From The Friars eLetter

Beggars before God

2012-01-14T06:17:00.000-08:00

We are all beggars before God. There is nothing we can truly call our own. Everything is a gift from God and everything comes from him.

However, not all beggars are alike. Some are childlike, obsessed with their own needs and anxiously try to prolong their existence and fulfill their desires as much as possible. They demand things from God in a timely fashion and if their prayer is not heard according to their will they do whatever is necessary to make sure their needs are accomplished. Another type of beggar is one who is humble, sincere and has realized their own helplessness and in humility has turned outside of himself for the answers and for the help he needs for his life. His “nothingness” has not led him to despair but to hope in a loving and merciful God.

Which kind of beggar are we?

If our brokenness, sins, mistakes, regrets and fears do not make us humble than we will remain like the beggar who is never satisfied and who is always anxious and afraid. Yet if in our poverty we can turn to God, honest about ourselves and our lives, we will experience the hand of a loving Father in our life. He will change the rags that we as beggars have acquired and clothe us in the new and beautiful garments of the children of God.

God bless you,

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY

Questioning in Luke 1

2012-01-02T19:57:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up “y” was my favorite letter of the alphabet - my poor parents! We modern people love to question things. Faith can be a huge area of questions and doubts.

Zechariah and the Virgin Mary both question what the Angel Gabriel told them. Zechariah as an elderly priest in the Temple asked, “How can this be? My wife and I are past the child-bearing age?” Mary as a teenage girl asked, “How can this be? I do not know man?” Zechariah receives a nine month silent retreat as punishment for his disbelief. The Virgin Mary receives the Word incarnate in her womb.

What was the difference between their two questions? Evidently Zechariah questioned from a position of disbelief. Mary questioned from a position of faith seeking understanding (the fides quaerens intellectum of St. Anselm).

So let us question like Mary, not from skepticism and suspicion, but rather from a trust which seeks to understand. The answers to some questions are so big and wonderful that we will need to wait for eternity to ponder them. If God was small enough for our minds, He wouldn’t be big enough for our problems.

Another helpful point to ponder: With God the penalty always contains the remedy. Nine months in silence was just what Zechariah needed to confront his unbelief. Silent prayer in the presence of the Lord will help our unbelief as well.

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
Saint Joseph Friary
Harlem, NY

Skepticism: Enemy of Your Vocation

2011-12-18T18:36:00.000-08:00

A blessed Advent and Merry Christmas to all of you. This is such a beautiful time of the year, filled with memories and moving images of an amazingly humble God. Various TV channels usually run such classics as Dicken's A Christmas Carol (did you see the Disney - Jim Carrey version?), 1983 A Christmas Story, 1964 Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, 1969 Frosty the Snowman and the 1965 A Charlie Brown Christmas. Some people like the 2008 movie The Nativity Story. Many churches put on live nativity plays (see ours here). Saint Francis started it all! (read more here).

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus (Luke 1:31)

Christmas and Easter are also times when it is popular for various TV channels to show documentaries on Jesus, etc. Many of these programs this year will focus on anything except the religious aspect of Christmas - or they will be presenting the story from a skeptical point of view using testimonies from various "scholars". Beware!! It is worth noting that we are often bombarded from so many different sources which plant seeds of doubt about our faith. This is the tactic taken by the serpent in the garden. We are all influenced by the secular culture. Beware!! Skepticism is the enemy of your vocation. Littleness of faith is a huge problem when it comes to discerning and answering your call from God. Let's say bah humbug to the sowers of secular skepticism.

Just say no to those skeptical Grinches!

P.S. Remember the Nativity story? It is all true.

May the newborn baby Jesus bless you,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR

Saint Joseph Friary, Harlem, NY

Check it out ...

+ Pope Lights World’s Largest Xmas Tree & Shares His 3 Xmas Wishes

+ Ultra Sound Baby Jesus Poster found here

+ Archbishop Carlson sees signs of encouragement for US vocations

+ Padre Pio's Christmas Meditation - from a hand-written notebook

+ GrassrootsFilms Superbowl Doritos Commercial - a must see from our friends

+ The Star of Bethlehem Documentary - really really interesting

+ [Advent Conspiracy] Enter the Story 2011 - a must see - 2:39 video - this Christmas

+ Videos: A Friar Tells His Story + Mother Teresa on Vocation + CFR Sisters 1 + CFR Sisters 2

A Litany for Salvation

2011-12-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

Jesus save me from my pride that refuses help, even when I know I need it.
Jesus save me from the fear I have about the future.
Jesus save me from the desire to be my own savior or to find a savior in somebody or something else but you.
Jesus save me from lust and treating and seeing others only as objects of pleasure. Jesus save me from anxiety about decisions and circumstances in my life.
Jesus save me from my interior poverty and brokenness.
Jesus save me from my loneliness.
Jesus save me from my insecurities about myself, my body and my state in life right now.
Jesus save me from being overly concerned with what people say or think about me.
Jesus save me from the thought that my life has no meaning.
Jesus save me from despair and the temptation to think that You don’t love me and that I am beyond your help.
Jesus save me from disordered desires that cause imbalances in my heart, body and soul.
Jesus save me from being envious and jealous of others.
Jesus save me from blindness that prevents me from seeing the truth.
Jesus save me from mediocrity and only living life with half of my heart.
Jesus save me from the fear of being the person you call me to be.
Jesus save me from an attitude of “possession” that wants to take instead of receive life as a gift.
Jesus save me from laziness and an inordinate desire for worldly pleasures.
Jesus save me from the fear of death.
Jesus save me from not seeing the good you have placed within me.
Jesus save me from the million other things I cannot see or hear right now.
Most of all Jesus, save me from the thought that your love is not enough for me…

God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY

Fr. Mariusz is recovering well

2011-12-07T10:58:00.001-08:00

(On Nov. 17, Fr. Mariusz suffered a heart attack and is now recovering well)

Dear CFR Associates and Friends,

With deep gratitude I write to thank you for your prayers for my recovery. Certainly this experience has reminded me again of the precious gift of life, and especially of the precious gift of our Faith.

On November 2, 2011, Pope Benedict spoke these words:

"If we reduce man exclusively to his horizontal dimension, to that which can be perceived empirically, life itself loses its profound meaning. Man needs eternity for every other hope is too brief, too limited for him. Man can be explained only if there is a Love which overcomes every isolation, even that of death, in a totality which also transcends time and space. Man can be explained, he finds his deepest meaning, only if there is God. And we know that God left his distance for us and made himself close. He entered into our life and tells us: “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

Be assured of my prayers for you and best wishes for a joy filled Advent Season. Please continue to pray for my recovery, that I will use this time as a time of prayer and renewal. Your intentions are in my heart at the celebration of Holy Mass. May God bless you abundantly!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Mariusz Casimir Koch, CFR
Community Servant

A Collection of prayers: VII.

2011-11-29T18:12:00.001-08:00

I cannot fathom my heart Lord. It is an ocean I am unable to conquer.

I rebel underneath its waves. I fight like a warrior against its currents. I curse its temperature and fall exhausted on the shore gasping for breathe. I plot revenge with a smile. Am I proud or just a fool? How long will I try and vanquish this mystery alone?

I was not made for this solitude. My heart suffocates in isolation.

My wisdom has been imprudent and my hope in vain.

I lift my eyes to You Father, my only hope for communion. You are the answer to the thousand questions that rage inside of me.

If only I am brave enough to surrender.

A collection of prayers: VI.

2011-11-21T18:35:00.001-08:00

The rain obscures my vision. The wind makes my body a fool.

If I run, I am prey to all that is wild. If I walk, death comes like a slow winter.

Hear me, crying.

A Collection of prayers: V.

2011-11-15T11:20:00.001-08:00

(Adam’s Song)

If only I could return to that place where I once felt your hands, calm and serene, fashioning me in Your image. That place where Your voice, tranquil and easy,
breathed over me. That second where Your eyes, fervent and beautiful, revealed Yourself to me; that moment in time when I first saw her.

How different would I respond now; because this time, I am not afraid?

Even though I must toil and suffer here on this earth I will not leave her again. She, my sister and my bride, reveals to me who I am and who I am supposed to be, because through our love we are led to You, the Author of love.

A Collection of prayers IV.

2011-11-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

Whether I realize it or not I am constantly longing for You. My mind hungers for Your peace and my heart refuses anything but Your presence. I am numb without You, frozen in time, waiting for You to touch me and bring me back to life.

Where could I go if You were not here? I could not find You on my own nor could I discover something more beautiful than You. I have searched and found words, turned words into sentences, and sentences into poetry, only to become bored by its rhyme and meter. But in Your Passion You have burned those pages and now You are the poet leading me into eternity.

Without You Lord my life is a tragedy, for in Your sonnets You have revealed to me the love that I yearn for.

God bless you,

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, New York

A Collection of prayers: III.

2011-10-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

The leaves, once so strong and independent, have changed colors as they prepare for their end.

And here am I, watching the restlessness of myyouth fade away. Only You my God knowwhen my end will be. Like these autumnleaves all I can do is surrender to Your providence. It is a simple act of faith in Yourlove.

God bless you,

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, New York

Collection of Prayers: II.

2011-10-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

You have enabled me to write about “our experience,” an experience often disguised as ordinary, yet varying in colors and seasons. We have touched persons scattered throughout this world proclaiming Your Kingdom and a destiny of spontaneous joy.

I feel like we have only begun. Dawn appears on the horizon and the hours of light are before us. It is time to run, to sing, to love. But where do I begin? You are quiet these days which makes me wonder if this whole thing is a dream. My God, please save me from another illusion!

For so long I have only lived and thought about myself. Is the same true with my writing? I am tired of all these false gods, and of all the incense that is burned before them.

I will write only for You, because without You, even the stars fall asleep and nighttime is devoid of romance.

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, New York

A Collection of prayers: I

2011-10-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

I believe You are near to me, and that to find You, I can remain here, alone. Yet still, I am not content with this stillness. My soul cries out for more and longs for that which I cannot understand.

What can I do? Where can I go? I am helpless. I can only wait on You and be patient. My God, I am in need of You. Jesus come, come more deeply, overwhelm me. Drown me in Your love.

God bless you,

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, New York

The Rosary

2011-10-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

There is an one-legged old man in our neighborhood. He walks slowly with the help of a walker. When we see each other we laugh and say, "One step at a time!" He is a tremendous example of patience and joy.

It can be hard to pray in our busy modern world. I think that the rosary is a remedy for our dilemma. Each Hail Mary is like a step towards heaven, calling to mind the Divine Mysteries of Jesus' life. Slow down, pray and take one step at time.

God bless you,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
Saint Joseph Friary, Harlem, NY

Lectio Divina

2011-09-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

We recently had an excellent Lectio Divina retreat with our new Postulants. We spent the weekend at the hermitage in upstate New York amidst the silence of the woods. A little silence and space for the Lord to speak is greatly needed - and doable! We simply prayed and slowly read a few passages from the Gospel of St. Luke (a personal favorite). It was beautiful to hear what the text was saying to each one.

I highly recommend the Catholic Prayer Bible, Lectio Divina Edition. Paulist Press has done a great job with this aid to praying with God's Word.

found here

God bless you,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
Saint Joseph Friary, Harlem, NY

We Remember

2011-09-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

The call came to our friars from the firemen next to ourfriary on 156^th Streetin the Bronx. “Please get down to Ground Zero– we need you there.” It was the day after 9/11. The plan was to meet at the Bronx firehouse and take a bus with the firemen who wouldbe transported to help at Ground Zero.

