Mourning & Hunger…

This past week, a few of the Brothers and I visited the St. Rose of Lima Youth Group in Newtown, CT. The parish will have 8 funerals this next week due to the tragic shooting that happened the Friday before at the local elementary school.

At times like this no words can really do justice to provide the comfort and consolation that so many long to receive. Our goal at the youth gathering was just to be there. We prayed, comforted, and tried to bring hope in such a desperate situation. I experienced the intensity of the situation as we arrived and were greeted by Police Officers in the parking lot as well as the Knights of Columbus providing security at the front door. As soon as the Holy Hour started I remember being moved by how many of the youth were there but also by the spirit of fear that was in the room. This gathering was supposed to be the night before but due to a threat during the Sunday masses the day before, the event was cancelled. Needless to say many hearts were afraid.

Thank God no press was allowed in the gathering. Large signs in the parking lot and on the building made it very apparent that the Press was not welcome. The shooting has certainly been the story for days now, and even though we don’t have TV I am aware of what those in the media world are talking about. Of course every one is looking for answers and asking all the questions of how something like this could happen. And there are legitimate conversations that must happen about guns and violence, but being there with the young people that night I couldn’t help but wish for one moment that a news camera could be recording live so the whole nation could experience for one moment what I did that night.

The Lord came. And everyone in the room reached out to Him. My heart was filled with the realization and wanted to exclaim: “This is the answer!” The young people full of fear and carrying the burdens of so much violence and despair, reached out to Jesus. He is the answer and they hungered for Him in this moment. As the Holy Hour continued I couldn’t’ help but experience the fear being lifted as many experienced the comfort of Jesus who comes to bring consolation and peace to those who mourn. As Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was processing around the room the young people literally had their hands raised and extended in the direction of our Lord. They reached out to Him. And He comforted them. In the room that night, so many young people, including their parents, experienced the true message of Advent and the brilliance of Christianity. Our God comes to us. In the joys of life but even more so in the trials and the times where nothing makes sense. Jesus comes to us and He brings us the peace and consolation that we need and also gives meaning and purpose to our suffering.  Words cannot explain what happened last week but the presence of Jesus gives us hope. We don’t know the reason’s why things happened the way they did but we do know that Jesus is Lord of our lives and he was that Lord of those in that room that night. Experiencing this, I know in my heart that these young people will be OK. Through the fear and the tears and the questions they encountered Jesus who broke into their suffering and proclaimed, “I am here.”

Leaving the gathering that night I experienced so many emotions. But more then anything a hope filled conviction that Jesus is with us. Our Father in Heaven is watching over us and leading us despite the horror filled situations and tragedies of life. The truly moving encounter of the evening for me was to experience the hunger and longing these young people had for Jesus. It is like they were tried of all the things in life that haven’t worked. Tired of the media who couldn’t give them answers to their questions and tired of the endless updates on Facebook and Twitter that just reminded them of the horror. They were afraid and they went in search to find meaning and purpose to what they were feeling, and in their search they found our God who had come in search of them. Kneeling down, with their hands raised and extended to the real and true presence of Jesus, they cried out for Him.  

For the first time in my whole life I feel like I sincerely experienced the true meaning of Advent. Jesus comes to those who seek Him and comes every moment we turn our hearts to Him. He is the hope that our hearts long for and this He is the answer to all our questions. I myself was renewed in my desire to cry out to the Lord to come in a more powerful way into my life. This is the cry of Advent. This is the cry of our hearts when nothing else makes sense or satisfies us.

For weeks to come we will hear many opinions about how to recover and how to prevent something like this from happening again. There is no question that many bright and qualified people will take part in the conversation and propose a way for the future. But what gives me hope are the young people and the choice they made that night. Maybe, just maybe, we can learn from them. In the end, Jesus is the answer. Jesus is our hope, He is our victory, and He is our peace. And truly blessed are those who mourn and reach out to Him and hunger for Him in this time, for they will truly be satisfied.

Come Lord, do not delay.

