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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Like Living in the Wild West

So the other night Br. Roch and I were coming back to the friary in Newark, NJ, and as we come down Ninth Street Br. Roch exclaims “Woah, did you see that car!?”

 And I say “What car?”

I look back to only see what I thought was a big dark dumpster.  Brother throws the car in reverse and I quickly realize that its’ actually a big truck, flipped on its side sitting right in the middle of the sidewalk right beside St. Antoninus Church.

Immediately Br. Roch says, “Is anybody hurt?”

I look around and no one is in the car and there’s no police around.  We both kind of scratch our heads and wonder what happened.

As we head a few blocks down the street I see one of my friends from the neighborhood, a real good guy, sitting on his front steps with some friends.  And I ask the Brother to stop the car and then get out and say “Hey, Abdul!  What happened!?”

As we walk over he begins to tell us. “Man, these young kids about 4 or 5 hours ago came barrelin’ round the corner and they flipped it!...Then they kicked out the back, they all crawled out and stole the one that was parked beside it and took off!  Then the fire truck came and they powered it down so it wouldn’t explode and then these young kids had the audacity to come back!  They talked to the fire fighters, crawled inside the truck…” 

Jamal, Abdul’s friend interrupts to say… “Yeah, probably to get their gun…hahaha”

Abdul finishes by saying “and then they took off again.  Man, all the neighbors were all upset….saying ‘Why didn’t they stop them! Why didn’t they stop them?’  “That’s because,” Abdul says to them, “their fire fighters!  They fight FIRES….they’re not going to fight these young dudes.”

We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, maybe we did a little of both, but as I reflect on the story the first concern of my brother wasn’t the car, but the human person.  He immediately wanted to know first of all that everyone was OK.  Perhaps justice wasn’t ‘served up’ right away to the young thieves, but no one got in a gun fight like we often hear as sunset falls over our poor neighborhood.  And we trust and pray that God in his infinite and sometimes incomprehensible mercy will bring these young men back to an even better road unto their salvation which may have been at stake if they were to have died either in the accident or in a gunfight.  In the meantime we keep doing our best, by trying to bring a seed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who is both Lord and Savior, to one person at a time.  May we all flourish as He intends and desires.

Br. Nicholas Joseph, CFR

Most Blessed Sacrament Friary

Newark, NJ 

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Letters of hope and consolation #8

Your relationship with God is not just one of many relationships in your life; it is the relationship that gives meaning to all others.  Without this primary relationship with God life as a whole becomes scattered.  Instead of a profound sense of unity your life will feel like a collection of random and isolated events and circumstances and all the people in your life will appear like strangers from some mysterious place.


Be passionate therefore about your relationship with God.  He is the missing piece to the puzzle we call life.  Seek him with enthusiasm, listen to him with expectation and speak to him from a heart that is burning with desire.


If your relationship with God is mediocre you will spend most of your life yawning because of the apparent boredom you perceive from life.  It is time to wake up, let your heart catch fire and begin to burn with passion for the God who burns for you!


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

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Letters of hope and consolation #7

Many of the early Christians who lived as monks and nuns in the desert often spoke of hearing or receiving a “word from the Lord.”  This “word” was not necessarily a single word but could often be a short phrase or even a sentence or two.  This “word” received by the monk or nun could be described as a lesson the Lord was teaching them or a direction the Lord was guiding that person towards.  Some examples of “words” from the Lord could be, “Do not be afraid,” “Trust in God’s love,” “Pray more,” “Persevere,” “Believe in the goodness of God,” etc.

Though this hearing from the Lord appears like a simple process there is one prerequisite.  In order to hear from the Lord you must be listening to your own heart and bringing it before him.  If you discover that you are afraid to trust people, that you feel alone, inadequate, insecure about the future or that you feel like God is asking too much from you, the only logical step is to speak with him about it.  Too often people cover over their hearts and their experience with nice “pious” language because they think those are the words God really wants to hear, meanwhile they miss an opportunity for the Lord to speak a powerful and often times healing “word” into their real, concrete situations of their daily life.

God calls you to pray as you are with your life, your struggles and your joys and not somebody else’s.  There are no two people who pray the same way because there are no two people who are identical.  Each one of us is unique.  If you truly want to hear a “word from the Lord,” then you must take the risk of being yourself before God.  After all, the only person you are fooling praying in any other way is yourself.


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

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