So a group of us friars, priests and brothers, waited at the firehouse with the firemen the morning of 9/12 to head across the bridge by bus to Manhattan. The firemen sat in silence while watching the news on the television. Also, a fireman was writing a list of names on a chalkboard, the names of their confreres who had died.

Pain was written on their faces. There were no words that seemed appropriate. We just sat praying silently next to them and waited. The bus was delayed so we were encouraged by the firemen to take the subway to Manhattan as far as could and then to walk the rest of the way. That we did – we passed two barricades at which we simply said, “The firemen asked us to go to Ground Zero.” We were given the OK.

Before we knew it we were at a place that seemed surreal. Somehow we were there, yet it didn’t seem real: skeletons of buildings, broken glass, water pouring down escalators, grey soot up to our ankles, most of all the pained faces of heroes trying their best to do something, anything.

My responsibility was to bless the bodies which were being removed from the rubble. The unmistakable orange body-bags were carried with great dignity. I stood next to a Rabbi and a Protestant Minister. As the bodies were being carried to the first temporary morgue the bearers paused, we prayed, gave a blessing and cried.

Other friars prayed with small groups of firemen, policemen and other responders. Only prayer and simply being present seemed to be appropriate. Some brothers gave out rosaries and offered their shoulders to cry on. Noting Saint Francis’ love for animals we were asked to bless the specially trained dogs which were helping with the search for remains.

On the way back to the Bronx we rode the bus with the firemen. We rode through Manhattan as crowds of people waved and showed signs of support. We sat in silence. Only prayer and simply being present seemed appropriate.

Fr. Mariusz Koch, CFR
Community Servant
Most Blessed Sacrament Friary, Newark, NJ

Letter from Pope Bendict to US Bishops
Sept. 11, 2011

Prayer of Pope Benedict XVI at Ground Zero
April 20, 2008

An Eternal Perspective

2011-09-02T18:41:00.000-07:00

Often times we are guilty of being nearsighted, therefore we can only see what is in front of us and everything further away is foggy and unclear. Since we cannot see too far in the distance we tend to concentrate on what is only directly in front of us. The danger here is that we are not embracing all of reality, but only a very small portion of it.

In this life it is easy to be overwhelmed by sufferings, trials, disappointments, fears and a million other things that stand directly in front of us. Our faith reminds us there is a greater part of reality we are not seeing. There is a greater part of reality that we often ignore. It is the reality of heaven!

This world, with all of its struggles anddisappointments, does not contain the complete picture of our lives. The Catechism says that “heaven is theultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state ofsupreme, definitive happiness” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1024).

Without this eternal perspective we will be overwhelmed by this life and all its drama. Happiness, peace, joy and fulfillment are not simply part of a fairy tale. We can experience them in pieces in this life, yet in heaven they will be ours in abundance. Let us keep heaven before us always and remember that by doing so we are not neglecting anything, but in fact are embracing the fullness of reality.

God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, New York

Final Vows 2011

2011-08-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, July 31, 2010, four of our friars professed final vows.

(left to right) Br. Francesco Mary Gavazzi (Sydney, Australia), Br. Pius Marie Gagne (Meriden, CT), Br. Giles Maria Barrie (Kankakee, IL) and Br. John-Mary Johannssen (Poughkeepsie, NY) radiate joy on the big day.

United we stand, divided we fall. Saint Francis thanked the Lord for sending him brothers. Following Jesus together as brothers brings great support and strength.

After professing final vows, the friars sign the official documents upon the altar. The life of religious consecration is an intimate sharing in the one sacrifice of Jesus which is renewed daily at Mass upon the altar.

Imitating Jesus who prayed from the cross, "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit", the friars symbolically place their hands into the hands of our Community Servant as they profess their vows.

In a gesture of surrender and humility, the brothers lie prostrate before the altar as the congregation invokes the intercession of the saints.

Chosen

2011-07-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Being chosen is never a random act. It is an act filled with purpose. The one chosen is singled out, identified and desired by the other. Though we might wish to believe that our faith is the result of our own intelligence, righteousness or talents, and that it was an act that we ourselves made, the Lord reminds us, “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you” (John 15:16).

Since we belong to Him we are saved from the terrible fear of loneliness, of living this life in isolation from everyone and everything. It means that we do not have to create meaning to our lives or search endlessly for some kind of hope or direction. Truth, love, beauty and everything else we truly desire has “chosen” us.

Before we were created God wished to share himself with others. He wanted to share his love, power, creativity, tenderness, His fatherly concern and all the other qualities that God possesses. In choosing who or what he would share himself with He made a conscious decision not to reveal himself to other creatures. Rather, he chose to reveal himself to us.

God does not make mistakes. We are chosen by God, chosen to experience in him all the beauty, love, happiness and peace that we truly desire. By choosing us God has saved us from the misery of those who view themselves merely as strangers and their life as a waste of time.

God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

A Most Mysterious Moment of Mercy

2011-07-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

Ray Deter, Rest in Peace

Did you ever have an experience in which you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is real? Monday June 27, 2011, was a day that I will never forget.

Br. Jude Thaddeus and I were the only friars home at our friary in Harlem. We decided that we wanted to do something special, something out of the ordinary, go on an adventure. We started to brainstorm with various ideas. Mysteriously every idea ended up not being available. We laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation, “Finally a free day and we can’t find something to do!”

My eye caught sight of a postcard which had been on our office corkboard for months. It was advertising a new Eucharistic Adoration Chapel in New York City. We decided to go to this chapel for our evening prayers – some adventure! Mysteriously the phone number was disconnected. I called my sister to check out the listed website which – mysteriously - did not exist. We were very close to canceling our plans. As we climbed into the car I told Br. Jude that we might be going on a wild goose chase.

With map in hand I tried to locate the address of the alleged chapel. Being unfamiliar with the particular neighborhood, I suggested that we take the West Side Highway south then east on Canal Street. As we approached the intersection of West Broadway we accidentally got stuck in the left lane behind some cars which were waiting to turn left.

I told Br. Jude that we needed to get over a lane so that we could continue going straight. Br. Jude waited as a car going straight was about to pass us. As soon as it passed we moved over and started to enter the intersection. At that moment a middle-aged man on his bike ran the red light and was hit by the car right in front of us. It all happened so fast. It seemed that neither person saw each other. Within seconds I was present to the bicyclist who was lying unconscious face down in the street. In a most mysterious moment of mercy I was able to pray the words of absolution and apostolic pardon over my brother who was in his hour of need. Br. Jude was at my side praying “Jesus, mercy, Jesus, mercy.”

We are never out and about at that time of day. We are seldom in that neighborhood. I feel like we witnessed a miracle of mercy. Jesus the Good Shepherd placed us at the exact time and place needed to bring His presence to a tragic situation.

Our prayers that morning had included the following passage from St. Augustine, “Even in the midst of this life of tears and tribulations, what happiness, what great joy it is to realize that we are God’s flock! He keeps watch over us when we are awake; He keeps watch over us when we sleep. A flock belonging to a man feels secure in the care of its human shepherd; how much safer should we feel when our shepherd is God? Not only does He lead us to pasture, but He even created us.” Psalm 103 was prayed at Mass that morning, “The Lord is kind and merciful…He pardons all your iniquities, he heals all your ills. Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes.”

Ray Deter died less than a week after the accident. I do not know about his relationship with God, although he did grow up in a Catholic family. Since the accident there has been a colossal outpouring of sympathy. This bears witness that he was a great guy. He was a bar owner and beer connoisseur. I would have loved to talk over a pint, now maybe on the other side.

After the accident we found out that the adoration chapel does not exist, so we offered our evening prayers for Ray that day at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Eternal rest, grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
Amen.

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

nydailynews.com article on Ray's accident
facebook page of Ray's bar
dnainfo.com article and pictures

The Eucharist- The Supreme “moment of transcendence.”

2011-06-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Every person experiences in their life what I call “moments of transcendence.” A moment of transcendence is an experience where our hearts, minds and souls are lifted up away from ourselves, and for a moment, often only a very short moment, we experience the presence of God in a deep and profound way. They can occur while we are walking on the beach as the sun begins to set, while a parent holds their newborn child in their arms for the first time, or even when we are simply enjoying a meal with a friend who we love dearly. These moments do not follow a strict pattern or method, they can occur anywhere and at any time.

What do these moments tell us about ourselves? Are they merely just psychological projections resulting from frustration with our daily lives or are they tiny glimpses into the destiny that we are all a part of?

These moments, though they are often rare, remind us of our destiny. They whisper to us of a future life, a life we are slowly moving towards each day. A life where suffering and pain are extinguished, a life where confusion and anxiety is replaced by clarity and peace, and a life where God, no longer “hidden” beyond the distractions we have placed before him in this world, stands before us with arms ready to embrace us. In short, these moments are little glimpses of heaven, that “place” of ultimate fulfillment, peace and joy.

Yet these moments, as wonderful as they are, do not have to be rare occasions for us. They occur everyday in the Eucharist, because it is there where we not only encounter God and adore him from a distance, but it is there where he allows himself to be consumed by us and enters into the very depths of our being. He who is the creator of the universe “hides” himself under the appearance of bread so that we would not be afraid to approach him.

The Eucharist is a foretaste of heaven because it is Jesus Christ we receive in the Eucharist, not a symbol but a person, and it is that same Jesus Christ who is heaven itself. At each Mass we have the opportunity to experience the ultimate “moment of transcendence,” that moment where we are lifted up from ourselves and this world and kneel before the destiny that awaits us all, the destiny which we are all created for.

There is nothing greater in this life than the Eucharist. Though there are many “moments of transcendence” that we experience in this life, the Eucharist is that supreme moment of transcendence because it reveals God himself. The good news is that we do not have to search far and wide for this experience, it is available to us each day in the Mass.

God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, New York

Holy Spirit Inspiration

2011-06-09T03:57:00.000-07:00

In the early days of the order, Saint Francis and the friars would gather for a special meeting (chapter) around the feast of Pentecost. This was a time to pray together as brothers, invoking the help of the Holy Spirit as they discussed various questions concerning the direction of the order. This became a tradition which continues to our day.

In our little community we have our General Chapter every three years. All of the friars in final vows gather to pray and discuss various items. We also elect the leadership for the next three years. This year our General Chapter will be held for one week beginning on June 12, the feast of Pentecost. Please pray for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit as we gather together.

Giotto fresco of the Pentecost chapter meeting of 1232 in Arles.
Saint Anthony of Padua (l) had an apparition of the recently deceased Saint Francis (r).

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, New York

Jesus - The Good Shepherd

2011-06-01T09:42:00.001-07:00

One of the images Jesus uses to reveal himself is that of the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11). This shepherd not only takes care of the physical needs of his sheep but in fact “lays down his life for the sheep” (Jn 10:11). Jesus is the shepherd who exceeds all the demands that one could naturally place upon a shepherd. His mission is much deeper than mere commitment to a task and much greater than simply fulfilling one’s obligations. He is motivated by pure love for his sheep and his desire to spend eternity with them. Dying for them is his way of expressing the profound love of the Father. There is never a moment’s hesitation, only the willingness to fulfill all that the Father desires, “not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42).

How does this love of the Good Shepherd make us feel? Does self-hate and false humility prevent us from receiving the tremendous love the Good Shepherd offers us? Why is it that so many times we can speak of God’s great love to other people but then when it comes to us we have such a difficult time believing it? All the reasons we create and the excuses we make for why God should not love us are exactly that, excuses. They are not the truth. God looks at our list of excuses, simply smiles at them, and then throws them away. They are not good enough for him.

