in his request (and wouldn't be denied!) since the Lord Himself had prompted him to make the request and had already given His own approval for it! The force of Francis conviction, as well as his holy life and faithfulness to Christ and the Church, convinced the Pope that he must grant Francis' request. </p><p align="justify">St. Francis used these words in addressing the Pope, <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"Holy Father, if it please your holiness, I wish that because of the blessings God has bestowed and will still bestow in this place, all who come here truly contrite and confessed may have a plenary indulgence of all their sins, so that they will have no further score to pay."</span> <span style="color:#33ff33;">"For how man years?"</span> <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"Holy Father, may it please your holiness to grant not years but souls."</span> (After being rebuked for not requesting a document.) <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"Your word is enough for me. If it is the work of God, it is for Him to make His own work known. Amen."</span></p><p align="justify">It was decided (at the suggestion of Francis) that it would take place on the 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd of</span> August: <span style="color:#33ff33;">The Feast of the 'Chains of St. Peter'</span> (when <span style="color:#33ff33;">Peter's chains fell from his wrists and ankles and the doors of the prison opened of themselves as he approached them while being led by an angel</span>) is celebrated that day and Francis felt this was an especially appropriate day since sinners should also be freed from the chains of sins on this day. This date was also fitting in that it was the anniversary of the consecration of the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portincula</span> chapel.</p><p align="justify">The Pope wanted to know for how many years this indulgence should be granted. Francis' focus was only on lost souls, the millions that would come to Christ at St. Mary's, seeking forgiveness from Christ, through the the graces in the Indulgence. He skirted the Pope's question and asked him to focus only on the lost souls Christ longed for, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"Holy Father, may it please your holiness to grant not years, but souls."</span></p><p align="justify">The Pope chided Francis as he was about to leave because he had not prudently requested documentation of this gift of Christ. Francis explained that, since it was the work of God, God Himself would make it known. He went on to say, <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"I need nothing more than your word. Our Lady is the parchment, Christ the notary, and the angels are our witnesses!"</span> as proof of the Indulgence. Francis made it clear to the Pope that this work was something that the VERY BEING of Christ, Mary and the angels would testify to. Through the Indulgence, Christ would reveal God's goodness, love and mercy for all of His lost children in the world. </p><p align="justify">The very next August 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd,</span> the celebration within the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portincula</span> took place with 7 bishops presiding. It is told that Francis, in excess of joy, cried out to the crowd overflowing the chapel, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'I want to help all of you to have confidence in God's mercy - that you will all go to heaven!'</span></p><p align="justify">Eight hundred years later the Church continues to offer the Indulgence to all believers. Modifications, however, have been made over the years to allow this blessing of Christ to reach even more people.</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#33ff33;">REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIVING THE <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">PORTINCULA</span> INDULGENCE</span>: First, one must give a <span style="color:#33ff33;">good general confession 8 days before or after that holy day</span>. Second, you must <span style="color:#33ff33;">participate in the Holy Mass and Eucharist on the 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">nd</span> of August</span>. Third, this <span style="color:#33ff33;">Mass should take place in a Catholic Church (a Cathedral or a Franciscan Church if you cannot get to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">Portincula</span>)</span> at which you <span style="color:#33ff33;">state your PROFESSION OF FAITH</span>, affirming your confidence in Christ's saving love. Fourth, you must say <span style="color:#33ff33;">the Lord's Prayer</span> to affirm your baptismal rejection of the devil, the world and your sinful nature. Finally, you should say a <span style="color:#33ff33;">prayer for the Pope's intentions, </span>reaffirming your commitment to the Church. </p><p align="justify">We all know that God called the Franciscan Order to bring the Message of Christ to the 'new world' - the America's but Franciscan's have gone around the world bringing the Gospel message of Christ's love to all. Followers and friends of Francis should not fail to participate, each year, in this great gift that our father gained for us from God and the Church. </p><p align="justify">We also must seek to cultivate the same all consuming desire Francis had to bring others to a saving knowledge of Jesus. It is our calling, as Christian Franciscans, to show the love of God for the world and try to spread His message of love everywhere, to everyone! Amen.</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span><span style="color:#cc33cc;"> Father Francis, it was the love of Christ, burning so powerfully in your heart, for sinners that prompted you to pray so fervently that all sinners might be saved. Because you made Christ's desire your own, Christ gave you the grace of the Indulgence - a gift to the Church and to all sinners. Pray for us that, each year when August 2nd comes around, we might participate in this Indulgence and encourage family and friends to do the same. Also, pray for us that we might more fervently feel Christ's own hunger for His lost children and bring the Gospel of Light, through our lives and our words, that can bring to them the peace of Christ that is as still and limitless as the universe. We ask this in Jesus' name.</span></p><p align="justify"><strong>A NOTE FROM THE VATICAN REGARDING SECULAR FRANCISCANS AND THE INDULGENCE: </strong>January 22, 1972 The Sacred Penitentiary, by virtue of the special and explicit faculties given by the Holy Father, benignly concedes a plenary Indulgence to the members mentioned above, provided they make or renew, at least privately, their promise to observe faithfully the Statutes of their association<a style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" title="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7575135911772470045&postID=8667936519007669851#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a>, having dutifully fulfilled the usual conditions (confession, communion and prayer to the intention of the Supreme Pontiff): 1. on the day of their admission and of their profession, and at the conclusion of an official visitation; 2. on the feast-days of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Saint Francis of Assisi; Saint Louis, King; Saint Elizabeth; Blessed Luchesius; Saint Clare; Saint Margaret of Cortona and all the Saints of the Three Orders of Saint Francis. The present decision will be in force immediately and perpetually, without any time limit. Anything to the contrary not withstanding. In name of his Eminency G. Sessolo, Regent M. Venturi, Secretary<br /><a style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" title="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=7575135911772470045&postID=8667936519007669851#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> In other words: To obtain the plenary indulgence, the members of the SFO should renew their Promise of Evangelical Life (Profession of the SFO Rule) in addition to confession, communion and prayer to the intention of the Pope. This can be done on any of the Feast Days listed above, after Visitation, one the Day of Admission and Profession. God is so good and wants to forgive us all!</p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-25037085665526808262010-01-27T10:00:00.000-08:002010-01-27T12:34:43.447-08:00How could anyone respect a sinful priest?! St. Francis did!<p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">St. Francis wanted all of his brothers to honor and lovingly obey all members of the clergy, especially priests who have, as St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the responsibility of watching over your souls'</span>. Francis' rationale for honoring the clergy is based on the fact that it is GOD that has decided to act through them . . . to bring Christ back into the world physically, during the Mass, and HE ALWAYS deserves our honor and respect!</span></p><p align="justify">Most of St. Francis' interactions with those in heaven were 'spiritual' in nature (prayers, visions and dreams) but there are many examples of heavenly persons taking on bodily forms to visit St. Francis. It is recorded in the <span style="color:#ffff00;"><em>'Little Flower's of St. Francis'</em></span> that he was visited by Christ, the Virgin Mary, St. Michael the Archangel and numerous others, in this way. These visitations were special to say the least but, for St. Francis, they occurred so often that they seemed part of the 'every day'. That is why, in the passage below, he speaks in such a matter of fact manner to St. Lawrence, a third century martyr and a saint. </p><p align="justify">St. Francis said, <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#993300;">"If I were to meet at the same time some saint coming down from heaven and any poor little priest, I would first pay my respects to the priest and proceed to kiss his hands first. I would say, ‘Ah, just a moment St. Lawrence, because this person’s hands handle the Word of Life and possess something that is more than human. These hands have touched my Lord, and no matter what they be like, they could not soil Him or lessen His virtue . . . To honor the Lord, honor His minister . . . He can be bad for himself, but for me he is good."</span> </span>(About a priest accused of a sinful life). </p><p align="justify">We can sense Francis' discomfort when he says regretfully, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Ah!'</span>. Francis was extremely courteous, always sensitive towards everyone. In this case we see him quickly make his apologies to St. Lawrence as he rushes past him to reach the poor simple priest, anxious to pay his respects to him FIRST by <span style="color:#cc6600;">'</span><span style="color:#cc6600;">kissing his hands'</span>. </p><p align="justify">This is an interesting scenario! We have St. Lawrence, coming from serving in God's presence (where the truly important things for us all take place!) in great glory, to visit Francis but Francis doesn't appear to have time for him! Francis' first words are <span style="color:#cc6600;">"Just a moment"</span>! Can you imagine telling a saint coming from heaven to visit you to wait for you?!</p><p align="justify">Francis explains to St. Lawrence why he acts like this: <span style="color:#cc6600;">"this person’s hands handle the Word of Life and possess something that is more than human"</span>. This is why Francis wants <span style="color:#cc6600;">'to kiss his hands.'</span> The priest is the one God has given the power to bring Christ into the world again. </p><p align="justify">St. Lawrence, St. Francis points out, was honored by both God and Church, but was still no more than a man - nothing <span style="color:#cc6600;">'more than human'</span>. Though the poor priest was also just a man, he also <span style="color:#cc6600;">'possessed something that is more,'</span> something Divine. This <span style="color:#cc6600;">'something'</span> did a miraculous thing: it allowed Christ, who the heavens and earth cannot contain, to enter the world transformed into what appears to be common food - bread and wine - for love of us! Alleluia!</p><p align="justify">St. Lawrence, a martyr for Christ, proved faithful to God in life and death. Shouldn't this faithful servant of God be shown greater respect (and get it first!) before this unproven priest?! Remember, when Jesus was asked if few would be saved He urgently replied <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Try your hardest . . . for many are called but few are chosen."</span> Judas was an APOSTLE, specially chosen by Jesus and ALSO had the gift of the priesthood. In the end, however, he proved to be the BETRAYER of Christ. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Do not judge before the time for God alone knows the human heart"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I don't count myself as being secure but continue to strive in faith for that which I have been called to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">receive</span>."</span> This is proof that none of us are safe - not even Apostles or priests! Therefore, this priest (unlike St. Lawrence) might not even make it into heaven! Who, then, deserves the greater respect, St Lawrence, perfected and already welcomed into heaven or this priest who, even if faithful now could prove unfaithful in the future?!</p><p align="justify">None of these arguments change the fact that the power to bring Christ into the world and offer Him to men . . . was in this poor priests hands! No matter how holy, faithful and good St. Lawrence is . . . He is nothing compared to Christ, who deserves ALL glory, honor and thanks!</p><p align="justify">St. Francis really gets to that which concerns us most in what he says next, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"no matter what they be like, they could not soil Him or lessen His virtue"</span>. We might feel justified in ignoring or despising a sinful priest. However, the priest's failings should not determine how we feel toward them or treat them since Francis explains that Christ, in all His goodness and power, cannot be diminished by any man, no matter how sinful he is. Christ remains, in any priest's hands, THE SAME HOLY POWERFUL GLORIOUS PERSON, deserving of all honor and praise. </p><p align="justify">The <span style="color:#33ff33;">gifts of God</span>, including the priesthood, are <span style="color:#33ff33;">things given us by God freely, without conditions, without our even being deserving</span>. A person might try to make himself deserving of the gift: show God he truly appreciates it and expresses his gratitude by imitating the same selfless love God shows by, humbly and with great trust, placing Himself in the priest's hands. Despite all of this it should be clear that no matter what the priest might do before or after receiving the gift of the priesthood, he could never earn it or make himself deserving of it. </p><p align="justify">What God gives He does not take back. <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Let every man be unfaithful but God will always be faithful to His promises to us,"</span> St. Paul said. The gift of the priesthood wasn't given because we deserved it but because we NEEDED it, God had the power to give it and because His heart is so filled with love for us. You can hear the wonder in Francis' voice over this gift when he says, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'These hands have touched my Lord'</span>. </p><p align="justify">Francis tries to make his point about honoring priests even clearer: <span style="color:#cc6600;">"To honor the Lord, honor His servant." </span>The servant is here to act and speak on His Master's behalf. The priest, though just a servant, brings us eternal gifts from God! Since the Master is not present physically the only way to honor Him is to honor His representative - the priest. You are honoring the priest not for any ability or knowledge of his own but because he was sent by God - who deserves all honor and thanks for the gifts carried in His messengers hands.