tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61371123875370727032024-03-05T21:31:51.879-08:00Discern the CallDISCERN THE CALL: Life as a Franciscan FriarFranciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-18906299901463192672018-12-26T08:46:00.002-08:002020-10-19T20:28:48.273-07:00Introduction to the Last Homily of Fr. Christian Mondor<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Notes: Friar Ryan Thornton reflects on his experience of accompanying Friar Christian Mondor on his last days prior to embracing Sister Death. This article was first published in WestFriars vol. 53, no. 6 (November/December 2018).</span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(l-r): Friars Ryan Thornton and Christian Mondor</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">As you all
know, I have been covering for Fr. Daniel and Fr. Vincent for the past two
weeks while they have been on pilgrimage in the Holy Land. When Fr. Daniel
asked me 9 months ago whether I would do this, I had no idea that it would
entail being with Fr. Christian in the last week of his life and then preparing
his funeral. But I’ve come to believe that it was meant to be, that God wanted
it this way if for no other reason than the following. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first
day I was back in California, before I had even made it to Huntington Beach and
was still with my parents, Fr. Christian called me and invited me to visit him.
He had not done this with any of the other friars, and as much as Fr. Christian
had every intention of getting out of the hospital, I believe that this was his
way of letting me in should he not. It was a spiritual intuition, though, not a
conscious one, because he quite adamantly informed me (on more than one
occasion) that scientists believe the first person to reach 150 years has
already been born and he still thought that this person might very well be him.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fr. Christians lays his hands on Ryan at his priesthood ordination</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fr.
Christian accomplished many things in his life, but that would not be one of them.
He spoke his last right before they began the treatments aimed at saving his
life, and that same evening he was given the Anointing of the Sick; two hours
later, he passed from this world to the next. It was April 25<sup>th</sup>. I,
the youngest Franciscan priest in California, had anointed Fr. Christian, the
oldest, on the third anniversary of my ordination. Those two moments, our two
lives and ministries are now forever connected. I can only aspire to be the
kind of priest that Fr. Christian was, and with his prayers and God’s grace
perhaps, after many, many years, it might be so. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Until then,
I would like to share with you what Fr. Christian was saying in his final days.
Because even though his voice was hoarse and the doctors told him not to talk
so much, that could not and would not stop Fr. Christian. Each time that I saw
him during that last week, he gave me another, slightly different version of
the same discourse, and I have put it together here—as best my memory and wits
allow—into what I have called, “Fr. Christian’s Last Homily.” </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p> </o:p><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">The Last Homily of
Fr. Christian Mondor, OFM<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“All my life I’ve been learning, and
I’m still learning. They’ve been teaching me how to breathe here, but I also
think that I am teaching them a thing or two. I’ve always been a short
breather, but now I have to concentrate and take these long breaths to let the
air get all the way into my lungs. When I do this, I think about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ruah</i>, the breath of God that hovered
over the waters (cf. Genesis 1:2). God’s breath, His spirit was there at the
first moment of creation, and it is still here in His creation. Because He and
His creative act have not stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>You know, I’ve preached many times
about how the theory of evolution does not in any way contradict the Catholic
faith. People have come up to me afterwards and said, ‘Do you really think that
we came from monkeys?’ And I tell them, ‘Yes!’ God could have started the
process to make us before we ever came to exist. In fact, that process is still
going on. The universe is expanding! When scientists, astronomers look at the
edge of the universe, they see that it is moving outwards, it is still going
and growing larger. What does this mean except that God isn’t finished yet?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>God is still creating. Paul was
wrong: the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pleroma</i> (πλήρωμα), the
fullness of time has not yet come (cf. Galatians 4: 4). The universe is not
completed, God’s plan is still opening up to us. We are evolving, and our
understanding of God is too. How could we say that our conception of God who is
beyond time and space, which are themselves expanding, is not expanding as well?