He is the Good Shepherd, who even if one of his sheep goes astray, will leave the ninety nine other sheep to rescue the one that is lost (Mt 18:10-14). Let us stop running, let us stop making excuses as to why we are not good enough. Let us humbly receive His love and allow Him to place us on His shoulders and carry us away to the secret recesses of His heart where His love can replace all of our insecurities.

God bless you,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, New York

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Prayer-Giving and receiving

2011-05-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

Prayer consists of two things; giving and receiving. In prayer God asks us to give our entire selves to him; our hopes, joys, sorrows, frustrations, disappointments, needs, etc. It as if we were reaching into our chest and removing our hearts and placing it in God’s hands. Even though we might be afraid to become so vulnerable and open to another we place our hearts in his hands without desiring to take it back.

However, in prayer we are also asked to receive the gift of God. We must receive all he says he is, who he wants to be for us and all that he asks us to do and how he wants us to live. In one sense, God reaches into his chest and places his heart in our hands and waits to see if we will receive it the way he so generously and patiently receives ours.

Does our prayer life look anything like this? Are we giving ourselves entirely to him and not holding anything back?And equally, are we receiving him completely, and all that he wants to be and do in our lives? If so, then maybe we can begin to grasp the fundamental importance that prayer must be for each one of us.

God bless,
Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, New York

Easter

2011-05-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ puts everything in its proper perspective, a perspective which can rightly be called a “divine perspective.” It reminds us that the law of corruption and death which this world naturally is inclined towards has been transformed. Death and corruption are no longer the laws of the land. Reality is transformed. We are no longer inclined towards death, but now because of Christ’s victory, we move with ever increasing speed towards life. Nothing now can hold us back. With St. Paul we can boast, “O death where is your victory, O death where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

God bless,
Dc. Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Leopold Friary, Yonkers, New York

Holy Triduum

2011-04-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

How beautiful are these holy days?! I wanted to let you all know that we friars are praying for you. Also, the following book is very helpful in understanding the beauty of our faith and the mystery of the Mass.

This is a great book by a great author. Brant Pitre does a wonderful job explaining the Jewish roots of our Christian faith, in particular as it helps us to understand the gift of the Eucharist. Enjoy!

The Last Supper, the death of Christ on the cross and the resurrection on Easter are intimately connected. We cannot understand one without the others.

learn more here

Have a blessed Holy Triduum,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, New York

A True Understanding of Judas

2011-04-20T11:25:00.000-07:00

Wednesday of Holy Week is called Spy Wednesday because it commemorates the day Judas went to the Sanhedrin to confirm the plot to betray Jesus. It seems that Lady Gaga has taken the opportunity to release a twisted song about her love of Judas.

The mystery of Judas is very deep. Over the years many people have tried to expound on what happened with this iconic betrayer. The 1971 Rock Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, is another modern example which gets Judas wrong. Some people mistakenly think that poor Judas was doomed by fate and had no choice - a mere pawn.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church offers an important clarification of the issue: "Jesus' violent death was not the result of chance in an unfortunate coincidence of circumstances, but is part of the mystery of God's plan, as St. Peter explains to the Jews of Jerusalem in his first sermon on Pentecost: 'This Jesus [was] delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.'

This Biblical language does not mean that those who handed him over were merely passive players in a scenario written in advance by God. To God, all moments of time are present in their immediacy. When therefore he establishes his eternal plan of 'predestination', he includes in it each person's free response to his grace:

'In this city, in fact, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.' For the sake of accomplishing his plan of salvation, God permitted the acts that flowed from their blindness" (## 599, 600).

Seen in this light, there might be a deeper meaning to Judas. Could it be that our merciful Jesus was doing everything possible to win Judas back even before the betrayal? At the Last Supper Jesus mentioned the betrayal out loud. He also performed an affectionate gesture of offering a hand dipped morsel to Judas. This might have been Jesus reaching out to Judas, inviting him to rethink the satanic plans of his heart.

Judas and Peter both betray Jesus. Both Judas and Peter were remorseful for their betrayal. Peter's humble repentance leads to mercy and forgiveness. Judas' prideful remorse seems to lead to despair. Like Judas and Peter, we all betray Jesus every time we sin. Let us pray for the grace of true contrition for our sins, a contrition which leads to mercy and forgiveness!

Have a blessed Holy Triduum,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, New York

The raising of Lazarus

2011-04-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

When we are confronted with death there can be many temptations that often assail us: fear, sorrow, doubt and a pessimistic attitude concerning life. In the account in John’s Gospel of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-45) all of these temptations are present among the disciples, Martha and Mary, and the Jews who were present there.

The disciples begin by expressing their fear to Jesus, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?” (John 11:8). Next we encounter Mary’s sorrow because Jesus was not there to help her brother before he died, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32). The Jews present there see Jesus and doubt his ability to raise Lazarus from the dead, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?” (John 11:37).

Finally, there is a pessimistic attitude that Martha adopts, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days” (John 11:39). Why do we place all of these obstacles before Him? Is it because our faith in Him is not deep enough? Are we still looking for other possible solutions to the drama of life?

Jesus reminds us “I am the resurrection and the life: he who believes in me, though he die, shall live” (John 11:25). Faith in Jesus is not simply a passive affair. It involves an abandonment of our entire selves to Him. Yet on a much deeper and consoling level it implies that the answer to our fears, sorrows, doubts and even our pessimism is not a theory, a philosophy or even a disciplined way of life but a person, Jesus Christ.

John 11:1-47 John 11:1 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world."

28 ¶ When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; 34 and he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" 38 ¶ Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days." 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me." 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." 45 ¶ Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him; 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs.

God bless you,
Dc. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Leopold Friary, Yonkers, New York

Judas

2011-04-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the greatest tragedy about Judas is not his decision to betray Jesus but his obstinate refusal to repent and accept the mercy and love of God. Did he not hear our Lord’s words in the parable of the Lost Sheep, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance?” (Luke 15:7).

Yet the Gospels say Judas did “repent.” “He repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying ‘I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.’ They said, ‘What is that to us? See to it yourself” (Matthew 27:3-4). The chief priests and the elders were incapable of offering the forgiveness Judas was needed. Still, he does not turn towards Jesus for forgiveness, and immersed in the selfishness of his sins, “he went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5).

Are we anything like Judas? Too prideful to seek God’s forgiveness because we are convinced our own sins are too great? Has our selfishness blinded us to God’s unfathomable mercy? Do we even believe anymore that God can forgive us and that he wants to?

If Judas would have allowed him, Jesus would have forgiven him as he forgave so many others before him. Jesus did not love Judas because he was a perfect man, nor did he love the prostitutes, tax collectors and other sinners because they were perfect. He accepted their brokenness and their pain, and rather than run from it in disgust, Jesus stepped into the filth of their lives to reveal their own dignity to than and marvel at the greatness and love of God who came so that we “may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

Was this truth too great for Judas? Is it too great for us?

God bless you,
Dc. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Leopold Friary, Yonkers, New York

Fear This!

2011-03-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary meditations by Br. Jeremiah found here

We are afraid of so many things that we should not fear. Piercing the truth that flows from Jesus’ death and resurrection, Saint Paul had a fear-shattering insight. In Romans 8:35-37 he wrote, “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: ‘For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The death and resurrection of Jesus empowers us to not be afraid of any of these things that do - or could - happen to us in this brief life.

Yet, there is something that we should fear. We should fear that which has the power to separate us from God. What is it? In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells us, “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna.” Jesus is saying that we should fear the pride which leads to damnation. Pride was at the heart of the fall of the angels as well as humanity. We should fear the pride which says, “I will not serve! I do not need God! I do not need or want to be forgiven for my sins! I have not sinned! I will not forgive! It is all God’s fault! I want my will!” The many voices of pride go on and on…

Pride in all its many varied forms is the direction towards damnation, the seed of separation from God for all eternity. With the help of God’s grace we are able to perceive the presence of pride. So, let us pray for an ever better formed conscience, a conscience formed by the truth. Then let your well formed conscience guide you like a compass away from pride toward humility.

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

Suffering?

2011-03-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lent is a great time to meditate on the sufferings of Jesus. Meditation on the Gospel accounts, the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross are traditional devotions.

Suffering can lead us to despair. Suffering can be a means of great purification in the spiritual life. Suffering can help us to grow in compassion. Suffering can help us to grow in our union with Jesus.

Two helpful writings on this topic are On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering by Bl. Pope John Paul II, and The Sorrowful Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Ven. Ann Catherine Emmerich.

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

What to give up for Lent?

2011-03-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

When I recently called my family I enjoyed talking with my nieces and nephew about Lent. It was interesting to hear what they were "giving up for Lent". This is a topic of conversation in all Catholic households this time of the year. They asked me what I was giving up for Lent. I told them that I was giving upwork! "You can do that!?", they asked. My nephew informed me that a sacrifice is giving up something you like.

How can we best discern what to do for Lent? The Gospel for the First Sunday of Lent is the account of the temptation in the desert. The Devil offers three temptations to Jesus who had been praying and fasting for forty days. Use your imagination to pretend that it is you in the desert. What would the Devil suggest to tempt you - the computer, a bottle, the pill, pride, arrogance, etc.?

Making a good confession is a great idea for Lent. Think about the faults and sins that you typically confess, then try to focus on penances which directly help and correspond to your weaknesses.

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

Papal Message for Lent found here

The Penance Project

Lent is here again

2011-03-09T07:25:00.000-08:00

From the Pope's 2011 Lenten Message

"In synthesis, the Lenten journey, in which we are invited to contemplate the Mystery of the Cross, is meant to reproduce within us “the pattern of his death” (Ph 3: 10), so as to effect a deep conversion in our lives; that we may be transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit, like St. Paul on the road to Damascus; that we may firmly orient our existence according to the will of God; that we may be freed of our egoism, overcoming the instinct to dominate others and opening us to the love of Christ. The Lenten period is a favorable time to recognize our weakness and to accept, through a sincere inventory of our life, the renewing Grace of the Sacrament of Penance, and walk resolutely towards Christ.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, through the personal encounter with our Redeemer and through fasting, almsgiving and prayer, the journey of conversion towards Easter leads us to rediscover our Baptism. This Lent, let us renew our acceptance of the Grace that God bestowed upon us at that moment, so that it may illuminate and guide all of our actions. What the Sacrament signifies and realizes, we are called to experience every day by following Christ in an ever more generous and authentic manner. In this our itinerary, let us entrust ourselves to the Virgin Mary, who generated the Word of God in faith and in the flesh, so that we may immerse ourselves – just as she did – in the death and resurrection of her Son Jesus, and possess eternal life."

Full Papal Message for Lent found here

More Encouragement for Lent

2011-03-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

A Prayer found in the breviary of St. Teresa of Avila

Nada te turbe,
Nada te espante,
Todo se pasa,
Dios no se muda,
La Patiencia
Todo lo alcanza;
Quien a Dios tiene
Nada le falta.
Sólo Dios basta.

Let nothing trouble you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All is passing,
God alone is unchanging.
Patience
Obtains everything.
Who possesses God
Wants for nothing.
God alone suffices.

Let us pray for each other,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

Encouragement for Lent

2011-03-01T13:19:00.000-08:00

“Bashing Babies on the Rock” Blessedness

“Blessed those who take your babies and bash them against the rock" (Psalm 137:9). This is a gruesome yet important verse from the Bible. The original context had to do with the Jewish desire for revenge against their evil Babylonian captors during the exile. It was a prayer for justice (the Babylonians might have done this to the Jewish babies - think Pharaoh and Herod) and the complete destruction of their oppressors in such a way that there was no danger of further oppression by the future Babylonian generations.

