The Beauty of Orthodoxy: Creation from Nothing Lends Hope to Salvation from Nothing

From time to time I hope to post reflections pertaining to the relevance of Christian and Catholic doctrine for persons living in the 21st Century. These reflections will run under the theme "The Beauty of Orthodoxy." By "orthodoxy" I mean considerations of the categories that comprise the Christian or Catholic faith "system" that accurately reflects the tradition pertaining to these categories (ex: an "orthodox" consideration of Jesus as a person would include referring to the ancient belief that Jesus is fully human and fully divine). However, these reflections are meant not merely to "point back" to what the tradition has long held to be true, but are also meant to help us articulate our beliefs in a manner befitting contemporary questions and concerns.

Last April I celebrated the funeral of a dear friend's father. I remember vividly how my friend lamented her dad's passing and remarked to me how she was anguished by the thought of her dad's continued existence and "where" he was. I believe that the anguish my friend was feeling has to do, in part, with the threat that death poses of oblivion or nothingness. This is a fear deeply rooted in the human psyche and can be traced across time and cultures. There are actually philosophies which are founded upon the idea that everything ultimately comes to nothing (nihilism). What to do (or say) in the face of the threat that death poses?

One argument against death as oblivion is, of course, the Resurrection of Christ. However, this response begs the question "who raised Christ?" The New Testament answers that question definitively by stating that God raised Jesus on the third day (Acts 2:32). But what can serve as an explanation for "how" or even "why" God can raise someone from the dead? The easy answer is because "God is God" and, as such, is all powerful. This answer, however, still doesn't point to a more precise account for the "how" or "why" of God being able to save from death.

To provide a "way out" of this dilemma, we can refer to the ancient Christian doctrine of "creation from nothing" or creation ex nihilo. This Christian idea was established early in the Church's history as a way of explaining the conviction that God alone is eternal and that God creates freely and out of love. The idea may provide us with a compelling and relevant reason to explain why we believe God saves us from the nothingness that threatens us in death. Very simply put: if God can create from nothing than God must also be able to save from nothing. The 19th/20th Century process philosopher, Alfred North Whitehead, had a beautiful saying along similar, more poetic lines, "God is the tender concern that nothing be lost." In other words, the very love that freely breathes life is the self-same love that freely saves life. Pat, TOR

An Appointed Time for Everything and an "In an Between Time" for Everything: Reading Between the Lines of Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

This past Friday (9/24) the first reading for Mass was the famous passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-11: " There is an appointed time for everything....a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away, a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

In general, the sense of the reading expresses the conviction of the author that there is a time for nearly every form of human experience conceivable and an appropriate "oscillation" from one experience to its opposite (i.e., a time to tear down, and a time to build). If we think of the experiences mentioned above as existing along a continuum, than what may also be implied in this famous reading is an "in between time." For example, between the time to tear down an old house and the time to build a new one would be the "in between time" of simply living in it.

If we reflect on this passage from Ecclesiastes in light of our own experience of time, we may very well find the majority of our time could be characterized as "in between time." In other words, the time spent being born or dying, planting or uprooting, killing or healing, tearing down or building, weeping or laughing, etcetera, etcetera, is likely fairly minimal when we think of how much time we spend "in between" these polar opposite, "peak" human experiences. This is important because it raises the issue of the point and purpose of "in between time" and how might we best spend it. Some insight or guidelines can be discerned from the Gospel for Mass from the same Friday (Luke 9:18-22). In these passages, Jesus and the disciples have just finished ministering and feeding the 5,000 and are on the verge of Jesus' Transfiguration (9:28-35).

During this "pause" or "in between time", Jesus spends his time in solitude, prayer, and in communion and conversation with his disciples. The time spent in solitude draws him into communion with God. The time spent in prayer anchors him in his determination to carry out God's will by devoting himself to the spreading of the Good News about God's Kingdom. The time spent in communion and conversation with the disciples serves as a confirmation of what his life has been about up to this point (Peter's acknowledgement that he is "the Christ" - 9:20) and also serves as an opportunity to clarify what his life is to be about (9:22 - "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.")

The way in which Jesus spends his "in between time" in the above passages stresses the fact that there is indeed an appointed time for everything and a time between everything. This all important "in between time", which makes up the majority of our lives, is meant to be spent, in part, in communion with God, in prayer so as to discern God's will for our lives and world, and in communion and conversation with others so as to affirm the gift of who we are and who others are and also help us refine and focus these gifts for the glory of God and the life of the world.

Br. David Liedl's 25th Anniversary of Vows

On August 3rd the Franciscan Friars, TOR, Province of the Immaculate Conception gathered to celebrate a solemn Mass in celebration of Br. David Liedl's 25th anniversary of living the vowed and Franciscan life. Anyone who has lived with David for any length of time over the past 25 years is well aware of his many gifts and commitment to living the Franciscan life with deep honesty, insight, and integrity. David's gifts include knowledge and love of the Franciscan tradition, liturgy, music, cooking, art (especially pottery), gardening, presenting at spiritual retreats, and spiritual direction (among others). In the past six years he has served the community with distinction as a vocation and formation director. Our community rejoices on this occasion and gratefully receives David's recommitment to our way of life. May he, and we, be blessed with another 25 years (at least)! Pat, TOR

Great Summer Bounty Festival!

On July 31st the Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular (TOR), Province of the Immaculate Conception, and the volunteers helping with the Care for Creation Project (C4C) hosted a Summer Bounty Festival at beautiful St. Bernardine's Monastery in Hollidaysburg, PA. Blessed with perhaps the best day of summer (we had plenty of sun and cooler temps) the friars and C4C volunteers provided hospitality for well over a hundred persons from the area. The purpose of the Festival was to give thanks to God for the beauty and bounty of creation, promote awareness concerning the C4C project, and build community. This was the second year the Festival was held and we hope that it will become an annual event for years to come! Thanks to all our great C4C volunteers for helping to make the Festival such a success and thanks to the many friars who attended! Pat, TOR

Our Lady, Mother of the Incarnation & Queen of Creation

Our Lady, Mother of the Incarnation
& Queen of Creation Collage[1]

I am a convert to the Catholic Church. The life of St. Francis of Assisi led me to Christ, the Catholic Church, and also to Mary. As I deepen my relationship with Jesus, I am also deepening my love and devotion for Mary, His Mother. This collage represents one way in which I am trying to express this devotion. I share this collage along with my notes and reflections on the symbolism of the images in the hope that others may benefit from a deeper devotion to Mary and be led to her son, Jesus Christ.
- Bro. Jeffrey, T.O.R.
_________________________________________

A Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
by St. Francis of Assisi

Hail, O Lady,
Holy Queen,
Mary, holy Mother of God,
Who are the Virgin made Church,
chosen by the most Holy Father in heaven
whom He consecrated with His most holy beloved Son
and with the Holy Spirit the Paraclete,
in whom there was and is
all fullness of grace and every good.