Because these concepts are the only ones we have and God is larger than them,
then God is infinitely, infinitely beyond our understanding. This infinitude of
God means that our finite minds must evolve to receive Him. As He expands our
universe, we must breath in to let Him continue to create and recreate us. It’s
all connected.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">-- Thus ends the homily. And while his last words were addressed to me, I believe that they were meant for us all. "Keep working," he said to me as they prepared the treatments to save his life. "Keep working."</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8N68mnufHPi6YK84IVoz4RZO3kBfumwIVst9PHQxuWnpkrQkTfHlJ8RMFnEUVjrgPxsikASmiquAQUngumt4dT8x9FND8sed3x288i6rbXsmdY0sI-tWb2X08EU7f0eQ22aFE7iNhA8/s1600/Thornton_R012016.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8N68mnufHPi6YK84IVoz4RZO3kBfumwIVst9PHQxuWnpkrQkTfHlJ8RMFnEUVjrgPxsikASmiquAQUngumt4dT8x9FND8sed3x288i6rbXsmdY0sI-tWb2X08EU7f0eQ22aFE7iNhA8/s200/Thornton_R012016.jpg" width="100" /></a><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Friar Ryan Thornton made his solemn profession as a Franciscan in 2014 and was ordained a priest in 2015. His ordination took place at Sts. Simon and Jude Parish in Huntington Beach, CA where he still serves as part-time parochial vicar when not in school working on his Ph.D.; it was during one of these periods of time that the events described occurred.</span> </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-78140505014390089282018-12-13T07:48:00.004-08:002019-10-18T14:57:36.208-07:00The Advent of Hope: A Brief Week by Week Overview<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">We’ve heard it said and we say it ourselves: </span><i><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">Siempre adelante! Keep going</span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria";">! But we’ve also</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">heard it said, quite bluntly: </span><i><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">Don’t get up your hopes! </span></i><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Which message should we listen to?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";">Advent, this ultimate season of hope, challenges us to consider some fundamental</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
questions: What gives us hope? What keeps us going in difficult times? How can our faith</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
traditions help us to re-center ourselves as a Christian people, a people of hope?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";">First a word from an unexpected center of hope. The country of Sweden, tucked away in the <span style="font-family: "cambria";">northern reaches of Europe, is one of the most affluent and secularized societies in the world. <span style="font-family: "cambria";">It has only a very small percentage of observant Christians and an even smaller, yet</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
surprisingly vibrant Catholic community. From Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
we hear these words of tremendous hope: ". . . the dark collective night (of the soul) can</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
even penetrate the Christian heart. We see it in the lack of vocations and in the empty</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
churches in Europe. Nevertheless, we need hope to continue our pilgrimage in this world.</span><br />
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</span>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";">Hope helps us see our journey from the perspective of eternity.” Referring to the French</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
author Charles Péguy he continues: "We talk a lot about faith and love, but often forget hope <span style="font-family: "cambria";">which is, nevertheless, an enormous force—even and especially in our secular society. Hope <span style="font-family: "cambria";">is the little sister to faith and love. We really need this ‘little sister’ for our continued <span style="font-family: "cambria";">pilgrimage Because it is hope that determines the direction of the journey in our lives and <span style="font-family: "cambria";">helps us t survive in the hardest moments of our existence. Hope is always necessary. We must <span style="font-family: "cambria";">not lose hope that the Lord will help us on our path."</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";">As Christians, we look to our Scriptures to better encounter the Holy Spirit as our source of</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
hope. To remind us that hope is about confidence, expectation, preparation, anticipation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
Hope is about belief in God’s promise of peace, protection, and care in and through Jesus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
Our faith further reminds us that hope is both God’s gift and response to our yearning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
</span>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">In </span><span style="color: #525252; font-family: "cambria";"><span style="color: #525252; font-family: "cambria";">Romans (5:5) we learn that “Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #525252; font-family: "cambria";"><span style="color: #525252; font-family: "cambria";">
