On this Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Supreme Court of the United States has formally held that the United States Constitution does not confer a right to abortion.
Furthermore, SCOTUS overruled both “Roe v. Wade” and “Planned Parenthood v. Casey” and stated that, in the United States, “the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives“.
We wish to quote some salient points from the Statement:
the Constitution makes no express reference to a right to obtain an abortion
procuring an abortion is not a fundamental constitutional right
the right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the Nation’s history and tradition
the Fourteenth Amendment clearly does not protect the right to an abortion
Roe and Casey have led to the distortion of many important but unrelated legal doctrines…that effect provides further support for overruling those decisions
The Court emphasizes that this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right.
A few more points worth quoting from the SCOTUS Statement:
until a few years before Roe, no federal or state court had recognized such a right. Nor had any scholarly treatise. Indeed, abortion had long been a crime in every single State.
by the time the Fourteenth Amendment was adopted, three-quarters of the States had made abortion a crime at any stage of pregnancy
Finally, the Court considers whether a right to obtain an abortion is part of a broader entrenched right that is supported by other precedents. The Court concludes the right to obtain an abortion cannot be justified as a component of such a right.
The nature of the Court’s error. Like the infamous decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, Roe was also egregiously wrong and on a collision course with the Constitution from the day it was decided. Casey perpetuated its errors
An even more glaring deficiency was Roe’s failure to justify the critical distinction it drew between pre- and post-viability abortions. The arbitrary viability line, which Casey termed Roe’s central rule, has not found much support among philosophers and ethicists […] viability has changed over time and is heavily dependent on factors—such as medical advances and the availability of quality medical care—that have nothing to do with the characteristics of a fetus.
Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act is supported by the Mississippi Legislature’s specific findings, which include the State’s asserted interest in “protecting the life of the unborn.” These legitimate interests provide a rational basis for the Gestational Age Act, and it follows that respondents’ constitutional challenge must fail.
Today’s decision of the US Supreme Court overturning the fateful Roe v. Wade is certainly welcomed by all those who recognize that human life begins at conception and that this is a scientific and biological fact and not merely a religious belief or ideological theory. As such the unborn child should be welcomed in life and protected by law. […]
We hope that dismantling Roe will allow legislation protecting the unborn to move forward in our state legislatures and to survive constitutional challenges in the future.
Abortion too often is seen as the solution to an unforeseen problem, a fall back position if contraception failed or was not used. But abortion is no solution — and it is no right. It is a wrong, a grievous wrong that has prematurely ended the lives of more than 60 million souls in this country alone since 1973.
A number of sources, among which we quote this one(without by this intending to endorse in any way the source) have summarized the current situation as far as individual States banning abortion:
Would ban most or all abortions.
Bbortion bans within one month
Abortion bans within weeks or months
Abortion bans uncertain
Abortion likely to remain for a while
(Click on map to enhance)
We encourage you to continue praying – in private, with your community, even with us – and to find out locally (as well as through the major Catholic institutions and associations) how you can continue supporting this aspect of the pro-life ministry at this crucial moment in the history of the United States.
The date chosen by Divine Providence is very fitting indeed. Today we celebrate Our Lord’s Most Sacred Heart, and tomorrow we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary, ever-virgin, the most pure Theotokos who, when in her kindness she appeared at Fatima, promised triumph!
We continue united in prayer and action, against all violence and evil, proclaiming the sanctity of human life and reaching out – as much if not more than before – to women and men facing a crisis pregnancy.
More than half of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States have agreed on a draft that reviews the constitutionality of Roe v Way as it was written in 1973. The conclusive verdict is to be handed down later this spring or early summer.
As Franciscans of Life, this review has captured our attention. More importantly, we have become aware that people who object to this review have gathered to protest in front of the Justices’ homes, without regard for the safety of the families who live inside. As citizens, we have the right to protest and communicate our demands to the government in peaceful and safe demonstrations. There is, however, no moral justification for the dangers arising when angry mobs gather, especially before the homes of private citizens. Spouses, children, grandchildren, seniors living in the homes are not public figures. They have the right to a quiet and peaceful life as the rest of us. Disturbance of the peace and instilling fear in private citizens is immoral and – as we have stated above – dangerous to the collective safety.
I’m saying all of this because, as Franciscans of Life, we know that human life is sacred from conception to natural death. Life is the supernatural act of God in favor of humanity, a humanity that His Son, Jesus Christ, would assume at a precise moment in history, society, and ethnicity.
We believe that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity became man, developed in the womb of a human mother, was born of her, and was unjustly executed on the cross. Taking on our human nature side by side with His divine nature, and being executed, was an act of God’s love for humanity.
