August 2, is one day that is remembered by all Franciscan Friars, Poor Clare sisters, and all Third Order members, whether Friars, Sisters, or Laypersons; the Feast of Out Lady the Angels.
St. Francis of Assisi, came across the chapel as he wandered through the Italian countryside. He and his brother friars felt the Holy Spirit moving them. They realized that the Portiuncula, its Italian name, was special. They built simple huts around it, prayed and worshipped in it.
Eventually, long after Francis and his brethren had passed on; the chapel was enclosed in a magnificent basilica. Crowds of Franciscans, and laypersons, from the four corners of the earth still come to visit and worship the Lord. And the Lord touches the hearts of all who come.
Places of worship are built in many different ways, each is unique. In each one, though, is the potential to encounter the Living God. Be open to that potentiality.
Just finishing my lunch, half watching a tv report on some business matter. They had a split screen because the time was coming up for the vote for a new pope. There were a few seagulls examining the stovepipe coming out of the Sistine Chapel’s roof. I noticed that there were wisps of smoke, white smoke, coming out!! It grew into huge plume!! Still waiting for his appearance on the main balcony of Saint Peter’s!
WE HAVE AN AMERICAN POPE!!!!!!!!
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Hello once again! Yes, I know I promised to be more regular with my postings. There have been some personal issues that required attention, but it is not quite time yet to discuss. But other than that…
I was able to rise early enough to watch the funeral Mass for Pope Francis. It was amazing to see the crowds of people, both clergy, religious and lay who came to pray for the repose of his soul. The new camera technology has added what we are able to see and experience. One sight that thrilled my heart was seeing so many vested deacons with the rest of the clergy. As I am typing this, I suddenly realized that some of them, maybe all of them, were transitional deacons, on their way to priestly ordination. Which is fine, but I really hope that some of them were my brothers in the permanent diaconate.
I have lived through many papacies, each one unique in their own way. I was a youngster when Pope John XXIII opened the Second Vatican Council. I am 71 years old now, as I witness the passing of Pope Francis. I have witnessed, joyfully, changes in the liturgical life of the Church. I witnessed debates among clergy and laity on how best to implement Vatican II, how involved should the laity be. ( A lot!). I have seen some of these debates done respectfully; others, not so much.
Because of the way my health is right now, and the changes in where we are living; I have not been as active as a deacon as I would like to be. We shall see what the future holds. Looking forward to seeing the white smoke!
I have a bad habit of waking up very early in the morning; 5:00 AM, early in the morning! I usually cannot fall back asleep, so I looked at my IPhone, and saw the bulletins, announcing the passing of Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church. Now, I am a skeptic of such “news” that comes over the Web. So I turned on the TV, and sadly saw that it was true.
It was a bit of a shock, because earlier there were scenes of a weakened Pope Francis waving to the crowds. There was hope that he would have survived this bout of illness. It was not to be.
Pope Francis, in my mind, and it will be my hope; will be remembered as a unique and holy father of the Church. He will definitely be missed.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him! Through the mercy of God, may he rest in peace.
A looong time ago, I felt I had a calling to the Catholic priesthood. I spent four years in the Boston Archdiocesan College Seminary, then three years in their School of Theology. I finally came to the conclusion that was being called to another life path. Still, I never have regretted my time in the seminary.
The college seminary no longer exists, but the original seminary still stands and is training and forming men for the priesthood. The seminary is celebrating its 140th year of being in existence.
Statue of Saint Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Carver MA
Saint Francis of Assisi
“I have done what was mine to do. May Christ teach you what is yours.” Saint Francis of Assisi
Every October 4th, people around the world, Catholics, Protestants, persons with no declared religion; celebrate the memory of Saint Francis of Assisi. Born in the year of 1182, Francis was an energetic young man, talented, had a gift for drawing other young men of Assisi to himself for parties. He would soon felt the desire to become a knight, a heroic defender of Assisi. Being a commoner, that only way he could achieve this goal, was on the battlefield. He joined his fellow citizens in a military campaign against a rival Italian city state. The battle went terribly wrong for Assisi, Francis and others who survived the battle were captured and held in dungeons. There they waited for their families to ransom them. For some, like Francis, it was a long wait as families and friends tried to gather enough ransom money. Francis returned to Assisi as a broken man.
During his recovery, he would ride out into the countryside. On one such ride, he come across a beggar, who was also suffering from leprosy. Out of fear, Francis turned his horse around, ready to flee. But something made him stop, turn his horse around to face the leper. Getting off his horse, he went to the leper, took his money pouch and put it into the hands of the beggar. And then he kissed them. It was a moment of transformation, a moment of conversion.