Br. Angelus Immaculata Montgomery, CFR
Most Blessed Sacrament Friary
Newark, NJ

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EMMANUEL (GOD WITH US)

Sometimes in prayer, we hear God whisper something to us. Recently, I heard God tell me, “swing little brother swing.” At first I wasn’t entirely sure what this meant. As I prayed and thought about it, it became pretty clear: when I was younger, I used to play baseball and sometimes when I went up to bat, I would get nervous, really nervous. I would be afraid to swing the bat for fear of striking out and looking like a loser or feeling like a complete failure. So instead of really trying for a hit, I would secretly hope for a walk.

Looking back at it now, I see that I was plagued, almost paralyzed, at those moments with a deadly combination of pride and fear: afraid to failure, pridefully thinking I needed to be better than I was. Even today, I recognize this misguided sense of self-protection within myself. I want to play it safe; I want people to think highly of me, I don’t want to make any mistakes. (Sound familiar?) While I say, “please let me get a walk,” Jesus says, “swing little brother swing.” Jesus says be free and joyful – don’t be a slave to the expectations of others, don’t be a salve to this nagging fear of inadequacy. Jesus says, don’t be so concerned with the results, be concerned with a confident, joyful attitude.

How can this be when I am surrounded by so many pressures and demands externally and internally? At times it doesn’t seem possible. The only ray of hope I can decipher is the presence of God. If God is truly with me at every moment, in all circumstances, and never abandons me no matter what the results appear to be, then maybe, maybe I be can free and daring. Maybe, if the focus is on Him and what He can do and what He has done (and not on me and what I can’t do and what I haven’t done) then maybe I don’t have to take things so seriously.

C. K. Chesterton says that this was the glory of St. Francis: that he saw the whole world turned upside down and hanging by a hair. We wasn’t afraid or intimidated by anything because he knew it was all passing away and he knew the love of God that never passes away. In other words, all the pomp, all the power, all the ‘coolness’, all the ‘success’, all the situation and things we fear are like a puff of smoke. None of these things are as important as the love of God that endures all things and lasts forever. If God is Emmanuel, then maybe, I can swing the bat and so can you.

God bless you,
Fr. Giuseppe Siniscalchi, CFR
Most Blessed Sacrament Friary
Newark, N]

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Good and Bad; Happy and Sad

A famous Advent scripture passage is Isaiah 40: 3-5:

"A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be lifted up, every mountain and hill made low;
The rugged land shall be a plain,the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

This famous passage is quoted in the New Testament as referring to Saint John the Baptist.

I am fascinated by the idea of filling up the valleys and pulling down the mountains in order to make a straight road for the Lord - they still do that when they are making highways. Here is a spiritual interpretation of the image:

In this life we all have good days and bad days; days that make us happy and days that make us sad. If we have the faith to see, God is at work in both. Some days bring consolations and joys. These days can be seen as "filling up the valleys" as they lift us up. Some days bring trials and sorrow. These days can be seen as "bringing down the mountains" of our pride and self-centeredness.

Another image is two rosaries - one for joys and one for sorrows. Imagine that we are holding one in each hand. As we go through life and experience various joys and sorrows a bead is added. On second thought, it is only one rosary that we are holding. The joyful and sorrowful mysteries are prayed on the same rosary.

May Our Lady prepare the manger of our heart to receive her Son!

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary
Harlem, NY
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Letters of hope and consolation # 18

In your time of physical sickness and suffering you have experienced the absence of friends and family. Those who have told you repeatedly that they love you were simply not there as you needed them to be. There were few phone calls and emails and even fewer visits from those who you could “count” on. And now you are forced to spend these days with an agonizing loneliness hovering over you.

What could I possibly say to you to try and console you? To some extent you are right, prayer is not enough, we need a human touch, a human companion to hold us, to talk with, to cry with and confide in. When we don’t have even that life itself feels like a meaningless endeavor or a cruel trick played on us by some ruthless authority figure. Loneliness is after all, such a terrible feeling, that we are often tempted to do just about anything to remove it from our life.