Our Country fought a civil war for many reasons, the most important being the belief that no human being can own another human being – not even one’s mother. We have no ownership of the person in the womb, thus killing an unborn baby is claiming ownership and authority that is not ours. Abortion is a false belief that the preborn child has less rights than a slave, and that the child in the womb is as much the property of the mother as a lung.
The Franciscans of Life are inviting everyone we know to join our Rosary Crusade, to pray that Congress and state governments will pass laws that protect the right to life of every person, from conception to natural death.
We invite you, your family, and friends to pray the Holy Rosary every Saturday, starting this Saturday, which the Church reserves for Our Heavenly Mother, until the Saturday before the Feast of the Assumption (August 13).
You don’t have to go to the parish church. You can pray from your home, car, or any quiet place. Just pray. The Rosary is the most powerful private prayer in our armory. Popes have called it “scourge of the devil,” “treasure of graces,” “heavenly instrument,” “glory of the Church”.
Born of a noble family, she chose to follow the example of her townsman St. Francis, wishing to follow the Lord with her whole heart in an austere life of poverty, but rich in the practice of charity and loving care.
She professed vows in the hands of Saint Francis on March 18, 1212, thus founding the “second order”, whose nuns would be first known as Poor Ladies. (In her honor, in 1263 Pope Urban IV officially changed the name of the Poor Ladies to the Order of Saint Clare.)
St. Damiano – where Christ had deigned to speak to St. Francis – was eventually the chosen residence of their first community. St. Clare was joined by her sister Agnes and even by her own mother!
Much could be said about their spiritual relationship to the other Franciscan orders, and to how she encouraged and supported St. Francis (particularly after he received the Stigmata, whose secret he kept from all but a few…)….of her miracles…of how she protected Assisi…but perhaps she would like us to remember in particular her Franciscan devotion to holy poverty, whom Franciscan scholars point out as the foremost characteristic of her spirituality.
When Cardinal Ugolino (Pope Gregory IX) imposed the Benedictine rule on them, for years she strived to have a rule in the spirit of Saint Francis for her sisters, and her rule was approved by Pope Innocent IV two days before her death, the privilege of “highest poverty” being the final gift in this earthly life by her Divine Spouse…she died at the age of 60 on August 11, 1253.
“The Apostolic See usually acquiesces in the pious and honest wishes of those who ask that a kindly favor be given them. Therefore, beloved Daughters in the Lord, inclined to your prayers, we confirm with the same apostolic authority the Rule and way of life of your Order…”
“Solet Annuere (1245)”, Pope Innocent IV
At her funeral, Pope Innocent IV insisted the brothers perform the Office for the Virgin Saints rather than the Office for the Dead…indeed, she was formally canonized just two years later by Pope Alexander IV, who would call her “Clara claris praeclara meritis“, “a clear mirror of example”, and would say of her: “O clarity of blessed Clare to be admired!“
“O blessed poverty who bestows eternal riches on those who love and embrace her!” – she would write. And to her Divine Spouse she would say: “Contempt of the world has pleased You more than honors, poverty more than earthly riches“.
She wrote several letters to St. Agnes of Prague, who was the daughter of Queen Constance and King Ottokar I of Bohemia. St. Agnes of Bohemia (as she is also known) refused marriage proposals from the kings of Germany and England, and from the Holy Roman Emperor himself – all for the sake of following in the footsteps of Christ! Her family financed the construction of a monastery in Prague, where she entered with seven other ladies in 1236. Pressured to be elected Abbess, she insisted she be called “senior sister” and often cooked for the sisters. She died on March 2nd 1282, was beatified in 1874, and was canonized in 1989. To one such letter belongs the title of this article, specifically found in today’s Office of Readings:
“Happy indeed is she who is given the grace of sharing this holy way of life, of clinging to it with every fiber of her being…behold the poverty of him who was laid in the manger…What wondrous humility! What astonishing poverty! Note the countless toils and sufferings he endured to redeem the human race…As you meditate in this way remember me, your poor mother, and know that I have inscribed your happy memory deeply on the tablets of my heart”
from a Letter of St. Clare to St. Agnes of Prague
I wish to close this post with some of today’s antiphons. They are, in themselves, a powerful summary of our Holy Mother’s life.
“Clare was concerned with the things of the Lord to be holy in body and spirit……she wore and humbled her body with fasts…she accounted all else rubbish therefore she found better and more permanent possessions. She spurned the world’s perishable glory to gain Christ.
The hand of the Lord strengthened her, she will therefore be blessed forever. She cast all her care upon God. She hoped in him and he came to her assistance.