Starting with the early Christian theologian Origin there was an important spiritual interpretation of this verse. Taking his cue from Saint Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Benedict wrote that the rock is Christ and our enemies are evil vices. Bash your vices while they are still babies on the rock of Jesus Christ. If your vices are allowed to grow into full adults they are much harder to defeat! The very humorous Saint Padre Pio would sarcastically quote this verse to his altar servers before leaving the sacristy for Mass, "Behave while serving Mass or I will bash your heads against the altar!"

Today we say the same thing - nip it in the bud, or don't make a mountain out of a molehill. When I was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Egan, he gave us the same advice. Quoting the Roman poet Ovid (17 AD), he told us about "obsta principiis", resist the beginnings. We should take immediate steps once we know we have fallen into difficulties. It is much easier to root out evil as soon as it appears than to try to do so after its effects have become pervasive (Amo, Amas, Amat and More, 207).

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

Papal Message For Lent found here

Ephphatha!

2011-02-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

In the seventh chapter of the Gospel of St. Mark, we read the account of Jesus healing a deaf man who had a speech impediment. Jesus touched his ears and tongue while saying the Aramaic word Ephphatha, which means “be opened.” This beautiful gesture is repeated at every Baptism. During Baptism it carries the sense of faith healing our spiritual deafness.

Physically speaking, hearing and speaking are connected. Spiritually speaking, hearing and speaking are connected as well. The more we can hear the Word of God in our hearts, the more we can speak clearly about Him, truth and love. May the Holy Spirit help us to open wide the doors of our hearts to Christ.

God bless you,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

We need saints!

2011-02-07T12:04:00.000-08:00

May the Lord give you His peace!
In Hebrews 13:7-8 we read, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Take a moment to prayerfully reflect on all the people God has used to model and speak His word to you. Those who help us along our journey of faith are real spiritual heroes. NYPRIEST.COM sponsors vocations advertisements which proclaim the message, "The World Needs Heroes."
Venerable Pope John Paul II is a great hero who continues to inspire many to say yes to Jesus! He will be Beatified on May 1, 2011 (info found here). We need examples who inspire us to follow Jesus. That is why Christians have always held up the saints. Saint John Vianney would read lives of the saints every day. Not only are they inspiring, they also pray for us from heaven. There are many holy people who may never be officially canonized, who never-the-less, help us along our way. Who has helped you in your faith walk, your discernment? Parents, pastors and friends have an important influence on us. May we be inspired to answer God's call in our life.

Check it out ... + VocationBoom.com - great resource!! + Top Ten Vocations Websites + Truth and Life Audio Bible - really well done + Pope's Homily, Feb. 2, 2011, World Day of Consecrated Life + OneBillionStories.com - interesting Catholic site + LiveAction.org - great pro life group God bless you, Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR St. Joseph Friary Harlem, New York City

Pro Life Message

2011-01-21T13:58:00.001-08:00

May the Lord give you His peace!

Recently while spending sometime with a youth group in the area, at a break in the conversation that we were having about facebook, cell phones, and the like, I asked an open ended question which provided a moving answer. “In a word, how would you describe young people today?” Busy, distracted, and bored, were among the highlights and when I thought they were done giving me their thoughts, a quiet young man mumbled, “in a word - ALONE.” Perhaps an answer worth reflecting on.

The pro-life apostolate is significant in the life of our community. Our outreach takes on many forms, but the main focus is prayer and counseling at abortion mills in the cities in which we reside. Living in Newark, NJ, I pray and counsel with three other friars on Saturday mornings in a small town close to our friary. The foundation of our apostolate is prayer as we stand across the street from the women’s choices clinic and pray for women and their babies, and also those who accompany them in their decision. In addition, brothers get the opportunity to counsel women as they are approaching the clinic, hoping to provide a presence of hope and a word of encouragement or challenge before they enter. A few weeks ago, there was a young couple who pulled into the parking lot, and as the young women got out of the car, she noticed that her boyfriend was not willing to go inside with her. As she stood standing all alone, tears falling down her face, my heart was moved with compassion for her. As she was pulling herself together our eyes met and a prayer lifted from my heart and in my gaze back to her I longed to tell her that she was not alone, there were people that cared for her and her child and that God loved her so much and would provide all that she needed to say yes to the life of her child. So many women who find themselves in this similar situation feel hopeless and alone, and they feel like there is not other option than getting an abortion. It seems like the easiest, quickest, and simplest option to take care of their difficult situation... They are afraid, confused, and alone. There is unlikely any support from their spouse or friends, and no life giving encouragement from the doctors or nurses inside. The mask they wear is one that seems harsh, tough, and even portrays confidence in their purpose for being there, but deep down we see and experience someone who is hopeless and alone.

This coming weekend is the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and also the annual March For Life in Washington D.C. What an incredible event for people of all ages to gather together to pray and to witness to the dignity of every human person. To proclaim to our nation and those who are challenged with this decision before them, that they are not alone, there are people who care, and a merciful God who wants to abundantly bless them and provide for them. To participate in the pro life apostolate has been a tremendous challenge but a true blessing. God is calling us and all of you to be truly present to those who think they are alone, to bear witness to the mercy, hope and love of Jesus. To those who suffer from abortion and are struggling with the decision to choose life, you are not alone! This message of hope is definitely worth marching for, and most importantly worth living for.

Check it out ...
+ Pro-Life Rally with the Friars!
Sunday, January 22, 2011, St. Bernadette Church, Silversprings, MD, 6:30-10:30 pm
+ MarchForLife.org
+ onemoresoul.com - great resource
+ Must read article (and video) about abortionist in Philadelphia
+ TruthBooth.org - very good

Website of Norma McCorvey, the former Jane Roe
of Roe v. Wade found here

May the Lord bless you,Br. Angelus Immaculata, CFR
Saint Joseph Friary
523 W. 142nd St.
New York, NY 10031

For Vocation Inquiries
(212)281-4355

Old and New - Good and Bad - Past and Future

2011-01-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

January 1st is a great day to pray. It is a day when we naturally look back on the past year. Isn't it always the case that the year was filled with good and bad? The two often mix together like the parable of the weeds and wheat (see Matthew 13:24-30). With Holy Job we accept both in faith (see Job 2:10). It is tempting to interpret bad things in a shallow over-simplistic way, thinking that somehow God is punishing us. Jesus clarified this way of thinking in Luke 13:1-5. He made reference to two events in which people suffered tragic deaths. He went on to say that it is wrong to think that they were bigger sinners than the rest of us!

In this past year I said hello to a new niece who was born in June. I said goodbye to my beloved grandfather who went to his eternal reward on June 19, the baby's due date. Thankfully baby Greta was born a few weeks earlier so they were able to meet each other! We pray that we will all be together forever in heaven, please God. While we are still here, let us make good use of the time that is given us.

January 1st is a great day to pray. It is a day when we naturally look forward to the coming year. Let us pray that this year will find us filled with greater faith, hope and love. May the newborn baby Jesus be born anew in our hearts this year!

Fr. Luke baptizes his niece Greta Ann.

Let us pray,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR

St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, NY

Merry Christmas 2010!!

2010-12-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

A very merry Christmas and a blessed new year to you all from the friars!

The following quote captures our uncomplicated approach to ministry:

"This is the real commitment of Advent: to bring joy to others.
Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not expensive presents that demand time and money.We can transmit this joy simply: with a smile, with a kind gesture, with some small help, with forgiveness.

Let us give this joy and the joy given will be returned to us. Let us seek in particular to communicate the deepest joy, that of knowing God in Christ. Let us pray that this presence of God's liberating joy will shine out in our lives" (Pope Benedict XVI, December 18, 2005).

Thank you for all your prayers and support. We greatly appreciate your help. You have our prayers!

- The Friars

Our Daily Advent

2010-12-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

Our Daily Advent

The candles, already burning,
cry out like a voice in the wilderness,
"Prepare the way of the Lord."

The key is in the tabernacle lock
ready to spring open the heavens at the sound
of a resounding "yes"!
"Let it be done to me according to your Word."

The corporal is open and laid out
like a receiving blanket.
"She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths."

The monstrance,
made for one purpose only,
stands open, empty, waiting.
"Behold the handmaid of the Lord."

"The Spirit and the Bride say come!"
Our Daily Advent.

by Sr. Clare Matthiass, CFR

Churchads.net

Advent Like an Addict

2010-12-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

This Advent I want to pray like a heroin addict.

I realize that this statement may require some explanation. On Thanksgiving Day I was eating dinner across from a man and woman at St. Ann’s soup kitchen where we usually help out on Mondays and Wednesdays. As the novice brothers were playing a song in the background with some powerful lines about blessing the Name of the Lord in good times and in bad, I noticed the man quietly singing along with tears in his eyes. After dinner both of them asked for prayer. Both of them are heroin addicts who desperately want to be freed from their slavery to that drug. Both of them were fervent in seeking the Lord’s help, humble in asking pardon, direct in acknowledging their weakness and just so real in their plea for Christ to come and take control of their lives.

How casually most of us usually pray those words in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” How will it come? Certainly we must do our part to put the gifts that the Lord has given us at His service, our time and energy into helping others to respond to the gift of salvation. But as the author Carlo Caretto points out, the Kingdom of God is not brought about so much by great feats of the intellect or displays of strength or other resources. If that were so, then the Kingdom of God would belong primarily to the strong and the wealthy. Rather, the Kingdom of God is brought about primarily by the heartfelt cry to the poor man who puts his whole being into the prayer “Thy Kingdom come! Come Lord and save us!” Indeed the first Beatitude promises the Kingdom of God first to the poor in spirit, and what they are awarded because of the depth of their longing they win not only for themselves, but for the rest of the Church and the world.

The beginning of Advent and a new Church year is a good time to begin again with a real, heartfelt, wide-awake prayer for Jesus to save us who are all addicted to sin, but who trust in His power to save. Please pray for heroin addicts in particular when you lift up your heart with them and plead with real intensity, “Come Lord Jesus!”

Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR

(re-posted from November 29, 2005)

Advent

2010-11-30T16:26:00.000-08:00

(Re-posted from December 9, 2005)

This is the season of Advent, a time of waiting and watching and pondering the mystery of the great feast of the Incarnation—the birth of the God-man. So, being a person of faith and deep devotion, I know exactly what you’re doing during these weeks before you celebrate the birth of the Savior.

Yes, as the winter’s first snow flakes fall, you are snug at home sitting in your rocker before the warm fireplace. Enjoying a cup of tea, you are taking a casual stroll down memory lane as you open and carefully read Christmas cards sent by family and friends. Since yours were sent out the day after Thanksgiving, you now have ample time to happily bake your holiday pies and cookies and clean the entire house from top to bottom. Thank God you were also prepared weeks in advance as all your gifts, purchased months ago, are meticulously wrapped and carefully arranged about your decorated tree. Yes, Advent is here and you have weeks to simply relax and drink in the deep mystery and the true message of the Christmas season.

Okay! Everybody wake up! Sorry to jar you from such a wonderful dream, but let’s get with reality. Am I the only one running the annual Advent marathon? Remember the rules: the last one to collapse in exhaustion wins! No, not even friars experience Advent as a “spiritual oasis.” You should see the poor seminarian friars with whom I live; they’re all up to their ears with their studies, preparing for their finals, and staying up late to finish their term papers. They’re bleary eyed when they stumble into the chapel for 6 AM Morning Prayer!

