March, 2010

All-powerful God, everlasting, just and good,

of ourselves we are nothing but poverty;

but grant, for your own sake,

that we may do what we know is your will,

and always desire what is pleasing to you...

Amen.

(Conclusion of the Letter to the Entire Order)

 

During the Year of the Priest

Pray for Priestly Holiness and Vocations

 

Following are daily excerpts taken from various Franciscan writings referring to the St. Francis’ Method proposed and Esteem for Gospel Preaching.

 

Francis felt the urgency to preach the Gospel Message to all creation.  In fact, this can be considered the third characteristic, after Fraternity and Minority.

 

Francis desires in all things to conform himself and his brothers to Christ, as he came to know Him in the Gospels.

 

Daily meditative phrases from the book MODELS OF FAITH.

 

1

His sermons were not vain and shallow but they were filled with the power of the holy Spirit. (Major Legend, chpt. 2) - Sirach 38&39 - God’s mercy, if we only let him take over, will take us much farther and higher than our own scant justice.

 

2

He began to preach all over with great commitment and assurance.  He did not have recourse to reasoning founded on human wisdom, but based his teachings on the doctrine and virtue of the Holy Spirit, faithfully proclaiming the kingdom of God. (Three Companions, Chpt.54) - Sirach 40&41 - God’s predilection for the humblest and lowest emphasizes the point that he likes to make of upsetting men’s calculations and betraying expectations based on rank, merit, age or tradition.

 

3

His style was not as one preaching but as one who is conversing ... he spoke clearly and respectably. (Thomas of Spalato) - Sirach 42&43 - Self-reliance will get us nowhere...the whole process is better looked after when placed in he hands of God than when held tight in our grip as though we were bent on seeing it through at all costs by ourselves.

 

4

His words were like an ardent fire that penetrated the depths of the heart and filled the mind with admiration; ... (his preaching) had the aroma and essence of divine revelation. (Major Legend, Chpt.12) - Sirach 44&45 - The fact that we fall is not important, but the hopeful effect of the fall to make us turn to God...is such a necessary lesson that it outweighs the fall and soothes the hurt.

 

5

He always used simple and very practical examples when preaching to the uneducated people, for he realized that virtue is more important than (stylish) words. (Major Legend, Chpt.12) - Sirach 46&47 - When faith joins hands with reason, their union bears the happiest fruits of spiritual understanding and heavenly wisdom; but the way to that union is paved with difficulties.

 

6

When proclaiming the word of the Lord before thousands of people, he was calm and confident, as though he were speaking with his brother and companion. (2Celano, Chpt.107) - Sirach- 48&49 - Human weaknesses do not hinder God’s work in the soul, while human pride does.

 

7

From the purity of his heart he acquired the self-assurance of his words; even when he was unexpectedly invited to preach, he spoke marvelous things that had not been heard before. (2Celano, Chpt.107) - Sirach 50&51 - Pray in faith and you will obtain all you need ... Jesus never disappoints.

 

8

He did not offer excuses for those living sinful lives, but he chastised them firmly, having himself practiced what he was now asking others to do. (1Celano, Chpt.36) - Jeremiah 1&2 - Faith is the greatest power on earth, and prayer its exercise.

9

He was speaking with such fire of spirit that he could not contain himself for joy.  As he brought forth the word from his mouth, he moved his feet as if dancing, not playfully, but burning with the fire of divine love, not provoking laughter but moving them to tears of sorrow. (1Celano, Chpt.27) - Jeremiah 2&3 - Petitionary prayer increases faith....  Grow in faith by practicing prayer; and practice prayer by asking God for what you need....

 

10

Let no brother preach contrary to the rite and practice of the Church or without the permission of his minister.  Let the minister be careful of granting it without discernment to anyone. (Earlier Rule, Chpt.17) - Jeremiah 4&5 - It is not easy to ask, because petition is submission, is dependence, is humility and is commitment.

 

11

Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds. No minister or preacher may make a ministry of the brothers or the office of preaching his own, but, when he is told, let him set it aside without objection. (Earlier Rule, Chpt.17) - Jeremiah 6&7 - To pray is to anticipate the parousia, i.e. may the Kingdom come today in token and in sign, so that it may come one day in its fullness.

 

12

I admonish and exhort those brothers that when they preach their language be well-considered and chaste for the benefit and edification of the people, announcing to them vices and virtues, punishment and glory, with brevity, because our Lord when on earth kept his word brief. (Later Rule, Chpt.9) - Jeremiah 8&9 - The danger of prayer is that we very correctly pray for ‘the right things’, with no desire to receive them.

 

13

He wanted ministers of the word of God to be intent on spiritual study and not hindered by other duties.  He said that these men were heralds chosen by a great king to deliver to the people the decrees received from his mouth. (2Celano, Chpt.122) - Jeremiah 10&11 - Prayer, when made with sincerity, brings us face to face with God and makes us deal with him aperson to person....

 

14

The preacher must first secretly draw in by prayer what he later pours out in sacred preaching; he must first of all grow warm on the inside, or he will speak frozen words on the outside. (2Celano, Chpt.122) - Jeremiah 12&13 - When we have some years behind us and look back on life, and come to realize how wise God was in not granting some of our prayers, we may even thank Him for not giving us what we did not know for what we were asking.

 

15

We should honor and revere all theologians and those who minister to us the words of God, as those who minister to us ‘spirit and life’. (2Celano, Chpt.122) - Jeremiah 14&15 - Our view of things is of necessity short, biased and selfish, and we grab impatiently the quick relief when the true benefit would be the long endurance.

