Community News | Franciscans of Life

Ask whatever you will

As some of you may already know, I’m back in the hospital. I’ve been here almost two weeks and there is no discharge on the horizon. My major body systems are not cooperating with each other. You fix one and the others go into distress (kidneys, lungs, pancreas, heart, and circulation).

It is a very challenging week in our fraternity. First, I became ill. Then Brother Leo’s sister died this weekend. Please keep him and his family in prayer. He had to fly to Boston. We miss him dearly.

As if that were not enough, Brother Bernardo was left alone to care for me since Leo is in New England. The challenge . . .? Brother Bernardo has come down with his own case of tonsillitis and has final examinations this week. The poor man is trying to recover, to help me and to prepare for finals. Pray that God will reward him with peace and trust.

On the positive side, patients, staff and guests at the hospital are very curious about Franciscans of Life. They don’t get to see much of us, because we don’t do traditional parish work. Our day is broken down into segments of prayer, teaching and preaching the Gospel of Life through a variety of apostolates, atonement for the culture of death, and fraternal life among us, like that of the early Franciscans.

People are fascinated when we explain that we’re looking back to go forward. I believe this has caused some Catholics to look back as well. We get many people who suddenly remember being influenced by a Franciscan here and there. If these memories transport people into the presence of God, then it must be the good spirit’s leading. One never knows the extent and power of redemptive suffering.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. ⁸By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples. ⁹As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:7-13).

Our other concern is finances. God has plenty of money but the service providers want the money from us. Flying to funerals, going to doctors’ visits, paying for meds and paying for co-insurance for my inpatient is a toll.

Saint Paul reminds us that we can do everything in Him who strengthens us. Jesus reminds us that with him all things are possible. As a fraternity, we are willing and able to weather this storm. But we have to be together again in South Florida. All of us over the map does not lend itself to presence. To be together to pay bills and have enough to share with voiceless. We need to be together to preserve the Trinitarian Communion that is essential to our way of life.

Pray for Brother Leo and his family that God will give them peace and bring him home soon. Pray for Brother Bernardo that God will give him spiritual and physical strength to follow His lead and that his condition improves so that he can do well on his final examination, this week.

As for me, pray that as superior I may lead by the example of the Suffering Servant.
God bless you.

[How to Help]

Published in:

on April 29, 2015 at 11:21 AM Comments (1)

Project Joseph – Better Men, Better Dads

The Story behind Project Joseph

In 2009 Brother Jay Rivera, founder of the Franciscans of Life, was volunteering at Respect Life’s Pregnancy Care Center in Hollywood, Florida when he began to notice that the fathers of the infants in danger of being aborted were not being served by Respect Life Ministry.

It was not that the Archdiocese had anything against the dads. Simply . . . no one noticed. Men dropped off the expectant mother at the center, be it for class, counseling or material assistance, and sat in their cars, drove away or waited in the waiting area. The volunteers who served at the center would eagerly jump to the assistance of the expectant mother, but would have little or no interaction with the father. As Brother Jay watched, the thought hit him. “This is very much like Planned Parenthood and other ‘pro-choice’ organizations. Pregnancy is a woman’s issue.”

Like many other Franciscan fraternities, the Franciscans of Life place themselves under the protection of the Immaculate. Brother began to pray to the Immaculate for guidance. He also spoke to Joan Crown, Archdiocesan Director of Respect Life Ministry for the Archdiocese of Miami.

He laid out before them his concern that the fathers of the preborn babies were out of the loop. They didn’t know what to do or what was expected of them. Many of them were frightened by the sudden news of a pregnancy, wanted to walk away from the situation in the hopes that it would go away or offered to pay for an abortion as one would pay someone compensation for damages in an accident. The mothers were holding on to their preborn babies, but uncertain whether to go forward with the pregnancy.

Thanks to the support from the volunteer counselors and teachers at Respect Life, most of the mothers were determined to give the pregnancy a chance. However, giving your preborn child a chance is not the same as eagerly awaiting his birth. That chance can be revoked at any time.

Brother began walking up to the dads in the parked cars and invited them to come into the center. The men seemed friendly enough, but not too sure what to do about this invitation. They were hesitant. Of course, Brother Jay had no idea what he was going to do with the men either. He knew that he had to offer them something.

Finally one father, whom we shall call David, came inside. He was not too eager to be there, but he seemed curious to find out what this older gentleman who looked like a monk wanted. The first time that he entered the center they spoke for about 45 minutes about anything that came up.

That night, Brother again knelt in prayer asking for guidance. He prayed to St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan family, to the Immaculate, patroness of the Franciscans, and to St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan saint who is the patron of pro-life workers. Simply put, he called a team meeting and placed the situation on the table.

“We have preborn children who are at risk for abandonment and death, if both father and mother don’t step up to the plate. But they don’t know what to do and I don’t know what to teach them, because there is so much information out there and such little time here.”

While at prayer he felt someone saying, “Give it to St. Joseph.”

