Those of you who know him personally, are aware of the many health struggles he has faced during the past few years, and how much we owe to the Lord and to the Immaculate to be able to celebrate this day.
Happy Birthday messages can be emailed to: superior@franciscansoflife.org
Bro. Jay will receive them directly!
This will be a small community+family gathering, between 11 am and 5 pm approximately. If you do wish to briefly stop by, due to health reasons etc. please RSVP first, by calling/texting 786-495-3426 and we will coordinate a time and provide you with the location of the get-together.
More than anything, we humbly ask you for a prayer – not only for the physical and spiritual health of Bro. Jay, but for the respect for life in the whole world.
Thank you kindly!
*** For any questions, please email: brothers@franciscansoflife.org ***
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.
Most pro-life eyes are currently focused on one particular issue, namely the reversal of Roe v. Wade, etc. Surely this is due to the great hopes it has generated, after decades of prayer, penance, and advocacy…but also in no small part because of the dismal violence ensuing from the pro-abortion hordes (even locally), for which we have started a Rosary Crusade.
However, there is another critical pro-life issue that is spreading subtly, like poison, throughout several U.S. legislatures: euthanasia (assisted suicide).
The letter below comes from Mr. Alex Schadenberg, Executive Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (which has a USA chapter). It provides an excellent summary of the situation here in America. With his permission to share, we invite you to read it in detail, bearing in mind that what we are beginning to witness in our Country is merely the tip of the iceberg.
Other countries either already have, or are in the process of approving laws that legalize this killing, not only of adults with full faculties but also of:
[For clarification on the map above, passive euthanasia refers to denying someone, who is not otherwise dying, the basic necessaries of life to intentionally cause their death – and it is notmorally acceptable. We will have a more in-depth article on these teachings published in the near future. ]
If we do not take action now – primarily and particularly through prayer and penance, followed by being proactive on these life issues in our ministries – when will we? Will we wait for euthanasia to (continue to) be legalized across the USA? Will it take a new kind ofRoe v Wade, this time Euthanasia-centered, for the pro-life movement to stand up and speak up in unison against these evils?
Bear in mind that the Church infallibly upholds the sanctity and dignity of all human life – from conception to natural death!
Without further ado, here’s the letter (click on each page to enlarge!)
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.”
Few people will deny that we are living during a critical time in human history. Americans are facing a presidential election. Europeans are approaching the final act separating the United Kingdom from the European Union, with many important questions that need a response very soon. Military conflicts in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe erupt when one least expects it. Moreover, the world community is under attack by COVID-19
The question “How can Christians face these situations always keeping Christ at the center?”
The secular world overwhelms and overtakes the faithful…finding God becomes harder…
There is no easy answer to this question. The most important reason why there is not a Christ-like response to these situations is that Christ has been pushed to the sidelines, even by people who profess to be Christian.
Everyone wants a solution to these problems, but no one wants help. We want to redeem the world ourselves on our terms, a task that is humanly impossible. We lack the knowledge, unity, resources, and a shared worldview.
The challenge to leadership is not new to humanity. From the time that man has walked the earth, he has challenged leadership. As time moved forward the challenges often took sinister executions. Just look at the Romans. They poisoned their parents, siblings, and children for the sole purpose of power.
Fast forward to the Middle Ages. The rise of the mercantile class posed a threat to the control and power exercised by the nobility. And we move forward to the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the power struggles in Asia.
Conflict for power is not new to humanity. It only seems catastrophic because we are in the middle of the conflict. In 500 years, there will probably be other forms of seeking power, rather than elections.
In the past, few societies allowed themselves to be guided by the Gospel when searching for leaders and rulers. Today, it seems that Christ has become an abstract about which we think about in church, but we leave him and his teachings behind when we walk out the door.
No country is going to thrive unless it has a government that is guided by absolute moral norms, attention to the voice of Christ, and the desire of citizens to look at the needs of the whole, not just a few.
Elections have been simplified. Today they are about embracing one ideology over another, be it in Europe, Asia, South America, or the United States.
We cast our votes for the person who speaks the best, who represents my interests, at the expense of others, and who in the end has no direct influence in my life with my family, community, and place of employment.
The influence of government is always remote, especially in nations that are too populous to be governed by one person. Even a dictatorship cannot exist without a support system. What citizens live with or without are those legislations that trickle down to them through a complex system of government.
“Seek the things above…”
If Christians want to see real and lasting social reform, it is incumbent upon every individual to search his or her conscience and individual understanding of the proposals on the table.
As true Christians, we must always choose the greater good. Very often that is going to benefit more people besides me or instead of me.
The Gospel of Matthew says it very clearly, “As long as you did it for one of these, the least of my brethren, you did it for me.” If we choose the greater good, the least of our brethren will benefit, in this life or in the next.
To know the Greater Good, we must know Jesus Christ and his values, his worldview, his commandments, and his moral example. Left to our own devices, we will be unable to identify the Greater Good.
Not all human beings think alike, and each sees that which benefits them as the greater good. We need a single point of reference. That point is Jesus Christ, not the hundreds of politicians peddling their wares.
When we vote, we must focus on that which is the greater good for the greatest amount of people, born or in the womb.
Most of us enter the Advent season looking forward to the Christmas holiday. We’re planning meals, making guest list, shopping for gifts or planning to travel. As we spiral into Christmas, we sail through Advent without taking note of its true meaning.