</p><p align="justify">When someone insisted that Francis was asking too much by saying we should respect even sinful priests, Francis responded, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"He can be bad for himself, but for me he is good."</span> The priest is <span style="color:#cc6600;">'good for'</span> Francis in that, as long as the Church recognizes him AND he remains faithful to the teachings of Christ AND has not committed a sin which indicates A TOTAL betrayal of Christ - he should be honored for the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'good'</span> he brings from Christ - the Body and Blood of Christ! If he is <span style="color:#cc6600;">'bad'</span> then the bad he does affects himself and not Francis and his followers who have placed their trust in God. We can see that St. Francis wants us to stay focused on Christ and His power working through this sinful priest as he fulfills his priestly function.</p><p align="justify">One final note: Church scholars recognize the fact that St. Francis played a pivotal role in reforming the Church during his life. At the time, the Church was extremely corrupt, it's power was marginalized and heretical movements were on the rise everywhere. At this time the Pope had a dream about a poor beggar steadying St. John Lateran's Church - the Church in Rome - as it appeared about to crumble into a pile of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">debris</span>. This dream was fulfilled in St. Francis. The pope recognized the face of the beggar in his dream as that of Francis when he saw him for the first time the very next day! </p><p align="justify">It was Francis' example of love, respect and humble obedience to the Church, especially toward priests, that transformed the Church. This is the way God ALWAYS works through His servants. Remember St. Paul taught <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The weapons of our warfare are not of this world but heavenly and spiritual in nature and are able to demolish fortresses!"</span> The world fights with weapons, angry yelling and cursing which creates resentment, bitterness and vengeful actions. Christ teaches us to fight with humility, gentleness, generosity, selflessness and love. Remember, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"We conquer hatred with love"</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Fight evil with good."</span> This is what Christ taught and what Francis practiced. The way to change sinful priests is to give them a true example of the humble and pure Christ and pray earnestly for them to live up to their calling as representatives of Christ. That is the way Christ taught Francis to do it and the way we, as followers and friends of Francis, should do it!</p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, Your goal in confronting people in the world was not to condemn them but to save them and give them the power to change. Your servant Francis loved and honored those who were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">unlovable</span> and had no honor and by doing so, You transformed them in love and honored them with Your glory. Teach us to fight evil with good and hate with love. Transform us into peacemakers so that there will be peace between You and Your children and peace between all Your children and the world. Keep us focused on Your goodness in the face of sin, so that confident in Your power to change things we won't get discouraged or have our peace and joy diminished in anyway. Our hope is in You dear Lord for we KNOW YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS. Amen.</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-20667860687831683842010-01-20T10:00:00.000-08:002010-01-21T16:52:43.650-08:00We should love, honor and take as our masters not only the bishops but also any poor insignificant priests.<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"></span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected">We </span>treasure our freedom, our independence. We like the fact that we are able to</span> <span style="color:#ff0000;">'do it MY way'</span><span style="color:#ff6600;">.</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">However, our freedom to do it <span style="color:#ff0000;">'my way'</span> is restricted in at least a few places. The work place is one of them where we have supervisors that tell us</span> <span style="color:#ff0000;">'my way or . . . the highway'</span><span style="color:#ff6600;">. Most of us, at least at those times, feel the best kind of boss is the one that LEAVES US ALONE - trusting us to know and do what needs to be done.</span></div><br /><p align="justify">Most of us don't realize that there is a certain pride and arrogance implied in <span style="color:#ff0000;">'doing it my way'</span>. We feel confident that we know things better than others (including our boss!) and don't like it when others question our judgment. We are proud of what we know and can do. Finally, pride causes us to look down on others by discounting what they know/do, lower their value (at least in our hearts) because they aren't 'really good' like us! This sin is hurtful to others because pride makes us feel disrespect for others.</p><p align="justify">A good example of how proud and arrogant we can be is given by St. James who said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Some say, 'Today . . we are off to this . . . town; we are going to spend a year there, trading and make some money." Such talk is evil since you never know what will happen tomorrow; you are no more than a mist that is here for a little while and then disappears. The most you should say is; 'If it is the Lord's will, we shall still be alive to do this or that."</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">But how proud and sure of yourselves you are now! Pride of this kind is always wicked." </span>We don't like to think of how vulnerable we are, how dependent on God. The fact that we think about doing things WITHOUT checking in with God first, proves how sinful we are. We know that sins such as these earn can cause us to go to hell, if you point out to the average Christian that we all do this their reply indicates they aren't too worried about it!</p><div align="justify">The Old Testament tell us that God gives us EACH breath we breathe. He could, at any time, decide we won't get any more of them! We are utterly dependent on God for EVERYTHING and yet we all think - that 'WE WILL' do what we want without considering/questioning whether God might want something else. Our pride and presumption makes us fail to think about or acknowledge God's power over every aspect of our lives! </div><br /><div align="justify">Solomon said in Proverbs that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"There is a way that seems right to a man but, in the end, it leads to death."</span> Another of his proverbs says, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"</span><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Trust not in yourself but in the Lord and He will direct you down the right path."</span> We might think we are right but in reality be completely wrong. The SAFE thing to do is to distrust ourselves and submit all we hope to do into God's hands. We can trust that He truly knows what is best and wants what is best for. We must cultivate an attitude in which we don't take for granted the generosity and kindness of God. We must be broken by the knowledge of our sinfulness and be humbled by the great love of God, who forgives us. Thinking like this is the only way to be truly safe from harm in a world that we actually have very little control over. </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis knew he needed to submit everything to God. Through his scripture meditation he had learned that it pleased God for His children to be guided by the clergy, to submit their will to that of those who God revealed His will through. Francis, as directed by God, sought out the clergy for advice and submitted in faith to their directions. </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis said, <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"From the beginning of my conversion the Lord put His word into the mouth of the bishop of Assisi, so that he gave me good advice and fortified me in the service of Christ. For that reason and various other considerations which I find with regard to prelates, I want to love, honor and take as my masters not only the bishops but also any poor insignificant priests."</span></div><br /><p align="justify">Francis says that soon after being <span style="color:#cc6600;">'converted'</span> he had reason to go to the Bishop of Assisi. Francis had become something of a recluse, spending long hours (whole days and nights at times!) away from home in prayer and meditation. He showed great love for poverty (lived as a beggar, for a short time) but also was very generous to the poor (sometimes with his father's property!) All of this behavior seemed pure madness to his father who, as a last resort, tried 'beating' the 'nonsense' out of his crazy son! </p><p align="justify">Francis was in a real spiritual <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">quandary</span>: he knew his first obligation in life was to God (this is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">EVERY ONE'S</span> primary obligation!) and yet one of God's commandments is to '<span style="color:#ffcc00;">Obey your parents'</span>. His father wanted him to NOT DO what he felt God was asking him TO DO. What should Francis DO?! Francis went to the Bishop of Assisi, to help him figure it out!</p><p align="justify">The Bishop confirmed that Francis was right in thinking his first obligation was to listen to God and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'forsake all'</span> to follow Jesus - even if that meant forsaking his family. The bishop added that Francis could place himself under the protection of the Church and so, if he was attacked or sued by his father, the Church would be able to intervene and protect him. Francis was pleased with this <span style="color:#cc6600;">'good advice'</span>. Francis tells us that he knew it was <span style="color:#cc6600;">'the Lord'</span> who <span style="color:#cc6600;">'put His word into the mouth of the bishop'</span>. Francis now felt confident in turning his back on his father for God Himself, through the Bishop, had told him what to do.</p><p align="justify">Francis said that these words <span style="color:#cc6600;">'fortified me in the service of Christ'</span>. Francis was not only strengthened to resist the (unreasonable) demands of his father, but found himself <span style="color:#33ff33;">fortified</span> - <span style="color:#33ff33;">a place of strength to not only fight from but to take refuge in</span>. Francis now felt free to focus fully on <span style="color:#cc6600;">'the service of Christ'.</span></p><p align="justify">Francis had searched for God on his own - through prayer, meditation, attendance at holy services and the study of God's word - with little input from the clergy. After this first encounter with the Bishop, however, Francis knew he had a great ally in the Church in both seeking and serving God. </p><p align="justify">Francis took a vow of obedience in which he promised to obey God, speaking through the Church and the Order: the religious hierarchy. This vow was an affirmation of the fact that Francis trusted God to bless him in all the circumstances of his life. That is why he said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"I want to love, honor and take as my masters not only the bishops but also any poor insignificant priests."</span> Francis heard and saw God in the clergy, believed God was speaking and acting through them, and surrendered himself totally in faith, through obedience, to EVERY one of them - the wise and the simple, the weak and the powerful. He knew God used them all, no matter their limitations for . . . God is not limited in His power and can do anything, through anyone, that He wishes.</p><div align="justify">We are all aware of the great scandals that have wracked our Church. Some religious have done such horrific evil things that it is obvious that the devil was acting through them. Jesus Himself had said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"From your own midst sinful men shall rise up, like wolves in sheep's clothing. Be on your guard!"</span> Francis knew that the clergy, like all sinful human beings, are imperfect morally and spiritually. There were occasions during Francis' religious life that he interacted with sinful clergy but these encounters didn't lessen Francis' love and respect for them since his focus was not on them . . . but on God. Francis believed that God could and would protect him and his brothers from anyone (these <span style="color:#ffcc33;">'wolves'</span>) who wished to do them harm, including sinful and vengeful priests! </div><br /><div align="justify">It must be noted that Francis made it clear to his brothers that they did not have to obey the clergy, or even the Minister General of the Order, IF they were being directedby them to commit sin. For example, if a priest told you to murder someone then it is clear he is doing something that God said we should never do and so you have every right to refuse. Our first obligation is to do whatever GOD tells us in scripture. However, if the priest tells us to jump in place until he tells us to stop, since there is no sin in that, we SHOULD do it! If the priest orders it out of pride and only wants to humiliate us that fact shouldn't affect our obligation to obey the order. HE might be sinning but but we wouldn't be! Actually, we would be blessed by doing this since we would be showing we are humble and selfless.</div><br /><div align="justify">We must not forget that we ALL ARE servants of the Lord of heaven and earth. We might, at times, be justified in resisting the directions of men but we shouldn't ever imagine that it is right to argue with God or resist His will. Let us learn to be humble, like Francis, and walk softly, meekly, in God's presence. Let us also, like Francis, have great faith in (love, honor and be subservient to) the leaders of our church through whom God guides, comforts and encourages us.