The next day would be the first Sunday of the month, the day that the Secular and Regular Franciscans have their local community gathering. Brother went to bed and dreamed. He was in a small room that was illumined, but there were no signs of electricity, no flames, or windows. The room just glowed. In the room stood a friar with his back to the door. Brother Jay recognized this friar as Brother Francis of Assisi. Brother Jay saw the grey sleeve of Francis’ habit rise as he raised his arm pointing to something in front of them. When he looked, Brother Jay saw a wooden statue of St. Joseph, about 10 inches tall, holding the child Jesus in one arm and something green in the other hand.

The next day, he attended the fraternity meeting and shared his concern with his Franciscan brothers and sisters. He mentioned the dream as well. A Franciscan sister who was at the meeting got up and left the room.

She came back with a white box. As she handed the white box to Brother Jay, she said:

“Someone gave this to me about 12 years ago. I have another, so I put it in my closet waiting to find someone to whom I could give it. This morning, as I was getting ready to come to the gathering, something told me to put this in my car. I think it’s for you.”

When Brother opened the box, there was the wooden statue that he had seen in his dream. It was 10 inches tall. St. Joseph was holding the child Jesus in one arm and something green in the other hand. They were lilies.

This was the confirmation. Saint Joseph had accepted the challenge. He would walk with Brother Jay and the expectant dads in crisis pregnancies.

Where Is Project Joseph Today?

Today, Project Joseph has evolved into an archdiocesan network of formation and service for men who are in crisis pregnancies.

The program operates out of four of the five archdiocesan pregnancy help centers: Hollywood, North Dade, South Dade and Fort Lauderdale.

At each center there is at least one trained mentor who provides small group education to fathers, counseling and material assistance.

Fathers may attend an entire program of 18 modules divided into three blocks of six: Becoming a Better Man; Parenting; Future Planning.

After completing this set of modules, fathers are invited to continue in the program where they receive education and support in other areas of fatherhood such as:

community resources,
behavior management,
infant development,
chastity and human sexuality,
legal rights of fathers,
faith and parenting,
marriage and family,
and safeguarding children.

Dads are “paid” Parent Dollars for every session they attend. They can cash in these parent dollars for anything from diapers to cribs and mattresses. A father may join Project Joseph at any point from the moment of conception until the child is one-year old. Project Joseph is always there to help if a father needs to return later.

There is no charge for the services that we provide, nor do we charge the Archdiocese of Miami for such services. Project Joseph is financed through grants and donations.

Through the year, Project Joseph serves approximately 20 fathers per week, 50 weeks out of the year. The only time the program is closed is during Holy Week and Christmas week.

It is run by men for men. Our mentors are volunteers from the community. They are Catholics in good standing with the Church.

The Franciscans of Life provide initial and ongoing formation for the mentors.

Project Joseph is grounded in the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi.

Fathers and mentors are brothers who walk side by side on this journey, as did Saint Francis of Assisi and those whom he and his brothers served. The mentors approach the fathers from the “bottom up”. Like Saint Francis, they are here to serve, not to preach, teach, correct, discipline or be heard. They preach the Gospel through their lives and through their unconditional love for every man whom they serve. We train our mentors in the pastoral methods of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan Friar and patron of pro-life workers.

Like his spiritual father, Saint Francis, Saint Maximilian placed his trust in the Immaculate. He planted the seed and allowed her to guide him and those with whom he walked. Like Christ, he was willing to lay down his life for his brother, especially if that brother was the father of a family. Our mentors are formed in the spirit of total detachment from self and confidence in the Immaculate and Divine Providence. We do what we need to do for the dads and we get out of God’s way.

If you are a man in the Archdiocese of Miami, ask yourself if God is inviting you to help us proclaim the Gospel of Life by walking with your brothers. Do not worry about not knowing what to do. We in the apostolate will walk with you and our brothers. Contact us to find out more!

Below is a short video about Project Joseph:

[How to Help]

Published in:

on April 12, 2015 at 10:05 PM Leave a Comment

Holy Week: a time to choose

Palm Sunday

As Holy Week moves along, the Franciscans of Life are also moving right along with the liturgy and the celebration of the paschal mysteries. The week began with the liturgy of Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday). The brothers attended the liturgy as family. It was a very moving day for us, especially for those brothers who had never seen the liturgy of Palm Sunday in the Ordinary Form. The beauty and solemnity of the liturgical celebration removed any doubt that the Ordinary Form can raise the heart and mind to God as much as the Extraordinary Form. In both, Christ does his part. It is up to us to do our part. The young men and women from LifeTeen reenacted the Lord’s passion as the Gospel was read. We were impressed to see how prayerful the kids looked and how well they memorized the many lines in the Gospel reading. Of course the priest and the deacon helped out during the reading.