From our Jewish roots in the Old Testament God invites us to remember. He supplies the flood and Noah’s ark with the rainbow as a remembrance of His promise never to destroy the earth by water again.
When men tried to reach for Heaven building a tower, God brought it down with His mighty power. The failure of the tower of Babel reminds us that man cannot reach God by human means, only by the means that God has given us through the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Moses. He speaks to us through the prophets, especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezequiel. Each contact with man was a reminder of who is God and who is man. Then there were the kings, beginning with Saul, David, Solomon, and others. Through each new era, using different human beings, God continues to remind us that only He is God and we are His people.
Faithful Jews carefully remembered and protected the memory of these events. When Gabriel appears to Zechariah, he struck him mute to remind him of God’s power and free will. Whereas when he appears to the Virgin Mary to announce the conception and birth of the Son of God, he does not need to remind Mary of all the signs that God had given in the past to remind us that He was God. Mary knew exactly what Gabriel was talking about. She was a faithful daughter of Israel who remembered the Lord’s great signs in the past and the prophecies that promised a redeemer. She does not ask Gabriel for proof. She raises only one question, “How is this to be, since I do not know man?”
The encounter between Mary and Gabriel is the beginning of the first Advent in history. God goes beyond communicating His expectations and plans for humanity. Through Mary, he throws Israel into the future, into things to come that the prophets and patriarchs had foretold. God doesn’t deny humanity knowledge of His power and providence: “Nothing is impossible for God.”
Instead of giving Mary more laws and more guidance, He announces His break into human history. The Incarnation is a historical event that reminds us of God’s great love for humanity, especially Israel. The Incarnation is also the singular event that sets in motion anticipation for Him who is to come. To believe that God can and is going to break into human history, we must remember the past.The memories of what God communicated in the past explain the reason for the birth of Christ. This was a period of reflection and anticipation of what was coming. It was the words spoken through God’s chosen instruments and events in the past that clarified who was to come and why He was coming. From the moment of the Incarnation to the day of Christ’s birth, those who remembered God’s operation the past understood that God’s activity did not end with the last prophet. On the contrary, God’s activity was about to be personalized.
The Second Person of the Holy Trinity was coming to redeem us from sin and save us from our indifference, lust for power and pleasure, our search for comfort in worldly things while forgetting that which comes beyond our life on earth. He planned to enter the world to redeem humanity from its sin, to save us from ourselves. God’s plan for redemption was not going to be influenced by the sins, beliefs, and practices of Israel. Man could do nothing to prevent the Creator of human history to enter human history.
Advent did not end with the birth of Christ. Nor did it end with His Passion and Resurrection. Jesus left us with much to remember, the Beatitudes, the corporal works of mercy, moral teachings, and most importantly, Himself present in the consecrated host that we receive and that we adore.
He promised to return. But this time, not to redeem humanity. He has already done this. He promised to return to judge the living and the dead. Those who remembered everything that God has revealed through human history and lived accordingly, will be saved. Those who choose not to remember cannot possibly prepare for the advent of Christ as judge.
Most of us are comfortable with ourselves, because we never examine our thoughts, actions, and beliefs using the everything that God has revealed and promised. We fail to live according to God’s plan. Like the builders of the Tower of Babel, we dream and work on our achievements, not knowing if they’ll ever become reality. The only reality of which we can be sure is that Christ does not lie. He promised to come as a judge and king, he will not digress from this plan.
We can continue to ignore what God has told us to remember, ignore what Christ did, ignore what the Apostles handed down to us, and live our lives according to our plan not knowing if our plan conforms to God’s plan.
Or, we can choose to examine our plans, thoughts, desires, and actions against the background of Revelation, and to turn away from everything that distances us from God, everything that condemns us to eternal damnation.
Advent is a time to reflect on what God has taught and done for us to prepare for His second coming.
This week, hundreds of thousands will be marching in many cities around the country in defense of life. There are some important points to keep in mind these days.
First: Abortion will not go away because people protest one day a year. There must be a concerted effort on the part of all pro-life people to educate their neighbors and families on the issue.
Second: Images of baby body parts are impressive, but they don’t tell the full story. We must begin to tell the full story. EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS THE RIGHT TO BE BORN GUARANTEED BY NATURAL LAW. The fact that the Constitution does not cover the child in the womb, does not mean this child has no right to be born. What it means is that the amendments and laws passed have been short-sighted and must offered protection to the pre-born person.
Third: Christ said that certain demons could only be driven out by prayer and fasting. We invite those who are interested to follow the Franciscans of Life in the matter. We fast every Wednesday and Friday. We abstain from meat on Fridays. This is part of the sacrifice that we offer for the protection of life and the salvation of souls.
Fourth: Abortion is not a religious issue. It is an issue of justice. Every woman has the right to medical care; but no one has the right to medical care at the expense of another person’s life. The child in the womb has as much right to be in this world as do the parents. Our struggle is not a struggle against abortion, but a struggle for justice for everyone from conception to natural death.
Fifth and final point: There must be a national effort or campaign that promotes the right of men and women to be parents. It seems that the argument against abortion is about a woman’s right to “medical care”, completely ignoring or even looking down on men and women who strongly believe that they have the right to conceive and parent a child.
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.
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Franciscans of Life 