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, You taught Francis to seek out, trust and be guided by members of the clergy. You showed him that he could rely upon You to speak and act through them. Though he was aware that members of the clergy could be sinful, Francis knew that You would protect, direct and bless him no matter what people, even those in authority, no matter the harm they might try to do to him and his brothers. Help us to have the same kind of faith and to love, respect and honor ALL members of the clergy. Help us to pray fervently for the work they've undertaken for love of You. You are the best example of this faith that You gave our father Francis for, even if a priest is sinful, You never fail to assume the form of bread and wine at their hands to feed Your people and give them everlasting life. We entrust all of this into Your hands and pray only that You be glorified. Amen.</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-69888234691398417472010-01-13T05:00:00.000-08:002010-01-18T22:58:19.447-08:00Francis wanted to honor all teachers of scripture because the Word of God empowers priests to bring Christ into the world in the Eucharist.<p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Traditionally <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Catholics</span> have had great respect and even awe for all who have committed themselves to the Religious life. There are three reasons for this: these men and women have been called by God to do an extraordinary work - the work of Divine love - and God empowers and enlightens them with His Holy Spirit to accomplish it; they have chosen a way of life that is known to nurture a much more intense and intimate relationship with God and the spiritual realities they deal with on a daily basis affect everyone and everything, for time and for eternity.</span></p><p align="justify">Catholics also greatly love those who have taken on the Religious. Haven't they, for the love of Jesus, given themselves, body and soul, to Him for His good purposes? They have chosen to set aside the things of the world (those priorities that people think are most precious - independence, the right to marry and have children, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">choosing</span> a secular profession, etc) so as to allow God to use them to guide, comfort and encourage the people of God - you and me.</p><p align="justify">Francis always had the greatest love and respect for the Religious - especially for priests who also were teachers of God's Word. This was true despite there being wide spread spiritual and moral corruption in the Church hierarchy at the time. Francis knew there were priests who failed God by living in sin and put their selfish interests above the interests of the children of God. However, despite his personal experiences with these types of shady Religious characters, Francis continued, throughout his life, to have the greatest love and respect for the clergy. </p><p align="justify">How Francis felt about the clergy was made clear in how he interacted with them: Francis never did anything without checking with the clergy first and getting their permission, guidance and blessing. Over and over again we hear him affirming his confidence in the Church and those who led it, submitting to the will of Pope, Bishop and priest in everything he did and said. </p><p align="justify">Francis' confidence was based on the fact that he trusted God's providence in both guiding ( means of blessing and punishing) those God put over him in authority. The authority and power they had, of course, came from God, came from God's own Word - which Francis believed in with all of his heart. He knew God would not only guide those with religious authority over him in the right way but protect him from any Religious who wished to do him and his brothers harm.</p><p align="justify">Francis said: <span style="color:#cc6600;"><span style="font-size:130%;">"And all the theologians and persons who administer the most holy words of God, we must honor and respect as people who minister spirit and life to us."</span></span></p><p align="justify">Francis makes it clear that those who follow him <span style="color:#cc6600;">'must honor and respect'</span> the teachers of God's Word, which were, in general the priests. The main reason Francis had for such great respect was that the Word of God not only made priests holy but gave them the power to bring Almighty God down from heaven, appear in the form of a piece of bread and allow men to become one with God, in body and soul, during Communion - such a great and profound miracle! He once said that if a saint from heaven should appear before him at the same time as a lowly priest, he would excuse himself to the saint and kiss first the hands of the priest because only the hands of the priest literally handled Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the Holy Eucharist and that made the priest much more worthy of reverence.</p><p align="justify">Francis taught that the only thing more important than the Word of God was knowing and loving God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). He believed the Word of God is an extension of God Himself since His Word is an expression of His own mind and heart. St. John said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"In the beginning was the Word; the Word was with God and the Word was God . . . (through it) He gave power to men to become children of God . . . The word became flesh, He lived among us . . ."</span> Jesus was the Word - that power that brings people to God - that was God.</p><p align="justify">What makes God's Word so special when compared to men's word, other than the fact that it comes from God Himself? When God spoke, used Words, at the beginning of time . . . everything came into existence! Also, whatever God says . . . happens as He wills! In fact, the only thing that is not necessarily subject to His will (because it is His will that it not be!) is the 'free will' He gave to human beings. Thus God's word actually makes things happen - change the universe and have power to change lives.</p><p align="justify">St. Paul says something very interesting, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The Word of God is something alive and active."</span> Most of us have Bibles and they don't seem very 'lively'- they don't do anything except sit on our shelf! But, of course, the Word of God is more than just ink on paper! St. Paul makes it clear that the 'Word of God' is more than just words written in a book, no matter how holy the book is, but is something, apart from a book of ink and paper, that is actually living and doing things in the world! </p><p align="justify">Words exists so that we can communicate with each other and yet, even though Jesus and His listeners spoke the same language, His listeners often had a hard time understanding Him. Jesus said to the pharisees <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Why do you not understand what I say? Because you cannot understand My words."</span> He also often said to the people, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"You have ears but cannot hear."</span> To hear God's words , which are spiritual , we must have 'spiritual' ears. St. Paul said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The natural person has no room for the gifts of God's Spirit; to him they are foolishness; he cannot recognize them, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">because</span> their value can be assessed only in the Spirit." </span>A person who listens with his natural ears but doesn't also have spiritual ears will never understand, with His heart, what Jesus (and His messengers) are saying.</p><p align="justify">Francis was quoting Jesus when he said teachers of the Word <span style="color:#cc6600;">" . . . minister spirit and life to us"</span>. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."</span> What is this <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'<span style="color:#33ff33;">flesh</span> that has nothing to offer''</span> ? It is that which is <span style="color:#33ff33;">'of </span><span style="color:#33ff33;">this world'</span>, that which is <span style="color:#33ff33;">related to the body, is material and therefore temporal.</span> He also said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"A man's life doesn't consist of the THINGS he possesses."</span> Jesus was saying that our carnal (physical) existence <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'has nothing to offer'</span> - leads to nothing, since our body (flesh) ends up turning to dust like everything else in this world and because worldly THINGS can't meet our deepest (spiritual) desires anyway, we should not pour our lives into trying to get them. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!"</span> Listening and believing in Jesus' words, which are spirit, give you what is most important: life - abundant and eternal. </p><p align="justify">Francis treasured the Gospel - the Word of God - because, as St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"It is the power of God that saves everyone who trusts in God's goodness and mercy"</span>. St. Paul explains that it saves because <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"It reveals the saving justice of God - a justice based on faith and addressed to faith."</span> God reveals through it that, though we are sinners deserving of death and hell, He can and will make us righteous (make us worthy of life and heaven) if we believe. This gift of salvation is offered only to those who have '<span style="color:#33ff33;">faith</span>' - <span style="color:#33ff33;">confidence in Him and His mercy</span>.</p><p align="justify">St. Paul pointed out that Abraham, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the father of our faith'</span> was saved because He had this faith. He said Abraham <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"counting on the promise of God, did not doubt or disbelieve, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God, fully convinced that whatever God promised He has the power to perform."</span> </p><p align="justify">Abraham and all believers rely on God's plan for salvation. It was necessary that a perfect person (one without sin and therefore one who did not have to die for his own sin) be sacrificed to save those who were <span style="color:#33ff33;">spiritually dead</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">separated from God by sin - rebellion against God</span>). Christ, by dying for our sins, delivered humanity from dying since he died in our place. </p><p align="justify">Those given new life, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'born again'</span> as children of God, could now clearly understand God's Words since they were now <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'alive in the spirit'</span> and had spiritual ears to hear. St. Paul explained that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the Spirit have their minds on spiritual things. And human nature has nothing to look forward to but death, while the Spirit looks forward to life and peace." </span>The 'natural' man focuses on natural things while the spiritually reborn man focuses on spiritual things.</p><p align="justify">But how can simple words - both God's in His promises and our own in our response to His offer -have such a powerful and eternal effect on us? The prophet Isaiah said (and St. Paul interpreted) <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"'the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart', that is, the word of faith, the faith which we preach, that if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved . . . His generosity is offered to all who appeal to Him, for all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved."</span> Unbelievers find it strange that Christians rely solely on the promises of God to 'earn' salvation. St. Paul explained that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God"</span> to save.</p><p align="justify">PRAYER: <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Help us Lord, in this 'year of the priest' to truly appreciate and show loving respect for all Your priests who faithfully serve at Your altar, offering us the</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Word made flesh'</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">- Christ Jesus, our salvation. We are so grateful for them. We also thank You for Your Word, found in the Bible, and pray that it come alive in our hearts and lives and in the hearts and lives of our priests, powerfully transforming us all into Your own dear children. Help us to take the Bible off the shelf and to open our hearts to You in it so that You can recreate us in Your image - the glorious image of Christ - and so that we can know and do all those things that please You. You are so kind, so generous, to give us Yourself in Your Word, and we pray for grace to truly hear and see You in it. Thank You Lord for this invaluable gift and all of the others gifts You give us each day. You are most wonderful and good! Alleluia!</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-75752637367795645272010-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:002010-01-06T21:57:20.839-08:00Learning scripture should teach us how to show love in all we do. But learning without loving leads only to God's judgment.<p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">We know that Francis was somewhat ambivalent about learning, primarily because the pursuit of knowledge could distract (and obstruct!) from what was most important. Francis looked at EVERYTHING as a means to an end. The end he sought, in everything and with every action - was to know, love and serve God. Francis believed that ALL things point to God and, when used properly, help us deepen our personal relationship with Him. The problem is figuring out how to use all things, including learning, properly.</span></p><p align="justify">We've all heard the saying <span style="color:#ff0000;">'a little goes a long way'</span>. Francis felt that one didn't need to know a lot of scripture to touch God or be touched by Him. That is why he always advocated <span style="color:#cc6600;">'P</span><span style="color:#cc6600;">RAYER rather than READING'</span>. A small amount of scripture reading was enough to empower one's prayers to God. Through prayer one came to know God, experiencially and, in addition, one was transformed as well, into a faithful child of God. </p><p align="justify">The passage below makes clear Francis' view of the proper way to use learning. When questioned as to whether it was good for the brothers to study scripture he said it was if . . . one was focused on the right things while studying. <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"Of course it pleases me, provided that after the example of Christ, of whom we read that He prayed rather than read, they do not neglect the pursuit of prayer and that they study it in order not only to learn how to preach but to put what they hear into practice, and then when they have practiced it, let them set it down for others to practice. I wish my brothers to be Gospel students and to advance in knowledge of the truth in a way that they likewise grow in unspoiled simplicity, so that they do not separate the simplicity of the dove from the wisdom of the serpent, for our excellent Master linked the two in His <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">blest</span> mouth."