Fear This!

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?

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?

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

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

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

“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!

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!

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

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

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