<span style="color: #525252; font-family: "cambria";"><span style="color: #525252; font-family: "cambria";">poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” </span></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Hope, this “little</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
sister” of love, sustains us in good times and in bad; in our individual lives as well as in our</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">
faith community-- and throughout our blessed and broken world yearning for authentic and <span style="font-family: "cambria";">lasting peace.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
</span>
<div align="LEFT">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">Advent is the quintessential season of hope. Our readings from Scripture for this all too brief <span style="font-family: "cambria";">time of preparation for the Incarnation of the Lord, the coming of Jesus at Christmas, are <span style="font-family: "cambria";">filled with hope. You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas. Well, from now until Christmas, <span style="font-family: "cambria";">we can celebrate in our Sunday Advent readings no fewer than 12 words from Scripture that <span style="font-family: "cambria";">inspire and sustain our hope. Week by week, we are invited and challenged to take time with <span style="font-family: "cambria";">the Word, to let the Spirit of Jesus fill our hearts with the promise of fresh, new and renewed <span style="font-family: "cambria";">hope. And to give us the confidence to us to trust that God always keeps His promises.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-family: Cambria-Bold;"><b>Week 1</b></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">: In the first Sunday of Advent, God’s prophet </span><b><span style="font-family: Cambria-Bold;">Jeremiah </span></b><span style="font-family: "cambria";">(33) proclaims a season of</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">abundant hope-- Messianic hope—for the Israelites exiled and enslaved in Babylonian some <span style="font-family: "cambria";">600 years before the birth of Jesus: “In those days, Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall <span style="font-family: "cambria";">dwell secure.” In 1 Thessalonians 3, St. Paul enjoins his community and us to: “Strengthen <span style="font-family: "cambria";">your hearts to be blameless before the Lord at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy <span style="font-family: "cambria";">ones.” And in the Gospel, the evangelist Luke (21) offers us an apocalyptic vision of the end <span style="font-family: "cambria";">times—not to frighten us, but to call us to be vigilant and to prepare for the coming of the <span style="font-family: "cambria";">Lord: “Stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand”.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria-Bold;"><b>Week 2: </b></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Baruch (5), secretary to Jeremiah, continues the legacy of his mentor: “Up, <span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-family: "cambria";">Jerusalem! Stand on the heights; look to the east and see your children. . . rejoicing that they <span style="font-family: "cambria";">are remembered by God.” In Philippians (1), Paul, himself in prison, tells us not to worry: <span style="font-family: "cambria";">“The one who began the good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ <span style="font-family: "cambria";">Jesus.” Most significantly, in Luke 3, John the Baptist, literally a voice in the wilderness, <span style="font-family: "cambria";">shouts to all the world: “Prepare the way of the Lord!... All flesh shall see the salvation of <span style="font-family: "cambria";">God.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-family: Cambria-Bold;"><b>Week 3: </b></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">The prophet Zephaniah (3) applies shock therapy to jolt people out of their</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">desolation: “. . . The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune <span style="font-family: "cambria";">to fear.” His cry is amplified in Philippians 4 this Gaudate Sunday in the middle of Advent: <span style="font-family: "cambria";">“Rejoice! . . . The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything…. Make your requests <span style="font-family: "cambria";">known to God.” And Luke (3) continues to present us with the figure of John the Baptist who <span style="font-family: "cambria";">humbly announces the coming of the Lord: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
</span><span style="font-family: "cambria";"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-family: Cambria-Bold;"><b>Week 4 </b></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">is the week many people will miss Mass because that Sunday is December 23 and a</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">lot of folks will move their church attendance to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Still, the</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
drum roll increases and intensifies as Micah (5), writing 8 centuries before the coming of</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
Jesus, shouts to all the world: “His greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
peace!” In Hebrews (10), the author quotes Jesus, our new and eternal High Priest, and</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
reassures us that “by this (Christ’s) will we have been consecrated through the offering of</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