Yet here is what is remarkable. Jesus himself experienced loneliness at a level, thankfully, you and I will probably never experience in this life. He was betrayed by Judas and Peter and by almost all of the disciples at an hour when he needed them most. When Jesus is arrested in the garden of Gethsemane the Gospels state, “Then all the disciples left him and fled” (Mt 26:56). While he was forced to suffer the excruciating agony of the crucifixion, Jesus was for the most part alone, with the exception of a few women and the apostle John (Jn 19-25-26). In his humanity he even felt as if he had been abandoned by his Father, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mk 15:34)

Is this not your experience as well? Without underestimating your feelings and what your experience has been like these past few days would it be too much of a stretch to say that what was true of Jesus is true of you? You have been abandoned and disappointed by friends and family but, like Jesus, you were still not alone. Even though you felt the Father’s absence and could have cried out the same words that Jesus did, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was still there, as He was for Jesus on the cross, strengthening him, holding him and staying faithfully by his side. How could you have survived these past few days if this were not true for you also?

This reality certainly might not take away the hurt you feel in your heart but it should affirm a truth that you and I both need to be reminded of regularly; God is always faithfully by your side. He has no desire of ever leaving you. Even when you feel as if He to has abandoned you, He is there, He has been there and will continue to be there everyday of your life.

God bless you,

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY
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I am thankful for ...

The time surrounding Thanksgiving is such a whirlwind of work and happiness in New York City. This year was no different. The Hurricane Sandy relief effort began the movement to reach out and help. Food was handed out, prayers were said and thanks was given to God for it all.

On Thanksgiving day itself we had our usual Saint Joseph's Table meal for the neighborhood. With the help of some dear friends who own a great restaurant (Gino's Trattoria) we offered the best meal in town! Thanks to the friars who were praying in Eucharistic Adoration through out the day, no one got cut except the turkey.

This year was extra-special because Br. Timothy made a ghetto turkey piñata.  With time running out and short on materials, he used newspaper and mortar paste. That was a tough old bird! It survived many a whack before it yielded the goodies.

When Brother announced that we were offering a turkey piñata in the back yard, no one made a move to join us. So, I got on the microphone and yelled, "Hey everybody, that thing is full of CASH MONEY!" Wow - that really got everyone's attention. I kinda stretched the truth knowing that candy is like money in Candy Land!

Anyways, our guests were really interested in getting that money. The Thanksgiving/Christmas season is a great time to look into your heart and discover what you are really interested in. Then if you are like me and my neighbors, pray for the grace of a deeper conversion.

May God bless you,

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

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Letters of hope and consolation #17

You are a beggar before God.  There is nothing you can truly call your 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 you?

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


God bless you,

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR
St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY
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Letters of hope and consolation # 16

We often talk about love as if it were only an abstract concept.  The problem with concepts is that they very rarely leave us with a picture to examine or an example to ponder.  So, what does love look like?

According to St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13-4-7, this is what love looks like.  It is;


1. Patient and kind
2. Not jealous or boastful
3. Not arrogant or rude
4. It does not insist on its own way
5. It is not irritable or resentful
6. It does not rejoice at wrong
7. It rejoices in the right
8. It bears all things
9. Believes all things
10. Hopes all things
11. Endures all things

After some prayer and meditation on St. Paul’s examination of love how are you doing?  In what areas do you need to grow to allow love to become more concrete and less abstract in your life?


God bless you,

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

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Letters of hope and consolation # 15

For many people reality is a burden, something they want to escape from.  Unfortunately, there are so many escape routes available to us today.

What is it about reality that so many people find difficult?  It is, I believe, the apparent boredom, the apparent nothingness that appears present to people in the midst of their lives.  Because reality appears empty so many people try to create reality according to their own designs and structures.  The ironic thing is that by escaping reality in order to try and create a better one, we forfeit the chance of ever discovering true happiness.

A question I pose to you is; how do you view reality?  Is it merely a random succession of events and occurrences?  Is reality empty, boring, devoid of anything that can stir the human heart?  If you answer yes to these questions then I can guarantee you that you are destined for a life of misery.

Reality is an encounter with Jesus Christ!  In every moment of our day, whether we are in prayer, reading, with friends, at work, on a busy street corner, fulfilling one’s duties as a parent or enjoying a walk in nature, Jesus Christ is there whispering to your heart that He is the “more” you desire from life.  By ignoring reality or trying to escape reality as soon as possible you are running from Him who is your only hope for happiness.