It’s true for many people, whether your a monk or married or anything in between, the weeks of Advent can be quite hectic and often devoid of real spiritual preparation for Christmas. While we may wish we had planned ahead, we often end up with a long “to do” list which keeps us very busy. For this reason, we can ask an appropriate question, “What can we do to make Advent less hectic and more holy?”

It may be helpful to point out that we must face the fact that since the sixties, the spiritual landscape of our American culture has been changing. The dry desert winds of secularism and so-called “progressive” thinking began to affect or “infect” first, higher education, then the media, then the political arena, and obviously certain sectors of the Church. Thus, the days when all people, even non-Christians, were positively influenced and invigorated during the Christmas season through cultural osmosis are over.

This being said, we now must exert an extra effort to possess some semblance of an authentic religious focus. So, where do we begin to gain back the ground we have lost? Well, if charity begins at home, so too does spirituality. So right now let’s not look at out our window, but within our own four walls. Let us be honest and ask ourselves if the dry and salted sand of secularism has taken over our once fertile garden of faith.

For example, as lawyers and legislatures wrestle over Christmas decorations being permitted in public parks, why not look at your own front lawn? What message are you giving if you have light-up reindeers and candy canes? Would you spend as much money on a crèche as you would a Christmas tree? Are the cards you are sending Christ-centered or simply cute? Have you chosen gifts for family members and friends based solely on what they want or what they really need?

To practically prepare for Christmas during Advent means we continually keep in mind the purpose of all our efforts and activities. It means creating a spiritual environment which helps us keep our focus. The lives of the saints teach us that activity need not make us forgetful of God. Like the hub of a rapidly turning tire, a heart centered on God can be at peace and in prayer despite the twists and turns of the road. So, during your Advent adventures, try to keep your heart centered on God within. Let’s not forget, the very first Advent was for Joseph and Mary very hectic, but then, one night it became very, very holy.

Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR

Advent Meditations by Fr. Groeschel - order here

The Pope and Condoms

2010-11-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

Here are a few links which clarify the confusion of the media reports regarding comments on condoms by Pope Benedict XVI.

Actual text from the book, "Light of the World", found here.
Article by Dr. Janet E. Smith found here.
Article by blogger Lisa Graas found here.
Order the book from Ignatius Press here.

I hope this helps.
God bless,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, Harlem, NY

Know Your Need & Silence

2010-11-10T09:55:00.000-08:00

Know Your Need

Pray for the grace to know your need.

The greatest obstacle in the spiritual life is not knowing your need for God, your need for a savior. In what ways am I in denial of my deepest need? If we are honest, we will discover that there is a part of us that does not like to acknowledge our need for God, our need for a savior. The hardness of heart which prevents spiritual growth is rooted in this unholy ignorance of the truth. If the truth “sets us free” then lies “hold us bound”. The idea that I do not need God, do not need a savior, is a damn lie.

An essential grace is to know your need for God, your need for a savior. “Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else” (Luke 18:9). An honest self-assessment of one’s sins, weaknesses and failures can open the heart in humility to receive the life-giving healing that only comes from God’s grace.

Pray for the grace to know your need, to know it in your head and your heart.

God bless,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, NY

Silence and Prayer

November is the month when the road of life leads us through the colorful change of leaves and apparent dying of creation. It is a month which sees nature in an ostensible quiet, contemplation, silence and stillness. It is also a month when we remember to pray for the holy souls in purgatory and make visits to the graves of dear ones who have made the journey to eternal shores. Below is a powerful quote from Pope Benedict on the importance of silence and listening in prayer.

"At times, however, we are tempted to close in on ourselves, to doubt the strength of Christ’s radiance, to limit the horizon of hope. Take courage! Fix your gaze on our saints. The diversity of their experience of God’s presence prompts us to discover anew the breadth and depth of Christianity [...] Dear friends, the example of the saints invites us, then, to consider four essential aspects of the treasure of our faith: personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and vocations [...] There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember: silent contemplation. Saint John, for example, tells us that to embrace God’s revelation we must first listen, then respond by proclaiming what we have heard and seen (cf. 1 Jn 1:2-3; Dei Verbum, 1). Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to hear God’s whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness"
(Pope B16, 19 April 2008, Yonkers, New York).

God bless,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, NY

Know Your Need

2010-10-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Know Your Need

Pray for the grace to know your need.

The greatest obstacle in the spiritual life is not knowing your need for God, your need for a savior. In what ways am I in denial of my deepest need? If we are honest, we will discover that there is a part of us that does not like to acknowledge our need for God, our need for a savior. The hardness of heart which prevents spiritual growth is rooted in this unholy ignorance of the truth. If the truth “sets us free” then lies “hold us bound”. The idea that I do not need God, do not need a savior, is a damn lie.

An essential grace is to know your need for God, your need for a savior. “Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else” (Luke 18:9). An honest self-assessment of one’s sins, weaknesses and failures can open the heart in humility to receive the life-giving healing that only comes from God’s grace.

Pray for the grace to know your need, to know it in your head and your heart.

God bless,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, NY

Rosary

2010-10-13T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Joyful Mysteries

1st Joyful Mystery- The Annunciation
God, who is all knowing and all powerful, and who created all that is, chooses to
reveal his sovereignty in a way unlike earthly kings and rulers. He does not use tanks, planes or weapons to impose his law. He does not threaten with starvation and persecution those who will not follow him. Rather, he chooses a poor and lowly teenage girl from Nazareth to bring into the world his very own son. Knowing beforehand the fate that awaits this Son, God still acts and inspires Mary to say yes to this incredible mystery. She, a mere creature, will carry within her womb God himself. At the sound of Mary’s yes all creation stands in awe.

2nd Joyful Mystery- The Visitation
In her womb Mary possesses the only one who can heal the human heart, a heart
that is so often confused, lonely, divided and afraid and one that is waiting patiently to be shown its destiny. Therefore, she cannot remain idle. After receiving this great news Mary does not isolate herself from others. In haste she visits her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, to help her in her need and to proclaim the marvels that God has accomplished in her. Both Elizabeth and Mary are living testimonies of the fidelity of God’s promises. A God who has promised to be a healer, a savior and a friend, has once again fulfilled his word.

3rd Joyful Mystery- The Nativity
In a particular place and at a particular moment, God enters our world as one of
us. He has feet to walk and run with, hands to hold and receive and eyes to look with and cry with. He is fully God and fully human. He looks like us and can taste our desire for love. It was not enough for him to remain tucked behind the heavens. He needed to expose himself and to make himself vulnerable so that no person would ever doubt his love. The unthinkable has occurred; God has become man, so that we might be able to come unto God.

4th Joyful Mystery- The Presentation
Simeon and Anna have lived their entire lives believing in the love of God. Day
in and day out they fasted, prayed and trusted in His promises. In the face of doubt they believed, and when confronted with despair they hoped. When others had mocked God and turned away from him they simply remained faithful and continued to believe in the goodness of God. Now their patient endurance has paid off. All their prayers, sufferings and sacrifices have been heard. The child Jesus is brought to them and their desire to see God is finally satisfied. They are left in a state of childlike joy. It is all worth it, they remind us, the trials, the temptations, the restlessness and the sufferings of this life. It is all worth it they remind us, because God has taken on flesh and now we can touch him and allow him to dry our tears of loneliness.

5th Joyful Mystery- The Finding of the child Jesus in the Temple
The child Jesus is in his Father’s home, listening to the wisdom of those engaged
their in discussion. Their wisdom, unfortunately, is not enough. The child Jesus has
many questions that astound the elders. “Who is this child?” “Who is his teacher?” they ask. Rather than revealing himself more fully to them, Jesus must return to Nazareth and live the life of a regular young man first. The time of revelation will come, but first Jesus must go home to work, play and experience first hand what it means to be human. Meanwhile, Mary looks at him with both fascination and wonder. He who was prophesied to her by an angel, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and who astounded the elders in the temple now looks to her for comfort, consolation and strength.

The Luminous Mysteries

1 st Luminous Mystery-Baptism of Jesus

Even though John baptizes Jesus he knows that he is the one who should be baptized. John knows he is a sinner, a man of repentance, in need of new life. Yet he also knows that he cannot fulfill these needs on his own. Still, John humbly submits to Jesus’ request for baptism so that the whole world would follow Jesus into the waters of repentance and new life.

In Baptism we have all been “reborn” and adopted by God. We are no longer alone, in need of an identity and meaning for our life. Jesus has fulfilled those requests and with him and because of him our lives acquire a purpose that transcends our deepest imagination. Now, because of our baptism we live immersed in the hope of eternal life.

2 nd Luminous Mystery-Wedding of Cana

Mary, like an attentive mother, perceives the needs of those around her. She feels their pain, their confusion, their desire for love and all the other experiences of the human heart. Like a loving mother, Mary takes all her children into her heart so that when they suffer she suffers. She is the epitome of compassion and kindness and all that is beautiful about life.

Yet Mary’s strength does not lie within herself nor does she ever pretend to be the fulfillment of the worlds needs. Her strength comes in pointing beyond herself and in believing in a loving God and trusting that his word would prevail over sin and death.

Mary’s words to the waiter at the wedding, “Do whatever he tells you,” is not a simple and pious suggestion from a devout Jew. It is the wisdom of the pure in heart that are able to see God and show us the way to him.

3 rd Luminous Mystery-The Proclamation of the Kingdom

So often we think of heaven as a place, a space separated from the confines of this world, a world that we have often condemned as not being beautiful enough to satisfy the need for an eternal rest. Yet who among us could have ever guessed that heaven is not particularly a place but a person, a person who has visited this broken world and proclaimed the good news of God’s love and mercy?

Heaven has visited this earth! In the words and actions of Jesus heaven is revealed as mercy, freedom, love and forgiveness and so near to us that most often we will miss it, because it appears as something too majestic for us to touch. In Jesus, the kingdom of God is at hand, heaven now stands open and the mystery of that “place” is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

4 th Luminous Mystery-The Transfiguration

Jesus appears in dialogue with the two great prophets of the Old Testament, Moses and Elijah; for he is the fulfillment of all the prophets spoke and wrote about. He is that jealous lover, the one espoused forever to his children and the one who places a new heart in man enabling him to find peace and happiness.

On the top of the mountain the Father leaves us with a command. “Listen to him,” he says, because without his words we are left drowning in the sea of our own confusion, and without his words we are mystery that cannot be solved. The words of Jesus are not the words of mere men; they are the words of hope from a God who comes to save his people.

5 th Luminous Mystery-The Institution of the Eucharist

On the eve of his death, it was not enough for Jesus to leave us with only a speech or a photograph of himself; No, he wanted to leave us himself, his very body and blood for us to adore, consume and become one with. For God being only a happy memory is not good enough, he wants to be a continual presence, and possess a permanent place in our lives.

The mystery of the Eucharist is the mystery of God’s love. It is the story of a God who does not abandon his people, who feeds them, nourishes them and strengthens them for the journey of life. In the Eucharist we receive the food that can truly sustain us and make us holy. Every other attempt to find life outside of the Eucharist will end in disappointment.

