Friday, October 3, 2008

Feast of the Transitus of St. Francis


Blessings of the feast everyone!
It has been a few months since I last wrote anything.
Tonight however I do want to write a short paragraph on the Feast of St.Francis of Assisi.
This feast also called the "Transitus", meaning the crossing over from life to physical death (eternal life),is one of the Franciscan family's most important feasts.
We who call ourselves Franciscan, model our spiritual strivings aftr this simple man from Assisi, Francesco Bernadone as he was known in the world.
Many know the story of how after he came back from a battle with a neighboring town,he renounced his possessions and his status, sold a lot of cloth from his father's business, and then gave the money to the poor. He was denounced by his birth father in front of the local bishop.
He stripped his clothes off, and gave them back to his father. The bishop put his own mantle around Francis,and accepted his plea to become a poor man of Assisi.
Well, the rest is history as they say.
How can we as christians,do our poor best to follow the Poverello of Assisi?
Some of us join a Franciscan community either as a friar or as a member in a secular community.
Many of us give Francis a nod with our heads..and do nothing at all.
What little ways can we think of doing to open our hearts to the kind of love Francis had for Jesus?
I pray that tomorrow as I take my life vows in the franciscans of the Holy Cross, I can begin to answer that question in myself honestly.
Blessings to you and yours,
Peace and all Good,
+Mel

Divine Mercy Sunday

**Reposted from my yahoo360 blog**


Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy magnify
Second Sunday after Easter,
What used to be called "Low Sunday" because it was the wind down from all that lead up to the Easter Festal celebration.
We can now know it as Divine Mercy Sunday. The following is part of what Sister now saint Faustina wrote in her diary:

With so many Catholics away from the practice of their faith, there is a great need for evangelization. Not only are we all called to actively evangelize all peoples, we are called to bring home our lost and alienated brethren. Our Lord has given us a great gift called Divine Mercy Sunday that if used properly, can restore our Church to overflowing.

Jesus gave us many parables that would set the standard for us to follow. He told us how the Good Shepherd rejoiced at finding His lost sheep. How so many more lost sheep need to be found today. Not only does He rejoice today when the sheep are found, but He is very much saddened when even just one is lost.

In His revelations to Saint Faustina, Jesus remarked that “The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness” and that “The flames of mercy are burning Me, clamoring to be spent”(from the diary, entry #1397, 50).

Our Lord has given us a very simple way to bring our lost sheep back home. It is called the “Feast of Mercy” or “Divine Mercy Sunday”.

Jesus told Sr.Faustina, in a vision: “Whoever approaches the fountain of life on this day will be granted the complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (Diary, 300).

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+

Can we not approach the seat of Divine Mercy any time? Of course we can! However, this is one day

that has been set aside for all of us to gather and pray together as a christian community for Divine Mercy.

Not only for ourselves,and loved ones but for situations in the world that truly need toe intervention of Christ. We also by asking for and getting this Mercy from Christ, have the real chance to become Divine Mercy to others. Those that have hurt us,or those in the world just hurting, looking for the Face of Christ and finding it in us!

May this Sunday be a beginning of works of Divine Mercy in us, and through us, to those in fear and

to those lost,hurt,and lonely.

Blessings to you and yours

May Christ be resurrected in your hearts and lives now and always,
+Mel OFC