</span></p><p align="justify">Jesus made it clear that words - even His words - could only accomplish so much - given that God won't violate our <span style="color:#33ff33;">'free will'</span> - <span style="color:#33ff33;">our power to chose something other than God's will</span>. He quickly came to realize that not only the hard-hearted and arrogant pharisees and priests didn't understand what He was saying but that His own disciples, more often than not, missed His point. We hear, again and again, Christ saying to His disciples, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Do you still not understand?! How long must I put up with you?! How long must I endure you!?</span>' Jesus acknowledged that understanding His words could be difficult. <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"It is not given to everyone to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of God . . . that is why I speak to them in parables"</span>. </p><p align="justify">It is important for us to meditate on scripture and allow the power of His words to transform our lives. However, how many of us have read scripture and ended up more confused than ever about what Jesus was trying to say?! Listening in the right way, with a heart opened by prayer, with the desire to both know God and do His will, is the right way to approach God in scripture. Afterward you still might not understand everything Christ said in a passage but you can be sure that you will get more than enough 'spiritual food' to keep you moving forward in your faith journey!</p><p align="justify">Just because people did not understand Jesus' words doesn't mean that <span style="color:#33ff33;">His primary message</span> to humanity didn't come through loud and clear in what He said and did: <span style="color:#33ff33;">God loves us all, wants us to know that love (by experience) and wants us to share it with each other through acts of kindness</span>. Jesus made it clear that love MUST BE something we DO rather than something we just talk about. In Jesus' vocabulary love is an action word. Jesus always encouraged His disciples to show their love by being kind to others as when He said after washing their feet, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"What I have done was done as an example so that you will do to each other as I have done to you."</span></p><p align="justify">Our father Francis knew of what he was speaking when he said that there are few examples of Jesus <span style="color:#cc6600;">'reading'</span> and many more examples of Jesus <span style="color:#ffcc00;">''<span style="color:#cc6600;">praying' </span><span style="color:#ffcc00;">'</span>throughout the night'</span>. Francis urges us to follow Jesus' example and <span style="color:#cc6600;">'pray rather than read'</span>. God REALLY teaches us to act in love when we pray. By spending hours in daily prayer, kneeling in God's presence, we are given wisdom, power and guidance as to how to love like God loves.</p><p align="justify">Jesus taught us that our <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and pharisees' </span>who were known for <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'teaching many things but not lifting a finger'</span> in actual effort to do those things they taught. Jesus quoted His Father speaking through Isaiah when He said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'They come close to Me with their lips but their heart is far away'</span>. Their lips might be saying the right things but what they were saying was not reflective of what was going on in their hearts and lives, since their actions showed they didn't know God and didn't know how to please Him! Jesus had His own experience with supposed 'disciples' who said good things but didn't do good deeds. He said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord!' but then don't do what I say?!"</span> </p><p align="justify">St. James said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"There should not be many teachers among us since we</span> (those who teach) <span style="color:#ffcc00;">shall get a harsher judgment . . . for we all say many things but then don't do them."</span> Knowing a little but DOING IT ALL is better than trying to know a great deal (more than maybe God really wants you to know!) and DOING LITTLE. Jesus said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"To whom much is given much will be required." </span>If you teach/learn a lot of scripture, Christ expects you to do EVERYTHING you've said and learned! Though Jesus is not encouraging us to remain ignorant, He is indicating that good servants do whatever He tells them. No excuses will be accepted on judgment day for our failure to follow through on His commands.</p><p align="justify">Francis is giving his followers good advice when he says <span style="color:#cc6600;">'let them not study so as to teach, but let them put it into practice'.</span> I have met people who have memorized large portions of the scriptures and yet speak rudely, have an arrogant attitude and use a dismissive tone of voice with people. Their knowledge and words are good - based on God's word - however, I really wonder if they truly know Christ. Jesus is a person of infinite love and goodness, who is humble, welcoming and considerate - unlike these people whose only focus was on memorizing what He said. Jesus said that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"A good disciple is truly like his Master"</span>. If these people's manner wasn't like Jesus' then one would have to wonder if they truly were disciples of Christ, truly learning from Him. Though I am sure, if questioned, they would argue that they were not only Jesus' disciples but very good ones, their ACTIONS actually contradicted their WORDS. We all know which speak louder!</p><p align="justify">Francis tells us that it is only after DOING what we've learned that we should try to teach it. <span style="color:#cc6600;">"Then, when they have practiced it, let them set it down for others to practice".</span> These teachers, to be good, have to have the same focus that a good student has: learning should cause one's love to grow for God and for men. Teachers shouldn't just give out information about God - no matter how interesting, profound or beautiful - but to teach people HOW TO ACT and WHAT TO DO to please God, and so draw near Him and truly know Him. Teachers <span style="color:#cc6600;">'set it down for others to PRACTICE'</span> - not to only to think and talk about what they've learned but to actually do it!</p><p align="justify">Francis wants to drive home the point so he says the same thing but in a different way. <span style="color:#cc6600;">"I wish my brothers to be Gospel students and to advance in knowledge of the truth in a way that they likewise grow in unspoiled simplicity".</span> <span style="color:#33ff33;">'Good News'</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">Gospel</span>) students should not only learn things but advance - make progress - in understanding the Truth (<span style="color:#ffcc00;">'I am the Truth'</span>, Jesus said). This progress will also, by necessity, cause them to grow in <span style="color:#33ff33;">simplicity</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">purity and holiness</span>) - in their way of thinking, feeling, acting and speaking. </p><p align="justify">Knowledge (of facts, etc) is worthless if one doesn't also grow in holy simplicity. Simplicity doesn't mean a person is '<span style="color:#33ff33;">simple</span>' (<span style="color:#33ff33;"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">unintelligent</span>, mentally incompetent</span>). Jesus was a very simple man, as was Francis and the Apostles of Christ. One definition of simplicity is purity. One who is <span style="color:#33ff33;">spiritually simple</span> has <span style="color:#33ff33;">a mind free from the complications of sin - it's lies, delusions, darkness</span>. This 'simple' mind is very lively, powerfully creative and looks at everything with a freshness, wonder and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">excitement</span> that we often only find in children - the children of God.</p><p align="justify">Francis then makes a point he made previously (and discussed in a prior Post on this blog) - that we should <span style="color:#cc6600;">"not separate the simplicity of the dove from the wisdom of the serpent, for our excellent Master linked the two in His <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">blest</span> mouth"</span>. We learn in Genesis that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the serpent was more intelligent than all the other creatures'</span>. Doves have long been symbols of <span style="color:#33ff33;">purity, gentleness and peace</span> - characteristics of <span style="color:#33ff33;">holy simplicity</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Knowledge</span> is good but reaches it's zenith only when coupled with holy simplicity. </p><p align="justify">St. Paul provides us with a statement that highlights knowledge without love, Truth without kindness. He said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Speaking the Truth in love . . ." </span>All of us have faced the problem of having to tell the truth to someone and knowing that it will probably hurt their feelings - something we don't intend at all. It is the Truth, reflecting poorly on them , that causes the person to feel hurt and maybe even lowers their self esteem. However, if one speaks the Truth in love, love will guide one's tone, manner and words so that the person realizes that, though the Truth is still hard to hear, they somehow end up feeling affirmed after hearing it! The person not only feels loved but more confident that they are deserving of love, causing them to feel good and happy despite the Truth they've heard! St. Paul, in another place said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Knowledge makes a person proud and arrogant toward others while, one who acts in love, ends up comforting and encouraging them."</span></p><p><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, Your words are often hard to understand and we know this is because our hearts are so hard toward You. Give us</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'eyes to see, ears to hearand hearts of flesh,'</span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">, so we can understand what You are saying to us. We come to You because we know we need to change, to become, truly, children of God. However, as we learn Your word, we pray it not bring upon us Your judgment. We know we can escape Your judgment by realizing our utter need for help and humbly trying to do all You tell us. We know the goal You want us to aim for is love - love for God and love for others. Help us to learn from Your example of love - the fact that Your love for us compelled You to bear that terrible cross. Help us to follow Your example and love others with all we are and all we have. Your servant Francis' followed Your example of holy simplicity and perfect love. We pray that like You (and Francis) we might be simple, pure and humble and come to our heavenly Father, with all goodness, and in love. Amen.</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-631420309680399752009-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:002009-12-31T20:47:51.275-08:00We forsake everything to be able to rely totally on God - including 'the climb to knowledge' and the support that might supply.<p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Everyone wants to be loved and who doesn't want to be popular? Those who don't might be considered dangerous, outcast, because as social creatures, people thrive with the support and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">encouragement</span> of others. However, God makes it clear that He wants us to feel like </span><span style="color:#ffcc00;">'a stranger in a strange land'</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">- to see EVERYONE (even family and friends) as being <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'strangers'</span> to us so that we can learn to rely solely on God.</span> </p><p align="justify">God called Abraham and told him to <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"leave your home and go to the place that I will show you, where I will bless you."</span> Abraham trusted God and, in faithful obedience, left his home, neighbors and friends. Many stories in the <span style="color:#33ff33;">Hebrew Bible</span> (our <span style="color:#33ff33;">Old Testament</span>) are about people, like Abraham, who were outcasts (or made themselves outcasts). Moses, rejected by his own nation and Joseph, sold into slavery by his own brothers are two examples of this truth. These men (and many others) found themselves, through no fault of their own, deserted or betrayed by those who should have loved and supported them. God wanted their faith in Him to grow strong as they experienced His support and encouragement during the trials of their lives. God actually ended up using them to help those who treated them so badly to come to know God.</p><p align="justify">Jesus was a <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'stranger'</span> - a man driven by the Spirit of God to be alone with God - even though His heart welcomed everyone. During <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">His</span> years of ministry He was rejected by the people and ended up deserted and betrayed by His own disciples. However, through it all, He kept His eyes focused on His Father. He never forgot His mission and so, no matter what evil others did to Him, He was determined to do God's will to the end, even while dieing. Jesus NEVER neglected God, spending whole nights alone with Him in prayer. God came FIRST in Jesus' heart, before people and even before Himself. (He needed sleep but chose to seek God instead!) Jesus proved He was, like Abraham and the others, a <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'stranger in a strange land'</span>. He said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The foxes have holes and the birds have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head"!?</span> Jesus chose to not have a home, to not rely on His family, because He wanted it to be clear that He relied totally on God - God was home and family to Him. Jesus wants us to rely on God just as fully.