the body of Jesus Christ once and for all.”This joyous shout of living, fulfilling hope is</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
ultimately expressed in Luke 1 as Elizabeth confirms her cousin Mary’s greatest hope with</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
this cry of hope-filled joy: “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
the Lord would be fulfilled.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria";">These Scriptures of Advent intrude upon us in marvelous ways. They break the cycle of our</span></div>
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“stinking thinking”. They jolt us out of pessimism and apathy fed by the incessant flood of</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
messaging produced by people who feed upon cynicism born of despair.</span><br />
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Advent offers us hope: firm, solid, rooted, deep, trustworthy, clear, certain, and sealed with</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
the promise of the Lord himself. In a paraphrase of what St. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">about love can equally be said of its “little sister,” hope: </span><i><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">Hope is patient, hope is kind. It is</span></i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;"><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">not jealous, not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude. Hope is not quick</span><span lang="JA" style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">‐</span><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">tempered, it does</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.</span></i></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria-Italic;"><i>Hope bears all things, believes all thigs, endures all things. Hope never fails</i></span><span style="font-family: "cambria";">.</span></span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1W9yqHj0JMxpebse8-HZOrInMpnAxgp8Z4BpaTC6p8kiy1WescPOOtFJIJWnFKWU8XaZHp5a2Th9JZl6a8P_3ASy4TDd_H70Nc2yNV1J6IA2f1MZosd5k97Ev1JuE8okkJXo28i-Gnw/s1600/Talley_C012016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1W9yqHj0JMxpebse8-HZOrInMpnAxgp8Z4BpaTC6p8kiy1WescPOOtFJIJWnFKWU8XaZHp5a2Th9JZl6a8P_3ASy4TDd_H70Nc2yNV1J6IA2f1MZosd5k97Ev1JuE8okkJXo28i-Gnw/s200/Talley_C012016.jpg" width="99" /></a></div>
<em>Friar Charles Talley is the Communications Director of the Province of St. Barbara. He currently resides at San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, CA and is active in retreat ministry, both at the retreat center and all the way to Sweden. He is fluent in Spanish, French, and Swedish.</em><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Franciscan Friars</span><br />
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Franciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-16234638668637851942018-11-09T06:30:00.000-08:002019-10-18T14:58:14.528-07:00Veterans Day: Honoring Those Who Serve<em>Note: This reflection was originally published at <a href="https://hnp.org/veterans-day-2017/">https://hnp.org/veterans-day-2017/</a></em><br />
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In anticipation of Veterans Day, a student friar who spent 12 years in the military reflects on the importance of the holiday and of recognizing men and women who have served in the armed forces.<br />
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Each year on Nov. 11, our nation honors the men and women who served in our armed forces. This tradition dates back to Nov. 11, 1918, the final day of World War I. In 1918, this day was referred to as Armistice Day, as the word “armistice” is an agreement made by opposing sides in a war. It wasn’t until 1954 that the Nov. 11 holiday was referred to by its current name, Veterans Day.<br />
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Perhaps you are asking yourself who these “veterans” are and why we honor them each year. According to the 2014 U.S. Census Bureau, there are 21.8 million veterans in the United States. This population includes all the men and women who served in the military at one time or another. This is a striking number, given that the population of the United States is approximately 323 million people. These statistics show that veterans make up nearly seven percent of the entire U.S. population. Most likely you know someone or many friends or family members who are veterans. My experience is that most veterans who are on active duty or previously served go about their lives with quiet professionalism. One might never be aware of the responsibility to service that veterans display.<br />
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Now, onto the second part of the question: why do we honor these men and women each year? From 2003 to 2015, I served in the United States Navy alongside some of these men and women. I consider it a great honor to have worked with individuals who selflessly dedicated their lives to a central mission.<br />
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I saw people make great sacrifices; whether it was having to leave loved ones behind during extended deployments or standing watch through the middle of the night, these veterans have gone to great lengths to protect and defend the rights of this great nation. And veterans are not just the ones who we read about going to war and into battles. Many veterans serve or have served in roles that may primarily have included hours and days of tedious training to be prepared should some action be required of them.<br />