My prayer for you is that you could become so bold as to stand face to face with reality as it is and leave behind all your escapes, illusions and self-sufficiency.  When that prayer is fully answered there will be no reason to escape anywhere because all that you have been looking for will be directly in front of you.


God bless you,

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

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Days of Grace

It has been a wonderful couple of days. Recently, a group of us were able to make a pilgrimage to the shrines of St. Kateri Tekakwitha and the North American Martyrs. The shrine is a mere three hour drive north of New York City. This spot is some of the holiest soil in our country. During the mid 17th Century three of the martyrs toiled and shed their blood for the faith on that spot. The remains of St. Rene Goupil are still buried somewhere in the revered ravine (find their story here).

Ten years after the martyrdom of St. John Lalande and St. Isaac Jogues, St. Kateri was born in this same blessed village. Recently canonized a saint, she was an amazing anomaly.

You may have heard of a famous quote by the 2nd-century Church Father Tertullian who wrote that "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church." This implies that the sacrifice of the martyrs will lead to an outpouring of grace and conversions. The truth of this insight is born by history. How did a small persecuted sect (Christianity) conquer the Roman Empire which sought to stamp it out?

St. Kateri is another example of inexplicable grace flowing from the yes of martyrs. May Saint Kateri pray for an outpouring of purity and prayer in our lives today (find the Pope's canonization homily here). Here is her inspiring story from the Vatican Press Release:

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

Letters of hope and consolation # 14

Despite the fears that often trouble your soul, God dwells in those inmost depths in silence and peace.  The difficulty is hearing him and experiencing his presence because your fears are so loud and intimidating.  They have convinced you to think that the future contains no hope and that nobody, especially God, could love you simply the way you are.  You must appear smarter, look holier, come across as having your life together, and be more physically attractive and so on.  In short, you must be anything but yourself, so they seem to say!

In believing in your fears you run from one “solution” to the next.  Yet a day later they return and you are off again to the races desperately trying to find something to silence them.  The reality is running only makes things worse.  If only you could learn to stand before the Lord as you are, accepting yourself as you are, and patiently allowing God’s love to penetrate your wounded humanity you could begin to experience healing.  If you follow this and learn to be still and trust in God you will discover that the real strength and the real power belong to God and that instead of running from life there is a much greater and more peaceful option:  waiting in silence with confidence upon Him who dwells in the depths of your soul.



God bless you,

Fr. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY

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Resignation

One of the lessons that the Lord teaches Job, especially in Job chapter 9, is that resignation to Divine Providence is better than resistance and insistence. Resignation to God’s will always bears good fruit. And this is not just a giving up of trying to do things ‘my way’ because sometimes the situations we face in life are things we did not choose. This requires a positive and free surrender; a conscientious self-entrustment to Divine Providence.

This sort of letting go is taken to a whole new level with Jesus in the picture. In Luke 9 Our Lord makes it clear that, unlike Elijah who allowed for the fulfillment of sacred family duties before having Elisha follow after him (1 Kings 19), the nature of the call of Jesus has a sacred primacy above everything and everyone else. Jesus is greater than Solomon; greater than Elijah; greater than Jonah; greater than the Temple. Jesus does not require from us cooperation, or commitment, or an agreement…Jesus demands everything. This is the only true and sure path to freedom, to have hands and a heart empty and ready for reception.

Fr. Jacques Philippe shares a story in his book Called to Life about a woman who spoke to him once about how her entire life had completely fallen apart. Her fiancé just left her, someone in the family had just died and she had just lost heart job. Listening to her Fr. Jacques also noticed unforgiveness in her heart towards her own father. He focused on that. And when she was able to let go of that unforgiveness, everything else was manageable. This is the interior freedom that the children of God are called to live.

God bless you,
Fr. Sebastian Maria Kajko, C.F.R.

St. Pio Friary
Bradford, England

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Transitus

This year’s Transitus was presented in the Church of Saint Adalbert in the South Bronx. Like last year, the church was packed with friends and neighbors to witness “an extravaganza on a shoe string”—although each year the shoestring gets a bit bigger!