</p><p align="justify">Jesus taught us that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'forsaking'</span> others is often a prerequisite for those choosing to follow God. Jesus said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The first commandment is that a man</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">must love God with ALL of his heart, soul, mind and body"</span>. Jesus made it clear that love for God must come before love for man - even one's wife and children! Brotherly love IS very important, but it is always a distant second to our duty to love God. He made this point even clearer saying, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Unless a man hates father, mother, brother, sister, wife, children and even his own life - he cannot follow Me."</span> Later He tells His disciples that they must <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'forsake'</span> families and friends, to follow Him. These are hard words to hear and even harder to carry out! However, Jesus was both clear and uncompromising about our need to <span style="color:#ffcc00;">' . . . forsake ALL to follow' </span>Him.</p><p align="justify">Francis' stormy relationship with his father provides an object lesson of how God works to strengthen our faith in Him. Francis' father showed his disapproval of Francis' decision to follow God by not only beating him but chaining and imprisoning him! Francis eventually, claiming the protection of God through the Church, said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"I shall no long say 'My father, Pietro <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bernadone</span></span>' but rather 'My Father, who art in heaven'".</span> Francis' break with his father (and family) caused him to put all of His reliance on God to meet all of his needs - emotional, socially, spiritual and materially.</p><p align="justify">Why is God so demanding, expecting us to do things that are seemingly beyond our heart's capacity to endure - to forsake wife and children and even our own lives? God has a right to tell us to give up everything for Him since He made us for His purposes and sustains us for His pleasure. It is not only fair but reasonable for Him to ask this and our obligation is to open our heart in faith and say 'Yes!' to God.</p><p align="justify">However, there is another good reason God asks so much of us - faith in God (giving up reliance on anyone else) is the only way God can save us. <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"One cannot</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">serve two masters"</span>, Jesus said. Later He said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Do you think that I have come to bring peace?! No, rather war for from now on a man will be at odds with his wife, a daughter against her mother and parents against their children!"</span> Jesus goes on to say that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"a person's enemies will be those of his own home."</span> The reason for the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'war'</span> is that we now seek to please God rather than our families and, like Francis' family, this both worries and upsets them. Salvation comes through faith in God but if we rely on others (or even ourselves) for help and support, then we won't come to God, rely upon Him in faith, to save us. We must 'war' against ourselves, as well as sometimes the desires of our families, to gain the salvation God offers us.</p><p align="justify">St. Paul talked about this possible spiritual 'conflict of interest' in the context of normal marital relations. <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"A man who is married cares about the things of this world and how he can please his wife while a single person focuses totally on how he can please God . . . the time has come when those who are married must be as if unmarried . . . I want you to be without worldly worries and focused only on pleasing the Lord."</span></p><p align="justify">Francis, in the passage below, talks about those who gather knowledge so as to maintain the love and support of people as well as about the blessedness of one who forsakes <span style="color:#cc6600;">'the climb to knowledge'</span> (and the support of men) to, in perfect trust, wholeheartedly seek and serve God.</p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"There are so many eager for the climb to knowledge that the man is blessed who keeps himself barren of it for the love of God."</span></p><p align="justify">Does Jesus really advocate <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'hate'</span>? We are taught that Jesus is the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Lord of love'</span> and the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Prince of Peace'</span> and yet His own words seem to contradict these descriptions. Jesus spoke dramatically to make His points clearly and powerfully. When Jesus said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"You must hate. . . "</span> He actually meant that ONE'S LOVE FOR GOD SHOULD BE SO GREAT THAT LOVE FOR ANYONE ELSE MUST SEEM LIKE HATE IN COMPARISON. If He actually meant hate how could He tell His disciples later to <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Love your neighbor as yourself"</span>? Jesus not only brought peace to countless millions but encouraged His disciples to do the same when He said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Blessed are the peacemakers . . ."</span> It wasn't Jesus bringing <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'war'</span> but the fact that HIS DEMAND THAT HIS DISCIPLES TOTALLY GIVE THEMSELVES IN FAITH TO GOD THAT CREATED CONFLICTS BETWEEN BELIEVERS AND THEIR UNBELIEVING FAMILIES.</p><p align="justify">It should be noted that God is not asking those who are married to separate from their spouses. St. Paul knew the benefits of being single: one could focus exclusively on trying to please God. However, St. Paul acknowledged that marriage was a blessed <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'gift from God'</span> and that MOST people, during their lives, were called by God to marry and have children (part of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">original</span></span> plan of God that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">' . . . a man shall . . . cling to his wife and become one'</span>). He pointed out that even the early leaders of the Church, including St. Peter, were married. St. Paul is saying that no matter what marital state we are in, we must choose to love and follow God ABOVE our spouse and do what pleases Him first. (It should be noted that if God calls you to be married then He expects you to serve Him through your marriage since <span style="color:#33ff33;">Ma</span><span style="color:#33ff33;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">rriage</span></span></span> is also a <span style="color:#33ff33;">'Vocation'</span> - <span style="color:#33ff33;">a 'calling' - by God to serve Him</span><span style="color:#33ff33;"> . It is, as well, a holy Sacrament</span>.)</p><p align="justify">St. Francis argues that the one who <span style="color:#cc6600;">'is eager for the climb to knowledge'</span> is actually seeking the support of others, even if part of the reason he wants to learn is to be able to serve others. Though loving our neighbor is one of the two most important commands of God, it is always second to THE FIRST : LOVING GOD above everyone and everything else. Remember, if one learns primarily for the sake of getting knowledge so as to be able to teach others rather than to learn to to rely on God, one has put the proverbial <span style="color:#ff0000;">'cart before the horse'</span>. </p><p align="justify">This doesn't mean that scripture wasn't a part of the saints daily lives (it is part of the Mass, found in daily prayers - the Lord's prayer - and recited in the Office). However, Francis argues that praying and living it (scripture) were much more effective than reading it in coming to know God. Francis acknowledges that this is a sacrifice but one that would be highly pleasing to God, inspiring Him to be generous in revealing Himself (mystically) to those who made this sacrifice, for <span style="color:#cc6600;">'love of God'</span>.</p><p align="justify">This sacrifice (the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'barren'</span>-ness Francis mentions) meant giving up the 'world' and maybe even one's life. A person would be considered ignorant and simple if he didn't at least try to become learned and so would find himself rejected by the world. Also, those without learning (and the social contacts it brought) could not rely on those contacts to provide a living for him. One could ONLY rely on <span style="color:#33ff33;">'the table of the Lord'</span> - <span style="color:#33ff33;">God's providence</span> in providing manual labor and, if there was no way to earn one's <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'daily bread',</span> then solely on <span style="color:#33ff33;">alms</span> given <span style="color:#cc6600;">'for the love of God.'</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#cc6600;"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Jesus, for love of You we turn from the</span> <span style="color:#cc6600;">'the climb for knowledge'</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">because we want to know you through experiencing Your love in our lives. You've promised to teach us to love YOU through the people You've placed in our lives. Help us to seek You in daily prayer, using Your Words to empower our prayers to You. We thank You for Your example as a</span> <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'stranger'</span> </span><span style="color:#cc33cc;">as well as the examples of father Abraham, brother Francis and all of the others saints and friars. Our hearts are Yours for we long for You with all we are. Save us from the delusions that knowledge can bring and help us to exalt You in our hearts, minds and bodies - be ever <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">glorified</span></span> in our deeds and words, forever. Amen.</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-65284797215013400492009-12-23T10:00:00.000-08:002009-12-23T15:48:49.860-08:00Doing, not preaching, conveys the Gospel of Love most perfectly to the world!<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Jesus was a doer rather than a talker. Even though He knew the things of God so well, there is no record of Him trying to teach anyone in his family or the village in which He lived for the first 33 years of His life. Jesus may not have said much but we are sure that He showed God's love, through beautiful acts of kindness, to everyone He met. </span></div><br /><div align="justify">Jesus was <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'wise in the ways of God' </span>even when he was very young. When Christ, at age 12, was left in Jerusalem, St. Luke tells us the religious teachers, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'who heard him, were astounded at his intelligence as revealed in His <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">replies</span> to their questions'</span>. Jesus, though so young, knew God and scripture so well that His questions baffled them and His answers to their questions stunned them!</div><br /><div align="justify">However, it was only when Jesus was 34, that God called Him to beging to preach the Gospel. Everyone in His hometown of Nazareth was shocked to hear the profound spiritual Truths coming from His lips since He had talked little on spiritual subjects during all of the previous years. Their response was one of incredulity, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Where did this man get such wisdom?! Isn't this the village carpenter!?'</span></div><br /><p align="justify">Francis was too busy to talk since he was focused on doing what God had taught him was most important: showing, in acts of mercy, the love of God. Only years after leaving the world did God tell him to preach. Even then, Francis continued to emphasize the importance of preaching with one's life, saying to Friars that we must preach <span style="color:#cc6600;">'with our lives, and only if absolutely necessary, with our words'</span>.</p><p align="justify">Francis disliked those who wanted 'spiritual' credit for TALKING about the accomplishments of the truly holy without ever having made any serious effort to LIVE like the holy ones. </p><p align="justify">St. Francis said: <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">Emperor Charles, Roland, Oliver and all the paladins and stalwarts who were mighty in battle, pursuing the infidels with much sweat and toil, even to death, achieved a memorable victory over them and finally they died in battle for the Faith of Christ. Now however, there are many who would like to receive honor and praise for only telling what they did. So there are many among us too, who for merely repeating and preaching about what the saints did want to enjoy honor and praise."</span></p><p align="justify">The most famous Knights of the Crusades were the Emperor Charles, Sir Roland and Sir Oliver and the story of their lives are written in the epic poems, 'The Odes of Roland'. Francis was enthralled when he heard of the heroic deeds of these men and resolved to become a knight. </p><p align="justify">Francis did become a knight, albeit a spiritual one. However, his Crusade was more far reaching than <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Roland's and the battle continues today, waged by the spiritual knights of God - the Franciscans. Francis</span> was called to fight against the evil spiritual <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'forces of darkness that rule the world.'</span> He did so by shining, through his life, the Light of Gospel Love. </p><p align="justify">Francis mentioned the blessed army of God whose great leaders drove back the forces of darkness: the Saints of God. He admired them because they were <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"the light of the world"</span>. However, he had little respect for those <span style="color:#cc6600;">'who for</span> <span style="color:#cc6600;">merely repeating and preaching about what the saints did want to enjoy honor and praise'</span>. </p><p align="justify">Francis didn't have much patience for hypocrites. A <span style="color:#33ff33;">hypocrite</span> is <span style="color:#33ff33;">one who talks but doesn't do - affirms that something is good and right (or bad and wrong!) but then shows by his actions that he doesn't actually believe what he himself so strongly affirms</span>. </p><p align="justify">He despised them because of the great spiritual damage they cause people. First, the hypocrite destroys himself by believing himself to be wise and good (despite the lack of spiritual 'fruit' that proves he is!) and his presumptuous expectation of going to heaven (due to his pride and self-righteousness - sins) will cause him to actually end up in hell. Second, he destroys others because they follow his example (of trusting self-righteousness) rather than DOING what he teaches - showing love through works of mercy. Finally, the hypocrite, without good deeds as proof of the powerful effect of the Gospel in his life, may cause his listeners to actually doubt God's power and the validity of the Gospel!