Later, Francis found himself walking by a dilapidated chapel. He felt a strong desire to go into the chapel to pray. K in Before a wooden cross, with the image of the Crucified Christ, he knelt. Deep in prayer, Francis heard the Lord speak to him from the cross, “Francis, rebuild my church, which, as you see, is falling down.” And the rest, as they say, is history!
His life of prayer, voluntary poverty, and caring for the poor; has inspired thousands of men and women around the world. Men have joined the Order of Friars Minors, in it’s various formations, to work amongst the poor, to help the ill and disabled. Francis’ lifestyle inspired a young noblewoman, by the name of Clare, to take up a life of poverty and prayer. Drawn by her example, other women joined together to form like communities. Today, these communities bear her name, now called the Poor Clares. And still, the influence of Saint Francis continued to grow, indeed, continues to grow. Lay men and women also found inspiration from Francis’ example. The more they heard about the lives of Francis and his followers, the more they wished to imitate the Franciscan lifestyle. These lay followers soon formed their own groups, to pray together, to help the poor, to serve their families as well.
The Franciscan Family continues, it may experience times of growth, and times of loss; but it continues. Pace e Bene!!
“Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.”
This weekend, we are entering a time of holiness, a time of both remembering and reflecting on the events that lead up to the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, out there, in our communities, our towns and cities; Easter time has already taken hold. Bright colors, sweets, pastries and fancy meals are already popping up all over; enticing us, tempting us.
But here, in this church and in all other churches, other places of worship; the somber color of purple reigns. Especially in this moment, when we read, when we hear the Gospels that proclaim the story of the Passion of Our Lord. We are called to reflect more deeply on what Jesus went through for us, to save us finally from the grip that Original Sin had over us, and to give us new hope for the future.
We, in turn, are called to proclaim that Good News, by our words and deeds, to everyone we come in contact with. As Holy Week begins, let us focus more deeply on what we entering into, let the Holy Spirit in and let it transform us. And on Easter morn, let us sing out with joy.
Yesterday, February 3, 2024, Reverend Cristiano Barbosa, native of Brazil, was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Boston, MA. In that capacity, he will be assisting the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, OFMCap.
I was able to attend the ceremony as a Deacon. The day of ordination, I made it into Boston, in what I thought was plenty of time to vest and take up a position for the procession. Only I had the schedule mixed up, and I was just made into the deacon’s procession line by the skin of my teeth.
Now I have attended several ordinations in the Cathedral in my life as a Deacon. All were orderly, all liturgically beautiful. Yesterday was a new experience for me. As we processed into the Cathedral, we saw a congregation that was large, loud and joyful. People were crowded in the benches, the aisles, and any open spaces in the wings of the sanctuary. Brazilian Portuguese filled the air!
Now among some of my Anglo brethren, this may have been too much, not respecting the solemnity of the ceremony. The crowds did quiet down as Mass began, and when the ordination ceremony began. The energy, the excitement picked up again as the newly ordained Bishop walked around the cathedral, blessing the people.
Yes, these was a new experience for me, but I accepted it. I joined in the celebration in the way I knew, rejoicing in their celebration.
“Moses spoke to all the people, saying ‘A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, will raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen.”
The Hebrew people were about to enter the promised land, Moses would not be entering the land with them. Up to that moment, it was he who passed on the words that God spoke for them, because the people could not bear hearing the voice of God. Now Moses declared that the Lord would raise up prophets who will speak to them, and share the word of the Lord. The Old Testament speaks of these prophets, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others who faithfully proclaimed the word of God to the people.
Then, the time came, when God wished to speak directly to His people, and to the all persons on earth. It is now that Jesus, the living “Word” of God, makes His appearance. He brought the Word of God directly to the people, changing the relationship humanity had with the Father. By his death and Resurrection, he freed us from the hold sin and death had over us, he showed us how we can draw closer to the Father, to share in the joy and peace such an encounter with our living God can provide.
Through Jesus, we have a closer relationship with the Father, in that relationship, we find ourselves encouraged to change, to be converted into more loving persons, to be drawn closer together as brothers and sisters in Christ. In our experience of God’s love for us, we are all also being called to share in the work of Christ, to proclaim the Good News, to work towards a world that can be transformed into a more loving and peaceful place for all people. We do this by both our words and our deeds. Together or individually, we reach out to the poor, the wounded, the isolated, the desolate. It can be through our acts of charity, large or small. Or it can be by just giving a smile to a stranger, a warm handshake, a gentle embrace. There are so many ways that we can share with the world the joy we all have felt when we experience the love of God.
I would like to close with these words I came across in my reading. It is a quote from the writings of St. Oscar Romero, assassinated Archbishop of San Salvador:
“To know Christ is to know God. Christ is the homily that keeps explaining to continually that God is love, that God is power, that the Spirit of the Lord is upon Jesus Christ, that he is the divine Word, God’s presence among us.”
Musings From St. Anthony's Walnut Tree 