Franciscan Beatitudes

“Blessed are the imperfect, for they reveal the power of God.”

“Blessed are the weak, for God himself is their strength.”

“Blessed are those who fail, for they alone can succeed.”

“Blessed are those who surrender, for they alone will be victorious.”

“Blessed are those who obey, for they have chosen the better part.”

“Blessed are the humble, for the truth has set them free.”

+ Br. Ignatius Pio Mariae, CFR

Bronx, NY

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The Fulfillment of Encounter: When the Eucharist became Real for me

Surprisingly, I don’t remember much of that day. I remember the church and I have an image of me sitting towards the back—wooden pews peppered with college student and town’s folk and I, among them, heart pounding and eyes wetting, am sitting—or am I kneeling? Either way my head is certainly buried in the palms of my hands and quietly, maybe even inaudibly, I am tearful. Jesus Christ is somehow inside of me. He was placed in my hands and I put him on my tongue, chewed him with my teeth and swallowed him. It was the first time ever that presented to me, I recognized him—his sacramental presence—and it was the first time I ever held, tasted and consumed him with understanding and that encounter would go on to change everything. Yet for now I am seated in a place of wonder wrapped in a blanket of trepidation, for he has captured me and I have allowed myself to be caught. Only he’s not who I thought he was; no, he is more intimate and more radical than I had ever dreamed. I would go on to learn three things from this experience.

1) I had been worshipping God as if in exile; 2) His flesh, as he says, is in fact, true food; 3) He sees me as would a bridegroom his bride; which means that 1)I have not only returned to the temple but have become the temple; 2) eternal life begins right now; 3) there is nothing I could ever do to cause him to look away and cease loving me.

Surprisingly vague is my memory of that day, but I can say this: I left the church after Mass stepping into a world where the sky was bluer and the leaves greener on trees that seemed almost to breathe, and I, with a ball cap snuggly fit, walked home on my hands—or was it that I could now see how everyone else in the world was living standing on their heads?

+ Br. Joseph Michael Fino, CFR

Saint Michael Friary, Paterson, NJ
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The Missing Piece

“Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28)

The Word of God, Jesus, is the missing piece to the puzzle of our lives. Without Him we try to rearrange the other pieces of our life hoping that somehow we can complete the puzzle. Yet there is only one piece, Jesus, who can complete the puzzle. If we hear and obey His word our lives will be complete, and we can stop trying to rearrange everything to make our life perfect. All the pieces will fit, just as they were intended to.

+ fr jeremiah myriam shryock cfr

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“Holy Hands: Uniting Prayer & Charity in a Cool Catholic Lifestyle” (2 of 2)

“Holy Hands: Uniting Prayer & Charity in a Cool Catholic Lifestyle” (2 of 2)

Remember the “two tables” of the Liturgy as expressed by Vatican II? The Eucharist and the Word. They are both important and form a unity. Christ Himself, though one Person, has two natures: divine and human.

Why is it that there often seems to be such a radical dichotomy in the Church, similar to that of the separation between West and East, so that “conservative” (or ‘right-wing’) believers prefer adoration while “liberal” (or ‘leftist’) believers prefer service of the poor, to the exclusion of the other? The enemy of souls must really love this. (One can think of other such ‘apparent contradictions’ like traditional prayer in Latin versus charismatic prayer - both of which, by the way, are approved by the Church.)

To be Catholic means to be open to ALL that is good and serves to build up Christ’s Kingdom, while remaining radically faithful to the sacred deposit of faith and the teaching of the Magisterium. (Catholic means universal!) Why not unite both hands in prayer and service like Mother Teresa did? People are often shocked when they discover many such ‘paradoxes’ in a person or a community…

Pope Francis is clearly showing us, by a most splendid example, that to be truly Catholic we need to be BOTH devoted to God and our neighbors in authentic Christian love. I would even go so far as to say that he is showing us BOTH AND – the ‘AND’ being that we also need to grow personally in our own continual conversion in order to be pure vessels of Christ’s love to others as His priests, prophets and kings.

Let us each examine our own conscience. Where am I strong and where am I lacking? Am I praying often and well enough? Going out of my comfort zone to serve the needy? Too full of myself? Too busy about my own cares and concerns and not those of God and others?

Let us all strive, like Mother Teresa and Pope Francis, to be humble, prayerful, and loving. Then we too will have “holy hands”, becoming a blessing and not a burden to all we meet. (We could also add holy eyes, ears, tongue, feet, etc.!) Let us be totally consecrated to God. Amen – so be it!