Hail His Palace!
Hail His Tabernacle!
Hail His Dwelling!
Hail His Robe!
Hail His Servant!
Hail His Mother!

And hail all You holy virtues
which are poured into the hearts of the faithful
through the grace and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit,
that from being unbelievers,
You may make them faithful to God.

________________________________________

† Titles Mother of the Incarnation and Queen of Creation: The Incarnation is the Word (divine nature) made flesh (human nature) in the one person of Jesus Christ; “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14)[2] . While the title Mother of God refers to the divine nature of Jesus, the title Mother of the Incarnation refers to both the divine and human natures of Jesus.

From the title Mother of the Incarnation follows the title Queen of Creation. The Incarnation is the central focal point of creation. Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is Christ the King in virtue of both His divine and human natures. First, Jesus would not be King if there was no creative act and no creatures to reign over. After all, the second person of the Trinity could not reign as King over the other two persons of the Trinity. There must be an ‘other’ outside of the Trinity for kingship to be possible. Jesus’ creative act is derived from His divine nature, and thus, the Creator is King of His creatures and reigns over all His creation.

Second, the kingship of Jesus is also derived from His human nature. “The title and the power of King belongs to Christ as man in the strict and proper sense too. For it is only as man that he may be said to have received from the Father “power and glory and a kingdom,” (Dan. 7:13-14) since the Word of God, as consubstantial with the Father, has all things in common with him, and therefore has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion over all things created.”[3] “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Lk 1:31-33).

Mary receives the title Queen of Creation by being mother to the King of creation. All of creation includes both the material and immaterial, the visible and invisible, creatures. So Mary, as Queen of Creation, is Queen of both the material universe and the immaterial heavens including the angels. Therefore, the titles Mother of the Incarnation and Queen of Creation are intimately linked and they both summarize many other aspects and titles of Mary.

† Salutation by St. Francis: The Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Francis can be described as Christ centered, Trinitarian, and Incarnational. Likewise, the collage is intended in include these same three themes. The six greetings in the center of the Salutation all involve a relationship between Mary and Jesus. The first three greetings describe the relationship between Mary and Jesus while He was in her womb and compare Mary (and her womb) to structures, or homes, of Jesus: palace, tabernacle, and dwelling. Palace refers to Jesus’ kingship, tabernacle to His divine nature, and dwelling to His human nature. The following three greetings describe the ongoing relationship between Mary and Jesus and reflect the same pattern. Robe refers to Jesus’ kingship, servant to His divine nature, and mother to His human nature.

† Mary: Mary is depicted as the woman from Revelation; “A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth” (Rev 12:1-2). The image of Mary is taken from a stained glass window at St. Bernadine Monastery, the Mother House of the Franciscan Friars Third Order Regular, Province of the Immaculate Conception. An image of the visible light spectrum is superimposed over her outer robe, so as to depict Mary as being literally “clothed with the sun.” She is standing on an actual image of the moon. The traditional imagery of Mary standing, or treading, on a serpent (symbolizing evil) is also employed.

Mary is wearing a crown adorned with five visible stars. One is invited to use one’s imagination and visualize the remaining seven stars (to complete the twelve stars from Revelation) continuing around the sides and back of the crown, unseen by the viewer. Seven symbolizes completion and goodness, and the seven unseen stars symbolize our hope for our humanly completeness which is our redemption and resurrection. “We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Rom 8:23-25). “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. […] By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible” (Heb 11:1-3). Creation also shares in our redemption; “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom 8:19-21).

The five visible stars on the five points of the crown represent the five pillars outside of the Jewish tabernacle (Ex 26:36) which housed the Ark of the Covenant, symbolizing that Mary, the Mother of the Incarnation, is analogous to the ancient tabernacle. Also, the lintel and doorposts to the entrance of the inner sanctuary of Solomon’s Temple which housed the Ark were five sided (1 Kings 6:31). The Jewish tabernacle housed the Ark of the Covenant which contained the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s staff, and manna (Heb 9:4). Likewise, the pregnant Mary contains within her womb Jesus Christ who is the Word made flesh, High Priest, and the Bread from Heaven. Mary is the Ark of the new and everlasting covenant; “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Lk 22:20).

† The serpent: While the serpent symbolizes evil, Mary’s standing on the serpent symbolizes the conquering of evil. The two heads of the serpent represent the direct opposites, or antitheses, to the great commandment given by Jesus, “The first is this, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mk 12:29-31).

The opposite of loving God with all one’s heart is idolatry. St. Paul equates idolatry to greed; “Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry)” (Col 3:5). “Be sure of this, that no fornicator or impure person, or one who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph 5:5). The serpent head clutching the money bag symbolizes greed/idolatry and it is placed on the left hand side of Mary which is closest to one’s physical heart symbolizing that our spiritual heart should imitate Mary’s and be devoted only to God.

The serpent head clutching the sword and spear symbolizes the opposites of loving one’s neighbor as oneself which are malice, violence, and war. The second serpent head is on the right hand side of Mary which is customarily a warrior’s weapon hand. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa 2:4).

† Jesus: Jesus is depicted as being in Mary’s womb. The letters IHS[4] are initials for the name of Jesus and they are superimposed over Mary’s womb to symbolize that Jesus is present there.

† God the Father: God of the Father is represented by an image of two hands holding the moon on which Mary is standing. The two hands as a symbol for God the Father represent the anthropomorphic[5] depiction of God as a potter and gardener in the Old Testament scriptures especially the Yahwist creation story in Genesis. “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And God planted a garden in Eden” (Gen 2:7-8). “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isa 64:8). “I am going to... pluck up what I have planted--that is the whole land” (Jer 45:4).

† The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is represented by the water flowing from the hands of God the Father. “[Jesus] cried out, “Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14). “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ Now He said this about the Spirit, which believers in Him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (Jn 7:37-39). Also, the water is flowing down upon the Earth representing the water that flowed from the crucified Christ; “One of the soldiers pierced [Jesus’] side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out” (Jn 19:34). The Holy Spirit is the “Lord and Giver of life”[6] and renews the face of the Earth; “When You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground” (Ps 104:30).

