The Clarion Newsletter of St. Clare Fraternity, OFS
February 24th 2016 Issue #141
From the minister’s desk; Bill Roche,
To all my brothers and sisters in the St. Clare fraternity
May God fill you with His peace, His love, His joy and His grace!
When you read this letter we will already be in the holy season of Lent. May God help all of us to deepen our commitment to the process of ongoing conversion? We are all sinners and much in need of God's mercy.
How wonderful that Our Holy Father Francis has declared this as a Year of Mercy. Let us all this Lent reflect upon how grateful we must be for God's great mercy to each and every one of us, and I say that knowing full well that I am even more in need of his mercy.
This past weekend I attended the Men's Conference at Bishop Verot where, as usual, they had three wonderful speakers. I had the occasion to go to confession to a wonderful young priest, I won't mention his name, but he gave me great hope that so many of our young priest as so full of the Spirit and wise beyond their years. I must confess that like so many Christians I do not use this sacrament as frequently as I ought. My Lenten resolve is to correct that deficiency since it is not so much a matter of obtaining pardon as of obtaining grace and wise counsel.
Our next meeting is on Sunday, February 28th. We will have our elections at that meeting. I pray that all of you will understand that this is a very serious matter. Our principle obligation is to pray and discern the will of God. This is not a popularity contest or a matter of determining, as is done in political contest, which person best represents my personal agenda. We must only be concerned with the Will of God and the best interests of our fraternity. Whoever we elect must be willing to put the Will of God and the best interests of the Fraternity before any personal interest. God be praised; we have some wonderful candidates. This is a most serious matter before us and so I urge all of you to pray fervently to the Holy Spirit to guide each and every one of us in our decisions.
Knowing full well that this might be, after 9 years "in the saddle", my last term of office, I do not want to lose the opportunity to thank all of you for the confidence you have place in me.
I want to thank you for all your assistance without which I could have done nothing. You are a great community and I have been truly blessed. I have been truly blessed to be your servantleader.That you have put up with me is to your great credit. Your brother in Christ,
Bill
Meeting every 4th Sunday @ 12:30 PM
St. William’s Ministry Center
Naples, Florida
Minister: Bill Roché 239-248-7489 (new)
Vice Minister: Carol Bart
Secretary: Jeanne Sachs
Treasurer: Pat Gagnon
Directors of Formation: Janet & Roy Eidem
Spiritual Assistant: Deacon Bob Kronyak
Publishing Editor: Bob Kowalski ()
DATES TO CELEBRATE
Happy Birthday from all of us and wishing you many more
Feb. 25 Bill Roche
March 4 Jeanne Sachs
March 8 Caterina DiMieri
March 19 Gisela Schwab
Anniversary of Profession
March 17 Pat Gagnon2006
Franciscan Saints & Feasts we celebrate during this period
(Please note: if anyone wants more information about these saints and cannot get it from the internet I will get it for you, just let me know. Bob)
February 19 - Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit, 3rd Order
March 9-St. Francis of Rome, 3rd order
March 12- Bl Angela Salawa, virgin, 3rd order
March 23- St. Catherine of Genoa, 3rd order
DATES TO REMEMBER
Sun., Feb. 28 - Elections as part of our Fraternity Meeting
Sun., March 27 - Our Monthly Fraternity Meeting
Fri., April 29 - Sun., May 1: Regional Conference at San Pedro
Thurs., June 30 - Mon. July 4th XIX Quinquennial Conference
Tues., Nov. 1- Sun., Nov. 6: NAFRA Conference at San Pedro
Tues., Oct. 23 - Regionally sponsored 10 day trip to Assisi/Rome
Remember to try to attend and please, if at all possible, put these dates on your schedule. They are very important for every one of us in our fraternity.
“Very inspiring and informative”
Called to Serve
We likely won’t be faced with the same pressures that Jesus faced to not do good. Surely people won’t be calling for our deaths, but we will face inconveniences that will prevent us from answering his call:
If I stop to help, it will make me late for work. If I volunteer at this shelter, I’ll miss the big game. If I stop to talk with this stranger, my friends will judge me.
These inconveniences, these moments of discomfort, these are opportunities to show and expand the depth of our faith. For we are called to serve others not just when it is easy, but when it is inconvenient. When we go out of our way for Christ, we take one step closer to becoming more like him.