It is the custom of Franciscans throughout the world to gather together on the eve of the feast of Saint Francis to commemorate the “Transitus,” that is “the passing” or the death of their spiritual father. There is no official format to the Transitus, so, much like the Franciscans themselves, the ceremony varies from place to place. The Transitus commemoration is ordinarily held in churches or chapels and composed mostly of prayers, hymns, and readings from the life of Saint Francis and the Scriptures.

For a number of years the friars and sisters celebrated the Transitus with a candlelight procession beginning in the basement of the church—that is until Brother Agustino Torres came on the scene! Like other friars who bring their particular expertise to the community, Brother Agustino threw in his contribution to the pot. Since then, the Transitus has never been the same!

It now appears to be the short standing tradition to enlist both friar and sister novices and postulants into the production. Thankfully, the classes have been quite creative which means all the characters which make up the story of Saint Francis are there: the saint and his ever-growing band of brothers, an always angry father, the bishop, knights, sultan, and lepers. Br. Peter was the well chosen narrator who led us through the drama with his fine homegrown British accent.

Art, music, and drama have been used in the Church through the centuries as an expression of her obedience to Christ’s command to go out and preach the gospel to every nation. For this reason, plays, processions, and public pilgrimages were used not only for private devotion, but also for evangelization. Preaching the gospel should not be bound only to the pulpit, but as Pope John Paul II used to say, be taken to the streets and to public places.” Like the biblical scenes in stained glass, dramas were a way to reach and teach those who could not—or today, will not—read. A song and a skit can “bring home” the gospel message, and not only stir the emotions, but get a person to think, and then act according to the will of God.

As long as the Lord sends us the vocations, we will be there—in the open, front and center. Indeed, the two are related, that is, vocations and public witness. When religious hide their identity and their religious duty under a bushel basket woven of secular straw, no one notices them, and no one comes. Like a boat with unfurled sails, we will go nowhere if we are afraid of appearing proud. If we are afraid of standing up and being counted, the count will be small indeed. This is one reason the garb of the religious is important. While it is true “the habit doesn’t make the monk,” who would want to be a monk without one?

How grateful we are to God for sending us young men and women who are excited to stand up and be counted for Christ. These are ordinary young people, yet they feel called to embrace an extraordinary life—and are not afraid to let the world know. As you view these photos, pray for them—that their enthusiasm and dedication may only increase and mature. Pray that they receive the grace to burn brightly in a very dark world and set the world aflame with faith, charity, and new life. It happened many years ago. May it happen once again, in our day!

Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR

Most Blessed Sacrament Friary

Newark, NJ

(reprinted from the archive)

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Letters of hope and consolation #13

What is happening in your life is exciting.  In the midst of work, study, friendships and all your other activities and responsibilities God is speaking to you.  He has given you a greater sense of his love, his fidelity and his compassionate heart in the very “concreteness” of your daily life.  You did not need to go on a journey to some far away land to discover Him.  You simply opened your heart to Him a little more each day and allowed Him the opportunity to respond.  And He continues to respond, much to your amazement!

In this simple and beautiful process you have learned a valuable lesson regarding the life of prayer:  honesty is always the best policy.  You yourself have said that the more honest you are with God the more He seems to respond, as if He was desperately waiting for you to share the “concreteness” of your daily life.  Since God seems to be responding so well to your honesty it appears that the future of this relationship depends a large part on your willingness to be real with Him.  Prayer, after all, is supposed to be easy.  It is we who make it difficult.

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

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Letters of hope and consolation #12

Forgiveness is one of the many topics in the New Testament in which Jesus offers us no wiggle room.  “How often must I forgive?” Peter asks, “as many as seven times?”  Peter thinks he is being generous.  “Jesus answered, I say to you, not seven times but seventy seven times” (Matthew 18: 21-22).  In other words, keep on forgiving, once is never enough, neither is seven or seventy seven.  Jesus’ own life and example match his words.  From the cross he utters a loud and painful cry to the Father, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23: 34).