+Br. Philip Maria Allen, CFR

St. Felix Friary

Yonkers, NY, USA

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“Holy Hands: Uniting Prayer & Charity in a Cool Catholic Lifestyle” (1 of 2)

“Holy Hands: Uniting Prayer & Charity in a Cool Catholic Lifestyle” (1 of 2)

Mother Teresa is one of my great inspirations, a true heroine of Christian virtue. I ask her intercessory help every day, especially as I serve the homeless, drug-addicted, mentally ill and displaced persons who come to our little outreach called Casa Juan Diego.

Look at Mother Teresa’s hands. What famous hands they are! Why are they so famous? Because they touched Christ’s body every day.

But wait – Mother was not a priest! What do I mean? How can I rightly say this?

Although Mother was not an ordained minister of the Holy Eucharist (i.e. a ministerial priest of Jesus Christ), she indeed touched Christ’s Mystical Body, the Church, in His members. She became configured to Christ not only by the beautiful Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation & frequent Holy Communion, but also by imitating Him in the way she lived each and every day.

Mother made of her whole life a “eucharist”: a loving sacrifice of thanksgiving to God. We are called to do the same.

As a holy missionary priest has often related: “The more you look at something, the more you get into it; the more you get into something, the more you become like it.” This could be television, movies, internet, some activity or hobby, nature, people, or Jesus!

Yes, we need to adore Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament in order to become like Him; but we also need to love, serve, and feed His broken body in our neighbors, especially the poor and needy. For we only know ourselves before God when we recognize Christ present in the least among us; and we only prove our love for God by loving our neighbors in a concrete, incarnational and personal love that is not limited to the pew, the pulpit, or the ‘pay pal’.

+Br. Philip Maria Allen, CFR

St. Felix Friary

Yonkers, NY, USA

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The Fulfillment of Encounter: Returning to the Temple

When the Jewish people were exiled to Babylon, they longed to return to their native land. Being captives in a foreign land among foreign people and their foreign gods was the darkest hour since their captivity in Egypt. But still, they were able to worship God—those who hadn’t already abandoned him for pagan idols—they were able to carry on familial traditions and heritages. God still sent prophets to them and heard their cries and pleas; so, you may ask, what’s the big deal? Why be so dramatic about it?

All that is left of the ancient Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, The Wailing Wall.

They longed for Jerusalem because in Jerusalem dwelt the Temple of God, the Living God. In Jerusalem God was uniquely present in a part of the temple called the Holy of Holies, so in a tangible way they had been removed from his presence and the true worship that God himself had established in the temple where he had chosen to live among them. And as far as they could see their children would never know, would never experience the closeness with which they had lived with God. And this is painful to a heart that knows the difference. So you can imagine their joy when after seventy long years of exile they were given leave to return to their home, rebuild their temple and resume their worship, living again among the presence of the living God in Jerusalem. 

And this, I can say, was my joy in embracing the Catholic Faith. God became tangible, the worship he had given us to make was resumed in my life and I knew Him like I had never known Him before. In coming into the Catholic Church we not only return to the place where he has chosen to dwell among us, the tabernacles of our churches, but we become living tabernacles, new holy of holies, because God himself dwells now within us, and so in returning to the temple, we become temples and God dwells even more fully in the world today.

+ Br. Joseph Michael Fino, CFR

Paterson, NJ

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A Great Little Man - Saint Francis in Context

Happy feast of Our Holy Father Saint Francis!

There has been much buzz and controversy surrounding our present Pope these days. If you take the time to read the whole text of what he says - take in the context - you will see how grossly he has been misinterpreted.

This reminds me of a similar situation surrounding Saint Francis of Assisi. We friars often run into people who tell us that they love Saint Francis: the birdbath, the garden statue, the proto-hippie, the tree-hugger, etc. If you take the time to learn about the real Saint Francis - take in the context - you will see what a great little man he was!

Saint Francis was a great lover. First of all he loved God, secondly every creature made by God because art reveals something of the artist. Francis had a great love for Jesus and His Church - including a special love for the Pope, the Bishops and Priests (even bad ones)! Francis was deeply devoted to the Holy Eucharist and dear Mama Mary too. Of course he loved Jesus in the poorest of the poor as well.

Historians have discovered just how shocking of an influence Saint Francis was in his day, his context. Over 800 years later we are still feeling the tremors and aftershock of his yes to God. May he pray for us from heaven so that we can say yes to God in our lives. As he told the brothers from his death bed, "let us begin again..."

+ fr luke mary fletcher, cfr
bronx, ny
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The Paradox of Prayer

Prayer is the most important thing in our lives, because it puts us in contact with God and with His Will. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most difficult and confusing things we do. It is more than just saying memorized prayers. We have to seek the Lord’s face and talk to Him from our hearts. But we also have to wait for Him to speak and to lead, which can be very difficult for us who are accustomed to instant gratification.