In addition, the Holy Spirit is represented by the background nebula which resembles the outstretched wings and tail of a bird. The Holy Spirit is traditionally symbolized by a dove and the background image also plays on this symbolism. “And I John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on [Jesus]’” (Jn 1:32). The ‘tail’ portion of the nebula is raining down on the Earth along side the flowing water symbolizing the grace that is given by the Holy Spirit; “And hail all You holy virtues which are poured into the hearts of the faithful through the grace and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, that from being unbelievers, You may make them faithful to God.”[7]

† Background: The background is taken from an image of the Butterfly Nebula (planetary nebula NGC 6302). The nebula is emanating from the central point of Jesus in Mary’s womb symbolizing that all creation is from Christ. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and without Him not one thing came into being” (Jn 1:1-3). Also, the image of Jesus in the womb symbolizes the Incarnation which is the central focal point of creation. “[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible... all things have been created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col 1:15-17).

________________________________________

[1] The space images are from NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.
[2] All scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.
[3] His Holiness Pope Pius XI. Quas Primas - Encyclical on the Feast of Christ the King. (December 11, 1925).
[4] The initials, IHS, represent the first three letters of Jesus’ name in Greek, Iesous: iota-eta-sigma, or ΙΗΣ.
[5] Definition: described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes.
[6] Nicene Creed
[7] A Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Mary by St. Francis of Assisi

Reflection on the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Prayer and Hearts formed by Priority, Persistence, and Partnership with God Are Always Answered

In Jesus' teaching on prayer in today's Gospel, three critical elements can be derived that are insightful for prayer and human life. When Jesus is asked by his disciples to teach them how to pray, he begins with the Our Father. The version of the Our Father handed on to us by Luke is a trimmed down version which cuts right to the chase: "Father, hallowed by your name, your Kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test." In this prayer one can discern a certain priority: holiness of God, the coming of God's Kingdom, the necessity of the basics of life, forgiveness, and being delivered from the final test (presumably despair, especially in the face of death). Prayer, it would seem, is a matter of priority. Jesus goes on to exhort the disciples to "ask, seek, and knock." From this we can derive that prayer also requires persistence. Finally, Jesus states something quite extraordinary at the end of his teaching: everyone will be given the Spirit who asks for it. At the end of the day, authentic prayer is meant to create a dynamic partnership with God in, through, and with the Spirit.

Prayer and hearts molded in right priority, persistence, and partnership are always answered or responded to by God. We'll get to why this is the case in a moment. First let's mention something about God's responsiveness. Right-smack-dab-in-the-middle of today's Gospel teaching about prayer is an interesting parable about a neighbor who makes an inconvenient visit at midnight looking for bread. At the end of the parable Jesus tells his hearers that the owner of the house will respond to this request if nothing more than because of the persistence of the neighbor. At first glance, therefore, the lesson seems to be persistence. However, according to scripture scholar William Barclay, the lesson is not persistence nor that one must bang on the doors of heaven to get God to respond! Barclay states that the lesson here is about how responsive God is to our prayer, especially when it issues from right priority, persistence, and partnership.

Barclay notes that to "get the point" of the parable, one must understand some basics about the layout of the ancient Palestinian house. The bolt that secured the door was very large and difficult to put in place. The sleeping area was also not too terribly large and the family often slept together for warmth. Hence, to wake up a neighbor in the middle of the night and request something meant disturbing the entire family. The point of the parable is that if the owner of the house will eventually be worn down and go to such lengths to deliver three loaves of bread, how much more will God go to great lengths to respond to our prayer and deliver the Holy Spirit to those who request it.

Finally, why does God always respond to hearts and prayers formed in right priority, persistence, and partnership? Very simply because such hearts and prayers do not look for intervention from above, but movement from within. In other words, when our hearts are filled with the Spirit, our prayer goes from requests that require a simple "yes" or "no" answer to prayer that aims for nothing more than to know God's supportive presence and that longs only for unity and communion with God and others.

Reflection on the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Called to Dynamic Communion with Christ Through Prayerful Acceptance

Saint Paul has left the Church a treasure trove of profound theological and spiritual insights. His Letter to the Romans, believed to be the final letter he composed, still challenges theologians and scripture scholars to this day because of it's depth. Beneath the surface of the letters is revealed a dynamic and transformative communion with the Risen Lord. Paul became so closely bonded to Christ that he says in one letter "it is no longer I who live, but Christ." In another letter he remarks, "I bear in my body the wounds of the Lord." In today's reading from the letter to the Colossians he states something even more dramatic, stunning, and almost scandalous: "I am filling up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ."

If we really mull over these words, we can't help but arrive at the question, "what could possibly be lacking in the sufferings of Christ? After all, aren't we taught that Christ offered a perfect sacrifice upon the Cross?" Christian theology and our liturgy has focused so intently on the perfect aspect of the Lord's sacrifice that it has overlooked what is lacking and what is ongoing with regard to this offering. Certainly, Christ offered a perfect sacrifice for the remission or forgiveness of sin. But what is lacking and ongoing in this offering is our direct participation in the Lord's passion. Like Paul, we are called to regard our suffering as united to the Lord's - especially when this suffering comes as a result of serving others or bearing in our lives the values of the Gospel. In this way, our suffering becomes suffused with meaning and becomes a source of redemption for ourselves and others. It also becomes a doorway to deepened communion with Christ through the Holy Spirit. However, what is absolutely critical to uniting our suffering to Christ's and experiencing deepened communion is prayerful acceptance.

An example and icon of prayerful acceptance is Mary in today's Gospel. William Barclay, a renowned scripture scholar and author notes that this story takes place on the "journey to Jerusalem." Jesus is on his way to embrace his destiny. The storm clouds are gathering over Jerusalem and many of his followers are likely doing their best to either dissuade him or deny the disturbing word's that Jesus is sharing with them regarding his passion. Barclay states that what Jesus is in need of right now is quiet, understanding companionship and not a lot of fuss. Mary is able to prayerfully accept the "one thing that is necessary" and Martha, through her frenetic activity, cannot. Through prayerful acceptance, Mary's connection and communion with Jesus is deepened.

I don't know about you, but I for one identify more with Martha! When I am disturbed or faced with my own suffering I find that I often busy myself to the point of distraction, conveniently overlooking the angst that is there. However, prayerful acceptance means acknowledging all of what makes up our lives, including the angst, brokenness, failures, failed and strained relationships, and allowing them to be drawn into the life of Christ through prayer and worship. When we do this we discover, like Paul, that we bear in our body the very wounds of the Lord and make up in our lives what is lacking in the suffering of Christ. In so many words, we discover that we do not bear our suffering alone but that the Risen Lord bears it as well in, with, and through us.