If Jesus’ words above are not difficult enough it gets even worse.  In the Gospel of John Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4).  The implication is clear: you are not strong enough to forgive what others have done to you by your own strength.  The grace of God is an absolute necessity.  Without Christ, forgiveness is an impossible hurdle to jump over.

How do you begin?  Forgiveness, like the rest of life, begins on your knees.  If you are honest, you probably cannot or even desire to forgive those who have hurt you immediately in this present moment.  Yet you can, with all honesty, admit to the Lord your inability to forgive as He asks you and beg for the grace to desire to forgive those who have hurt you.  It could be a prayer as simple as this, “Lord, help me for forgive as you ask because by myself I am not strong enough and without You I can see no reason to forgive.” 

Forgiveness is never easy.  That is why God reminds us constantly that we need his help.  May you allow Him to help you so that you can begin to walk on this difficult yet liberating journey that is forgiveness.

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

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 30, 2012

The Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal sincerely apologizes for the comments made by Fr. Benedict Groeschel in an interview released yesterday by the National Catholic Register, online addition. In that interview, Fr. Benedict made comments that were inappropriate and untrue. A child is never responsible for abuse. Any abuser of a child is always responsible, especially a priest. Sexual abuse of a minor is a terrible crime and should always be treated as such. We are sorry for any pain his comments may have caused. Fr. Benedict has dedicated his life to helping others and these comments were completely out of character. He never intended to excuse abuse or implicate the victims. We hope that these unfortunate statements will not overshadow the great good Fr. Benedict has done in housing countless homeless people, feeding innumerable poor families, and bringing healing, peace and encouragement to so many.

Fr. Benedict helped found our community 25 years ago with the hope of bringing the healing peace of Jesus Christ to our wounded world. Our desire has always been to lift-up humanity and never to hurt. About seven years ago, Fr. Benedict was struck by a car and was in a coma for over a month. In recent months his health, memory and cognitive ability have been failing. He has been in and out of the hospital. Due to his declining health and inability to care for himself, Fr. Benedict had moved to a location where he could rest and be relieved of his responsibilities. Although these factors do not excuse his comments, they help us understand how such a compassionate man could have said something so wrong, so insensitive, and so out of character. Our prayers are with all those who have been hurt by his comments, especially victims of sexual abuse.

Personal Statement from Fr Benedict Groeschel:

I apologize for my comments. I did not intend to blame the victim. A priest (or anyone else) who abuses a minor is always wrong and is always responsible. My mind and my way of expressing myself are not as clear as they used to be. I have spent my life trying to help others the best that I could. I deeply regret any harm I have caused to anyone.

With questions please contact Fr. Glenn Sudano at 914-965-8143.

Letters of hope and consolation 11

Listening for God’s voice is perhaps the most exciting activity in this world, yet it is one not necessarily filled with exhilarating sounds, sights, or actions but one that is marked with patience, stillness and quiet.  God, who can speak to us quicker than a text message, often appears to take another approach, one that requires waiting and perseverance on our part.  When we ask God a question or hope to hear from him about something, instead of immediately texting a message back to us, he seems to take a more old fashioned approach of communication.  It is as if he stops and ponders what it is he wants to say, writes a letter by hand, and then puts the letter in a mailbox.  If we are lucky we will receive that letter a few days or weeks later.  How strange this form of communication appears to your modern sensibilities!

Because of technology you have been raised in a world that expects immediate feedback.  Facebook and text messages provide almost instant communication with people all over the world.  Sometimes it is only a matter of seconds and you will receive a reply from somebody that could be thousands of miles away.  This, obliviously, possesses many benefits yet if we project this same expectation upon God every time we hope to hear from him we will be quickly disappointed.  The prophet Isaiah reminds us, “by waiting and calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies,” (Is. 30:15) while God through the psalmist offers a similar command, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

Why does God seem to take so long to answer us?  The answer, I believe, is in what God is revealing.  When God speaks to us he is not just revealing information, jokes, questions about directions, discussing his favorite movies or songs and various other things people post on Facebook.  God is revealing himself and ultimately he is greater than all our words can say about him.  That is something that takes time for us to receive, ponder and accept in a way that prohibits a merely superficial relationship from occurring.  In other words, when God speaks it is very serious and profound because he is very serious and profound, much greater than any text message could convey and certainly more enlightening than any message on Facebook.