1 st Sorrowful Mystery-The Agony in the Garden
Jesus’ hour has arrived! He knows the destiny that awaits him and can taste its horror in the depths of his being. Betrayal, condemnation, mockery, beatings and death, are all knocking at the door of Jesus’ heart. Despite the fear Jesus experiences in his humanity he moves forward, ready to fulfill the Father’s will and to bring salvation to the entire world.
God has abandoned himself into the hands of men. After teaching the world about God’s love and mercy the people turned on him like a pack of wild dogs. How suddenly they forgot the healings, the mercy, the forgiveness and the love that Jesus brought! Now, as the soldiers come to arrest Jesus, God begins to unveil the fullness of his love.

2 nd Sorrowful Mystery- The Scourging at the Pillar
The crowd has spoken. Instead of releasing the humble and meek Lamb of God they have chosen to release a criminal, one who has inflicted pain and suffering upon others. Pilate, fearing the opinions of others and unable to heed the warning of his wife concerning this “righteous man,” is not strong enough to defend the truth. Like a coward, he collapses before the truth has Jesus scourged.
Now, the innocent and holy one stands before the soldiers and is beaten almost to the point of death. His flesh, once so soft and gentle, now becomes a river of blood. The Savior of the world is forced again to his knees, almost overwhelmed by the flogging his body has endured. Yet with you and me in the depths of his heart he stands up, ready to endure even more.

3 rd Sorrowful Mystery-The Crowning of Thorns
The arrogance and the stupidity of the soldiers increase. They make a crown of thorns and place it upon Jesus’ head and pretend to pay him homage. They believe that a king, a God, a man of importance could not be so humble, gentle, loving and peaceful. They believe that power and greatness is revealed in the ability to conquer those who oppose them by force.
Little do they know that very soon the glory of God will shine forth. Before them is a king, one who will conquer by love and bestow forgiveness and mercy upon fallen man. Yet for now, theirfoolishness continues and Jesus must suffer the humiliation.

4 th Sorrowful Mystery-The Carrying of the Cross
The wood of the cross is placed upon Jesus’ shoulders. Inside the wood is the weight of our sins; our betrayals, our pride, our lust, our indifference, our selfishness and so many other actions that have placed us far from the heart of God. Is it any wonder this weight causes Jesus to fall three times? It is a weight too heavy to ask any man to bear, even the God-man.
Here the question that plagues man’s heart from all eternity is finally answered. “Does God love me?”
Jesus can only kiss the cross crushing down upon his shoulders because he is too tired to speak. But the cross is enough; it is a joyful affirmation of humanity’s need to be loved.

5 th Sorrowful Mystery-The Crucifixion
God is dead! He hangs on the cross, naked, and bearing the wounds of abuse he suffered from the hands of men. Jesus and the kingdom of God he preached appear to be defeated. Only Mary, a few other women and John remained with him the whole way through. It was too much for the other disciples; like children besieged by fear, they fled and tried to hide themselves from the horror before them.
Yet despite the darkness and the chaos that fills this moment there is a light that radiates from heaven. It shines upon the cross and whispers words of comfort to those able to hear. “Do not be afraid. Behold, I make all things new!”

Dc. Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

St. Leopold Friary, Yonkers, NY

Final Vows August 1 2010

2010-08-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, August 1, 2010, six of our friars professed final vows.(Click here to see the whole album)

(left to right) Br. Nicholas Joseph White, Br. Justin Jesúsmarie Alarcón,
Br. Felice Maria Gavazzi, Br. Gabriel Joseph Kyte, Br. Ignatius Mary Shin and
Br. Dismas Marie Kline radiate joy on the big day.

"The first has to do with the stained glass windows, which flood the interior with mystic light. From the outside, those windows are dark, heavy, even dreary. But once one enters the church, they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all their splendor. Many writers – here in America we can think of Nathaniel Hawthorne – have used the image of stained glass to illustrate the mystery of the Church herself. It is only from the inside, from the experience of faith and ecclesial life, that we see the Church as she truly is: flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the Spirit. It follows that we, who live the life of grace within the Church’s communion, are called to draw all people into this mystery of light"
Pope Benedict XVI, New York City, 19 April 2008.

In a gesture of surrender and humility, the brothers lie prostrate before the altar
as the congregation invokes the intercession of the saints.

After professing final vows, the friars sign the official documents upon the altar.
The life of religious consecration is an intimate sharing in the one sacrifice of Jesus
which is renewed daily at Mass upon the altar.

A theologian once wrote, "Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God." There is great joy in serving the Lord. Jesus said, "Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matt 10:39). Commenting on this passage, Vatican II taught, "Man can not fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself."

Venerable Pierre Toussainte

2010-06-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

June 30, 2010
Venerable Pierre Toussainte

Pierre Toussainte died on this day in 1853. This amazing man was a Haitian slave who became a hairdresser in New York City. His story is very inspiring. He is buried in the crypt under the main altar at Saint Patrick's Cathedral. He was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II on December 18, 1996.

+ short biography
+ Pierre Toussainte on Wikipedia

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, NY

On the Holy Spirit

2010-06-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

If you’re an American Catholic over fifty, you certainly remember beginning and ending your prayers with the sign of the cross while saying: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” If you were like me, the only ghost you knew was in the movies or in the comics. His name— Casper! He was white; he smiled, floated about, and was, well, friendly! Some other ghosts I knew were on a television show called “Topper.” Remember their names? George and Marian! Boy, are you old!

Maybe this is why some people have only a vague notion of the Third Person of the Trinity. To say that the Holy Spirit is “an invisible friend who floats around with a silly smile” —well, that’s not vague, it’s wrong!

If you can at least understand the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” you can then begin to answer it. We say “Who” and not “what” because the Holy Spirit is a Person, not a “thing.” The Holy Spirit is not a part of God; the Holy Spirit is God, as the Father is God and the Son is God; yet, there is only one God. Is that clear? If we’re honest, our answer would be a resounding “No!” The reason for this answer is not because we’re ignorant or uneducated, but rather, we’re human. This means we do not have the capacity to understand everything, at least not now. As people’s personal beliefs are full of myths and misnomers, our Catholic faith is full of mystery.

There are those who laugh at us and say, “How can you believe in something you don’t see and understand?” To these I reply, “How many things in life do we actually see and fully understand?” We know it is dangerous to stick a knife in an outlet; we can see the dangerous effects of a mystery which we have named “electricity.” Yet, while I am grateful for the force which keeps my feet on the floor, I don’t recall any scientist seeing or understanding the mystery we call gravity. This is the reason why since time began, mankind has never ceased to look up and out and in. Whether it is medicine or mathematics, physics or philosophy, stars or snails, astronomy or atoms—the more we look, the more we learn. Yes, mystery is certainly all around us. In fact, we are a mystery unto ourselves.

The time between Ascension Thursday and Pentecost Sunday is nine days. This is where we get the word novena; “novem” in Latin means nine. The first novena wasn’t prayed to Our Lady or to any saint, but by Our Lady and by some saints! They were praying together as Our Lord instructed them to for “the gift of the Father”. After nine days, the gift was delivered—and it didn’t drop quietly through the mail slot! “What was the gift?” you ask. No, you mean, “Who was the gift?”

Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR

Most Blessed Sacrament Friary, Newark, New Jersey

Pentecost Novena 2010

2010-05-13T03:46:00.000-07:00

May 13, 2010 - Ascension Thursday

The First Novena

On Ascension Thursday, we commemorate that day when Jesus, some 40 days after His resurrection, ascended into heaven at the right hand of the Father. In his final instructions to the early Church, he commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and pray, awaiting the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts of the Apostles 1). The early believers, gathered around Mary, prayed for nine days. The ninth day was the Jewish feast of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early Church.

This amazing historical event inspired Christians to pray special prayers for nine days, also known as a novena. Follow this link to find a beautiful novena for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit in your life: Novena to the Holy Spirit.

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, NY

Happy Easter! The Victory of the Resurrection:

2010-04-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! The Victory of the Resurrection:

There is something in the human heart that loves a battle and longs for victory. We all desire to win, be victorious, triumph, succeed, prevail, overcome, conquer and surmount! Every good movie, TV show, novel and story tries to tap into this eminent human quality. Beyond merely being competitive, it is as if this aspiration for victory is in the blue-print of our being.

The deification of sports is an example of this human attraction to the contest, the battle. My memories of growing up in basketball-obsessed-Indiana were rekindled as I watched Butler almost topple Duke in the NCAA Championship basketball game (A.K.A. “March Madness” or “The Big Dance”). I couldn’t fall asleep for hours after the game was over. Our brothers in Ireland were recently embroiled by controversy because they suggested it was wrong for Catholics to replace church with a rugby match on Good Friday (I guess the brothers kicked the sacred cow).

There must be something from God our creator in this human yearning for victory. The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the culmination and fulfillment of our deepest desire for victory …

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, C.F.R.
Saint Joseph Friary, Harlem, New York

The Cross by Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

2010-03-27T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Cross
The paradox of our life is simply this: if you wish to be strong, confident, and live without fear you must accept the cross in your life. You will probably feel repulsed by this and everything within you will rebel against it. You will try and think of a million plans to conquer this reality, more prayer, more reading, more exercise, more sleep, more work, etc, all of which may be helpful but none of which alone is the cure.

What is ironic about the cross is that it comes in different disguises and shapes. To some it might come as an illness, a death of a spouse or friend, loneliness, feeling rejected or misunderstood, bearing with a person whom we find difficult or perhaps even something as simple as the weather or living in a place we do not particularly like.

Yet whatever disguise or shape the cross comes to us in our life, we can be assured that if we decide to carry the cross in union with Jesus it will become for us a bridge eventually leading us into a land of true freedom and peace. The world is terrified of appearing weak and poor. However, if you are not willing to be poor and weak then you are not willing to be strong because it is in poverty and weakness that God’s grace overflows in abundance.

It is difficult in the midst of so much suffering to be grateful for the cross. However, as we look back on our life and review the moments of growth and happiness that we have experienced we will realize it was the cross that has always preceded those moments and has softened the ground we walk on, enabling the seeds of life and holiness God has planted to grow and bear fruit.

Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Leopold Friary, Yonkers, NY

Pictures from our newly invested novices

CHAIR OF ST. PETER - FEB. 22

2010-02-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

CHAIR OF ST. PETER - FEB. 22
During this year of the priest, we have been highlighting one of the Apostles each month at our Associate days in the Bronx. Our apostolic feast day for February is the Chair of St. Peter.

Certainly we are honoring something greater than a piece of furniture, and something even greater than St. Peter himself, as great of a personal figure as he was. We know his weaknesses. I presume our Lord was so insistent on washing Peter’s feet at the Last Supper because He had seen that he often had his “foot in his mouth.” (!)   Yet Jesus called him blessed because he was given a word of truth, a revelation that came not from man but from God the Father (see Mt. 16:17).

The Chair of Peter reminds us that we don’t belong to a man-made Church. We are not left on our own to answer the question of who Jesus is. We are not left to “sola-Scriptura,” the Bible alone, which ends really in “O solo mio….”, to my own interpretation.   Vatican II taught us that Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are two branches of the same fountain, the same Divine Word.

Although human nature tends to rebel against religious authority, the fact that Christ gave authority and a guarantee of truth in matters of faith and morals to another human being is a great blessing. We have someone who can say for certain what it means to be a Catholic, which not every world religion has. (For example, some Muslims will say the problem with any dialogue with Islam and other religions is that no one can definitively say what it means to be a Muslim.) A personal authority, a Body with a head, means also that theology can develop with language and understanding.   We are not left to keeping everything exactly as it was, in the liturgy for example, in 35 AD. We have a continuity of authority which means that theological understanding can “change to remain the same” as language and societies change.