Community Gardens and Care for Creation (C4C) Garden in Full Bloom!

The Community Gardens and Care for Creation (C4C) garden are in full bloom at St. Bernardine's Monastery! Despite the fact that the late blight fungus was discovered in the gardens earlier this spring, all of the vegetables seem to be growing quite nicely thanks to the summer heat. Now we just need a bit more rain! For more information on the C4C project, please see our website (the C4C project is in the "About" us section). Special thanks to Cathy Schwartz and Robin Magee-Kroft for doing such a nice job with the C4C flower garden! Pat, TOR

Praying with the Canticle of Creatures

“Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God”
St. John Damascene).

After my first year in Religious vows, I am continuing to understand more and more the importance of prayer. I am also continuing to "experiment" with different prayer styles in order to deepen and enliven my relationship with God. Last summer, following my profession of first vows, I started to pray more with art, particularly through creating art. Now, I am not, in any stretch of the imagination, an "artist". I cannot draw, paint, or sculpt. But I do enjoy things that involve strategy and imagination. So, I started to make collages from various pictures and images that I take myself or find.

Below is a collage that I made to visually reflect the Canticle of Creatures by St. Francis of Assisi along with my reflections on the symbolism of the images that I used. I make these collages primarily for myself and for my own prayer life. However, I do not mind sharing them with anyone that might find them beneficial to their own prayer life. - Bro. Jeffrey, T.O.R.

Canticle of Creatures Collage[1]

(click on image to enlarge)

Canticle of Creatures (by St. Francis of Assisi)

Most High, all-powerful, good Lord,
Yours are the praises, the glory, and the honor, and all blessing,
To You alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no human is worthy to mention Your name.

Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day and through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor;
and bears a likeness of You, Most High One.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the
stars, in heaven You formed them clear and precious and
beautiful.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind,
and through the air, cloudy and serene, and every
kind of weather,
through whom You give sustenance to Your
creatures.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Water,
who is very useful and humble and precious and
chaste.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night,
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth,
who sustains and governs us,
and who produces various fruit with colored flowers
and herbs.

Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon
for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation.
Blessed are those who endure in peace
for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily
Death, from whom no one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin.
Blessed are those whom death will find in Your most
holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm.

Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks
and serve Him with great humility.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“While the sun, moon and stars, wind, water, fire, and earth may be seen as instruments of praise or as reasons for praise, praising them also implies praising the God who created them and acknowledging that they are symbols of their Creator.”[2]

† Brother Sun: Brother Sun is represented by the image of the sun in the top left corner.

† Sister Moon: Sister Moon is represented by the image of the moon in the top right corner.

† Stars: The stars are represented by an image of the Milky Way galaxy which is superimposed over a background satellite image of the Earth.

† Brother Wind: Brother Wind is represented by a light breeze that is blowing the camp fire and carrying away the dandelion seeds on the left side of the collage.

† Sister Water: Sister Water is represented by the lake at the bottom of the collage. The water is superimposed over the continent of Antarctica.

† Brother Fire: Brother Fire is represented by the camp fire to the left of Francis.

† Sister Mother Earth: Sister Mother Earth is represented by a satellite image of the Earth in the month of October (October 4th is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi).

† Those who give pardon for God's love; those who endure in peace: Those who give pardon for God's love and those who endure in peace are symbolized by lack of human made political/country borders in the background image of the world.

† Sister Bodily Death: Sister Bodily Death is represented by the skull at the base of the vine to the right of Francis. Growing from the bottom of the skull is a green plant and a shoot with three leaves reaching up to the heavens, specifically, Jesus. The green shoot symbolizes our bodily resurrection.

† God the Father: God of the Father is represented by an image of the hand of God from Michelangelo's Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel. God the Father’s hand is reaching down toward Francis's outstretched hand and is reminiscent of the posture between God and Adam in Michelangelo's work. Jesus is the New Adam and Francis is the Alter Christus, the other Christ, “a man who passionately sought Christ” and “was entirely conformed to Him”.[3] The hand as a symbol for God the Father also represents the anthropomorphic[4] depiction of God as a potter and gardener in the Old Testament scriptures especially the Yahwist creation story in Genesis. “Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And God planted a garden in Eden” (Gen 2:7-8).[5] “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isa 64:8). “I am going to... pluck up what I have planted--that is the whole land” (Jer 45:4). The image of the hand is translucent representing that creation reveals God, the Creator. However, the image of Jesus is more visible than the image of God the Father symbolizing that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).

† Jesus: Jesus is represented by an image of the resurrected Christ from a stained glass window. The face is illuminated by the sun shining through the window symbolizing that Jesus is “the light of the world” (Jn 8:12). The imagery of Jesus as light reflects Francis' insight that the sun bears a likeness of the Most High One (verse 4) and his use of the sun as “an image and metaphor of Christ”.[6] The image of Jesus is blended into the background symbolizing that Jesus participates with creation through His human nature, for “the Word became flesh and lived among us” (Jn 1:14); and He is our brother, for “Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters” (Heb 2:11). The image of Jesus is positioned between Francis and God the Father symbolizing that “no one comes to the Father except through [Jesus]” (Jn 14:6).

† Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is represented by a flame of white fire on top of Francis’ head. “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:3-4). The Holy Spirit gives Francis, who is not formally trained in theology, the grace and revelation to preach the Gospel and to understand that God is revealed through His creatures.

† St. Francis: St. Francis is represented by an image of Francis taken from a stained glass window at St. Bernadine Monastery, the Mother House of the Franciscan Friars Third Order Regular, Province of the Immaculate Conception. Francis is preaching to the birds and directing them to Jesus.

† Birds: Many stories portray Francis preaching to animals. He literally followed Jesus' instruction to “go into the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). While birds represented the common person and the poor in Medieval artwork, the birds in the collage represent all of us who continue to be inspired and taught by Francis. There are two birds representing the two genders of humanity. “So God created humankind in His Image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27).

† Vine: The vine on which the birds are perched symbolizes our life, of which, we are totally dependant upon God. Jesus instructs, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5). The vine’s growth from the ground represents our physical birth and growth. At the end of life, the vine, like ourselves, will return to the ground; “all go to one place; all are from the dust, and all turn to dust again” (Ecc 3:20). Hence, the skull, Sister Bodily Death, is placed at the base of the vine. The three leaves growing from the top of the vine have a twofold symbolism. First, they represent our spiritual rebirth when we are Baptized in the name of the Blessed Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Second, the three leaves symbolize the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and love which “dispose Christians to live in a relationship with the Holy Trinity”.[7] They allow us to act as God's children and to be found in God's most holy will so that the second death shall do us no harm. The four flowers on the vine symbolize the four cardinal virtues: prudence (right reason), justice, temperance (self-control), and fortitude (courage). “If anyone loves righteousness, [Wisdom's] labors are virtues; for she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more profitable for mortals than these” (Wis 8:7).