Come, let us adore Christ the king whom Clare loved with all her heart.“
“[A] lovely, subdued melody floated through the forest above the solitary and forsaken little chapel of Our Lady of the Angels, just when a shepherd was passing by with his sheep. The shepherd turned pale and looked up at the fallen-in roof, but there was nothing to be seen. “Have they got an organ now?” he wondered. He pushed the little door open. All was dark and still within. Overhead the music was becoming more and more heavenly, as a hundred golden voices seemed to mingle in counterpoint. “Lord, how beautiful! It’s enough to make one want to die, it’s so beautiful!” he thought, for he was so moved that he could not utter a word. His heart told him what was happening…”
August 2nd is coming along, and with it, two happy occasions – the “Great Pardon” (as the Portiuncula Indulgence is known in some places) and the “flocking” of the Franciscans of Life (regulars and externs) to the Motherhouse after a bit of a hiatus from community gatherings.
There will be a note of sadness, as our dearest brother Leo will not be with us for the first time…since his passing on May 26th of 2020. Four hundred years earlier, St. Philip Neri passed away on the very same day. Let’s pray for the repose of our dear brother Leo, and ask in a special way for the intercession of St. Philip, “Pippo Buono” as the Romans called him due to his kind and gentle disposition… All who knew our Brother Leo knew of his natural gentleness and kindness, which is what, perhaps, inspired our Superior to name him Leo at Novitiate, in honor of that first brother Leo, a gentle soul whom St. Francis used to call “ you little lamb of God”.
But this article – which from its prolixity you will most likely know is authored by brother Bernardo – is not so much about our community as it is about the Portiuncula Indulgence! We will go over the Porziuncola, “Santa Maria degli Angeli”, and then we will dig a bit more into the matter of indulgences – a matter of heavenly and motherly love – and its relationship to the wonderful Sacrament of Confession – so, please, stay with us!
On Saint Mary of the Angels, called Porziuncola (“little portion“)
1704 illustration from “Collis Paradisi Amœnitas, seu Sacri Conventus Assisiensis Historiæ“, as found on p.107 of “The Story of Assisi” by Lina Duff Gordon
If we dig a bit, we find a nice summary by Pope Benedict XV on the salient points regarding this very special place, which we summarize below:
It is taught that in the days of Pope Liberius (IV century) pilgrims from Palestine brought here a fragment of the sepulcher of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that is to say, the place of the Assumption, and thus was the place named Saint Mary of the Angels.
Here St. Francis wrote the rule approved by Pope Innocent III (“admonished by divine vision”, writes Benedict XV).
Here Clare, the noble virgin of Assisi, having forsaken the world, was clothed in the poor Franciscan habit, and instituted the second Order.
Here also originated the Third Franciscan Order [note of clarification: that of the Penitents, whose ancient rule we follow].
By this place were the first Chapters of the Franciscan order, including the famous “Chapter of Matts” of Pentecost.
Here St. Francis, after refusing six times, finally agreed that he and the brothers would share a meal with St. Clare and the sisters. It is recounted that their souls glared so brightly that the people from the surrounding areas thought the forest was ablaze.
Here St. Francis had a vision of the Lord and Our Lady, and went to Perugia to implore Pope Honorius III in 1216 for a most extraordinary and unusual favor: “that anyone who comes [to the Portiuncola] confessed and penitent be absolved from the punishment and guilt from the day of baptism to the day and hour of entrance in said church”. Such an indulgence was unheard of in those days! Yet, three times did the Supreme Pontiff give his assent. Upon the Saint rejoicing and departing his presence, came the Pope’s affectionate remark and the Saint’s moving reply:
“You simpleton, where are you going? What proof do you carry?”
“Your word suffices to me! I seek no further instrument, other than the Virgin Mary be the parchment, Christ the notary, and the Angels the witnesses!”.
There is a pious story coming from the nephew of one of the early brothers, who accompanied Francis back from Perugia to Assisi. They stopped to rest a while and, upon awakening, St. Francis said: “Brother Masseo,I tell you from God that the Indulgence that the Supreme Pontiff gave me is confirmed in heaven!”
Here Francis stood by the entrance after returning from Perugia and, stretching his fatherly arms, said to all:
“I want to send you all to heaven!
I announce to you an Indulgence
which I obtained from the mouth of the Supreme Pontiff…”
St. Francis at the Portiuncola, 1226
Here Francis implored his Guardian and his brothers to take him to die.
“No, no! To Our Lady of the Angels! – Francis begged – I want to die where I began!” (from “The Perfect Joy of St. Francis”, by Timmermans)
Finally, here he died, naked on the floor (ref. Job 1:21), a broken, small 43-year-old man, marked with the Stigmata of the Lord he so loved, surrounded by his brothers who so loved him, under the loud warbling of hundreds of larks soaring heavenward…St. Francis of Assisi, whom Holy Church would call the Seraphic Father, the Alter Christus, but who, in his letters, introduced himself as little brother Francis….the little one….your servant…a worthless and weak man.
