From The Friars - CFR Blog

Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Stations of the Cross HolyHaiku

#holyhaiku #stationsofthecross #Lent

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Friday, April 11, 2014

Palm Sunday

Jesus Drawing Near

Hosanna in the Highest

Humble Messiah

#holyhaiku #PalmSunday

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Once at St. Lucy’s Shelter in Jersey City, I met a homeless man who taught me something about how the truth sets us free. He is a recovering alcoholic who has been sober for about a year. He mentioned a few times how humbling it was to be in a shelter situation since he had a college education and had done very well in the film industry. He spoke very articulately about how drinking had eventually caused him to lose everything and to isolate himself, too proud to ask any of his friends or co-workers for help.

After spending some time at the Salvation Army and now at St. Lucy’s, he is getting back on his feet. What was most impressive, however, was the apparent joy and glimmer in his eye as he spoke about how he was much more free than ever before in his life. He didn’t care anymore about all of the material goods he used to have—as long as he had a sandwich and a cup of coffee, he was content; although he was looking forward to the privacy of his own room again. He is a Christian man who has come to realize that he can’t simply rely on his own strength. Although not a Catholic, he was eager to receive a rosary and learn how he could pray with it.

Our Saviour’s line about “the poor you will always have with you, but me you will not always have” (Jn 12:8) sometimes throws us off a bit, as if we don’t need to be concerned about the poor. Our Lord was in fact quoting the Old Testament (Dt. 15:11), and was speaking to Judas, who was more concerned about his bank account than helping the poor anyway. But this homeless man came to realize as a poor man how the Lord Jesus is truly our greatest treasure, the Truth Himself, who sets us free. Paradoxically, we realize that we always have Jesus with us in the poor, who will always be with us. Where there is humble poverty, we find the truth that sets us free.

+ Fr. Richard Roemer, CFR

Yonkers, NY

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Thursday, April 3, 2014

5th Sunday of Lent - Resurrection

waiting for new life -

like creation in winter -

Resurrection springs! -

#holyhaiku #Lent

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Monday, March 31, 2014

Win the REAL War (2 of 2)

God is Holy and has a "Zero Tolerance Policy" for sin in Heaven. This
means that, by His grace, I need to be made holy before I can enter fully
into His Presence in Heaven (thank God for His Mercy each time in
Confession, and for Purgatory in case we fall short on earth!). Jesus
calls us to have a righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees
whose whole religious observance was an empty outward show - He calls us
to true conversion of heart and mind so that we may follow Him in freedom
and love.

How often do I make big decisions in haste which I later come to regret?
In a brief instant, I can choose Jesus Christ and His Kingship of Love,
renewing my love for Him with a tiny prayer or act of my will, entrusting
all to Him; or I can waste His precious gift of time in fruitless
diversions or even serious sins with lasting consequences. God loves us so
much that He created us with free will!

"A time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for
peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:8) [RSV]

Let us show our love for Christ this Lent by firmly resisting and
courageously overcoming every sin, evil, deception, activity and thought
in or near ourselves that does not glorify Him or love our neighbor. Let's
fight and win the REAL WAR against Satan and against sin in our *own*
souls; we don't fight alone, but in union with Christ & His Immaculate
Mother...in the Victorious Name of *JESUS*!

Only then will we have PEACE with others and in the world. Yes - we may
even have to *put to death* selfish or evil plans, thoughts, ideas and
grudges, and attachments to past hurts, present doubts or future fears.
This takes real sacrifice, but the "payoff" is truly everlasting... God
bless you and know of the Friars' prayers for you - and please pray for us
too.

+Br. Philip Maria Allen, CFR
St. Felix Friary
Yonkers, NY, USA

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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Win the REAL War (1 of 2)

Ecclesiastes chapter 3:1-3a (RSV) says: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal..." (Perhaps a familiar song or movie popped into your head as it did in mine.)

For years I was disturbed by the verse "a time to kill" since I am a Christian committed to loving, not killing. But it finally dawned on me at Mass this morning about the different senses of Scripture, and to what this might actually refer to.

Perhaps the "deaths" that need to happen refer to things that are offensive to God and harmful to ourselves and others, like: sin, evil, envy, hatred, lying, pride, unforgiveness, bitterness, injustice, judgmental-ism, lust, sloth, etc...

When we take the time to examine our conscience, it helps us to identify what we "need to die to." Then we can ask Jesus to help us to be victorious in this area of our lives.

+Br. Philip Maria Allen, CFR
St. Felix Friary
Yonkers, NY, USA

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