† Dandelion: The dandelion on the left side of the collage has three flower stalks in different stages of development (flower, seed, and empty stalk) symbolizing the different stages of life. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecc 3:1-2). “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:24). Also, there are seven dandelion seeds symbolizing the completeness and goodness of creation. They are floating towards Jesus demonstrating that all creation comes from Christ and He will “gather up all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Eph 1:10). He is “the firstborn of all creation; for in Him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible... all things have been created through Him and for Him. He Himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col 1:15-17).

† Light and Darkness: For Francis, darkness stands for sin while light stands for grace.[8] The collage depicts Francis preaching in a dark night scene recounting Francis' life of preaching conversion and penance to a world of sinfulness. In contrast to the darkness, Francis is illuminated by the light and grace of God which he metaphorically symbolizes in the Canticle through creatures of light: sun, moon, stars, and fire.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] The images of the sun and earth are from NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org.

[2] Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, Vol. 1 - The Saint . Eds. Regis J. Armstrong, O.F.M. Cap., J.A. Wayne Hellman, O.F.M. Conv., and William J. Short, O.F.M. New York: New City Press, 1999. p. 113.

[3] General Audience On St. Bonaventure: “All His Thought Was Profoundly Christocentric”. H.H. Benedict XVI. March 3, 2010.

[4] Definition: described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes.

[5] All scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

[6] Vettori, Alessandro. Poets of Divine Love. (New York: Fordham University Press, 2004). p. 85.

[7] Catechism of the Catholic Church. paragraph 1812.

[8] Vettori, p. 83.

Fr. Adrian's 50th Anniversary Celebration

On June 6th, 2010, Fr. Adrian Tirpak celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood at St. Anthony's in Windber. Fr. Adrian is well-known throughout the community of Windber, PA, and has ministered in the area for over 25 years. Last year Fr. Adrian was actually inducted into the Windber Hall of Fame! He is renowned for his pastoral skills and for his love of singing. On countless occasions he has used this gift to comfort and encourage hospice patients and the parishioners of the Church of St. Anthony. On the occasion of his 50th anniversary, the Church was packed with parishioners, friends, friars, and relatives. Fr. Adrian's life and dedication bears powerful testimony to the fruit that religious life and priesthood offers the Church. The Franciscan joy that he embodies also bears witness to the fact that religious life and priesthood is a joy-filled and fulfilling option for young people to explore. May the Lord continue to bless Fr. Adrian's life and ministry! Pat, TOR

Up Close and Personal with the Gulf Oil Spill Crisis

Pensacola, FL (June 9, 2010 - Day 51 of the Gulf Oil Spill)

Beautiful white sand beach in Pensacola, FL.

Beach shore with lines of pebble-sized tar balls.

A little crab outside its hole/home surrounded by tar balls.

An oil covered bottle that washed ashore.

An oil covered bird feather.

Birds walking around tar balls on the beach.

While on vacation in my hometown of Pensacola, FL; I was able to see first hand the effects of the Gulf Oil Spill. The shoreline is littered with pebble-sized tar balls. Unfortunately, this is only the prelude. I saw several plastic bottles that had washed up on shore and were coated in thick oil which is an indication of what is to come. During my walk along the beach, I was very moved by a little crab. Its hole/home was surrounded by tar balls close to its own size. Even the smallest of creatures are being affected and there is no telling the long term impact on the food chain. The Gulf Coast is a nursery for many species of fish and birds and the impact on even the smallest of creatures, in turn, affect many different species of creatures throughout the whole Gulf of Mexico.

I lived in Pensacola the first eighteen years of my life. I camped, fished, and played on that particular beach throughout my childhood. It is very sad to see it being destroyed especially after the destruction from Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Ivan leveled sand dunes and eroded large portions of the beach. After six years, the sand dunes are starting to build up again. However, Ivan was a natural disaster. What the Gulf Coast is experiencing now is a human-made disaster.

Natural disasters occur from natural processes. The earth is dynamic and ever changing. Some of these changes take thousands of years to develop. However, there is a process, a cycle. There is a passing away of one thing and a coming to be of something new. Take, for instance, a forest fire caused by a lightning strike. The resulting fire may destroy hundreds of acres of forest including trees, plants, birds, insects, mammals, etc. However, new life comes from the passing away of these creatures. It is a natural cycle of life. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecc 3:1-2).

In contrast, human-made disasters occur from our negligence, ignorance, apathy, and even malice (take Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for instance). In human-made disasters there is a passing away of something but there is not necessarily a coming to be of new life. There is no natural cycle. The toxic aftermath of most human-made disasters actually prevent new life. So it may also be with the current Gulf Oil Spill. Only time will tell what impact there will be on the long term health of the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coast. But there is hope. There is hope that something good can come from this human-made disaster. Not necessarily the good of new life, but the good of life-giving change. We can learn from this experience and work to prevent future disasters. We can treat this as an opportunity for conversion, a change of heart and mind set. The worst mistake one can make is a mistake that one never learns from and does not avoid to repeat.

This experience reminds me of the lyrics from a song called Burning Too by one of my favorite bands, Fuzagi. The song was released in 1989, but I think the lyrics are still very relevant today. - Bro. Jeffrey, T.O.R.

Burning Too (by Fugazi)
Anytime but now
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
I've got to think about my own life

We are consumed by society
We are obsessed with variety
We are all filled with anxiety
That this world would not survive

We gotta put it out… the sky is burning
We gotta put it out… the water's burning
We gotta put it out… the earth is burning

Outrage but then they say...
Anytime but now
Anywhere but here
Anyone but me
I've got to think about my own life

The world is not our facility
We have a responsibility
To use our abilities
To keep this place alive

Right here
Right now
Do it
Now
Do it

A New "Cadence": Reflection on First Year in Community as a Friar

May 30^th marked, for me, one year in Religious vows. As I reflect on my first year in vows, I compared my experience with that of my Postulancy and Novitiate year and found many common themes. Below is a short reflection that I wrote for our Province newsletter in the fall of 2007 at the beginning of my Postulancy. I want to share it on the blog because I think it is still relevant to my ongoing formation as a Franciscan Friar. Enjoy! Br. Jeffrey Wilson, T.O.R.