Solitude - Henri Nouwen - 1/21/16
Solitude is the garden for our hearts, which yearn for love. It is the place where our aloneness can bear fruit. It is the home for our restless bodies and anxious minds. Solitude, whether it is connected with a physical space or not, is essential for our spiritual lives. It is not an easy place to be, since we are so insecure and fearful that we are easily distracted by whatever promises immediate satisfaction. Solitude is not immediately satisfying, because in solitude we meet our demons, our addictions, our feelings of lust and anger, and our immense need for recognition and approval. But if we do not run away, we will meet there also the One who says, "Do not be afraid. I am with you, and I will guide you through the valley of darkness." Let's keep returning to our solitude
Thomas of Celano “Lessons of St. Francis” by John Michael Talbot
“O how beautiful, how splendid, how glorious did he appear in the innocence of his life, in the simplicity of his words, in the purity of his heart, in his love for God,in his fraternal charity, in his ardent obedience, in his peaceful submission, in his angelic countenance!
Community, A Quality of the Heart - Henri Nouwen - 1/23/16
The word community has many connotations, some positive, some negative. Community can make us think of a safe togetherness, shared meals, common goals, and joyful celebrations. It also can call forth images of sectarian exclusivity, in-group language, self-satisfied isolation, and romantic naiveté. However, community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own (see Philippians 2:4). The question, therefore, is not "How can we make community?" but "How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?"
Richard Rohr
"Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. It is the inherent experience of love that becomes the engine of change."
God's "to do list" - Jesuit website - 1/12/16
The moment I woke up today and saw my extensive ‘to-do’ list, I felt paralyzed, sluggish, and unprepared to tackle my day. But I knew if I wanted to begin my day properly, I had to start with my top priority—prayer—or in this case, asking God what was on his ‘to-do’ list for me. After 10 minutes, I realized that I was doing all the things on my “to-do” list for me, rather than doing them for others—or for God
John Michael Talbot “The Lessons of St Francis”
Pray about simplifying your life. Here is a basic prayer you can use as a model: “God give me new eyes to see my life as you see it. And give me a new heart to sense the difference between my wants and my needs. Give me compassion for the suffering of the world, and a willingness to help those who are hurting. Amen”
PEACE AND GOOD
THROUHG THE YEAR WITH
FRANCIS OF ASSISI
BY: PAT MCCLOSKEY, OFM
Daily Mediations
February 28
Live as Christ
That was why at the beginning of his life he {Francis} stood naked before the bishop, and at the end he wished to leave naked. In obedience and love he begged the friars who were standing by him to let him lie naked on the ground, when they saw he was dead, for as long as it takes to walk a mile unhurriedly.
Surely he was the most Christ-like of men! His only desire was to be like Christ and imitate him perfectly, and he was found worthy to be adorned with the marks of his likeness; in his life he imitated the life of Christ and in his death he imitated his death, and wished to be like him still when he was dead. (Bonaventure, Major Life of St. Francis, XIV,4)
Live as Francis did
Francis lived for another twenty years after he heard the call to rebuild the Church while in prayer before the San Damiano crucifix. His service to that Church took many twists and turns, but it was always guided by the example of Christ’s love for the human family. For us, too, what is most important are the countless decisions we make that draw us closer to Christ, closer to sharing the life of the Blessed Trinity.
Growing with Francis
Francis’s life spoke for itself. Live in such a way that your life clearly witnesses to your deepest values and your life might lie exposed to the world.
There are so many good ideas for Lenten practices and there is in my opinion one that is tailor- made for each of us; so I recommend that we be diligent, determined, and patient and find the one that fits us best. The next step is the hardest, we have to make it a habitand I feel confident that we all can. This will be my greatest challenge.
A NEW IDEA
Starting with this issue I am suggesting that we of the St. Clare Fraternity write our own book. Each month we Franciscans OFS, live our daily lives trying to imitate St. Francis.
I am requesting that we write down for posterity our experiences with other people we meet for the first time or that we have known for a long time, trying to show our love, compassion, and understanding of and for them. We should also include all of God’s creations in our experiences.
The method for getting this information to me should be simple; send me an email by the 10th of each month.
(sample): I met a poor old man at the grocery store begging for something to eat. I put my food in the car and took him out to eat with me. He was such a good man, just down on his luck. (George)
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This last part of the Clarion will be the way we always end.
God bless each and every one of us.
Your brother in Christ
Bob Kowalski