Meet Our New Postulant

Monday night was a very special night for the fraternity. We received a new postulant, Alberto Emilio Rodriguez. Alberto joined us as an aspirant several months ago. He is the product of a solid Catholic home and

Alberto está a punto de comenzar el discernimiento

Postulant Alberto Rodriguez, FFV

Catholic education. We thank his parents and the Marist Brothers for their investment in Alberto. Postulant Alberto is active in the community, especially in youth retreats. As a student the only thing we can say is that he is brilliant. He was accepted by three leading universities in the United States, all of which offered him full scholarships.

Lazaro Rodriguez (father), Postulant Alberto, Br. Jay and Br. Luis sign the registry after Alberto is received as a posulant

However, Alberto has decided to study in Miami and form with the Franciscans of Life. He has responded to what Jesus said to his apostles at the Last Supper when he washed their feet:

¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13:14-16).

As we have said, he is academically gifted, speaks two languages, is the class president at his school, has been a retreat speaker and altar server, is an excellent drummer and an aeronautics aficionado. Most important, he is a man of great faith and a deep prayer life.

New Secular Franciscan of Life

We have also received a new brother as novice for the Secular Franciscans of Life, Brother Luis Charbel.

Br. Luis Charbel, FFV was received as a novice at St. Maximilian Kolbe Chapel.

Br. Bernardo di Carmine and his mother, Mrs. Angela Torres

Brother Bernardo Di Carmine delivered a beautiful reflection during solemn vespers when Luis was received.

Luis is originally from Colombia. He and his wife have made Miami their home along with their beautiful eight children. Luis came to us driven by the Holy Spirit. He has always experienced an attraction to the spirit of St. Francis. His children serve the poor in a Franciscan ministry. However, Luis had never done anything about his craving for Francis of Assisi and his way of life until he saw an article about Project Joseph, which the Franciscans of Life operate for Respect Life Ministry Archdiocese of Miami. Docile to the Holy Spirit, he responded to Christ’s challenge to the apostles during his Passover with them:

¹²Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these. (Jn 14:12).

"Louis-ix" by El Greco - Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sfan00_IMG using CommonsHelper.Author: Original uploader was Uri at en.wikipedia. 2003-07-01 (original upload date). Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louis-ix.jpg#/media/File:Louis-ix.jpg

St. Louis IX by El Greco

Like Alberto, Luis is also a man of profound faith and prayer. His patron saints are Saint Louis King of France, the patron of the Third Order of St. Francis, and Saint Charbel Makhluf, Maronite monk and hermit, known for his intense life of prayer and asceticism. Luis couldn’t have picked better patron saints.

Saint Louis IX was a contemporary of Saint Francis of Assisi and king of France. He is one of the earliest secular brothers in the Franciscan family, a faithful husband and the father of eleven children.

Saint Charbel Makhlouf, O.L.M. The Wonder Worker

Saint Charbel was Maronite monk and hermit at the Monastery of Saint Maron where he lived a life of severe asceticism. For those who may not understand the term asceticism, it has little to do with corporal penances and much to do with the practice of the virtues. As an ascetic, Saint Charbel disciplined his mind and body to conform to the virtues of Christ and his Blessed Mother.

Like Saint Charbel, Luis has a very personal relationship with the Immaculate and recently completed his consecration to Mary in the Kolbe tradition.

Holy Week: time to reach out

John’s Gospel tells us that after Jesus had finished the Last Supper and had washed his disciples’ feet he said to them

“Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.” (Jn 15:12b-17).

Holy Week is the perfect time to reflect on our universal vocation: the perfection of love. It’s a time to examine what we do and who we are, keeping in mind the precedence of being over doing.

Jesus calls us friends, for that is our universal vocation. He has loved us enough to call us his friends. Brothers Alberto and Luis have taken the leap of faith. Christ chose and extended his hand from the cross in friendship. Like Saint Francis of Assisi, they responded.

[How to Help]

Published in:

on April 1, 2015 at 5:48 PM Leave a Comment

Transformation

We had a great couple of days for Project Joseph and the Franciscans of Life!

On Saturday, March 21st, the Franciscans of Life attended the 5th Catholic Men’s Conference of the Archdiocese of Miami. The event, which featured Catholic apologist Tim Staples, took place at St. Mark Catholic Church. We represented Project Joseph along with some of the mentors of Respect Life Ministry.

Our display included some literature and a poster describing the roots of Project Joseph and where it is today. It also featured pictures that the Project Joseph dads allowed us to share, either of their classes or of their beautiful children.

The event was well attended, and we had a chance to talk with several men, some of whom were dads themselves, and present to them information about Project Joseph, as well as invite them to our upcoming workshop.

On Monday, March 23rd we had the joy of receiving Brother Luis as a novice. He received the name Brother Luis Charbel, FFV.

As a secular brother, Br. Charbel exchanges the cord that holds the wooden tau around his neck from a brown one to a red one. The red signifies the Sacred Blood shed by Christ during His Passion, and constitutes for Br. Charbel a reminder that he is called to “obey as Christ obeyed, without murmuring, complaints and resentment”, in order to “live perfect charity as Christ taught us on the cross”.