The transition to community life has not been as difficult as I first thought it would be. Prior to my candidacy with the Franciscan Friars Third Order Regular, I lived by myself for several years and I was use to doing what I wanted, when I wanted. I did not have to answer to anybody but myself. At first, I was worried that adapting to living with others would take a long time. But I have found that living in community with the friars is not much different than my prior life. The main difference is the "cadence" of my life.

Before moving in with the friars, the cadence of my life was very self centered. The majority of my day was spent at work so that I could house, feed, and clothe myself. The time outside of work was dedicated to my entertainment. My daily and weekly chores were performed for my benefited. Most of my decisions in life had been based on what would be best for me or what would make me happy.

After moving in with the friars, I find that I am doing many of the same activities that I did before. The main difference is that the cadence of my life is now God and community centered. Currently, my day is planned around our communal prayer life with the majority of the day dedicated to classes and study. My studies are not just for my personal betterment alone. They also prepare me to serve others better. Time is also set aside for ministry work around our local neighborhood. I perform many of the same chores as I did in my old apartment. However, now they benefit the other friars as well as myself.

Jesus' instruction to "love your neighbor as you love yourself" has also become, for me, "do for your brother friars and you do for yourself." Likewise, the friars do for me as they do for themselves. It is clear to me that the friars have taken great care to welcome me into their home. And this is exactly what the friary is, a home for the friar brothers to live and pray together in. It is this loving and caring family of brotherhood in Christ that has transformed the cadence of my life.

Trinity Sunday: God For Us, God With Us, and God In Us

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a symposium at the University of Notre Dame entitled, "Stewards of the Treasures of Our Faith." The focus of the event was how to minister to young adults (aged 18-24) in ways that are compelling and relevant. One of the keynote talks dealt with trying to make the doctrine of the Trinity more accessible to young adults. This is a challenge that the Christian and Catholic faith has been addressing more directly for the past sixty years or so. More precisely, the task is to translate the doctrine of the Trinity which, for the most part, is cast in a terminology that was used during the first several centuries of the Church and during the medieval period into a language that will resonate with contemporary minds and hearts. Failing to do this implies that the most fundamental and important aspect of the Christian faith, namely that God exists as a communion of persons united in essence and mission, is akin to a book that rests on the top shelf in a library, just out of reach, destined for the most part to only collect dust.

One way to begin the process of translating the classical doctrine of the Trinity is to focus less on how God can be simultaneously three-in-one or one-in-three and to emphasize who God is in relation to creation and humanity. The Eastern Christian tradition and the Franciscan Tradition gives us some resources for developing an understanding of Trinity that can resonate with people of the 21st century. To begin with, both Western and Eastern Christianity emphasize that "God is For Us." What this means is that God's goodness is continually poured out upon creation without reserve. St. Bonaventure, a great Franciscan scholar of the 13th Century, remarked that one of the defining characteristics of God the Father is that of being a "fountain fullness" of grace and solicitude which is constantly poured out for others while never being exhausted. In reference to God the Word/Son, the Eastern Church emphasizes that God does not exist in isolation but dwells in God's Word so much so that this Word from all eternity is also a divine person (Son), sharing completely in the Father's glory and majesty.

God is therefore fully with the Word/Son and the Word/Son is fully with God. An important implication of this relationship is that when God extends God's self to creation, God does so fully and personally in the Word/Son. Hence, God is not only "God For Us", God is "God With Us." St. Bonaventure referred to God's Word/Son as "exemplar" (meaning, "model"). What Jesus "exemplifies" for us is how to relate to God and others in such a way that our hearts and minds are one in communion and purpose. Last, but by no means least, "God is In Us" through the Holy Spirit which is poured out upon all creation and offered to all persons. When a person's life is opened to the Spirit and by the Spirit, God's entire self, Father, Son, and Spirit make a home within the person and begin a dynamic process that the Eastern Church refers to as "divinization." This means that the person becomes more and more like God by being united to God and others. St. Francis gave expression to this dynamic process best when he exclaimed, "My God and my All!" Far from being an esoteric, abstract doctrine, the Trinity is meant to become a practical way of life in which we allow God to be for us as fountain fullness, with us as partner and exemplar, and in us as the Spirit which makes God "all in all". Pat, TOR

First Vows Ceremony!

On May 30th, Br. Matthew Hillman and Br. Paul Johns (from our sister province) made their first profession of vows to religious life. This ceremony is the culmination of the novitiate year (see blog entry below for more information on the novitiate year). The celebration took place in the context of Mass and was beautifully done as always by Fr. Christopher Dobson (and others) from our sister province, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. Br. Matthew and Br. Paul will both begin studies in the fall. May God bless and keep them during this time of transition and anticipation.

The Long Awaited Investiture Ceremony Arrives!

On Friday, May 27th, our postulant brother, Corey Smoot, along with five other postulants from our sister province were vested with the Franciscan habit for the first "official" year of religious life (known as novitiate). It is said that even angels envy a religious novice! Why, you might ask? The novitiate year of religious life is something of a "honeymoon" you might say between the novice and God. One spends a great deal of time in prayer, study, and discernment. As far as the prayer life of a Franciscan T.O.R., novice, one commonly spends 2 or more hours daily in communal and personal prayer. The studies during the novitiate year focus on Franciscan history, Franciscan T.O.R., history, and the spirituality of religious life and the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The discernment part of the experience mainly consists of meeting with a spiritual director every two weeks to reflect on one's relationship with God and if God is indeed affirming the call to religious life. Knowing Corey, I'm sure he'll make the most of the year ahead of him! May God bless him and his novice brothers (Nathan, Richard, Rick, Jared, and Paul). Pat, TOR

What Really is the Worst That Could Happen as a Result of the Gulf Tragedy?

This morning I was having breakfast at a restaurant and I overheard two persons talking about the oil spill tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the persons stated that the worst thing that could come out of this is for the United States to stop the practice of off-shore oil drilling. He also said quite non-chalantly that "disasters happen all the time" and that we should therefore be undeterred in our quest to extract more oil presumably wherever oil reserves can be found. What made these comments so disturbing to me is that they were being made directly in front of a television set broadcasting incredibly disturbing images of the oil-saturated gulf waters. So, the question that I would like to pose is, "what really is the worst thing that could happen as a result of the Gulf tragedy?" My response to this question is twofold: one response is based on my Catholic, Christian, and Franciscan orientation to the world and the other is based on a rationale analysis of the event (I offer two responses since not everyone has the same faith orientation as I do).