On the Great Pardon, or the Portiuncula Indulgence
One scholar wrote:
“it seems incredible that a perpetual plenary indulgence with no attached condition of almsgiving or personal sacrifice should have been granted in favor of an obscure chapel in Umbria. Yet we have six sworn statements of contemporaries, regulations of the General Chapters of the Order, and 53 pontifical acts of the XIVth century either confirming it or defending it”.
The Catholic Historical Review, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Jan., 1939), p. 466
This is just as St. Francis had told Pope Honorius: “If it is the work of God, He will make it manifest” – and this He has done – through His Church – through the centuries!
Of this plenary indulgence can benefit the faithful – for themselves or for a deceased as suffrage –
(a) either by directly visiting Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola shrine it contains (in Assisi)
…and they will recite a Pater (Our Father) to reaffirm their dignity as children of God received in Baptism
…and they will pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, condition which is satisfied by reciting one Pater and one Ave, although one may also recite any other prayer if recited for this intention. This would also be fittingly performed on the same day.
On Indulgences in general, and Plenary Indulgences in particular – or, how to gain one
To benefit from an indulgence, the person must be baptized, must not be excommunicated, and hopefully in the state of grace. Furthermore, one must have the general intention of gaining the indulgence, and of course carry out the works mentioned above.
Most importantly, however, for the indulgence to be plenary and not partial, it requires the exclusion of all attachment to sin, even venial sin.
This has been historically considered the most complex of the conditions: no man, however holy, can call himself free of sin, but many can honestly call themselves free of affection towards sin, to the best of their knowledge!
In 2004, the Apostolic Penitentiary used the following language:
…as long as they are totally free from any desire to relapse into sin…
“The requirement is not “freedom from all sin“, rather, that “there is no sin which the soul is unwilling to renounce”.
A person should know if he’s in compliance, because an attachment implies a refusal to fix a situation – as when sometimes, deep down, we don’t want to let go of certain sins, even if “small”.
This is quite different from weakness, or habitual sin that is being battled…to souls in these situations, the Church is ready to aid!”
Confession, Reparation…and Indulgences – or, how they are closely related!
Pray to the good Lord to take away any desire, albeit small or hidden, for sins both grave and venial, and go as far as to bring forth in your heart a salutary hatred of sin, remembering that God is all-good and all-loving and that even the smallest sin displeases him.
After all, what is an indulgenceif not but a “continuation” of the Sacrament of Penance? That is to say, “a remission before God of temporal punishment for sins whose guilt is already forgiven”?
We know that the matter of sacramental Confession is the acts of the penitent: contrition, confession and satisfaction.
say NO to sin!
We should strive to a perfect contrition (CCC 1452) and perfect contrition builds more and more on detachment from sin, first from the “great” sins and then from the “small” ones! A devout soul, then, should not find much difficulty in complying with the requirement to be detached from all sin. The rest of us should simply keep working our way there, knowing that it is entirely up to us to not want to sin, while it is entirely a gift of God to bless us with the grace needed to overcome sin. “Without me – says the Lord – you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5), but He also says, “be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Mt 5:48), and later, to St. Paul, “my grace is enough for you” (2Cor 12:9).
In the form of the Sacrament, “I absolve you”, assuming the penitent did not put any obstacles, such as willfully lying or withholding, or later failing to do any satisfaction, but rather that the penitent had a sincere sorrow for their sins and a firm resolution to avoid them in the future, all their sins from the very moment of Baptism (or from their last Absolution) till that moment are forgiven and remitted through the power of the Keys – even sins that you may have forgotten to mention!
Yet, such forgiveness and remission of sin does not imply the forgiveness of the temporal punishment due to every sin.
Sin carries both a stain and a punishment. When the stain is cleansed from the soul by sacramental absolution, the temporal punishment is not always remitted, except through the remedy of satisfaction, by avoiding near occasions of sin, resolving to sin no more, and doing works of penance. Such satisfaction also atones to our Mother the Church, whom we often forget is injured by our sins, and it also deters others from sin by way of example.
Last but not least, temporal punishment is the reason for Purgatory…the ecclesia dolens… Someone reported that St. Padre Pio once said: “let us do our Purgatory here on earth…by accepting everything from God’s hand“. (ref. Job 1:21…again…)
Interiorly, satisfaction heals the wound caused by sin. St. Bernard taught that “the stain is removed from the soul by God’s mercy, while the wound is healed through the remedy of penance…and even then, some scar remains”.