The exchange of the color and the reception of a new name are for the secular Franciscan of Life “an outward sign of his desire for transformation from the old man enslaved by sin to the new man, liberated by the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ”.It was a beautiful and moving reception, attended by the regular and secular Franciscans of Life and their families. Brother Jay directed the ceremony, and Brother Bernardo offered a reflection on the call and life of the secular brothers.

In the next days we will feature more news about FFV and Project Joseph…stay tuned! 🙂

[How to Help]

Published in:

on March 28, 2015 at 10:11 PM Leave a Comment

Thank you!

The season of Lent has begun, in which the Church unites herself to Jesus in the desert (CCC 540) and invites us all to engage in spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies, voluntary self-denial, and fraternal sharing (CCC 1438). All these, of course, as part of our lifelong process of conversion.

Lent is violet time…

“And when the Lord your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers…take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery … remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart” (Dt 6:10-12, 8:2)

Indeed, this is not a time of mourning, but a time to look back in order to move forward; a time to make ours the invitation that was made to the Church in Ephesus: “Remember from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.” (Rv 2:5) It is a time to examine our consciences, that is, in the words of the Holy Father Francis on January 1st, a time “through which we review what has happened; we thank the Lord for every good we have received and have been able to do and, at the same time, we think again of our failings and our sins”.

“To give thanks and to ask for forgiveness”. In particular, would add the Pope in this year’s message for Lent, by confronting the culture of indifference, striving to become “islands of mercy in a sea of indifference”.

In this context, we wanted to begin by giving thanks, first and foremost to the Lord, and immediately afterwards to you.

You see, on January 1st we “manifested without fear our needs” in the form of an article that expressed a simple question: “Can you help?“.

In the following weeks, we received much support from you, and we were greatly moved by how you helped us meet our needs, particularly now that we have more brothers in formation in the motherhouse.

The first challenge met was the replacement of the toaster. We have been blessed with an “upgrade”: a toaster-oven that has been our companion beyond breakfast and has even allowed us to save some energy 🙂

Breakfast time!

Shortly afterwards, the second challenge was met: the replacement of an old mattress. Here, too, we were greatly blessed: the new mattress came with certain features to help the brothers that suffer from backaches; it also came with a pillow!

1024px-Sanzio,_Raffaello_-_Putti_(Madonna_Sistina)_-_1512-1513

How the brothers feel on the new mattress

Last but not least, we tackled the leak problem in the AC unit and the hole in the ceiling. The issue got worse before it got better. One day, an additional dripping began, a few inches away from the opening…but right on top of the kitchen table!!

However, we had already set aside enough to be able (we hoped!) to pay for the repairs. That same day the repair crew found and fixed several issues with the AC unit, and finally they tackled the hole in the ceiling. The latter was no small task! The repair required opening up that spot on the ceiling, inserting two layers of wood, and finally sealing the opening.

As easy as 1, 2, 3? Not quite…!

Again, THANK YOU for being there for us. This has been a very edifying experience for us. Be assured that you are always in our prayers.

Last but not least, we should mention our brother who is pursuing doctoral studies. He has been working with dedication, while pursuing with great love the formation time. You can see him below, presenting a final project!

[How to Help]

Published in:

on February 22, 2015 at 11:25 AM Leave a Comment

Walking for Life

Every year, Respect Life hosts a “Walk for Life” at Archbishop McCarthy High School to support the Hollywood Pregnancy Center, which provides counseling, education, material assistance, and support to men and women in crisis pregnancies.

It is not uncommon for the three-hour event to witness hundreds of “walkers” who are animated by great music, refreshments, and the Holy Rosary. The event also provides an opportunity for students to earn community service hours.

This year, some of our brothers joined the Walk. It was a great time; we even made some new friends!

[How to Help]

Published in:

on January 17, 2015 at 10:04 PM Leave a Comment

“Good night, son!”

“Pax et bonum”! I am very happy to wish you a blessed new year and to share with you the highlights of my first week of postulancy in residence at the Franciscans of Life motherhouse. I hope you like it!

It has been great to begin my residency during the Christmas season.

In retrospective, I can see I experienced both the great solemnity of the Nativity and the secular “holiday” of New Year as times of “glad tidings”, of a new beginning, as well as a reminder that Christ lives. “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it”, says the Lord. And St. Paul, who was no “forgetful listener”, would say: “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me”.

In short: this first week was for me the time to welcome the birth of Christ in my heart and embrace Him in my brothers.

Arriving to the motherhouse was not a new experience, but this time it took a whole new aspect. I wasn’t just visiting. I was at home, now.

After settling in, I was invited to go to evening mass at the nearby parish of St Boniface. It felt great to begin this way. As Brother Jay always reminds us, “everything begins at the beginning”. I was very happy to attend this mass with my brothers and to pray Vespers with them afterwards, before the Blessed Sacrament.