The worst thing that could happen from a faith perspective is for me and people of a similar faith to not stop dead in our tracks and listen for the voice of God's Spirit speaking in the midst of a disaster of nearly unparalleled scale that will have disastrous ecological, social, and economic effects for years or even decades to come in the Gulf area. I suspect that God wishes to say something profoundly game-changing about this event. Further, something tells me that the Creator, who scripture states delights in his creation and from whom all creatures flow and return, is likely not pleased with our hubris in seeking to extract oil reserves from pristine habitats such as the Gulf or the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) and thereby threaten the environmental health and well-being of these places for years, decades or even generations to come. The burden of proof for people of faith is to explain how drilling operations that at times recklessly threaten the environment could possibly be pleasing or agreeable to the Creator who is glorified through the grandeur of creation. Putting aside the faith response, what is the worst thing that could happen as a result of this tragedy from a purely rational analysis? Given that the oil reserves in or around the US are estimated to supply only a relatively small amount at our current rate of consumption (some estimates are that we have as little as three years) there can be no question that given the catastrophic damage that will be incurred in the Gulf region alone (not to mention the very likely scenario of future disasters), I would say that reason and rationality dictate that, at a minimum, a moratorium should be imposed on current off-shore drilling operations and future plans until such time that fail safe mechanisms can be installed or developed to make absolutely certain that such a disaster never occurs again.

It's a simple analysis of costs v. benefits: the costs of the current disaster and the potential for future ones versus the very limited benefits we will derive demand that we stop dead in our tracks. Make no mistake, there are far worse things that could happen as a result of this disaster than merely stopping our quest for oil, especially if we don't ask some hard questions and learn from it. My prayers go out to those who lost their lives in this disaster (and those who survive them), those species currently fighting for life and dying, and the people of the Gulf who are suffering and will likely suffer for years to come. I also pray that people of faith and reason consider contacting their Congressional representatives and urging them to sponsor or co-sponsor a moratorium on current dangerous off-shore drilling operations and future ones until "fail safe" mechanisms can be developed and installed. Pat, TOR

Care for Creation (C4C) Blessing Ritual and Potluck Picnic

This afternoon approximately thirty persons gathered at St. Bernardine's Monastery for a blessing of the community gardens, a blessing of seeds that will be planted in area gardens this spring, and a potluck picnic. The blessing ceremony was presided over by Fr. Christopher Panagoplos. The purpose of the event was mainly to raise awareness regarding our dependence on the land for sustenance and to develop a spirituality inclusive of creation and mindful of the rhythms of the seasons. St. Francis was very aware of humanity's reliance on the earth. In his Canticle of the Creatures, he speaks of how the earth governs the human race. What a vastly different take on our relationship to creation from the contemporary, progress and technology driven mentality! This gathering also gave us the opportunity to build community and share in food and fellowship. The C4C project is off to another great start! Pat, TOR

Reflection on 7th Sunday in Easter: It's All Well and Good That Jesus is the Beginning and End, but What Ever Happened to the "Middle"?

This Sunday's readings for the 7th Sunday in Easter give us the opportunity to examine a very important question regarding forming a contemporary and relevant Christian faith up to the task of meeting the challenges of the 21st Century. In the second reading we read from the Book of Revelation that Jesus is the "beginning and the end." In the Gospel we encounter Jesus prior to his Crucifixion basically offering a long intercessory prayer on behalf of the Apostles he is about to suddenly depart from. His prayer is that they might be one in communion just as intimately and intensely as he and the Father are. When I reflect on the second reading in light of this Gospel passage from John, the question that comes to my mind is, "If Jesus is the beginning and end, what about the middle?"

I pose this question because our faith has placed such a strong emphasis on Jesus as the beginning ("In the beginning was the Word") and the end (emphasized in Revelation) that the middle has often been sorely overlooked. In stating that Jesus is the beginning and the end, what the Book of Revelation is also implying is the very important fact that Jesus is the "middle" that keeps both beginning and end united in meaning, purpose, and trajectory.

What might the "middle Jesus" have to offer our faith and world? "Jesus-as-middle" offers nothing less than the promised eruption of the Spirit into our lives, forming bonds of fraternal communion where before there was alienation, shaking the ground beneath our feet with the tremors of New Creation, and transforming our world more and more into the pattern of the New Heavens and New Earth. What Jesus is essentially praying for prior to his departure in John is that the Apostles might be open, receptive, and responsive to his (and the Father's) "interim" presence in the Spirit. This is the only way that the world will believe that God has sent Jesus and that God and Jesus have sent the Spirit, if the community of believers are united in communion, mission, and enlivened by the transforming Spirit. A shift in focus to "Jesus-as-Middle" can open our lives and tradition to the important work that Christians are called to in this life: not so much proclaiming Jesus "as Lord and Savior" but by declaring through unity in communion and mission that God's saving power continues to be hard at work in a world that desperately needs to experience it. Pat, TOR

Postulancy complete, now novitiate

What a blessed time this year and four months at St. Bridget's has been for me. A chance for me to settle into community as an aspirant really helped me test myself out, and allowed the friars to get to know me. Then I was officially accepted as a postulant in August and was able to learn more about the Order and the life of a Franciscan while I was still working with developmentally disabled clients at a group home and taking a couple classes at a community college for further education. I was able to hone up on my Spanish skills and write a term paper in English about St. Francis' kiss of the leper and what that means to be accepting of the social outcast in our society. My classes with Br. David, Br. John and Fr. Pat at the friary were times to reflect on Franciscan Spirituality and how I can apply those principles in my life today.
But my time in Minneapolis is quickly drawing to a close. The people I have met and with whom I've worked will always have a special place in my heart as I go out from here to the next phase of my formation: the novitiate. In Loretto, Pennsylvania I will live with 5 novices from the Sacred Heart of Jesus Province in a joint novitiate program. We will have just over a year to deeply consider our desire to become Franciscans and what this means to us. I have been told to prepare for classes 4-5 days a week, retreats and hermitages, and lots of time for prayer, communal and private, and a time of intense discernment. I will not be on line much, I will be away from the big city and many of the distractions of life: one very long retreat: a liminal space for study and prayer as I consider taking vows.
Having Br. Jeffrey here after his novitiate year, and having visited my classmates in Loretto a couple of times, has given me some insights into what it will be like. But it is still mysterious to me. I'm taking a lot of note cards and stamps so that I can keep in touch with others while I am without internet access, and I'm taking a lot of books.
Today Fr. Anthony gave me the cord that I will be wearing with my novice habit, a plain black tunic, and he taught me how to tie the knots that represent my vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. In a very short time I will be going on the pre-novitiate retreat with my 5 classmates and I'll be adjusting to a new living arrangement and a new lifestyle. I am excited, but a little trepidatious. I have been blessed up to now though with this new family of brothers, and I know that God is taking me on this journey for a reason. I will trust in God to make me the best servant I can be, no matter where I go. Peace and good, Corey

Community Gardens and Care for Creation (C4C) Project Getting Revved Up!