In this we see the great love and care of Holy Mother Church, Bride of Christ and as such minister of Redemption, custodian of that great treasury of expiatory works of Christ and the Saints! By granting an Indulgence, our Mother the Church is coming to our help in ridding us of the temporal punishment we have accumulated by our sins – or, when we apply the indulgence to a faithful departed, to help us help one another!
St. John Paul II summarized this wonderfully in 1999:
“[indulgence] is a sensitive subject, which has suffered historical misunderstandings […]
The starting-point for understanding indulgences is the abundance of God’s mercy revealed in the Cross of Christ. The crucified Jesus is the great “indulgence” that the Father has offered humanity through the forgiveness of sins […] in the logic of the covenant, which is the heart of the whole economy of salvation, this gift does not reach us without our acceptance and response. […]
[I]t is not difficult to understand how reconciliation with God, although based on a free and abundant offer of mercy, at the same time implies an arduous process which involves the individual’s personal effort and the Church’s sacramental work.
For the forgiveness of sins committed after Baptism, this process is centered on the sacrament of Penance, but it continues after the sacramental celebration. The person must be gradually “healed” of the negative effects which sin has caused in him (what the theological tradition calls the “punishments” […] Precisely for the sake of complete healing, the sinner is called to undertake a journey of conversion towards the fullness of love.
The temporal punishment itself serves as “medicine” to the extent that the person allows it to challenge him to undertake his own profound conversion. This is the meaning of the “satisfaction” required in the sacrament of Penance.
The meaning of indulgences must be seen against this background of man’s total renewal by the grace of Christ the Redeemer through the Church’s ministry.
The Church has a treasury, then, which is “dispensed” as it were through indulgences. This “distribution” should not be understood as a sort of automatic transfer, as if we were speaking of “things”. It is instead the expression of the Church’s full confidence of being heard by the Father when – in view of Christ’s merits and, by his gift, those of Our Lady and the saints – she asks Him to mitigate or cancel the painful aspect of punishment by fostering its medicinal aspect through other channels of grace. In the unfathomable mystery of divine wisdom, this gift of intercession can also benefit the faithful departed […]
We can see, then, how indulgences, far from being a sort of “discount” on the duty of conversion, are instead an aid to its prompt, generous and radical fulfilment. This is required to such an extent that the spiritual condition for receiving a plenary indulgence is the exclusion “of all attachment to sin, even venial sin” […]
Therefore, it would be a mistake to think that we can receive this gift by simply performing certain outward acts. On the contrary, they are required as the expression and support of our progress in conversion. They particularly show our faith in God’s mercy and in the marvellous reality of communion, which Christ has achieved by indissolubly uniting the Church to himself as his Body and Bride.”
WE COMMEND HIS SOUL TO THE MERCY OF THE RISEN CHRIST AND WE THANK ALMIGHTY GOD FOR HIS LIFE AMONG US
The Franciscans of Life announce the death of Brother Leo Gerard Belanger, FFV.
Brother Leo Gerard Belanger, FFV, age 66, of Pickerington, Ohio, formerly of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2020 at his residence. Born February 19, 1954 in Fall River, MA to the late Armand and Corinne (St. Germain) Belanger.
He worked as a nurse for 36 years, the last 15 years in hospice care. He was a very compassionate person who loved taking care of his patients. Leo joined the Franciscans of Life in 2014. He was one of the earliest brothers in vows. He touched the hearts of many, especially his Franciscan Brothers of Life, and he will be greatly missed.
Interment will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in New Bedford, MA.
Friends who wish to do so, may contribute to the Church of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, 5225 Refugee Rd., Columbus, Ohio 43232 in his memory.
The Franciscans of Life wish every one of our family, friends, and benefactors a Happy and Blessed New Year.
We want to remind everyone that January first is not only New Year’s Day in the western calendar, but it’s also a special solemnity in honor of Our Lady. It’s the Solemnity of the Mother of God. It is the only feast day that we celebrate honoring Our Lady’s “divine maternity”.
In a world where motherhood and childbearing are often viewed as a burden or an inconvenience, at the very least, Catholics remember that motherhood is a gift from Heaven. God becomes man and is born into a human family. Every one of us has existed in the mind of God the Father for all eternity. This “divine thought” becomes a human being at conception. God has seen us in His image and likeness since the beginning.
Let us pray that this year, humanity will awaken from the nightmare of abortion and euthanasia. Pray that nations come to respect life, from the womb to the tomb, as a mystery that comes from God and is destined to return to God at a time according to His plan.
