The Cross by Br. Jeremiah Myriam Shryock, CFR

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

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 ...

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

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

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

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

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.

“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

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

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.