The community gardens at St. Bernardine's Monastery in Hollidaysburg, PA, and the Care for Creation Project are springing back to life! The community gardens moved to St. Bernardine's Monastery two years ago after losing their garden at a local VA facility. The gardens have been going strong since just after World War II and were a continuation of the Victory Garden movement. The Care for Creation project is in it's second year. We are hoping to build on the success we experienced last year. For more information on our community's Care for Creation initiative, go to:http: www.franciscanfriarstor.com/care-for-creation.php. Pat, TOR

Love of God, Self, and Neighbor in Context

The first reading from today's Roman Catholic Mass describes the tension of the early Christian community as it became inclusive of Gentiles (Acts 15:7-21). Apparently there were Judeo-Christians who thought that the Gentiles must observe the Mosaic Law in order to be saved while others believed this to be a hindrance to them receiving the faith. Eventually it was decided that Gentiles need only observe those statutes of Moses that would allow them to commune with their Jewish counterparts without causing scandal or division.

Today's Gospel is short and sweet: it is the teaching of Jesus in John's Gospel that whoever observes his commandments will remain in his love (John 15:9-11). Of course, the commandments of Jesus are to love God with one's entire being and to love one's neighbor as one's self. While the first reading and Gospel seem to be unrelated in content, when the Gospel is viewed in the context of the first reading it sheds light on one practical way that we are to love God, self, and neighbor. The connection between the two is that love means focusing on what is essential and not allowing ourselves to be distracted by bias, prejudice, pet-peeves, or people's idiosyncrasies. In other words, love implies looking upon the other as a sister or brother who is beloved of God, Christ, and Holy Spirit and not critically eyeballing them for all those characteristics that may not be appealing to us. Just as some Judeo-Christians of the early Church were "troubling" their Gentile sisters and brothers by viewing them with disdain for not following the letter of the Mosaic law, so we can violate the spirit of evangelical love by "troubling" others when we choose to see them through the lens of bias, prejudice, or our "pet-peeves." Today's readings call forth the human capacity to transcend our bias', prejudices, or pet-peeves so that we might see and love others as beloved of God. Pat, T.O.R.

The Peace the World Cannot Give

Today's readings from Mass offer us the opportunity to reflect on the gift of peace that Jesus gives his apostles prior to undergoing his passion, crucifixion, and resurrection. No doubt Jesus and his apostles saw the storm clouds gathering on the horizon: he had stirred up the hornet's nest through his message and ministry and there was a price to be paid. The peace that he gifted the apostles with, however, is not to be in any way understood as an "otherworldly" gift of bliss, detached from the messiness of this world nor the coming storm. This would fly directly in the face of the earlier proclamation of John's Gospel that, "God so loved the world that he sent his only son." (John 3:16). The world that God so loved and entered into to save in Jesus would not be one that God now turns his back on. No, what Jesus offers is no "escapist", "pie in the sky", disembodied peace that seeks to flee in the face of so much agony and anguish but one forged directly in and through an intimate experience of the world's travail. What Jesus is offering the disciples is precisely what he came to experience in daring to sink to the depths of the world's misery by associating with the wretched and forsaken of the earth: God's abiding presence laboring to bring about a New Creation. Far from being a gift of blessed, undisturbed repose, this gift of peace is the assurance that if the apostles dare to sink to the depths that Jesus did they will likewise encounter an unparalleled depth of communion with the God who works with a patient restlessness that all creation be utterly transformed. The reason why the "world" (understood as all of those forces allied against God's Kingdom and not the created world) cannot give such a peace is because it's definition of peace is precisely the opposite. The peace of the world is the negation of tension, conflict, or opposition that comes by force of arms, oppression, or the simple, seemingly harmless counsel that the oppressed of the earth accept their lot passively because the next life will bring all that they hoped for in this life but were often brutally denied. For Christ's disciples of the 21st Century, the offer and gift of peace will similarly be experienced only in going to the lengths and depths that he did to trouble the waters of the pseudo peace that so many have begrudgingly or unwittingly settled for. Pat, T.O.R.

A Ministry of Gatekeeping

From time to time I tell people that as vocation director for my community, I not only am on the "look out" for good vocation prospects but that my ministry also involves "gatekeeping". I understand this aspect of vocation ministry as exercising a certain caution to ensure that only the more well-rounded and stable prospects join the community and become ministers in the Church. Such an emphasis is exceedingly important given the abuse scandal that the Church continues to live with. However, Today's reading from the Gospel of John gave me a new appreciation of the ministry of "gatekeeping" that hadn't occurred to me before (John 10:1-10). In the Gospel Jesus talks about how a shepherd "enters the sheep gate" to lead his sheep to pasture in distinction to those who "climb over elsewhere" in order to do the flock harm. Further on in the Gospel he states, somewhat surprisingly, that he is comparing himself to the gate rather than the "good shepherd" (which we normally associate him with). Unless the sheep pass through him they will not find pasture. What might be the role of disciples who are called to help shepherd? This may be discerned through the mysterious gatekeeper mentioned in today's Gospel: the gatekeeper opens the gate so that sheep and shepherd can pass through it. My broadened appreciation of "gatekeeping" as a ministry is that it's also a powerful analogy of letting people pass through and into. In the case of today's Gospel, "gatekeeping" could be seen as assisting others to pass through and into Christ, crossing the threshold from difficulty, distress, and even despair into a life of hope, transformation, and, ultimately, resurrection. So many in our world stand at troubling and exceedingly difficult thresholds in which they fear they are teetering on the brink of despair. With the right pastoral and "gatekeeping" presence on the part of those who are also in the process of passing through and into Christ, they can be assisted in making the ever more profound journey from death to life. Pat, TOR

Spring Comes to St. Bernardine's Monastery!

Peace and good! Signs of spring abound here at beautiful St. Bernardine's Monastery in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. I've included some pictures for your enjoyment. The first photo is of brother bee pollinating some tree flora, a couple photos show the community garden field freshly plowed, and the last photo shows flowers in bloom on the side of the Monastery. The Blair County Community Gardens and the Care for Creation Garden (C4C) are preparing for what hopes to be another great summer of gardening, presenting on care for creation related topics (nine are planned), and celebrating the growing season (we have a blessing ceremony and two festivals planned). Some C4C committees have already met and things are well under way! Stay tuned for more updates and pictures! Pat, TOR