Topic shift: the Franciscans of Life have completed our year-end review. We planned our days, schedules and activities for this new year, to allow us more time for silence, solitude, prayer, penance, a fraternal life. Like every human family, a community of consecrated persons, religious or lay, is called to live as a family that reflects the community of the Holy Trinity.
It is very easy to get caught up in the “to do’s” of everyday life, to the point where doing becomes man’s only source of satisfaction and enrichment. Unfortunately, becoming or being is forgotten and replaced by doing. We hope that others will join us in the quest to become people of deeper prayer, more sacrificial penance, and joyful members of families, parishes, and communities.
Brother will vow to live in obedience to God, the Church, and the constitutions and superior of our community. He will surrender the right to own property and will vow to live the rest of his life without property, money, or special distinctions. He will vow to live celibate chastity until death, so that he may devote every moment of his life to Christ, the Immaculate, and the people of God.
Franciscans of Life also make a fourth vow: to proclaim the Gospel of Life to the voiceless. We follow the example of St. Francis and his command to the first Franciscans, to live in peace with all men, to have a special place in our hearts and their mission for the poor, elderly, sick and abandoned. The Gospel of Life demands in a special way that we treat all travelers and immigrants with respect and charity. Please pray for Brother Bernardo and for the Franciscans of Life, that we may be faithful to the end.
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May the new year bring many blessings into your lives. Let us pray that it will be a year where man moves closer to peace, deals more justly with other people, and detaches from excessive material goods to the detriment of his soul.
The Franciscans of Life prepare for the Christmas celebration in several ways. We hope that those who read this blog will be inspired to find their own way to prepare to celebrate Christmas. Feel free to borrow from us.
The first step in preparation for Christmas is Reconciliation.
We acknowledge that we have sinned, that we have distanced ourselves from God by our thoughts, words and actions. We approach the confessional with the same simplicity and humility as the peasant shepherds approached the newborn Messiah in the stable at Bethlehem. We confess our sins, beg for forgiveness and kneel in adoration of a God who never denies us forgiveness, not matter what we may have done or failed to do, as long as we are truly sorry.
Second, we create an environment with periods of silence.
St. Joseph is our model. As we read the account of Jesus’ birth, we notice that Joseph does not speak. He contemplates the newborn Messiah and his Virgin Mother. Like St. Joseph, we need periods of silence. Periods of silence does not mean quietly working on the internet or some other project. A period of silence involves total disconnection from the world around us. These need not be long periods. Several short periods during the day can be beneficial for those of us who are restless and can’t be quiet or still for an extended period. Whether one chooses a long period of silence once a day or several shorter periods during the day, the important thing is to imitate St. Joseph. We must reflect on the miracle of the incarnation and the nativity, reflect on how this event invites us to change the way we live, think and behave. The Christ child invites us to draw from our innate desire to encounter God.
Third, order is necessary.
It is very difficult to experience internal silence, if we live in a disorganized environment. Disorder can take the form of clutter and lack of order in our physical environment. It can also be failure on our part to discipline ourselves: stop using profanity, find the good in every situation, give up skepticism and negativity, accept that we can’t change the world, the Church, our community or ourselves with the snap of a finger. We must work at change. Begin by harnessing anger. Like the Wise men from the East who persevered following the star that led them to the Christ Child, we must continue to follow the star that leads to self-control and self-discipline, as that of the Wise men. Order and internal silence are graces that we must actively pursue through concrete actions and insistently pray for the grace to move forward, even if it’s one step at a time.
Fourth, this is a time to reconnect with our families, communities, parish and colleagues. We accept that nothing human is perfect, but we insist on finding the good in every situation.
Joseph was pressed for a solution when he could not find a place for Mary to deliver her firstborn and only son, Jesus Christ. Yet he did the best he could. He found a clean cave to serve as the delivery room for the
Birth of Jesus
Son of God and Son of Mary. He did not express disappointment or frustration because the accommodations were less than
those at an inn or at the home of a relative. On the contrary, he took what God had provided and made it the first tabernacle in history. The cave housed the Son of God, body, blood, soul and divinity. He and Mary welcomed the peasants and shepherds to their “tabernacle” under the rocks.
The birth of Christ proclaimed a new age, an age of redemption for all who were willing to believe and to join the community of believers in fraternity, without class, racial or gender distinctions. The Holy Family in Bethlehem opened its doors to anyone who wanted to join them. We too must be willing to open the doors that allow those who would normally be shunned or left out to join our family and with us, contemplate and serve the new born Son of God. So, we reach out to family, friends, and others in a spirit of humility, acknowledging that it is not us whom others come to find, but the newborn King of Kings.
Prepare for Christmas:
go to confession and do penance,
seek out daily periods of silence,
return order to your life, starting with your surroundings and continuing with your behaviors; and
connect with family, friends, community members, fellow parishioners. Reach out and welcome others into your spirit of Christmas.