We can think of four facets of papal infallibility like four legs of this Chair. One is for truth in doctrines of faith, one for truth in doctrines of morals, one for bringing unity, and one for the authority to “bind and loose” in regard to sin and penalties. How amazing that Christ gave such authority to men, beginning with his fisherman friend. The perseverance of this chair, this office, over the ages is another way that Christ is with us always, even until the end of world.
- Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR

To Be or ...

2010-01-29T18:27:00.000-08:00

To Be or ...

In Matthew 13 we read about the people of Jesus' native place. They were so overly familiar with him that they took offense at his teachings and miracles. "Where did this man get all this?", they stated. "But Jesus said to them, 'A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.' And he did not work many mighty deeds there because of their lack of faith."

Many people have a "been there, done that, got the t-shirt" attitude towards Christianity. Inspired by this dynamic, Mel Gibson wanted to film The Passion of The Christ in Aramaic. He wanted Christ to strike us afresh, in a new way. When I type "To be or ..." You automatically know the rest, "or not to be. That is the question." Gibson believed that many people do the same thing with Jesus. We are so overly familiar with him that we lack faith.

Pray for the grace to experience the life-giving radicalness of Jesus and his Gospel anew so that he may work many mighty deeds in your life.

God bless,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR

The Words of Jesus

2010-01-14T11:35:00.000-08:00

The Words of Jesus

Perhaps one of the greatest struggles in embracing the gospel is the command of Jesus to let go of our entire life. The control we think we have, the anxiety we often create, our disordered desires that only serve to hurt us, our ideas about ourselves and others and our own will often reveal themselves in the light of the gospel as an illusion, a mask that is surrounded in unreality.

Jesus reminds us that everything that is true and beautiful about life comes from Him. His words alone remove the veil that we so often remain trapped behind. "Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock." Mt 7:24-25

A wise person is one who looks at their life and realizes that by himself they are incomplete and in need of an "other." Jesus Christ is therefore not a crux for "weak" people but the cure and the remedy for the blindness and sickness we live in without Him. Those who listen to His words and build their life upon Him will not be moved despite the trends and fashions that blow through society and leave so many people lost and wandering aimlessly for direction in their life.

Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

St. Leopold Friary, Yonkers, NY

A Christmas Prayer

2009-12-30T07:04:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the friars. For those of you who read Magnificat, this beautiful prayer will be familiar...

On that holy night,
Somehow
It happened.

Somehow,
God took a handful of humanity:
Proud, petulant, passionate;
And a handful of divinity:
Undivided, inexpressible, incomprehensible:
And enclosed them in one small body.

Somehow, the all too human
Touched the divine.
And was not vaporized.
To be human was never the same,
But forever thereafter,
Carried a hint of its close encounter with the perfect.
and forever thereafter,
God was never the same,
But carried a hint of the passion of the mortal.

If God can lie down in a cattle-trough,
is any object safe from transformation?
If peasant girls can be mothers to God,
Is any life safe from the invasion of the eternal?

If all this could happen, O God,
What places of darkness on our earth
are pregnant with light waiting to be born this night?

If all this could happen, O God,
Then you could be, and are, anywhere, everywhere,
Waiting to be born this night in the most
unbelievable places,
Perhaps even in our own hearts. Amen.

- Ian Oliver
We Ask Your Blessing: 100 Prayers For Campus Occasions

SAINT ANDREW - Bringing our Brothers & Sisters to Christ

2009-12-01T03:38:00.000-08:00

SAINT ANDREW - Bringing our Brothers & Sisters to Christ

Who was the first of the Apostles? Usually we think of Peter because he is at the top of the list, but the first in historical order was Saint Andrew. Andrew, along with another unnamed disciple of John the Baptist, was the first “vocation visitor” invited by Christ to come and see how He lived. He was a fisherman, like his brother Simon-Peter, who was the first person that he went to in order to get him “hooked” on Jesus as well (See Jn. 1:35-42).

Bringing people to Jesus was evidently Saint Andrew’s forte. At another key moment it was Saint Andrew who brought the young man with the 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus so that He could multiply them for the crowd (Jn 6:8-9).

Perhaps what is most notable about his efforts is his lack of notoriety. Saint Andrew seems content to fade into the background after he brings people to Christ. He doesn’t get to go with his brother and fellow fishermen, James and John, when they are with Jesus at the Transfiguration or Gethsemane. Maybe he was the responsible one whom Jesus could leave in charge while He was away.

Saint Andrew teaches us that the work of evangelization, being fishers of men, doesn’t call for a lot of recognition. John Henry Newman said that the true estimate of a person’s influence comes more from looking at their private life than their public life. Is anyone more influential than a mother or father upon the life of their children? Edward Leen, in his book on Progress in Mental Prayer reminds us that: We can never know if God shall realize His purpose in us through keeping us hidden or bringing us to light. The soul that seeks to be perfect must consent to be nothing, that is, to be held as nobody. It is wrong to seek to do remarkable things in God's service for the sake of attracting others to that service, (p. 116) As one member on a team of medical scientists said, “It doesn’t matter who gets the credit, as long as those who need it get the cure.”

Many great saints followed this path of hiddenness. For example, Saint Therese and Saint Benedict were not well known during their lifetimes. Saint Bernadette went into the hidden life of the cloister after the famous events took place at Lourdes, explaining that she was content to be like a broom in the hands of her Master, who could use her when needed and then put her back in the closet. She must have pondered the humble hiddenness of the Mother of God, such a central figure in salvation history about whom we really do not know many details.

It is enough to bring our brothers and sisters to Christ and let Him take over from there. It is encouraging that Saint Andrew’s success in evangelization began with his own family. This is not often the case, but he shows us that it is a worthwhile effort. In this case he won over the first pope. His manner of doing so was simply to share his experience of what he went and saw: “We have found the Messiah!” We might not be able to tell a family member how to live the faith, (that is, there is usually an independent spirit among family members in these matters) but we can at least be true to who we are and what God has done in our lives and share that experience with them. It is good to pray that the Lord would send a “fisherman” friend to them, who they might listen to more readily. If all else fails, I know of a woman who sewed a prayer cloth blessed by a priest into her husband’s clothing (unseen of course). Her husband, who had been away from the Church for 20 years, went back to church that Sunday and became a daily communicant!

Saint Andrew’s example also reminds us to be grateful for all of those people who brought us to Christ at crossroads of our lives and then faded into the background. We ask Saint Andrew to intercede for each of them, for our families, and for every person that Christ wants us to bring to Him.

Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR

St. Crispin Friary

Bronx, NY

Reading Souls

2009-11-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

Reading Souls

Throughout history there have been prophets who were given the grace to read souls. The Old Testament is full of examples, one of which is the scene when the prophet Nathan confronted King David for his adultery with Bathsheba and subsequent killing of her husband. This grace to read souls is always ordered to inviting the sinner to repent of sin. David wrote Psalm 51 in repentance for his sin.

Saints John Vianney and Padre Pio are modern day examples of this grace. They could tell you your sins when you knelt in their confessional! The effect was beautiful: people who were hard of heart and unrepentant, ended up converting and repenting. Yet, the absolution which these two saints offered is no different than the absolution one can receive from any Catholic Priest. You had to wait in line for days to make a confession to those two saints. Many priests sit alone for half an hour on Saturdays in the confessional. If we only knew the graces which are available things would be different ... In all of her modern day apparitions, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been encouraging us to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a month.

Pray for the grace of a well formed conscience and true contrition for your sins.

God bless,
Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary
New York, NY

It is true; we are never alone, especially in our moments of pain and suffering.

2009-11-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

“The sea rose because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, but he said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.” John 6:18-20

Perhaps the greatest hardship of pain and suffering occurs when we convince ourselves that we are alone, that everyone, including God, has forgotten about us and we must face this dark period in isolation from the rest of the world.

However, as months pass and we reflect on those moments with fresh eyes we slowly begin to realize that we were not alone. God was indeed very close to us. Even the most darkest and violent periods of history reveal this to us. How could humanity survive any of the countless tragedies she has faced and will continue to face, if there were not a loving God behind it all, holding back the gates of despair and anarchy from erupting upon the earth?

Jesus’ words to his disciples in the midst of their fear, “It is I; do not be afraid.” (Jn 6:20), are much more than an affirmation that everything will be alright. They are the proclamation that it is Jesus Christ who is the ultimate authority in the universe. It is He who conquers every tragedy, every disaster and every act of violence.

It is true; we are never alone, especially in our moments of pain and suffering.

Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

St. Leopold Friary

Yonkers, NY

Life Changing Box

2009-10-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Life Changing Box

Sharp has an advertising campaign for their Aquos LCD HDTV's. Their motto is "Change your TV, change your life." I recently saw a billboard which advertised their website as lifechangingbox.com. I found this to be sickening yet thought provoking...

The famous Mother Angelica of EWTN once called TV "The Devil's Tabernacle". There is a sense of irony here because she founded the largest global religious media network!! The key to any technology is how you use it. I am using a computer to write this message (and you to read it). Yet, even good use of technology can become time consuming - never mind the loss of attention span resulting from media overload.

Sometimes at night I sit in our chapel adoring Jesus mysteriously present in the tabernacle. If I glance out the window I can see an ominous TV-glow in most of the windows across the street. Make a commitment to limit your time in front of the tube and for heaven's sake, spend some time in front of the real life changing box.

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR

St. Joseph Friary
New York, NY

Transitus of Saint Francis 2009

2009-10-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

St. Francis – 803 Years of Unceasing Conversion

Grace and peace to you after the glorious solemnity of our Holy Father, St. Francis! Every year, the friars and sisters and our friends gather on October 3^rd to pray the Transitus, or the “crossing” of St. Francis from life to death. Over the last few years, the novices, postulants, and sister candidates, under the direction of Father Agustino, put on a dramatic production of Francis’ life from before his conversion until his death. Each year brings new laughs and new tears while stirring in us a renewed love for our founder and a reinvigorated desire to live more faithfully the live he has set before us, which is nothing other than the Gospel.

Our culture can have a pretty inaccurate idea of who was this “most Catholic of men.” St. Francis was not a sissy, but was of Assisi! He did love animals, but more so through his admonition to the brothers that, “God created you according to His image and likeness, and yet all creatures under heaven, each according to his own nature, serve, know, and obey their Creator better than you.” His brothers certainly inherited his love for animals as one of our friars once said during an EWTN interview, “We love animals – they’re delicious.” Furthermore,St. Francis never wrote the popular “Peace Prayer.” We don’t have any recorded writings of him saying, “Preach the Gospel; use words when necessary,” but we do have, “Give praise to Him since He is good and exalt Him by your deeds for He has sent you into the entire world for this reason that in word and deed you may give witness to His voice and bring everyone to know that there is no one who is all powerful except Him.” Francis never dissented from the teaching authority of the Church nor disrespected, ignored, disobeyed, or undermined Her hierarchy, but instead wrote in his rule, “I command the ministers, through obedience, to petition the Lord Pope for one of the cardinals of the holy Roman Church, who would be the governor, protector, and corrector of this fraternity, so that, always submissive and prostrate at the feet of the same holy Church, and steadfast in the Catholic faith, we may observe the poverty and the humility of the holy Gospel.”