Unfortunately, this is a life long lesson for all of us.  Patience, trust and quiet do not come easy to anybody, especially those like you who have been raised in the midst of all this technological progress.  Yet it is here where the real adventure lies and where the greatest romance imaginable begins.

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

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Letters of hope and consolation #10

You are living in a world that is slowly losing hope.  A world that is confused, anxious, afraid and likely to believe that each one of us is essentially alone.  It is a world that has become more violent, more self- obsessed and less likely to believe that life really has any meaning.  These thoughts cannot help but to tempt you as well since it is in the very air that you breathe.  All around you humanity is screaming out for something else, yet many people don’t know what they are searching for.

In these days being a Christian is equivalent to being a prophet, that is, one who has a message from God for his people.  What is that message?  It is the bold proclamation that Jesus Christ is the answer of every human heart and that because of him I can proclaim to the whole world that none of us are alone, that peace is greater than violence, that self giving is more rewarding than self-obsession and that life is worth living. 

There has probably never been a time when prophets are more needed than now.  Will you take up this challenge and proclaim to the world the life giving and liberating power that is found in Jesus Christ?  Or will you simply be content with living a mediocre Christian life and wasting the grace God has given you to proclaim his message?  One thing is for sure; God is calling you to be a prophet.  How will you respond?

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

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Good Versus Bad

One of the biggest themes in most Superhero movies is the battle between good and evil. What a great and important theme. In terms of bad news, it has been quite a summer. Does evil have the upper hand? It sure feels like it sometimes.


While stuck in traffic on the New Jersey Parkway (parking lot more like it), I was listening to a discussion on the radio. The host made a reference to a recent study. Allegedly they found that for every bad situation, we require twenty-six good situations to achieve a mental balance. You may recall the old phrase, "One bad apple spoils the bunch."


The truth is that there is a battle between good and evil happening on planet Earth. The reality is that there is a tremendous amount of good happening. If the news wanted to report all of the good things there would not be enough time, paper or gigabytes to cover it all!


What will we be doing in eternity? We will ponder and praise the workings of God's good grace in history - especially our own personal history. Goodness has the last word. The victory of the risen Jesus is permeating and echoing throughout the cosmos. Jesus rises! And now so can we no matter what.


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

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Letters of hope and consolation #9

Beneath every desire there is a greater desire that cannot be avoided; the desire for God.  It is often hidden and buried beneath a whole list of other seemingly important things.  If you simply lived your life without any reflection it would go unnoticed and you would enter the grave without ever realizing what your desires were trying to teach you.  Yet once you realize what you really desire is God all your other desires become signs pointing towards heaven.


What do you really desire in food, money, clothing, a spouse, a job, popularity or anything else that is in your heart at this moment?  These desires point to a fundamental need in our life for happiness, truth, acceptance, security and peace.  Each one of these desires, however, cannot satisfy our ultimate desire, which is for God.  After an expensive and delicious meal you are hungry again in a few hours.  After a raise at work you buy what the world has told you that you need and yet in a few days you are still restless with the urge to buy more and more.  After marrying who appears like the perfect spouse there is still a part of your heart that he seems unable to touch.

Are your desires misleading?  No, they are just trying to tell you that your need in life for happiness, truth, acceptance, security and peace can only be fulfilled by God.  Taking a vacation, enjoying a nice meal or receiving a raise at work are all good things.  The problem is when we look to those things to satisfy us or use them as ends instead of means to something or someone much greater.

The next time you desire a nice meal it will be because you are most likely hungry.  The next time you desire a vacation you are probably tired and deserve it.  But don’t be fooled!  There is something more, something much greater here in these desires.   Do not stop here in this world where your desires seem to end.  Follow them, for they will lead you to heaven, where all the things you once thought you really desired will disappear and you will stand face to face with the One who was hidden behind all these other things.  When that day comes you will not be disappointed.  Your desires will finally be fulfilled!



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

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