A MERRY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO OUR FRIENDS AND BENEFACTORS
We are entering that time of the year which we jovially refer to as “Franciscan season”. There are just so many unique events taking place, such as the feast of St. Francis (a Solemnity for the Franciscan family) preceded by the Transitus (crossing over), the commemoration of the Poverello’s entrance into Heaven; the beginning of our “little lent” on the feast of St. Michael (now feast of the Holy Archangels); the commemoration of the Franciscan saints and deceased…AND October is also Respect Life Month, which takes a very special meaning for the Franciscans of Life.
We are kicking off by supporting 40 Days for Life, in particular the Hollywood, FL chapter. We are doing so not only by making a special effort to fill in hours to support the ongoing prayer vigil, but also by promoting the event through a simple video tutorial on how to find a prayer vigil anywhere in the U.S. and how to register for volunteering. Check it out!
On the evening of Wednesday, October 3rd we celebrate the Transitus of St. Francis at the Chapel of St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Pembroke Pines, FL, thanks to the kindness and support of the parish pastor and staff. A special thanks goes to the Charismatic Renewal prayer group that also meets on Wednesday evenings, who kindly welcomed our brother Bernardo last year.
The Transitus is a simple yet solemn ritual in which the brothers, following the historical recount by Brother Thomas of Celano, re-enact the last moments in the earthly life of the Seraphic Father and his “crossing over” to Heaven. On this occasion, the Testament of St. Francis is also read. You are welcome to join us! For more details and if you wish to confirm your attendance, you can visit
What else? Much more. During Respect Life Month we will participate in the Life Chain on October 7 and many other events to support and promote the work of Respect Life Ministry Archdiocese of Miami, in particular Project Joseph. Why not take a moment to find out more about this unique program to protect the unborn by serving fathers in crisis pregnancies? Visit www.projectjoseph.org and make sure to watch the short video at the end of that page! We include it here for your convenience:
Feel free to email us if you want to find out more about these events, or about our little Catholic brotherhood! We are an emerging community, joyful to obediently serve the needs of the local Church, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and live a simple life of penance and prayer.
There are several ways to stay in contact besides directly emailing us. For example, you can subscribe to our community blog using the little box on the side of this page (see below) and you will receive new articles in your email.
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You can also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/franciscansoflife , we try to post our events and share pro-life news, and we even have a group for those who want to keep in touch and inquire on our way of life.
We are also on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/franciscansoflife We have two interesting series being edited already, one on the Gospel of Life and one on our Constitutions – and many interesting videos already published. Make sure to “subscribe” and click on the “bell” to receive a notice when the new videos come up!
And if you are wondering how to support us, check out the How to Help page of our website, and feel free to read and share our Vocations material.
Thank you for walking with us as we build something beautiful for the Immaculate.
All things are possible, if you do whatever he tells you.
I’m finally back to work. I’m starting off slowly, as I gain my strength. Being healed is one thing. Recovery is something else. Up to today I can get in and out of bed without assistance, dress myself, wash dishes and cook dinner all while in a wheelchair. Brothers Chris and Bernie were are always attentive to my needs, especially Brother Bernie. I don’t know how the man does it. He teaches college, religious education and takes communion to the sick at the local hospital. On top of that, he has prayer commitments and household chores. However, he always has time to give me hand when I’m stuck. I get stuck quite easily and sometimes its comical.
One day I was coming out of the cell, in the wheelchair. As I left the cell, I turned my chair around, 180 0. I had never noticed the narrowness of the corridor outside to the cell. Needles to say, I spent almost 15 minutes trying to turn myself around to go in the right direction and I always ended up facing either the bathroom door or the cell door. Apparently, I crashed into the walls and door so much that it attracted attention and another brother had to rescue me or I would still be swiveling from side to side in a narrow corridor.
Yesterday, we had our weekly community meeting. The discussion centered on putting everything in the hands of Christ and his mother. As we took turns talking, one of the brothers referred to something interesting that happened to me as I was crashing to my death. Brother said, “If that had been me, I would have been asking God ‘Where are you?’ “Or I would be concerned with what’s happening. My blood pressure was crashing, my kidneys stops working. I stopped breathing and had to be intubated.
Now comes the part that interested me. Brother said that I had not said a word from the time they rolled me out of the emergency room into ICU. As I was losing air I said, “Pray with me.” He says that I could hardly be understood. He asked me if I wanted to pray the Rosary and I nodded “no”. He then asked me if I wanted to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and I nodded “yes”. We started to pray the chaplet. Brother remembers that my voice faded out and the doctor and nurses moved in with all kinds of gadgets to assist my breathing. Nothing worked. It was decided to put a respiratory tube down my throat. If that didn’t work the next step would be to let me go. The doctors and my family had done everything humanly possible to keep me alive. They followed Pope John Paul’s example to the tiniest detail. A tracheotomy would have been an extraordinary measure, without any guarantee that it would work.