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I want to share briefly the lives of two individuals who have strongly influenced me during my time in the military. These men are Lt. Brendan Looney, USN, and Capt. Owen Thorp, USNR. Unfortunately, both of these men have passed on to eternal life, however, during their life here on earth, they both had a strong impact on many people. Lt. Looney was a fellow lacrosse player at the United States Naval Academy and went on to become a Navy Seal. His genuine spirit of kindness along with his commitment and perseverance always stood out to me.<br />
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Capt. Thorp was a kind, compassionate leader who strongly valued his faith. As a submariner, I don’t believe he ever had to serve in any hostile combat. However, as a long-serving engineering instructor at the academy he used his strong Catholic faith and belief in the development of young leaders to provide immeasurable care, counsel, and encouragement to many midshipmen he met while serving there. On one occasion, he mentioned to me that he thought I might have a vocation to religious life. While I distinctly remember wrestling with this idea, it turns out that he had some wisdom there.<br />
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You all probably know some veterans as either family or friends. Let us remember all of those individuals even the ones we don’t know on this Veterans Day in gratitude for their selfless service.<br />
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Peace & all good. I wish you a happy Veterans Day!<br />
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<em>Friar Steve Kuehn is a member of the Holy Name Province. A 2003 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, he grew up in Annapolis, Md., where the academy is located. He is the youngest of four children. His father, Leo Kuehn, was a Commander in the Navy and served in aviation as a naval flight officer onboard P-3C aircraft. Steve now lives at St. Joseph’s Friary in Chicago and studies theology at Catholic Theological Union.</em></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Franciscan Friars</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Phone: </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #990000;">(408) 903-3422 or (510) 821-4492</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Email: </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #990000;">vocations@sbofm.org</span></span></div>
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Franciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-48914711691328605492018-11-07T13:50:00.000-08:002019-10-18T14:58:47.618-07:00A Diaconate Ordination: Behind the Scenes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was 4 o’clock in the morning. I was wide awake and could not go back to sleep. It was the day of my diaconate ordination. In about 6 hours the bishop would be laying his hands on me, invoking the Holy Spirit to empower me to assume this ministry that has existed since the time of the apostles. Although I had been a Franciscan friar for almost 10 years by this time, and had professed my solemn vows two years prior, I was still filled with trepidation. The clerical status (that of priests and deacons) is such a highly visible, public ministry in the Catholic church. I wasn’t sure I could take on that tremendous responsibility. I doubted my worthiness of such an important, holy office.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCizR5gl73jXT9s3i3zwLZFYynfeBqUCf6uuK4V-fjjdyeeGodmRvU26x4dkySKDGFk0XrX1dAYQ1o8F5ntB4gkBaxRijs5PGFXa8T5BpI-fVV-SFGrnPh9J5quyVS65HP_CaLsBLC8PH5/s1600/IMG_4808.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCizR5gl73jXT9s3i3zwLZFYynfeBqUCf6uuK4V-fjjdyeeGodmRvU26x4dkySKDGFk0XrX1dAYQ1o8F5ntB4gkBaxRijs5PGFXa8T5BpI-fVV-SFGrnPh9J5quyVS65HP_CaLsBLC8PH5/s320/IMG_4808.jpeg" width="320" /></a>I tried watching something on TV. It did little to ease my anxiety, so I decided to walk out of the house. There was a meditation chapel next to the friary on the grounds of the Franciscan Renewal Center. I was starting to walk over there when I noticed a cozy, peaceful-looking ramada. The sky was softly lit up by the early light of dawn. Beautiful desert vegetation surrounded the ramada. The birds were chirping. The early fall air felt cool on my skin. I had always prayed better when i was out in nature. I made a turn and started walking toward the ramada.<br />
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I sat there in quiet for awhile, taking in all the beauty around me. Then I started saying my prayer. I could only mutter one sentence, over and over again: “I’m scared, Lord.” Plus the sobbing. For the last few days I had been so busy preparing for the ordination. I also had to introduce myself to the community, which meant lots of smiling and shaking hands. Little did I know that I had been suppressing all the nervousness, anxiety, and other unpleasant emotion. It was only then that I could open the flood gate and let all the raw emotion come out.<br />
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Then the sun started to appear in the horizon. I could feel its warmth on my face. I paused my lamentation. Suddenly I remembered one of my favorite songs, Rawn Harbor’s rendition of Psalm 27: The Lord is My Light and My Salvation. Finding a new strength, I started walking back to the house. There, I pulled out my Bluetooth speaker, searched for the song on my phone, and played it in full volume. I jumped in the shower and sang along. The belting out of the cantor, along with fresh, warm water, gave me a bit of energy.<br />