 

16

He ... directed himself to invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit.  Suddenly he began to overflow with such effective eloquence and to move the minds of the high-ranking men to compunction with such force and power that it was clearly evident it was not he, but the Spirit of the Lord who was speaking. (Major Legend, Chpt.12) - Jeremiah 16&17 - God can well answer a prayer for escape with a grace to endure. Instead of removing the trial, God grants the strength to go through it.

 

17

In the presence of the Cardinal, Francis addressed himself to the brothers and said: ‘Christ ... has told me: ‘I want you ... by word and work to preach the folly of the cross’. (Angelo Clareno) - Jeremiah 18&19 - ‘Lord, give me what is best for me’ ... can you pray this without conditions or hesitating?

 

18

We are mothers when we carry Him in our heart and body through a divine love and a pure and sincere conscience and give birth to Him through a holy activity which must shine as an example before others. (Letter to the Faithful, Chpt.1) - Jeremiah 20&21 - The courage to pray in the face of rejection brings us close to Jesus himself in the deepest moment of his life.

 

19

A person is as learned as his actions show; and a religious is only as good a preacher as his actions show; for a good tree is known only by its fruit. (Mirror of Perfection, Chpt.1,#4) - Jeremiah 22&23 - Every unanswered prayer is Gethsemane.

 

20

As you announce peace with your mouth, make sure that greater peace is in your hearts. Let no one be provoked to anger or scandal through you, but may everyone be drawn to peace, kindness, and harmony through your gentleness. For we have been called to this: to heal the wounded, bind up the broken, and recall the erring....(Three Companions, Chpt.14) - Jeremiah 24&25 - Faith has to be tried in order to be itself, and the greatest trial for the believer is to feel abandoned by God.

 

21

A preacher must be wept over, as over someone without real piety, who in preaching seeks not the salvation of souls, but his own praise, or who destroys with the depravation of his life what he builds up with the truth of teaching. (Major Legend, Chpt.8) - Jeremiah 26&27 - Suffering is not a problem to be discussed, but a reality, dark and painful though it is, to be lived.

 

22

The lord Pope confirmed their Rule and authorized them to preach in whatever church they so desired, after, out of respect and reverence, they requested permission from the prelate of the place. (Jacques de Vitry) - Jeremiah 28&29 - Life, whatever it is, is a test, and our reactions to its vicissitudes mark the path to our future, whatever again that may be.

 

23

He (Pope Innocent III) granted what was asked and promised even more.  He approved the rule, gave them a mandate to preach penance, and had small tonsures given to all the lay brothers, who were accompanying the servant of God, so that they could freely preach the word of God (Major Legend, Chpt.3) - Jeremiah 30&31 - The one redeeming trait of suffering is that it helps to bring out love.

 

24

The brothers must not have large churches built in order to preach to the people or for any other reason, for there is greater humility and better example when they go to other churches to preach.  (Mirror of Perfection, Chpt.1,#10) - Jeremiah 32&33 - God has come to do what he could not do in his heaven: to suffer with man.  The cross of Christ is the meeting point of suffering humanity.

 

25

On Sundays and Feast Days, they leave their small dwellings and go to preach the word of life in the parish churches. (Roger of Wendover) - Jeremiah 34&35 - The infiniteness of God in the concreteness of a man, a few years that span eternity, a limited presence that fills creation ... is Jesus!

 

26

The prelates of the church saw these documents (Papal documents approving the Order and the brothers’ preaching) and having verified their authenticity, generously permitted the brothers to build, live and preach in their dioceses.  (Three Companions) - Jeremiah 36&37 - If the Son of Man can make the Father present, so can we, in our smallness and poverty, reflect his glory till he comes.

 

27

He used to say that, because of the office of prelacy or of zeal for preaching, they should not abandon holy and devout prayer, going for alms, working at times with their hands, and performing other humble tasks like the other brothers, for good example and for the benefit of their souls, as well as others. (Mirror of Perfection, Chpt.3,#73) - Jeremiah 38&39 - We are signs in the Sign.

 

28

The blessed father knew through the Holy Spirit and even repeated it many times to the brothers, that many brothers, under pretext of edifying others, would abandon their vocation, that is, holy humility, pure simplicity, prayer, devotion, and our Lady Poverty ... because they will think themselves to be more imbued and filled with devotion ... and enlightened by knowledge of God because of their understanding of the Scriptures. (Mirror of Perfection, Chpt..3,#72) - Jeremiah 40&41 - Faith is the capacity to be disturbed, to let God into one’s life, to cope with the unusual and to be surprised into glory.

 

29

He felt deeply sorry for those preachers who often sell what they do for the price of some empty praise. (2Celano, Chpt.123) - Jeremiah 42&43 - Faith, in turn, is the capacity to disturb others, not in the obnoxious pride of inconsiderate manners, but in the humble role of carriers of faith ... reflecting with delegated light the presence and the demands of the One Sign.

 

30

The preacher who rejoices over many as though they were born through his power will then discover that he has nothing of his own in them. (2Celano, Chpt.123) - Jeremiah 44&45 - The path of God’s people across the desert into the promised land is marked by altars ... remember the past in order to trust for the future.

 

31

He had little love for those who would rather be praised as orators than as preachers or for those who speak with elegance rather than feeling.  He said that they divided things badly, putting everything in preaching and nothing in devotion. But he would praise that preacher who takes time to taste and eat a bit himself. (2Celano, Chpt.123) - Matthew 26&27 - Remember, God does not do things by halves ... God follows up what he begins....  ‘The Lord will accomplish his purpose for me. Your true love, O Lord, endures forever: do not leave unfinished the work of our hands’.