As Brother was sharing what he saw and what we did in ICU, he and the other brothers expressed amazement that I had not called out to the doctor for help. I don’t remember any of this. But apparently, I never panicked as my organs were shutting down and allegedly I had a look of peace. While I was in a coma, I remember being in a room with other deceased people. There was only one way out and it was guarded. I saw dark shadows come toward me. I my state of mind I believed that I had died, and these were demons casting lures for my soul. As they got closer I began to pray, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” I had great confidence that no evil could touch me under the care of the Immaculate Virgin Mary. As I prayed the second part of the Ave Maria, I thought to myself, “Try to get past her.” Her being the Immaculate.
I remember looking toward the Blessed Mother, who stood quietly at my feet. I think she was praying; but I am not sure. Coming from the same direction that the Immaculate had come, came St. Teresa of Calcutta. At first, I made sure that it was her and not an evil spirit trying to trick me. When I looked into her eyes, I recognized the depth of her love. Which was the case when she was alive. Her eyes always spoke of love. I don’t remember if I said it or I thought it. The words that came out of my mouth were, “Mother Teresa, you picked up the homeless and the dying from the streets and gave them a home where they could meet God as human beings, not animals.”
With that, she touched me. She touched along the sides of my kidney. She placed her frail old hands on my chest and finally, she signaled that I could leave. But she didn’t speak, neither did the Immaculate. All the communication took place without words. I can’t explain this.
I DON’T claim this to be miracle or and end of life experience; but I’m not sure that it was a dream either. After more than two weeks, I opened my eyes and tried to recognize everyone standing around me. I saw my brothers and the medical team. I couldn’t speak clearly, so I communicated with my eyes and my hand that I wanted the brothers to call my friend, Father Jeff. When arrived he told me that he has already given me all the sacraments that I needed for a Christian death. But I wanted to tell him about the Immaculate and St. Teresa of Calcutta. Given that a breathing tube has just been pulled out of my mouth, I could only make sounds. We talked and finally he gave me his blessing.
If we fast forward to last night, one of the brothers said to me. “The only thing that you did was to pray. Everything else was the work of Grace.” I sincerely believe this. If we place our lives in the hands of the Immaculate at the foot of the altar, she will always command the angels and saints to fulfill God’s will for us. But she will never leave us. She will find a way to make us “presentable” before her son. But we must be willing to be John, the Beloved Disciple who stood by her at the foot of the cross and embraced her as MOTHER.
In your kindness please pray for our Superior, Br Jay, who is currently very sick.
*** Update 2/24 Br Jay “graduated” from the acute rehab center and is back at the Motherhouse 🙂 God bless you for your prayers and support during this difficult time. ***
** Update 2/14 Br. Jay begins his Lent in an acute rehab facility to perform occupational and physical therapy. If God wills, he will continue recovering and will be able to come back to the Motherhouse soon. **
** Update 2/11 There has been significant improvement in Br. Jay’s health. He is still in the hospital but undergoing physical therapy. He thanks you all for the ongoing prayers. May God continue to strengthen him. **
** Update 2/5 11 PM Our Superior is out of critical care but still hospitalized. He is very grateful to all. Praying that he regain strength. **
** Update 2/2 11 PM No major changes. Every day the numbers show a bit of improvement. However please pray in a special way for removal of ventilator. Your prayers are efficacious – thank you! **
** Update 1/29 5 PM Things keep improving a bit at a time. Please keep praying for Br. Jay who is still in critical care, and for those who are overseeing his healthcare. **
** Update 1/28 4 PM More signs of improvement. **
** Update 1/27 12 noon Slight signs of improvement. **
** Update 1/26 3:00 AM Br. Jay’s secondary issue (breathing) deteriorated, requiring additional critical care. Praying for continuation of recovery. **
** Update 1/24 4:00 AM Br. Jay’s condition has shown a significant improvement. Still in ICU. Please pray for his breathing to stabilize, if it be God’s will. Br. Jay expresses his gratitude to everyone who has been praying for him and touching base with us. **
** Update 1/23 11:30 AM Br. Jay’s condition has improved a little bit. Still very sick. Prayers greatly appreciated. **
Vita ad Vitam Vocat
[click to see full-scale picture]
I wanted to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and I nodded “yes”. We started to pray the chaplet. Brother 
Franciscans of Life 