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After I got dressed, I went out go get coffee. A friend of mine sent me a Starbucks gift card with a generous amount of credits. I decided to finally give Pumpkin Spice Latte, that great American fall tradition, a try. I splurged and ordered a grande. Then I sat there for awhile and did more reflection. I looked back at my past life, of all the things that had been helpful to my vocation, and some that had served more as a distraction. When I checked my watch, it was time to get back.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ8o7SvwoRAbC-4VJ-NEhM0UnCFieFWznCLLAULueXY8gMeWn3RkLxhwEQCgcB9nMdMULnSPxnxH8Z1EzgVpMlMtt3nTT1wKSfsPj0NHnLWaIPQxJAzBkJb_8XyrIQqpt0tRGy8AsYCYe/s1600/image_6483441.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJ8o7SvwoRAbC-4VJ-NEhM0UnCFieFWznCLLAULueXY8gMeWn3RkLxhwEQCgcB9nMdMULnSPxnxH8Z1EzgVpMlMtt3nTT1wKSfsPj0NHnLWaIPQxJAzBkJb_8XyrIQqpt0tRGy8AsYCYe/s320/image_6483441.JPG" width="320" /></a>Around 9 AM, I walked into the church. The choir was practicing and the sacristans were preparing the space. A couple of guests who had come early greeted me. I still had a little anxiety and didn’t feel like greeting a lot of people. So I went into hiding in the Blessed Sacrament chapel. It also always felt cooler there than in the church. I knew I was going to sweat a lot. I naturally do anyway, but this time it was further exacerbated by my nervousness. I thought sitting there would calm and cool me down.<br />
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That sense of calm and cool didn’t last very long. I had to go back to the seemingly warm church. The bishop was already there, so my anxiety went up. Then it was time to line up for the entrance procession. In my nervousness I neglected to say hi to my brother friars who had come to support me and were lining up in front of me. I only remembered making a special request if one of them, who had been a good friend to me, could sit next to me during mass. Maybe he could catch me if I fainted. <br />
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Somebody gave us the sign to start the procession. I forced my legs to move. As I stepped into the worship space, the choir was still singing the prelude. It was Chris Muglia’s “You Are Welcome Here.” <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt31axwkmyPxq4NukWscrwloJH4J1xM-OfYIR6Fw4A_ZXYy_qr-Xn8v1ybyG5EcsyvNeqvE1DBCmzx3g6j3YD5NABuipPLqoIG46-7E9j_0TX-9DDB0vbQkhzVqaNdfOh3w9ahta7wUwg-/s1600/44594465_10216018270362695_4102529929093054464_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt31axwkmyPxq4NukWscrwloJH4J1xM-OfYIR6Fw4A_ZXYy_qr-Xn8v1ybyG5EcsyvNeqvE1DBCmzx3g6j3YD5NABuipPLqoIG46-7E9j_0TX-9DDB0vbQkhzVqaNdfOh3w9ahta7wUwg-/s320/44594465_10216018270362695_4102529929093054464_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><em>Come all you wounded and weary</em><br />
<em>Come all you heavy of heart</em><br />
<em>Come with your fear and your burden</em><br />
<em>Come with your pain and your scars</em><br />
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<em>You are welcome here, come as you are</em><br />
<em>You are welcome here with open arms</em><br />
<em>Bring your burdens, bring your pain</em><br />
<em>Bring your sorrow and shame</em><br />
<em>You are welcome here, come as you are.</em><br />
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I choked back my tears. I looked away from the assembly in an attempt to hide them. I cried because at that moment I really felt embraced lovingly by God. It was as if the words of that song were directed specifically to me. I was the one with the heavy heart. I was the one filled with fear, sorrow and shame. How could a man like me be a deacon of Christ? Yet God was saying to me, through the community in their song: “Come as you are!”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX0K86053jDt_XKYJwjft0wdBKtdpzbQjRqfcPpRPwh6IVlAMXHcBaDJL8s9elQhkc6diP7r5h0sO7pa2hijFLXFSLtpE83exNDhkxKvGEEsaRPX3V6gdKGGUeIxS5i_EW5OtXNVF2lAP/s1600/44522784_10156155745274563_476440662015737856_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHX0K86053jDt_XKYJwjft0wdBKtdpzbQjRqfcPpRPwh6IVlAMXHcBaDJL8s9elQhkc6diP7r5h0sO7pa2hijFLXFSLtpE83exNDhkxKvGEEsaRPX3V6gdKGGUeIxS5i_EW5OtXNVF2lAP/s320/44522784_10156155745274563_476440662015737856_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>I wiped my tears and turned my head back toward the assembly. My heart, my steps felt lighter. I found it easier to crack a smile. The rest of the mass seemed like a breeze, despite problems with the AC and trying to keep my stole in place. As I laid prostrate during the Litany of Saints, I tried to imagine all the saints mentioned surrounding me, especially Oscar Romero and Pope Paul VI who had just been canonized a week earlier. But somehow it also came to my mind all the migrants that had died on our southern border. I vividly remembered a photo of one of them, a 14-year-old girl from El Salvador named Josseline. I also remembered Richard Purcell, a friar who helped me a lot during formation and died not long after I finished novitiate. Again, I felt a little strengthened knowing that all these people, on earth and in heaven, were supporting me. <br />