Br. Isaiah Hoffman, CFR Novice, plays the part of St. Francis

Being this the “Year of the Priest”, this year’s Transitus production featured a new scene that demonstrated the great love Francis had for priests - even the most sinful. As the stage lights came on, one of our postulants, dressed as a priest, was celebrating Mass while his people were off to the other side of the stage with their backs turned and their arms crossed. Francis, played by one of the novices, appears and asks them why they are not attending Mass. They claim that the priest of their parish is a public sinner; that he is out all night drinking and visiting the local brothel. Francis tells them that no matter how sinful of a priest he may be, God still uses his hands to turn the bread and wine he offers into the Body and Blood of Christ. He enters the church, and as the priest finishes the Mass, Francis kneels before him and kisses his hands and feet. Francis’ kindness and reverence reminds the priest of his great dignity and, falling to his knees, he begs Francis to pray for him.

St. Francis and his companions (played by Br. Angelo LeFever and Br. Pierre Toussiant Guiteau) before his conversion

Francis said in several of his writings:

“We must venerate and show respect for the clergy, not so much for them personally if they are sinners, but by reason of their office and their administration of the most holy Body and Blood of Christ which they sacrifice upon the altar and receive and administer to others.” …

“Woe to those who look down upon the clergy; for even though they may be sinners, nonetheless no one is to judge them since the Lord alone reserves judgment on them to Himself. …Those who sin against them commit a greater sin than if they sinned against all other people of this world.” …

“Let the whole of mankind tremble, the whole world shake, and the heavens exalt when Christ, the Son of the living God, is present on the altar in the hands of a priest.”

St. Francis tempted by the devil (played by Br. Alan Paul Fimister

For the Solemn Mass of St. Francis, the Church gives Franciscans a sequence that is sung after the second reading and before the Gospel. It is a prayerful testament to his conversion, life and stigmatization. Please pray for us, that we might become less unworthy sons and daughters of our Holy Father Francis.

May Jesus and Mary reign in our hearts! Ave Maria!

Br. Aloysius Marie Mazzone, CFR

St. Joseph Friary

New York, NY

Fr. Andrew Apostoli plays the part of the Pope!

Lo, new signs of sanctity,

Deserving praise in high degree,

Wonderful and fair to see,

In Francis now behold!

To this newly-gathered band

Francis gives the King’s command,

And guided by his mighty hand,

The New Law does unfold.

Before the world’s astonished view

Arise the life and Order new

Whose holy rules again renew

The evangelic state.

Francis to Christ’s law conforms,

The life monastic he reforms

And all the apostolic norms

He keeps inviolate.

Scant the measure of his food;

Scant his raiment, coarse and rude;

A cord his girdle plain and rude;

He goes with feet unshod.

For naught but poverty he yearns;

From money he in loathing turns;

All earthly things now Francis spurns,

Despising all for God.

He seeks a place to weep apart,

And mourns in bitterness of heart

The time he lost while taking part

In earthly things so vain.

Within a mountain cavern lone

He hides to weep, and lying prone;

Prays aloud with sigh and groan;

Then peace returns again.

There in that rocky cave’s retreat,

Enrapt in contemplation sweet,

The wise judge spurns the earth beneath,

To heaven he aspires.

His flesh by penance is subdued,

Transfigured wholly and renewed;

The Scriptures are his daily food;

He scorns all base desires.

Then like a seraph from the height

Of Heaven, comes the King of might;

The patriarch, in deep affright,

Beholds the vision dread.

It bears the marks of Christ, and lo!

While Francis stands in speechless woe

It pierces him, and blood does flow

From out the wounds so red.

His body, like Christ’s crucified,

Is signed on hands and feet.

His side,

Pierced through and through, is slowly dyed

In crimson streams of blood.

Prophetic secrets now are heard;

Great wisdom has the Lord conferred

Upon the saint; the mystic word

His soul with light does flood.

Now in those bleeding wounds, behold!

Black nails appear, cause pain untold.

Sharp are the points, and manifold

The anguish and the woe.

No human instrument did aught

To make those wounds; they were not brought

To him by nature’s hand, nor wrought

By cruel hammer-blow.

We pray you, by the cross’s sign

Marked on your flesh, whereby ‘twas yours

The world, the flesh, all things malign,

To conquer gloriously:

O Francis, take us to your care,

Protect us here from every snare,

That we your great reward may share

In heaven eternally.

O holy Francis, Father sweet,

Devoutly we your aid entreat.

May we and all your children meet,

Crowned victors in the strife.

In virtue’s path our footsteps train

And guide us where the saints now reign,

That we, your children, may attain

The joys of endless life. Amen. Alleluia.

Labor by Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

2009-10-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

Labor

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you.” (John 6:26-27)

One cannot help to be impressed by the discipline many athletes undergo. They spend hours in the gym, deny themselves certain foods, practice their sport day in and day out and even make sure they have a sufficient amount of sleep so they can function properly.

Yet how short is their glory! It seems that when one person breaks a record, somebody else comes along in a relatively short span of time and topples that record. The former record melts away into history and sooner or later will be forgotten.

Jesus gives us an important principle that is necessary to discern our priorities in life: “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life.” (Jn 6:27)

It is true everybody needs to eat; everybody needs to buy clothing and other accessories; everybody deserves to go on vacation, etc., but a characteristic of our culture is that we have turned these things into “ends,” and for so many people they constitute their identity and their whole life becomes an endless accumulation of things that eventually crumble right before them.

The question needs to be asked. Am I laboring for food that will ultimately perish? The prophet Isaiah sums it up perfectly, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Incline your ear and come to me, hear that your soul may live.” (Is 55:2)

What is your answer?

Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

St. Leopold Friary
Yonkers, New York

SAINT MATTHEW - MODEL FOR RENEWAL by Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR

2009-10-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

SAINT MATTHEW - MODEL FOR RENEWAL

Why is Saint Matthew’s Gospel in the #1 spot in the New Testament? The first reason may be that it links up so well with the Old Testament. Not only the genealogy that begins Chapter 1 by tracing our roots to Abraham, but throughout his Gospel there are many references to Jesus' teaching fulfilling the Old Law and building upon it. Look for example, at the refrain in Chap. 5 "You have heard it was said...."in vv. 21, 27, 31, 33, 38, and 43 followed by "but I say to you...." There are many other ways that Jewish Christians would have understood Jesus as the new Moses by what Matthew chose to include in his Gospel.

There is even a line spoken by Jesus that we only find in this Gospel which sums up this point: "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the Kingdom of Heaven is like a master of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old" (13:52). This line appropriately describes Saint Matthew himself - not a bad reason for him to include it!

It is a temptation sometimes for Christians to ignore the Old Testament with the mistaken generality "That's the mean God. I prefer the nice God, the merciful One that Jesus talks about." This isn't a new temptation or mistake. There was a heretical teacher named Marcion in the 2nd Century who tried to rid Christianity of the Old Testament for that very reason.

Recently at our St. Anthony's Shelter for Renewal in the Bronx, we were discussing the role of Our Lady during our weekly Bible study. One of our homeless guests asked, "Couldn't God have picked any woman to be the mother of His Son?" Another homeless man, who is Protestant, quickly replied, "No, she had to be from the House of David." That was a helpful introduction from a surprising source to be able to speak with them about God's plan from all eternity and how He gradually brought it about in the fullness of time through Our Lady's “yes.” This is just one of a million examples why it is helpful to know the Old Testament in order to really appreciate the New Testament. At the same time, we believe that the Old Testament cannot be understood correctly without the New.

The history of Sacred Tradition in the Church follows a similar principle. There must be continuity between old and new for authentic renewal to take place. There is a maxim in theology that "the Church's teaching must change to remain the same." We believe that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever," but the language that draws us into the mystery of the God-man may be adapted and updated to speak to every age.

Recently two of our friars attended a Mass in Latin in Manhattan (nice rhyme, eh?) where the priest was preaching about openness to the Charismatic gifts (which I presume included other tongues besides Latin). I think Saint Matthew would enjoy that kind of mix - the treasures old and new.

Every reform in religious life seeks to follow this same principle of dynamic continuity. One Church historian said that the success of the Capuchin reform in the early 1500's was due to their ability to bring the ideals of the early Franciscans into their age and respond to the needs of the Church at that time. Our Community of Franciscans of the Renewal has a similar goal.

The same principle applies to one's spiritual life in many ways. Although we are called to put on the new man who is Christ without compromise, His grace builds upon nature. It is evident from his Gospel that Saint Matthew had an eye for detail, legal knowledge, a sense of history, a gift of persuasion, and an investigative sense. It's reasonable to imagine that all of these gifts were developed because of his years as a Jewish tax collector. God's plan in the history of each individual is also an adventure of dynamic continuity.

"Something old, something new, something gray, something blue...." - or something like that.

Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR

St. Crispin Friary
Bronx, New York

2009 C.F.R. Sisters Novice Investiture

2009-09-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

“And when they lifted their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.”
(Luke 17:8)

This sentence describes Peter, James and John after having had a strange and wonderful experience on Mount Tabor - having seen the Lord transfigured before them. This verse strikes me as a fitting caption for the photos of our postulants on the day of their investiture. They too have been selected to "come up a high mountain apart.” (Lk 17:1) Having felt a call from God, having tested it by living our way of life for a year, these four young women arrived at the day of investiture with an eager desire to go forward - following Jesus wherever He may be leading – even if Mount Tabor is inner-city Bronx, NY.

Transfixed on Jesus in His Eucharistic disguise, they knelt before Him to give up a regular life in the world and to give in to His invitation to follow Him. What wells up in the heart of a woman who has perceived the summons of God; who is being invited into deeper communion with a Divine Person? The mystery of God's desire for us can only provoke awe and amazement. The more it is accepted, the less it is understood. That God can yearn is mystery enough - that His thirst is for us is beyond reason or understanding. When a person perceives that she is the object of this desire and the "Amen, Yes. So be it." eventually rises to the surface of her mind and heart so that at last she is able to say "Yes, I will be the handmaiden of the Lord, be it done unto me according to your word." It is then that she embarks on a journey of romance and adventure, one of combat and battle, of sacrifice and death and of fruitfulness and life - even unto life eternal, if she will be faithful.

And so, with hair shorn, and clothed in the Holy Habit, (both wedding gown and battle array) down the mountain they come - and into the novitiate. With two years of intense preparation for vows before them, life in a quiet novitiate may not seem to be a romantic, battle ridden, mystery adventure at first glance.

The stillness of their hours in the chapel, the simple work of cleaning and cooking, the studying and singing and serving all oriented toward our Divine Bridegroom - with Him, In Him, Through Him. Supernatural romance. Praying with Saint Francis "Who are you O Lord, and who am I?" and as they gaze upon Christ, discovering Him and in Him discovering themselves in their truest identity as beloved children of the Father, heirs of the Kingdom and chosen for an especially close following of Jesus Christ, Mystery into mystery. As for the battle, it is waged against ourselves - getting up to pray when we'd rather sleep in, smiling when we’d rather groan, serving when we don't feel able. Saint Francis reminds us that our worst enemy is our own lower nature. And so it is a battle to decrease that Christ may increase in us. Sounds like hard labor, doesn’t it? To labor in love yields life.

And so our novices have undertaken the journey of deeper prayer, purer virtue to be ever more clear reflections of Christ so that they will be able to make their vows with joy and be sent forth ready to bring the Light into the darkest corners – even unto the ends of the earth.

Please pray with us for them.

Sr. Clare Matthiass, CFR

(l-r) Sr. Agnes Holtz, Novice Directress; Sr. Guadalupe Magdalena Gonzalez; Sr. Ruth Therese Myrick; Sr. Mercy Faustina Bohacik; Sr. Kelly Francis Oslin; Sr. Clare Matthiass, Community Vicar and Postulant Directress; Sr. Lucille Cutrone, Community Servant.