This would be the first “in residence” taste of the fraternal liturgical life. Little did I know (I say this with great joy!) that this would become the “heart and soul”of my daily life of love!

The life in fraternity is “in common” in many ways. We strive to serve one another and to meet each other’s needs. We all seek to love and be loved, and in the life of the regular brothers we are always attentive to each other’s needs for spiritual support, safety, and affection.

The common life is also very practical. Our community embraces early Franciscan poverty in which the brothers did not just share common property. We simply have what is strictly necessary. For this purpose, Father Superior worked right away on the motherhouse weekly schedule to meet the needs of a postulant student brother and assure that I can continue my formation while pursuing my first doctoral degree – all the while living the peaceful and joyful life of penance of the Franciscans of Life.

My days begin at the “cella” (pronounced like “shell”), where I sleep “at a pillow’s distance” from Father Superior. It is always a joyful experience, as we encounter one another in awakening and, shortly afterwards, our Lord in the prayer of Lauds.

Due to the diminute size of the “cella”, the brothers must take turns; one brother takes care of the beds while the other lights the candles at our little prayer table, before the icon of the Immaculate and the crucifix of San Damiano. It is here that we keep the prayer intentions entrusted to us. On one day in which my turn came around for the latter and I was particularly sleepy, I recalled the words of an earlier liturgical reading: “Awake, sleeper!”. For a moment, I thought I could feel the Lord’s eyes on me…but when I turned around, I realized it was Father’s glance! “Are you done waking up, or do you need a hand?” 🙂

Having warmed up the soul with prayer, we take care of the rest with breakfast (and, not uncommonly, some laughter!) On more than one occasion I “showcased my cooking skills” by preparing some awesome toasts with coffee (although I ought to admit that the greater merit goes to the new toaster oven that we recently received from a kind benefactor).

What happens in the mornings depends on the daily schedule.

Most weekdays we coordinate our schedules for academics and apostolate, and we often share the community car by planning our daily trip accordingly. Several days, however, the morning begins with a formation class in topics such as spiritual theology, sacred liturgy, and Franciscan studies.

Saturday is dedicated in a particular way to prayer and to taking care of the motherhouse. Once a month, we dedicate it to a full day of prayer and recollection. This week, however, was my opportunity to “brush up” my broom and mop skills 😉

Sunday is our family day. Usually, we begin the day by going to the nearby parish of St. Maximilian Kolbe to attend mass.

Once a month, however, we also travel to Miami, to the mission of Sts. Francis and Clare, where I serve as acolyte for the local Latin Mass Community. While we worship in community in the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite, Father Superior and the brothers know that I have been an E.F. altar server for several years with great joy and to my spiritual benefit. They have kindly accommodated for me to be able to continue to do so without turning the extraordinary into the norm.

The weekday afternoon usually includes some free time for spiritual reading, private prayer, a walk around the lake, and (for me, in a special way) time for homework. This doesn’t mean I am “off the hook” for an afternoon formation class, however! 🙂

Saturday afternoon is often the occasion to buy the necessary groceries for the week and take care of the needs of our lovely companions Max and Tasha.

On Family Day, it is not uncommon to spend the afternoon at a nearby park, alternating times of prayerful contemplation to times of joy and fun.

The evening is usually marked by attending daily Mass followed by Vespers, in turn followed by supper.

Something beautiful happens on Monday evenings, as the regular and secular brothers gather for the weekly “chapter”. This is one of my favorite experiences of our fraternity life – to welcome all the brothers and be welcomed with a warm embrace, and then pray Vespers together, receive formation, plan our joint efforts in our common service to the voiceless, and also share weekly experiences.

It is written: “How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together as one!” This is exactly what I experience at our “family meetings”, as the secular brothers, who are husbands and fathers, enrich us with the experience of a Catholic family life, and at the same time allow us to share with them the fruits of peace and good that we find in the celibate life in community.

At the end, Father Superior sends the secular brothers back to their families with a warm embrace. This is a very moving moment, but it is also a reminder that I must retreat to the “cella”, for this evening is the time for the regular brothers to have the Chapter of Faults. The regular brothers recollect, as Father Superior enters the cell and sits quietly. One by one, we “come into the light, that our deeds may be manifested”.

When my turn comes, I kneel before Father Superior, entrusting myself to his justice and mercy, and opening myself to my brothers, as I accuse myself of my faults against the Holy Rule and our Constitutions. After receiving Father Superior’s firm but gentle correction, I prostrate before the Crucified Lord and, arms outstretched, I recite my Confiteor. As I hear Father’s words “Arise, in the name of the Lord”, and I sit down amidst my brothers, I have the unshakable certainty that despite my limitations, my Superior and my brothers still love me. As Brother Leo steps forward, I glance at the eyes of the Crucified. Those eyes, and the peace in my heart, are enough to make me wish to leap for joy. But I remain recollected, as I recall the words of our Holy Father St. Francis: “Let us begin, for up to now we have done nothing.”