The Lord wants us to seek Him, but with a seeking that waits. We can’t find Him by searching more frantically, nor can we find Him by merely sitting back and waiting for Him to reveal Himself. We must both seek and wait at the same time, as a mother eagerly seeks the face of her child as she awaits his return-as the Father waited for his prodigal son. We must be attentive and alert, looking for His presence everywhere, but yet waiting patiently for His arrival. For we cannot find Him unless He wishes to be found, and He will not be found unless we wish to find Him. I think this poem expresses it well:

“Waiting and Seeking”

Prayer is a seeking that waits

and a waiting that seeks.

It is impatient patience

and enduring expectation.

Prayer is searching the unsearchable

awaiting the unseen guest

it is unceasing labor

and unfathomable rest

Prayer is looking for treasure

and discovering that you are the Pearl
It is knowing your value
and selling all you have.

Prayer is seeking God
and finding that He is seeking you
it is waiting for the God
who waits for you.

+ Br. Ignatius Pio Mariae, CFR

Bronx, NY

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Taking time to Aim

Before I donned the grey habit, I had the opportunity to go “clay shooting.”  One person launches clay discs (called “clay pigeons”, although the only thing they have in common with pigeons is that they fly) into the air with a catapult while another person tries to shoot them with a gun.  It’s one of those things that young boys dream of doing.  Needless to say, I was excited about finally fulfilling a childhood dream.  I had fired a gun before, but never at a moving target.  I was a pretty good shot, though, so I figured I would do well.  The first disc was launched and I quickly pointed the gun, shot, and missed.  The second one was launched and the same thing happened.  The trend continued.  The other guys who were with me were hitting one clay after the other, but I kept missing.  I started getting frustrated and embarrassed.  How could I be missing so many?  How could I be so much worse than the others?  Finally, my frustration boiled over and I grumbled aloud, “Why can’t I hit anything!?!?”  One of my companions asked, “are you using the sights to aim?”  There was an awkward pause.  “No”, I replied, as I felt my ego get punched in the stomach.

I hadn’t been using the sights because I didn’t think I had enough time.  The discs moved quickly after they were launched, so I just pointed the gun and shot for fear that I would miss the window of opportunity.  It’s not that I forgot to aim, but I deliberately chose not to aim because I didn’t think it was practical.  I didn’t rely on the fact that the bullet moves much faster than the disc.  When the next disc was launched, I took time to aim (it felt like forever) before I fired.  This time I nailed the disc!  All I needed to do was take time to aim.  Too bad I didn’t figure that out until my last disc!

We tend to live life the same way I approached shooting clays.  We rush from one thing to another without taking time to reflect.  We do all the pressing things, but neglect the important things.  We occupy ourselves with projects, but don’t bother to ask whether we should really be doing them.  We are impatient with the Lord and feel like we’re running out of time, forgetting that he can do more in a brief moment than we can in a year.  We are busy with many things, but forget the one thing necessary.  This can happen in even in prayer.  We can be busy reading scripture or a spiritual book or listing our intentions or reciting memorized prayers, but not be attentive to the Lord.  

We need to take time to A.IM. Before we rush off to do the next thing, we need to Adore God and IMplore His guidance.  This opens us up to His will, which is much better than our will.  It helps us to place our activities and endeavors in their proper order, by making our relationship with God our first priority, and thus makes our life happier, more fulfilling, and more peaceful.

+ Br. Ignatius Pio Mariae, CFR
Bronx, NY
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Overwhelmed by Gratitude

Once our Blessed Lady reveals the slightest glimpse of her love for us, we are overwhelmed by beauty. We cannot keep from rejoicing and loving God and our brothers and sisters as she did.

Mary reveals Jesus to us. She is the Immaculate Temple of Divine Love, with arms outstretched to all. Truly humble, her whole being is focused on worshiping and glorifying God, Who alone is worthy of all her love.

In her maternal embrace, our fears and cares melt away. We are reassured by the radiant smile in her eyes. With Jesus, she is “our life, our sweetness, and our hope.” She holds us inside her Heart.

What is beyond Mary’s power?

She is entirely united with God’s Will and clothed with His own Divine Power. She who never sinned now leads us, her beloved children, to overcome all sin.

The one who trusted God in her ‘fiat’ two millennia ago, from the Annunciation to the Crucifixion and her ultimate Assumption into Heaven, gives each of us courage today to give all that we have and are to God in grateful love and childlike abandonment.

Mama Mary, Model of Christian Discipleship and Terror of Demons, pray for us who have recourse to thee, and for all those who do not have recourse to thee, especially the enemies of the Church and those recommended to thee. +Amen.

+Br. Philip Maria Allen, CFR

St. Felix Friary, Yonkers, NY, USA
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