</p><p align="justify">For example; A hypocrite might teach that <span style="color:#ff0000;">'Jesus is love'</span>. This is, of course, the Truth! However, if he then acts in a harsh way toward others, a reasonable man might say <span style="color:#ff0000;">"If Jesus is such a good influence in his life, then why does he act so unloving?! Jesus, must not be a good influence after all and also this man is obviously a liar. Why listen to a liar since they teach only lies?! This man, what he teaches and the Christ he represents is all a lot of hot air with no real substance!" </span></p><div align="justify">We know a person's <span style="color:#ff0000;">'actions speak louder than their words'</span>. If a person says, <span style="color:#ff0000;">'Drinking too much alcohol is bad!'</span> and then gets drunk all of the time, one could conclude that abusing alcohol is actually good (in some sense since people don't knowingly do bad things to themselves) and that the speaker is actually a liar. Also, if a parent tells it's child <span style="color:#ff0000;">'<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Exercise</span> is really good!'</span> but then doesn't <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">exercise</span>, the child will either lose respect for it's parent (for not doing what is reasonable - what is good - for themselves) or figure that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">exercise</span> isn't so <span style="color:#ff0000;">'good'</span> after all! </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The hypocrite actually promotes evil by teaching by his actions that one can safely disregard the 'Truth' - since his listeners (usually) see nothing bad happen to the hypocrite when he disregards the Truth!</div><br /><div align="justify">St. James talked about these 'verbally' religious people and compared them to the truly religious: <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Nobody who fails to keep a tight rein on the tongue can claim to be religious; this is mere self-deception; that person's religion is worthless. Pure, unspoilt religion, in the eyes of God our Father, is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows in their hardships . . ."</span> Taking care of the poor and needy, feeling their pain and sorrow while responding with compassion, is <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'true religion'</span>. "Worthless religion" is practiced by those who trick themselves with high sounding words while neglecting what is essential - taking care of others. James says the truly wise person <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'shows it by DOING good.'</span></div><br /><p align="justify">St. John the Evangelist (Apostle) put it like this, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Whoever claims to remain in Him (Jesus) must ACT as He acted."</span> Later, He added, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"This is the PROOF of love, that He LAID DOWN HIS LIFE for us and WE TOO <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">OUGHT</span> TO lay down our lives for our brothers. If one . . . sees his brother in need but closes his heart to him how can the love of God be remaining in him!? Children, our love MUST BE NOT IN WORDS OR MERE TALK, but something ACTIVE and genuine.'</span> If we respond to their needs only with words, like St. James quoted 'talkers' - <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Be fed and clothed, with God's blessing'</span> - then we prove we do not really know God.</p><p align="justify">John the Baptist said <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'. . . If anyone has two coats he must share with the man who has none and the one with something to eat must do the same.'</span> Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless . . . Give to everyone who asks . . . Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate . . .' </span>Neither Jesus nor John said all of us must open our mouths to teach. However, they did say that we ALL must preach with our lives, through good deeds which are <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'a light shining in darkness'</span>. </p><p align="justify">Finally, Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"</span><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees you will not enter God's kingdom."</span> The scribes were famous for teaching but not for doing what they taught. Jesus sais this TALKING had no value in God's eyes. He said they must reveal their righteousness and 'spiritual knowledge' by DOING the good things God expected from His children.</p><p align="justify">As followers of Jesus (and Francis) we shouldn't have any part with filling the air with words. Using our hands rather than our lips, let us be busy <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'doing good to all men'</span> as Jesus did. Jesus, in the course of His 36 years of earthly life, spent 10 times as much time DOING acts of love than SPEAKING about love. Even during His teaching years (3 years) - He actually spent little time teaching, but rather focused on healing, comforting and encouraging. </p><p align="justify">Though Jesus did speak beautifully about love it was by actually going to the cross that He SHOWED us the depths of His love. Jesus said we must follow His example. Francis is famous for following Jesus example of loving the poor, sick and the rejects of society and even today is known more for what he DID than what he SAID. Let us follow Jesus' (and Francis') example of love for <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"When you DID it for the least of these my children, you did it for Me!"</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, teach us to keep our lips closed but to ever have an open heart. Give us <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to understand'</span> and feel the desperate needs of those around us. Help us, with our smile, eyes of compassion, the warm tone in our voice and especially in our gifts of time and effort to bring the Light of the Gospel love to the world. You've taught us, through the little poor man Francis, that loving others is the perfect way of preaching the Gospel. Help us to preach it loudly, strongly, by our actions and thereby the message of peace and joy to all! Amen. Happy Birthday Jesus!</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-21042309381633803712009-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:002009-12-16T18:34:57.870-08:00Living the Gospel (not getting temporal 'earthly' knowledge of it) is what is most important for God's children.<p align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">One day each of us will stand before the Christ, the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Just Judge'</span>, and He will ask each of us, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"What have you done, with all the daily gifts I gave you?"</span> God will get the answer not so much from our lips as from the totality of our lives for <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'all things are open to Him' </span>in time and space. <span style="color:#ff0000;">'Actions speak louder than words' </span>for God as well as for men! St. Paul made it clear that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Those who spent their life doing what is right will inherit eternal life while those who did what is wrong will inherit eternal damnation'</span>. WE determine where we will end up - heaven or hell - by choosing to do either good or bad in our lives.</span></p><p align="justify">Francis tells us to consider the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'periods of tribulation'</span>, RIGHT NOW. This is a meditation subject that Saints often use to motivate themselves to try harder to live lives of Godly love. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Make good</span><span style="color:#ffcc00;"> use of the time you have left for the end is near'</span>. </p><p align="justify">St. Francis said: <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"My brothers who are led by curious cravings for knowledge will find their hands empty on the day of retribution. I would rather have them growing strong in virtue, that when the periods of tribulation came they could have the Lord with them in their distress. For tribulation is going to come, such that, useless for any purpose, their books will be flung out of windows and into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cubby</span> holes."</span></p><p align="justify">These <span style="color:#cc6600;">'brothers who are led by curious cravings for knowledge'</span> are those who study scripture primarily to scratch an 'intellectual itch' or with the desire to get worldly honor rather than to learn about God or how to live good lives. If, after learning something new in scripture, we ARE NOT renewed in our desire to do good to others and seek God more fervently in prayer, then this knowledge is temporal (therefore 'earthly') and has little spiritual value.</p><p align="justify">Reading scripture prayerfully, should CHANGE YOU and your life. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"We know only in part . . . but all partial <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">knowledge</span> will be done away with."</span> Temporal knowledge's usefulness is limited to this life. God wants us, through His Word, to get that which is eternally useful.</p><p align="justify">This translation of Latin quotes Francis as saying, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'Curious cravings.'</span> However, curious can also be translated as 'strange'. Strange <span style="color:#33ff33;">(curious) also means unusual or unreasonable</span>. Temporal knowledge, if it distracts us from the the most important knowledge, - the knowledge of Christ - is 'unreasonable' since there is nothing more important or valuable than knowing Christ and His will. </p><p align="justify">Most of the Apostle's Letters were <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">originally</span> written in Greek and the phrase <span style="color:#33ff33;">'knowledge of Christ'</span> should be understood to actually mean <span style="color:#33ff33;">personal life experiences with Christ that give us knowledge of Him</span>. In other words the way to truly KNOW Christ is to actually EXPERIENCE Him in your daily life. Scripture gives us a valuable, but very limited, idea of who He. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"You search the scriptures thinking that in them you find life. But they point to me and you won't come to Me."</span> Scripture is designed to 'point' us in the right direction and once it does that we strive to interact with Him so that we can come to fully know Him.</p><p align="justify">St. Francis says the brothers <span style="color:#cc6600;">"will find their hands empty on the day of retribution"</span>. What Francis meant was that it is our good deeds (not our knowledge) that makes Christ fill our hands with blessings on that day. Our good deeds are also the spiritual 'talents' He gave us to make profit on His behalf and now we hold them in our hands to offer Him when he calls all of His servants to account!</p><p align="justify">St. James said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"If one of you sees his brother or sister is in need of clothes and has not enough food to live on and says to them, 'I wish you well; keep yourself warm and eat plenty,' without give them these bare necessities of life, then what good is that? . . . faith without good deeds is dead."</span> Jesus gave us the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">criteria</span> for how He would judge and reward us: <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"When I was hungry you gave me food, when thirsty you gave me drink, when naked you clothed me and when sick and in prison you visited me. When you did it to them . . . you did it to me".</span> It is only those who do as Jesus did that will <span style="color:#cc6600;">'find their hands'</span> full on that Day! </p><p align="justify">Listening to Jesus and then DOING what He says MUST be our focus. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Why do you say to Me, "Lord, Lord!" but then don't DO what I say?!"</span> He also said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'You draw near me with your lips but your heart is far away.'</span> Doing what He says is proof that He truly is your Lord and calling Him "Lord" is not enough. </p><p align="justify">Francis mentions <span style="color:#cc6600;">"periods of tribulation"</span> that will come on the brothers. Whether Francis is talking of the final judgment or the daily trials we regularly experience, the truth he relays applies across the board: God will ONE day ask us (literally or in the context of being 'tested' in trials) to show (by what we have done/how we have acted) what impact His love has had on our lives. We should ask ourselves the same question everyday so that we have the right 'answer' on the day of the 'test'.</p><p align="justify">Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The Father is always with me for I always do those things that please Him"</span>. St. Francis tells us that the brothers, during trials, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"could have the Lord with them in their distress"</span> if they focused their lives in serving those in need of God's love. That man can be confident that God will stand by him in his trials. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"There is no trial that you experience that most men of the world do not also experience . . ."</span> The only difference for believers is that, in our sufferings, we have the loving support and help of the living God. Jesus said,<span style="color:#ffcc00;"> </span><span style="color:#ffcc00;">"I will always be with you, even to the end of your lives."</span> St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Give the worries of your life to God for He will always take care of you." </span>The man who has knowledge (scriptural) or a title ('Theologian' or 'Catholic/Christian') BUT doesn't have the works of mercy <span style="color:#cc6600;">'in his hands'</span> that so characterized our merciful Savior (who <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'went about everywhere doing good to all men'</span> as St. Peter said) will be out of luck on that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Day'</span>of trials and of judgment.</p><p align="justify">Francis paints an interesting picture of what the <span style="color:#cc6600;">'learned brothers'</span> will do on that day, <span style="color:#cc6600;">"For tribulation is going to come, such that, useless for any purpose, their books will be flung out of windows and into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">cubby</span> holes."