The night finishes with a visit to His Majesty, who in the Blessed Sacrament awaits for us at the St. Francis chapel of a nearby parish.

Before walking into the chapel, Father Superior guides us through a review of our day. This is one of the most meaningful times of the day for me, as I can rejoice at the good experiences of the day and analyze missed opportunities to encounter and serve Christ, in order to see what got in the way and what can I do better.

After a time of adoration, we lift our cowls and we let the words of Compline echo silently before His face: “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace…”.

We return to the motherhouse and retreat into our “cella”, our beloved cloister. Lights go off. I lay down in bed “and sleep comes at once”. It’s been a good day, I tell myself. The night is silent. I thank God for the present moment, for the love, and for the gift of a life of penance in service to the voiceless.

And just as I am about to fall asleep, a pillow hits me. “Good night, son!”

Br. Bernardo, FFV

[How to Help]

Published in:

on January 15, 2015 at 1:34 PM Leave a Comment

Can you help?

First of all, we would like to wish everyone of our friends a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year. As we go through the Christmas season, let us remember the true meaning of this joyous occasion. This was not just another historical birth. This was the historical birth of our God
and Savior. He came to us as a real person in real time to offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our redemption.

Secondly, the Franciscans of Life would like to make an appeal for your help. We need to fix some things around the house and replace others. We do not charge for our services to those in crisis pregnancies, the immigrant poor or those who are terminally ill. Like our father St. Francis before us, we depend on Divine Providence to provide for us. God has never let us down. He has always provided for us through you, our friends.

Here’s the situation we have.

Our toaster is broken. One has to stand by holding down the slider or it will not toast. A replacement will cost us about $15.00 to $20.00.

One of our brothers is sleeping on a mattress with a flat side and it’s beginning to affect his sciatica. We need about $160.00 to replace it. It’s a very old mattress, about 15 years old. It was donated to us many years ago.

Finally, we have a leak from the air conditioning unit, which is upstairs. The water has caused a hole to open up over the kitchen table. We have been keeping a pot under the hole to catch the drip until we get enough money to fix the damaged pipe and replace the piece of the ceiling. Repairing the pipe, closing the opening in the ceiling and painting will cost over $200.00 that we don’t have.

In all, we need to raise about $380. While we would rather not bother our friends, we have few resources. St. Francis taught us to apply to the table of the Lord in such situations; therefore, we are reaching out to you.

As superior, I am responsible for the health, education and welfare of my brothers. Currently, one of our brothers is working on his PhD, which is a rather expensive proposition. We’re very proud of him. He’s not only a remarkable brother, he’s also a brilliant student and we love him very much. His education will save many lives. Other brothers bring no income from their apostolic work. Your support is a much needed blessing.

If you can afford to donate something, please help us. You can donate using PayPal or check. All donations are tax deductible as Franciscans of Life are a 501(c)3.

May God bless you for your generosity!

Click on “gifts” on the right hand column or go to

http://www.franciscansoflife.org/HowToHelp.html

Published in:

on January 1, 2015 at 3:39 PM Comments Off

As He is in the light . . .

The Franciscans of Life have had an exciting week. It all began with Brother Bernardo arriving at the mother house on Sunday and Brother Leo Belanger on Monday. Both are in different stages of formation, but in formation nonetheless. It is exciting to watch our little family grow. We began with two brothers, of which only one has persevered. But today there are many more of us. With the grace of God, more will follow.

Brother Jay attended mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Mission Chapel Sts. Francis and Clare, the patriarch and matriarch of the Franciscan family. Contrary to what some extreme Traditionalist bloggers are saying about Franciscans, the people at the mission were very happy to see two Franciscans in the congregation. They were very gracious and welcoming. Some thanked Father Superior for allow the brothers to attend the TLM.

We don’t attend mass in the extraordinary form as the norm. Our constitutions are very clear,

That which is extraordinary cannot be imposed on the brothers, nor may the brothers choose to make it the norm. The brothers are bound to think with the Church. As long as this form is extraordinary, the brothers shall make use of it as such.

However, the constitution is very clear that there is no prohibition on the brothers attending the mass in the old form, as long as every brother in the house agrees to attend. Liturgy is central to the fraternal life. On Sunday, the Lord gifted us with a very nice liturgy and many new friends. I think that we will be going back to visit Saints Francis and Clare Mission, especially because we have brothers who are attached to the Latin Mass Community and to the TLM. Currently, the plan is to attend once a month. Plans are never written in stone. It can be more or less frequently in the future. Man proposes and God disposes.

On Monday night, the secular and the regular brothers gathered at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Pembroke Pines for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception where we celebrated a beautiful mass in the Ordinary Form. At the end of mass, Rev. Giovanni Peña, Vicar at St. Maxx, blessed the Miraculous Medals and the brothers, after Brother Jay had led them in the consecration to the Immaculate, as prescribed by St. Maximilian Kolbe.