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Some of my old friends from my years with the Indonesian Catholic young adult group in Los Angeles traveled the long distance to be with me. Their presence reminded me of what prompted me to walk this path into priesthood for the first time. It was the time I had spent with them, praying, singing, sharing our faith, feasting, serving, and laughing that inspired me to want to dedicate all my life to the Church. We can barely call ourselves <b>young</b> adults now. Some of them even have already had kids.<br />
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A couple of days later I finally had time to open all the congratulatory cards. One of them had a piece of paper attached. On it was something scribbled by one of my friends' kids. My friend told me that on that long road trip from California, his kid had been busy flipping through the pages of his Bible, trying to find something to write for me. My tears began to flow as I was reading it. It was the perfect prayer for what I experienced that morning of my ordination. Through a 7-year-old, I was reminded that God had been with me throughout that very special day, and all my journey that got me this far.<br />
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<em>Friar Sam Nasada joined the friars in 2009, professed solemn vows in 2016, and received his Master of Divinity degree from the Franciscan School of Theology in 2017. He was ordained to the diaconate in October 2018 and currently serves at the Franciscan Renewal Center, Scottsdale, AZ.</em><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-65774452611460881622018-08-26T22:04:00.003-07:002018-08-26T22:04:38.814-07:00Friar Antonio Luevano Reflects on His Discernment and Formation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;"><i>Friar Antonio Luevano hails from Rancho Cucamonga, California. Prior to joining the Franciscans, he worked for the Diocese of San Bernardino. He currently resides at Old Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside, CA to complete his theology studies at the Franciscan School of Theology (<a href="http://www.fst.edu/">www.fst.edu</a>). </i></span>
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Franciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-75473587855653547712018-08-26T21:53:00.004-07:002018-08-30T17:14:18.846-07:00A Desert Experience: A Reflection by Friar Andrew DinegarFrom June 18, 2018 – July 8, 2018, I visited Santa Barbara’s Ite Nuntiate Franciscan Intentional Community, located in Elfrida, Arizona. Elfrida is a very small town, with a population of about 460 people. Elfrida is located 25 miles north of Douglas, Arizona; Douglas is a border town.<br />
The Ite Nuntiate Community was started by Friar David Buer, OFM., in September, 2017. Currently, two other friars live in Community with Brother David. They are Friar Sam Nasada, OFM and Friar Luis Runde, OFM from the Sacred Heart Province.<br />
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On June 18, 2018, Brother Sam and I visited Ajo, Arizona, for two days, staying with his friends, the Weyers, who are involved with the Ajo Samaritans, a group of religious and lay volunteers, who serve in desert ministry, which involves groups of folks who drive deep into the Sonoran desert, walking the migrant trails, carrying gallons of drinking water, snacks and other supplies, and placing them along the routes where the migrants could find these life-saving items as they cross the unforgiving desert.<br />
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On the morning of June 19th, Brother Sam and I woke early. Along with Sister Judy Bourg, School Sister of Notre Dame, and John Heid, a local volunteer, we started out on a journey which took us 14 miles in to the desert on a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, and then walked another mile along a migrant trail to place our supplies. John and Sister Judy are very knowledgeable with the local desert migrant trails.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLR32eq1xxfrP_Ux6bkmvV815WRTXN8qOLx4gBCtpzou979zUhvi6p9COKVCIxdKnHJGwrP-8nWA-asoL0Ars-3I4QK2bNIzBBorFJbsweCO72pdcDHXZrcadZAwp_NdcNIBmy1Hfy1Y/s1600/20180707_070029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLR32eq1xxfrP_Ux6bkmvV815WRTXN8qOLx4gBCtpzou979zUhvi6p9COKVCIxdKnHJGwrP-8nWA-asoL0Ars-3I4QK2bNIzBBorFJbsweCO72pdcDHXZrcadZAwp_NdcNIBmy1Hfy1Y/s200/20180707_070029.jpg" width="150" /></a>Ajo Samaritans is an offshoot of Tucson Samaritans (<a href="http://www.tucsonsamaritans.org/">http://www.tucsonsamaritans.org</a>), a humanitarian aid organization founded in 2002. It is a mission of Southside Presbyterian Church and seeks to help prevent deaths and suffering along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Samaritans are made up of volunteers who drop off food and water in various locations in the Sonoran Desert. They come from various faith traditions or none at all. Using two donated four-wheel-drive vehicles, they carry water, food, emergency medical supplies, communication equipment and maps out to the desert daily to help save the lives of people who are crossing the landscape.<br />
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The four of us came upon a few empty water bottles (gallon-sized) and a hoodie sweatshirt, items which had been discarded by migrants walking the trail. I had been thinking of that old adage, “If these walls could talk….” Well, I used that adage in context of, “If these items could talk;” “If these desert floors and trees could talk.” What would they say? What would they speak to me?<br />