</span> If there is a sudden flood or a fire what use will 'books' be to you!? When You stand before Christ do you think quoting from the Bible is going to save You - knowing a lot of scripture will help you? That is why Francis says these books will be thrown out as useless (they could, as well, be proof that the 'learned man' spent most of his time READING rather than DOING what Christ said!) </p><p align="justify">Saul of Tarsus is a good example of the ineffectiveness of 'book learning' to truly prepare one to know and serve God. He was a learned and zealously religious man who outstripped other religious scholars in his knowledge of all things spiritual. However, despite the fact that all the scripture Saul read pointed to the Messiah (Saul knew all of those scriptures very well!), he didn't recognize the Messiah when He came! In addition, in his self-righteous religious zeal, he actually went about attacking and killing those who DID truly know the Messiah - early Christians - trying to make them <span style="color:#33ff33;">blaspheme</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">curse and disrespect</span>) Jesus Christ!</p><p align="justify">God eventually knocked Saul off his 'high horse', <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Saul, why are you attacking me?!' 'Who are You Lord?' Saul asked. "I Am Jesus who you are attacking." </span>God blinded Saul's eyes so that he would realize that he was also spiritually blind and didn't know God at all. Saul's book knowledge was useless when it came to recognizing the Christ he longed for. Only when he had a faith experience with Jesus was he given a true understanding of scripture and it's proper use - then he finally understood what he had spent all of his life 'learning'. We know Saul now as St. Paul, the Apostle. </p><p align="justify">Reading scripture is something that both God and our Church encourage us to do. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"If you remain in my Words and my Words live in you then you will truly be my disciples."</span> He also said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Happy are those who hear the Word of God and . . . do it!"</span> Doing it is the key! Francis wanted us to know that learning from scripture is good IF we read it with the idea that we want to learn to live a life of brotherly love. At the end of our lives we won't take a scriptural reading comprehension test but will be judged on how well we carried out what our Lord, simply and plainly, told us to do. </p><p align="justify">The one who follows Jesus in works of mercy will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven and will also be richly rewarded. The person who didn't do anything but learn interesting scriptural facts will find himself thrown out with these words of Christ to ring in his ears forever, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Get out of here, you who did evil things, for you are not welcomed into the place prepared for those who were good and faithful. You say you know me but I NEVER knew you!"</span> What a terrible day that will be! </p><p align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, we want to know You. Help us to come to know You by reading, meditating and praying with scripture. We know we must, as soon as we finish reading and praying, set about doing what You have taught us. Teach us to love like You loved. Help us to not read solely out of curiosity or to impress others with our knowledge. but because we need to know You and learn how to please You. We know that You stand by us, help and support us, in our trials because You've told us You would but also because we have experienced Your loving support in the past. Help us to always focus, in all things, on You, our Lord and our Savior and never forget the good work You've given us: to love all men in the same way that you've loved us. Amen.</span></p>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-50330547331325372042009-12-09T10:00:00.000-08:002009-12-09T17:38:29.357-08:00How to prepare for a true Ministry of the Word!<div align="justify"><span style="color:#ff6600;">Jesus said that we must be <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'wise as serpents and yet gentle, as doves'</span>. Francis wanted his followers to do what Jesus said: be wise in a practical, 'down to earth' way but also be pure, simple and gentle. Francis' concern about book learning was that it might make one <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'wise'</span> (knowledgeable) WITHOUT making one <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'gentle' </span>(lovingly kind). Jesus said we need to be BOTH! Remember the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">wisest</span> creature in the garden of Eden' </span>was the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'serpent'</span>. But it was him who used his knowledge to rebel against God and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">deceive</span> our ancestors?! It is the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'gentle dove'</span> that <span style="color:#33ff33;">saves</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">redeems</span>) the <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'wise serpent'</span>.<br /></span><br />Francis explained, <span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">"Learning renders many people <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">indocile</span>, not permitting them to unbend under humble observances with a certain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">setness</span> of theirs. </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">So I should like to see a lettered man first make this request of me: ‘See, brother, I have lived a long time in the world and yet have not learned to know God truly. I beg you, grant me a spot removed from the noise of the world where I can think over my past years in sorrow, and whereby, collecting my scattered forces, I can reshape my spirit for better things'. </span><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc6600;">What do you think a man starting like that would come to be?! He would really go about everything with the vigor of an unchained lion, and the blessed energy he drank in at the start would develop in him by steady stages. You could, in time, safely give him over to a genuine ministry of the Word, for he would begin to pour out the force <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">aboil</span> in him."</span><br /><br />It <span style="color:#cc6600;">'pleased'</span> Francis when an educated man requested solitude because Francis knew that one's <span style="color:#33ff33;">salvation</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">relationship with God</span>) MUST ALWAYS come first and his request indicated that the brother knew what he was lacking - God and salvation.<br /><br />Francis calls him a <span style="color:#cc6600;">'lettered man'</span> (one educated at University). Only the wealthy were able to become scholars. Educated men were men of <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the world'</span> who expected to be treated with deference and paid well for their services. Francis encourages these brothers of <span style="color:#cc6600;">'letters'</span> to turn their back <strong>completely</strong> on their former way of life. He knew that their public renunciation of the world (when they took Franciscan vows) didn't necessarily mean that they had fully given up the love of <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'the world' </span>in their hearts. Francis tells them that total renunciation requires giving up even their learning. Francis wanted them to throw themselves <span style="color:#33ff33;">spiritually naked</span> at the feet of Christ (realize <span style="color:#33ff33;">their desperate need for God and beg for His help to become good</span>). </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis used the word <span style="color:#33ff33;">'<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">indocile</span>'</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">resistant</span>) to describe the men who still inwardly clung to the world. St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice to God . . ."</span> We, in effect, reject God if we fail on a daily basis to <span style="color:#33ff33;">sacrifice</span> ourselves to Him (<span style="color:#33ff33;">give up our will for God's will</span>). </div><br /><div align="justify">Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Those who wish to save their lives, must lose them."</span> We refuse to <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'lose'</span> our lives because we feel we are already giving and doing enough. Jesus said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"No man can follow me unless he gives up EVERYTHING!"</span> We think we are in good spiritual health because we are 'in the know' (are spiritually knowledgeable). Each of us argues that <span style="color:#ff0000;">"I could not know these things without having lived them, experienced them!?"</span> We declare that <span style="color:#ff0000;">"God has no reason to expect more since I am already doing everything right!"</span><br /><br />But this just shows how spiritually blind we are! St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'If a man has committed ONE sin, he has broken EVERY law of God.'</span> This means every sin we do commit (everyday!) is the tip of the iceberg because there are many many more we don't even realize we've <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">committed (we're so used to doing them</span>!) These <span style="color:#cc6600;">'lettered men'</span> (and us!) are seriously deluded in thinking they know more than God about the state of their souls!</div><br /><div align="justify">St. Paul made it clear we ALL need to repent daily. He said, <span style="color:#ffcc33;">'A</span><span style="color:#ffcc00;">LL men have sinned and fallen short of God's expectations for them'</span>. The prophet Isaiah said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"There is NO ONE who does right and who knows God! Not one!"</span> St. Paul said that <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"By seeking to establish their own righteousness, they reject the righteousness of God"</span> - and so are lost. St. John said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"Anyone who says he does not have sin is a liar and is calling God a liar".</span> God doesn't lie! However, we need to realize that we lie to ourselves all of the time - especially about how sure we are about things like our own righteousness and spiritual health!</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis points out that these people can't <span style="color:#cc6600;">'unbend'</span>! He says they become <span style="color:#cc6600;">'set'</span> ('stuck', in their self-righteousness). They are sure they are right - and no one (not even God!) can tell them otherwise! That which is bent (and stuck) resists being <span style="color:#cc6600;">'unbent'</span>. Regretably, God has a hard time trying to get them straight, primarily because He won't override our free will. If we insist we are right He won't argue with us - but neither will He allow us into heaven since He knows otherwise!</div><br /><div align="justify">Francis presents for us a <span style="color:#cc6600;">'lettered man' </span>who readily acknowledges that he (despite his great education) has <span style="color:#cc6600;">'not yet come to know God truly.'</span> This brother requests a silent and solitary life in a place removed from <span style="color:#cc6600;">'the noise of the world</span><span style="color:#cc6600;">.'</span> The <span style="color:#cc6600;">'world'</span> creates <span style="color:#33ff33;">spiritual noise</span> which <span style="color:#33ff33;">distracts</span> us from God. It does this using the <span style="color:#33ff33;">things of</span> <span style="color:#33ff33;">'the world'. </span>(Jesus described them as <span style="color:#33ff33;">'riches, pleasures and the worries of this life')</span>. He knows he needs years of <span style="color:#33ff33;">penance considering</span> <span style="color:#33ff33;">how he has 'wasted' his life</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">examination of conscience</span>). We <span style="color:#33ff33;">waste</span> our lives by <span style="color:#33ff33;">involving ourselves in things that have no lasting value e.g. money, power, fame, and even so-called knowledge, all things that quickly pass away</span>! The man admits that his <span style="color:#cc6600;">'forces' </span>were <span style="color:#cc6600;">'scattered',</span> that he neglected <span style="color:#33ff33;">what is most important in life</span>:<span style="color:#33ff33;"> love of God</span>!</div><br /><div align="justify">Don't think that what is written here doesn't apply to you! EVERYONE is damaged (bent/warped) by sin and ALL OF US must struggle against our sinful nature. St. Paul said we must try to avoid <span style="color:#cc6600;">'the sin which so easily conquers us'. </span>St. Paul taught that <span style="color:#33ff33;">the flesh</span> is <span style="color:#33ff33;">the enemy within us,</span> made powerful by our <span style="color:#33ff33;">selfish sensual impulses </span>(<span style="color:#33ff33;">our sinful nature</span>). Jesus Himself said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"The spirit is willing</span> (to do what is right) <span style="color:#ffcc00;">but the flesh is weak</span> (since it loves what is wrong)<span style="color:#ffff00;">."</span> St. Paul said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'Who shall save me from the body of this death?!"</span> It is the <span style="color:#33ff33;">flesh</span> (the <span style="color:#33ff33;">'old man', the 'body'</span>) that we must <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'crucify with Christ'</span> by forsaking our will and following God's. Our sinful nature is the reason all believers, everyday of their lives, must <span style="color:#33ff33;">repent</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">do penance - turn</span>) and be transformed by Christ. </div><div align="justify"><br />God revealed through Francis a <span style="color:#33ff33;">simple way of life</span> that harnesses the power of this fervent desire to change and gives it direction. It was <span style="color:#33ff33;">'humble observances'</span> - <span style="color:#33ff33;">simple practices</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">the Mass</span><span style="color:#33ff33;">,</span> <span style="color:#33ff33;">confession</span>, <span style="color:#33ff33;">prayer, examination of conscience, fasting, serving others in mundane 'lowly' tasks, silence, the discipline</span>) that the Holy Spirit uses to purify the hearts of the brothers and bring them to a true knowledge of the living God. </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis explains how the brother would be <span style="color:#cc6600;">'reshaped . . . for better things'</span>. <span style="color:#cc6600;">'The blessed energy he drank in at the start would develop in him by steady stages'</span>. This <span style="color:#33ff33;">energy</span> - <span style="color:#33ff33;">this humble, sincere and fervent spirit</span> - would grow in him, gradually, bringing about <span style="color:#33ff33;">heart-felt sorrow</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">compunction</span>) as, over his days, he considered his abuse and waste of God's gifts. Compunction would daily empower him to <span style="color:#33ff33;">repent</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">reject/turn away from</span>) of his pride, arrogance and presumption. After all, there is no reason to be proud when you realize you are an idiot who has been wasted God's good gifts. You stop being arrogant (feeling you 'know it all') when you realize, before God, what a fool you've been - loving temporal things rather than the eternal ones. Finally, you give up presumption when you realize you were wrong all along and so made so many mistakes! King Solomon said, <span style="color:#ffcc00;">"There is a way that seems right to a man but, in the end, it leads to death."