It was a beautiful event. There were professed brothers present, novices, postulants and aspirants. It was just absolutely awesome to have our entire family consecrated to the Immaculate at the same time. I think that the most beautiful part of it, along with the consecration to the Immaculate, is the fact that all of our brothers are friends. We’re not just a group of random individuals who came together to start a new branch of the Franciscan family. I prefer to believe that we are a family that St. Francis has adopted and presented to the Immaculate for her care and protection.

Tuesday morning, Brother Jay awoke with a heck of a cold. His head felt as if it were the size of a melon. Staying awake was very difficult. Even being sick was a beautiful experience. The brothers took very good care of their father superior. They brought him breakfast in bed. While everyone went about his business, Brother Leo (just like the original) sat with the superior making him tea and bringing him toast with cheese and honey. It was awesome.
Wednesday night was a very interesting night. If our detachment from material things was ever put to the test, it was Wednesday. Two brothers went to the local perpetual adoration chapel just a few blocks from the mother house. Before they left their car, a rather loud noise was heard. Brother Jay thought that one of those pesky critters had knocked off another coconut from an adjacent palm tree and that we had been hit. Brother Bernardo thought that we had been shot at. He propped the door open and peeked. At that point, Brother Jay asked him what he was looking for and Brother Bernardo explained, to which Brother Jay responded, “When someone is shooting at you, you don’t get up to check out who it is. You duck, not stand.” There were no snipers to be seen. However, the rear glass of the car came crashing down into a million pieces of what can be falsely sold as diamonds. I had never seen glass in such small pieces. Of course, it was the coldest night of the cold_thermometer year in South Florida, with temperatures in the 40s.

To us, 40 degrees is a big deal. Realizing that we had no protection from the cold, Brother Jay proceeded to have a word with the Lord. “Did you have to pick the coldest night of the year? No wonder you don’t have many friends.”

But that didn’t stop the adorers. They left the car parked, with a big opening in the back and went into the Blessed Sacrament Chapel that remains open 24/7. There they spent a good 45 minutes with His Majesty.

This is also finals week at the local universities. We have a few brothers who are students. This is a stressful week for them. You would have never known it. They were so involved with their brothers, with the Lord and His Blessed Mother that they had everything in order on time. They prayed. They talked, played, sang songs and played games for our Immaculate Mother. We were able to ask her for the gift of inner peace and silence, rather than ask her for a specific grade. At the end of the day, one’s degree does not get us past the front door in heaven. What will get us through will be the love that we have shown to Christ, His mother and to all of those around us, especially under stress. It was beautiful to hear one brother say to another, “Please be patient with me. I’m in exam week,” and the other brother responding. “Just tell me what to do.”

One of the brothers is spending Thursday and Friday night with his biological family. Brother Jay drove him into the city, but not in the car with the broken rear glass. We had to rent another vehicle. By evening time, there were texts flying around between the brothers asking for prayers for sick relatives and friends, telling each other how much they appreciated being together on Monday evening and telling each other how much they miss the other. It all reminds me of St. John who said,

“if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another.”

Published in:

on December 11, 2014 at 10:58 PM Leave a Comment

“Walk in my presence . . . ,” Brother begins his journey

The journey of a consecrated brother in the Franciscans of Life has several steps. At the beginning they seem to move very quickly and then they slowly settle down. That’s because the early steps are short. As the child learns to walk, he takes wider steps.

Let’s follow the journey of Br. Bernardo. It began at Baptism when his parents and godparents promised to raise him in the Catholic faith and he was washed clean of Original Sin by the waters of Baptism and initiated into the Catholic Church. He would later make his First Holy Communion and then be confirmed, concluding his initiation into the faith.

But God does not stop working with us on the day of our Confirmation. On that day, He is finished with the initial part of the process. Then began the next step. Like any other man, Bernardo had to find his place in the Church. After a few years involved in campus ministry and debating Traditionalist points on Catholic Answers Forums, he met the Franciscans of Life. This dialogue/debate between Bernardo and Br. Jay went from 2012 to the September 2013. It was almost one year.

Br. Jay invited Bernardo to attend a workshop on the Church’s teachings on the life issues with an introduction to Project Joseph.

This is the young man who entered the door on June 14, 2013 at 9:00 AM. He was very friendly, but reserved and very guarded. Almost wondering, “What’s a nice boy like me doing in a place like this?”

That didn’t last very long. Bernardo can’t keep quiet more than 20 minutes at a time and remaining distant is against his nature. This is a man who is naturally oriented toward others. This became obvious very quickly, especially as he and Brother Christopher Thomas enjoyed some coffee and donut.

But God was not finished. Later, Brother Jay would ask Bernardo to visit a family meeting with the Franciscans of Life. When the meeting ended, he was excited and happy, like a kid who has just been told that he got an A on a math exam. He continued to attend the family meetings.

