November 2007          

May the Lord give you His peace!


Two months left in this year of our 20th anniversary. This month I would like to write about the prophetic nature of our charism. This morning we were praying and sidewalk counseling outside an abortion mill in the Bronx. One day while doing this important ministry some guy yelled at me from across the street, "you's guys prophets"?!

The Holy Spirit has inspired a great variety of charisms in the Church. Vatican II called all orders to return to their original charism. "The adaptation and renewal of the religious life includes both the constant return to the sources of all Christian life and to the original spirit of the institutes and their adaptation to the changed conditions of our time. This renewal, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Church, must be advanced..." (Perfectae Caritatis #2).


Our founders wanted to return to the original inspiration of St. Francis and the Capuchin reformers. With our cross-shaped habits, sandals and capuchin beards we do stand out when out and about. Our intentional public witness speaks of a certain missionary mind set. We are like walking billboards pointing to the Lord. Similar to St. Francis and the early Capuchins, we do not have parishes. This frees us up to be who we are suppose to be in the Body of Christ, the Church. We often find ourselves doing lots of missionary style ministry. We see our role as a help to the diocesan charism of running parishes.

I love the prophets from the Old Testament. I firmly believe that we CFR's have a similar calling. In the must read document on religious life, Vita Consecrata, Pope John Paul wrote about "the prophetic character of the religious life." Ours is a calling to boldly proclaim God's word in these modern times.

I will be away on the following dates during November (Fr. Gabriel will be available):
  • 8-11 Youth 2000 Retreat in Oshkosh, WI.
  • 23-30 My annual solitude retreat. I will pray for you all!
  • Dec. 2-10 Giving a retreat to our friars in Honduras.

Check it out ...

PRE-CAPUCHIN FRANCISCAN SAINTS IN NOVEMBER:
8th
- Bl. John Duns Scotus (1266-1308) -  2nd Site
  Champion of the Immaculate Conception! [more] [mp3]
28th
 - St. James of the Marches of Ancona (1391-1476)
   60 years later the Capuchin Reform began in Ancona [mp3]
 
+ St. Francis: Prophetic Witness in the Church (1998 Greyfriar News article) [more]
+ "Be Prophets of Life, Love and Joy" talk by Pope John Paul II (November 1995)
 The Prophets by Rabbi Abraham J. Heschel (a great read)!
+ Pray for Fr. Francis Mary Stone, MFVA, who is taking some time off to discern [his letter]
+ New vocations website for New York, designed by those guys at Grassroots Films: nypriest.com
+ Five People From the Same Florida Parish Enter Religious Life [more]
+ A Reflection on the Evangelical Counsels by Pope Benedict XVI [more]
+ Bella the movie ranks high on many movie websites! [more]


We are praying for you and your discernment everyday, especially on Wednesdays. Let us set our hands to the plow in the Lord's vineyard and not look back! "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor"
(1 Cor 3:8).
God bless you,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR 
Saint Joseph Friary
523 W. 142nd Street
New York, NY 10031
(212)281-4355
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