</span> </div><br /><div align="justify">God, who <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'hears the cries of the humble and contrite heart',</span> will forgive this brother and reveal how completely He loves him. God's work of grace, accomplished in solitude and through prayer, will also give the brother spiritual wisdom. He will FINALLY come to understand God, and His Word, from 'the inside out' since God Himself will be whispering the <span style="color:#33ff33;">Truth</span> (<span style="color:#33ff33;">real</span> <span style="color:#33ff33;">knowledge of God</span>) into his ears during his days of humble solitude and solicitude. In addition, the Holy Spirit would be <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">equipping</span> him with the spiritual tools necessary for God to use to touch other's lives through him. </div><br /><div align="justify">Francis said, <span style="color:#cc6600;">'He would really go about everything with the vigor of an unchained lion!' </span>He would be spiritually renewed and invigorated, transformed into <span style="color:#ffcc00;">'a new man in Christ'</span>. Francis added that <span style="color:#cc6600;">"You could, in time, safely give him over to a genuine ministry of the Word, for he would begin to pour out the force <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">aboil</span> in him."</span> NOW this man was ready to have a ministry of the Word! The power of the Holy Spirit would be <span style="color:#cc6600;">'boiling'</span> in Him - would surge out of him to bless those who would now hear, through him, the voice of the Living God. </div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color:#cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, teach us to always stay in Your presence. We know that it is in solitude, through humble menial service and in fervent prayer that we come to know You. Since we are Your servants, we must learn to eagerly listen to Your voice and promply do WHATEVER You ask. We surrender ourselves and abjectly admit we know nothing about the spiritual life. Forgive us our pride, so presumptuous. Loving You comes first for only after giving ourselves fully to You can we truly love others, with Your love. Be exalted in our hearts and lives forever Lord Jesus!</span></div>brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7575135911772470045.post-47298259294038671482009-12-03T10:00:00.000-08:002017-07-19T16:02:54.280-07:00Meditating on scripture should lead to fervent prayer and increased love and devotion to Christ, rather than just 'knowledge'.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #ff6600;">Reading Holy Scripture should lead us to God and inspire us to seek Him more fervently in prayer. However, studying scripture for selfish purposes - to feed pride, to gather information only for the purpose of teaching or to satisfy our curosity - is dangerous. Francis teaches us that scripture should be read for inspiration in prayer because it is through prayer that we are able to touch, and be touched by, God.</span></div>
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Francis has a reputation, amongst some modern day 'scholars', as being anti-learning. And it is true that throughout his recorded sayings he tells the brothers to avoid studies, to not possess (spiritual) books and avoid reading in general. However, this is a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">misunderstanding of what Francis' actually felt about studying scripture.</span></span></div>
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Francis actually loved scripture and spent a great deal of time reading and meditating on it. He read so much scripture - both from the Old and New Testaments - that he actually memorized (without really intending to!) large sections of it. He knew that scripture, understood in faith, contained God's power to change everyone and everything for good.</div>
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We all know how devoted Francis was to Christ in the Eucharist. This devotion extended to both holy 'things' (e.g., vestments, chalice, servers, etc.) and consecrated priests since God used them to accomplish the miracle of <span style="color: #33ff33;">trans-substantiation</span> (<span style="color: #33ff33;">make something that is one thing into something else without changing its form or appearance</span>). However, he taught that it was the Holy Words of God in the liturgy that made priest and instruments holy and transformed the bread and wine into Jesus' body and blood. God's words, in Francis' eyes, were very powerful and precious!</div>
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The ultimate proof of Francis' great devotion to the Word of God can be seen in how often he quotes scripture - both in his every day conversations but also in his letters to others as well as official documents. If necessity required him to teach, he made every effort to use God's word to express the spiritual ideas he knew needed to be shared. When he presented the first Rule at the Holy See, the Pope was a bit disconcerted to see that it was made up entirely of Jesus' words - verses strung together to convey the simple (but profound) ideas of the Gospel. Jesus' words were clear, simple and self-explanatory so Francis felt nothing more was needed. </div>
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Francis wasn't initially suspicious of learning nor did he feel it was evil to study of scripture from a scholarly perspective. Rather than being 'anti-learning', Francis just wanted to emphasize the utter necessity as well as the amazing benefits of prayer - of talking to God, heart to heart. He considered St. Paul's words, <span style="color: #ffcc00;">"Knowledge fills a person with pride . . . ".</span> </div>
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Francis felt that it was only through one's personal encounter with God that a person made progress in the spiritual life. He loved scripture but also realized it was ultimately only a means to an end. Jesus said, <span style="color: #ffcc00;">'You search in the scriptures thinking that in them you will find life. However, they speak of Me and yet you won't come to Me</span><span style="color: #ffcc00;">!"</span> Francis wanted his brothers to find Jesus. He knew that the most powerful spiritual tool we can use to find Jesus is in seeking Him through prayer. </div>
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'Studies' eventually did become something negative in Francis' mind when he saw that they had come to interfere with the prayer lives of the brothers. One who wanted to spend MOST of his time reading, writing and/or teaching was on the wrong track - a dangerous road that could end in spiritual destruction. Francis taught that the Friars were called, first and foremost, to pray, worship and serve Christ in the poor. "Reading" was down very low on his list of priorities.</div>
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Francis said: <span style="color: #cc6600;">"</span><span style="color: #cc6600; font-size: 130%;">To brother Anthony my Bishop, brother Francis gives greeting: It is agreeable to me to have you read sacred theology to the brothers, so long as over this study they do not extinguish the spirit of prayer and devotion, as contained in the Rule."</span> </div>
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It appears that, at this time, brother Anthony (known to us today as St. Anthony of Padua - an extremely beloved saint!) was not a bishop so why did Francis call him 'my Bishop'? There is ample proof that Francis had <span style="color: #33cc00;">the gift of prophecy</span> and some say that Francis <span style="color: #33cc00;">was predicting</span> that brother Anthony would become a Bishop one day - something which actually happened! </div>
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Though I have not yet discovered the circumstances that prompted Francis to write this little note to brother Anthony, it appears that he might have been responding to a message he had received from Anthony. Brother Anthony was a good friar who took his vow of obedience seriously and would have wanted to consult with the Minister General of the Order - Francis of Assisi - about what he felt God was leading him to do. Francis gives his answer to brother Anthony; he found it <span style="color: #cc6600;">'agreeable'</span> (worthwhile) for brother Anthony to teach the brothers.</div>
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We all know that <span style="color: #33cc00;">theology</span> is <span style="color: #33cc00;">the study of God and of all things related to God</span>. Francis calling it <span style="color: #cc6600;">'Sacred'</span> emphasizes the fact that this is not something <span style="color: #33cc00;">earthly</span> or <span style="color: #33ff33;">fleshy </span>- it doesn't come about <span style="color: #33cc00;">through man's intellectual capacity nor does it arise through some innate goodness of man</span>. <span style="color: #33cc00;">Sacred</span> means it is <span style="color: #33cc00;">something that comes solely from God</span> - and is given to those that have received the <span style="color: #ffcc00;">'gift of faith'</span>, as St. Paul says. Sacred theology gives God's children the power to understand <span style="color: #ffcc00;">'the mysteries of God'</span> hidden within Jesus' words.</div>
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Francis then says something curious - <span style="color: #cc6600;">"so long as over this study they do not extinguish the spirit of prayer and devotion, as contained in the Rule."</span> How does studying scripture extinguish the spirit of prayer and devotion? If anything most find that reading scripture actually encourages them in their prayers.</div>
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A friend told me this interesting story: <span style="color: red;">Approximately 100 years ago a minister, in his 'reading' of scripture, came across the story of Jesus cursing a fig tree because He did not find fruit on it. This curse caused the tree to immediately wither up. This minister became very upset when he thought about what Jesus had done because he felt it was unreasonable for Jesus to expect to find fruit on it given that </span><span style="color: #ffcc00;">"it was not the season for figs,"</span> <span style="color: red;">as the scripture say.</span> <span style="color: red;">Using</span><span style="color: red;"> purely 'natural' human reasoning, he came to the conclusion that a Jesus who could be so unreasonable and unjust was not a person he could</span> <span style="color: #33cc00;">believe </span><span style="color: red;">in</span><span style="color: red;"> (</span><span style="color: #33cc00;">trust</span><span style="color: red;">).</span><span style="color: red;"> As a result of his 'reading' he turned his back on the faith and gave up his position as minister. </span></div>
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<span style="color: red;">A few years later he died and a few years after that a close friend of his - a fellow minister who never lost his faith - found himself in the Holy Land and asked a farmer about the local fig trees. The farmer told him that if a fig tree had a lot of leaves on it, even if the</span> <span style="color: #ffcc00;">'season for figs had </span><span style="color: #ffcc00;">passed',</span> <span style="color: red;">it was VERY PROBABLE that the tree would still have figs on it. Thus, this man found out that Jesus' expectation of finding figs on the fig tree was reasonable and His curse was justified. </span></div>
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The man who depended on his own reasoning rather than humbly seeking (in prayer) the truth that comes from the Holy Spirit, ended up losing his faith. This story illustrates what Francis feared would happen to his brothers if they studied scripture (without faith in the goodness of God, humbly and prayerfully) like this man - turning away from God and losing their eternal souls.</div>
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Prayer should go before reading, happen during reading and continue after reading because the reading of scripture is supposed to be fuel for the fervent fires of prayer. Scripture reading/meditation SHOULD lead to greater devotion for God AND fervent prayer. If it doesn't, then some thing is wrong with the way we are reading. </div>
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Francis could meditate on a single verse and find the spiritual power and encouragement in it to get lost in God, through prayer, for hours. He also felt that the scripture the brothers heard during the Liturgy of the Hours and at Mass was ample for their prayerful meditation.</div>
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We read scripture to find God and be with Him. Reading <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">solely</span> for intellectual stimulation, out of curiosity or for 'bragging rights', is both arrogant and presumptuous - <span style="color: #33ff33;">sins</span> (<span style="color: #33ff33;">acts of rebellion against God</span>). We must guard against our sinful fleshy natures, otherwise we could end up with a great knowledge of scripture and . . . little true knowledge of God.</div>
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<span style="color: white;">PRAYER:</span> <span style="color: #cc33cc;">Lord Jesus, You are</span> <span style="color: #ffcc00;">'the Way, the Truth and the Life'</span>. <span style="color: #cc33cc;">Moses and all the prophets knew, as Francis did, that You and You alone are the answer to the deepest needs of our hearts. Help us to let Your words live within us so that in praying with them, fwe come to find You in them. Jesus, help us to not become Biblical scholars but Mystical Theologians, experiencing and coming to know You intimately. Brother Anthony, pray for us so that, like You, we might draw close to God and become empowered to love God like Jesus did. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.</span></div>
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brother Joseph, SFOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919883439810860642noreply@blogger.com0