On August 23, 2014, Brother Jay decided to risk it and invited Bernardo to enter the aspirancy program. Brother still had reservations. But he put it all in the hands of the Immaculate. On the 24th of August, Bernardo accepted the invitation and was received as an aspirant on August 25, 2014.

The aspirants receive a white shirt and a Tau pin that they wear on their collar

On October 27, 2014, Brother Jay found himself at prayer in front of the Immaculate. As usual, he prayed for all of his brothers, secular and consecrated; aspirants, postulants, novices and professed. He was very tired and his eyes started to close. As if in a state between asleep and awake he clearly saw Bernardo’s face.

“Is that whom you want me to call for you,” Brother Jay asked the Immaculate. “But Mother, there are some complications, because he’s a doctoral student and I don’t yet know his family,” Brother Jay told the Immaculate. “Please give me a sign that I’m understanding you correctly.”

Suddenly, the sleepiness vanished and Brother Jay started to laugh. He was not sure what was going to happen next, but he was sure of one thing. He had a message to deliver for the Immaculate. It didn’t make a difference whether Bernardo believed it or not. Brother never promised the Immaculate and she never demanded that Bernardo would believe the message. He was to deliver the invitation to enter the Franciscans of Life. The Immaculate had already placed a strategy in Brother Jay’s mind how Bernardo would be a postulant and finish his degree. On October 29, 2014, Brother Jay delivered the message and the plan that the Immaculate had put into his mind. In less than 24 hours, Bernardo accepted the invitation.

After consulting with the brothers, the date was set. Bernardo would be invested in the seraphic robe on November 17, 2014 the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, patroness of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, whose rule the Franciscans of Life follow. Brothers have to be invested in the name they received at baptism, when they become novices, a new name is assigned to them. That evening, he became a Student Brother, in the FFV. Assisting in the investiture was Mrs. Angela, Bernardo’s mother and Brother Christopher Thomas, whom Bernardo had chosen as his sponsor and witness.

The habit and all the pieces come in a plastic bag. Brother Chris was holding the bag, handing Mrs. Torres one piece at a time. When he handed her the Seraphic Tunic she said, “Que emoción,” which Spanish means “I’m so moved.”

There is no such thing as an investiture without comic relief. We had to take off Bernardo’s shirt to throw the tunic over his head. But Bernardo just stood there as his mother and one of us fiddled with the tiny buttons on his shirt. Finally, Brother Jay said, “Oh for goodness sake. You can help us, you know.” The buttons were tiny.

But all worked out well. At the end of the investiture, Brother, his mother, the brothers and some of his friends who attended took pictures and offered Brother their best wishes.

One thing that the new postulant has to be able to do, besides dress himself is to explain each piece of his habit. The grey was chosen because it was the original color worn by St. Francis and the early brothers. The tunic stops at midcalf, because that how many Italian peasants wore them in the 13th century. The cowl (hood) was worn for warmth and the scapular of Our Lady we have added over the years in honor of the Immaculate who appeared to St. Simon Stock wearing the clothes of a peasant woman, undyed brown wool for her tunic and apron (scapular) and undyed white wool for the mantle.

The postulant’s habit is held together by a leather belt as a reminder that St. Francis also started his journey wearing a leather belt, before he gave it up for a piece of rope. The cord is received when one enters the novitiate.

Over the heart, every Franciscan of Life wears the Tau just as St. Francis drew it on his habit when he first learned of its meaning. Postulants and novices wear a wooden Tau, while professed wear a bronze Tau. The red cord that holds the Tau in place reminds us of the Passion of Christ to which we have a special devotion. Finally, there are things to do around the house. This postulant’s first assignment was to learn how to cook.

Each step is recorded in our family’s chronicles and witnessed by two people other than the superior. Bernardo had chosen Brother Chris as one of his witnesses, Brother Jay chose Bernardo’s mother to be her son’s second witness, something that does not happen too often. The journey of a new Franciscan of Life only begins here. There is still much to learn and many steps to be walked. There is a one year novitiate and at least three years of temporary vows.

You too can walk this path. Think about it.

Enjoy the pictures.

Let’s see if the oven is ready.

Making Mom’s sauce — “Where is she when I need her?”

Figuring out how to cook a precooked lasagna

Getting the lasgna ready for the oven.

Published in:

on December 3, 2014 at 2:49 PM Leave a Comment

Franciscans of Life

Vita ad vitam vocat

Ask whatever you will

[How to Help]

Project Joseph – Better Men, Better Dads

The Story behind Project Joseph

Where Is Project Joseph Today?

[How to Help]

Holy Week: a time to choose

Palm Sunday

Meet Our New Postulant

New Secular Franciscan of Life

Holy Week: time to reach out

[How to Help]

Transformation

Thank you!

Walking for Life

“Good night, son!”

Can you help?

As He is in the light . . .

“Walk in my presence . . . ,” Brother begins his journey

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories

Follow the FFV Blog!

Blogroll