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Ending migrant deaths and related suffering on the U.S.-Mexico border is also a mission of the non-profit organization Colibri Center for Human Rights (<a href="http://www.colibricenter.org/">http://www.colibricenter.org</a>). From January to June 20, 2018, the number of migrant deaths (recovered remains) in Pima County stood at 56. According to Border Patrol statistics, more than 7,200 have died trying to cross the U.S. southern border. But it is believed that the actual number is even higher. Colibri is working in partnership with the Pima County Medical Examiner and the families of those missing by comparing information about missing individuals and those who died and were recovered in the desert. Colibri’s mission includes finding the missing and identifying the dead. Over the last 12 years, the ministry had collected nearly 3,000 detailed reports of missing persons who had disappeared in the desert.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOxQzwPKpoDE58DZ-HTqPS1SDNQzrhswPrj7jqudq6H-ex3aGtmiFMAGNMv7xjLx3vJFF9B3q07WGajXvY4LtShlR6RDJ3Muk6utaQYnpB2jVz5kXzNRniDH0PbrK8nDGBOzYZndh5b8/s1600/douglas+170919+-+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOxQzwPKpoDE58DZ-HTqPS1SDNQzrhswPrj7jqudq6H-ex3aGtmiFMAGNMv7xjLx3vJFF9B3q07WGajXvY4LtShlR6RDJ3Muk6utaQYnpB2jVz5kXzNRniDH0PbrK8nDGBOzYZndh5b8/s320/douglas+170919+-+3.JPG" width="320" /></a>On Tuesday evenings, in Douglas, a group of religious and volunteers gather at a local McDonald’s restaurant, approximately 3 blocks from the US-Mexico border crossing to remember our brothers and sisters who tried to cross and lost their lives in the desert. During the weekly vigil in Douglas, Arizona, participants hold up crosses bearing the names of those who died while trying to cross the border into the United States. The vigil serves to remember all the migrants who have died in Cochise county. We each read the name on the cross out loud, held it up, and laid the cross on the side of the road leading to the border crossing. It started as a response from the Douglas faith communities to the finding of 6 dead migrants who were trapped in a sewer ditch during a heavy rain. When most people in our country ignore this atrocity or put the blame on migrants, these few people in Douglas make sure that all brothers and sisters of ours in God are not forgotten.<br />
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Another ministry which we had visited, in the Mexican border town of Agua Prieta, south of Douglas, was C.A.M.E. (Centro de Atencional Migrante "Exodus"). Here I learned more about the brutal and life-threatening journey that migrants must endure. Hundreds die annually in the inhospitable desert. Most of these are slow, agonizing deaths of thirst and heat exhaustion. <br />
Most would-be crossers travel from southern Mexico and even as far away as Central and South America. Statistically, for every 1 who makes it, 2 do not. Many are abused and robbed by their “Polleros” or “Coyotes” (people they pay to lead them to cross the border). Others are blocked at the border and tumble back into Agua Prieta, or are apprehended by the U.S. border patrol and deported. The majority of them are left far from home, penniless, demoralized and often injured or ill. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlF0Of6XLmN1E-ki_CxkGHGm4Mx18KPkPiO4RZ6DLZph1OKRuUHPrd-FF5hjNhBSa17TaGg-s5dr8mhrYHxtbtRzTT25hEX2l5NvAXVWxcMDW6E6xR30Ckpbj09RimY1DK0Zxts7PSBjg/s1600/20180705_093115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlF0Of6XLmN1E-ki_CxkGHGm4Mx18KPkPiO4RZ6DLZph1OKRuUHPrd-FF5hjNhBSa17TaGg-s5dr8mhrYHxtbtRzTT25hEX2l5NvAXVWxcMDW6E6xR30Ckpbj09RimY1DK0Zxts7PSBjg/s320/20180705_093115.jpg" width="240" /></a>For this reason, the C.A.M.E. Migrant Center was established in 2007. This is a short-stay center where migrants receive a meal and a place to rest. They are provided information on where they can receive medical assistance. The shelter is a free, safe place where people can spend the night, connect with their families, wait for additional funds to return home and receive basic humanitarian care. The center does not receive government aid but operates on donations from organizations such as Rancho Feliz, churches and other relief groups in the area.<br />
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One day Brothers Sam and David, a group of young women from CalState East Bay campus ministry, and I visited an immigration trial in the Federal Courthouse in Tucson. In what is named "Operation Streamline", the detainees filed into the room seven by seven for a dose of rapid-fire justice. In less than a minute and in quick succession, each migrant pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States and was sentenced. If applicable, the clients could apply for asylum. They were overwhelmingly Central American and Mexican men, many of which were still in the dusty, sweaty garb they had been wearing when they were caught by Border Patrol agents. They looked dazed, tired and resigned to their fate, many having just completed a harsh trek across the sweltering desert. Some of their heads drooped as they listened to the judge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74_Z5_uTqhtjEg7Bbzm227ryIpiDT-_Mj1CY5F8-zCGgRjqyv2nk1u8y9jWNJRK5GqtVJHsmcvfrHdJFB_YRAQlqW_encf6ge0KUhrixJvbHF7UM0LjHHoqnVO12ybyt0RONcGRto0Xo/s1600/20180704_104130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi74_Z5_uTqhtjEg7Bbzm227ryIpiDT-_Mj1CY5F8-zCGgRjqyv2nk1u8y9jWNJRK5GqtVJHsmcvfrHdJFB_YRAQlqW_encf6ge0KUhrixJvbHF7UM0LjHHoqnVO12ybyt0RONcGRto0Xo/s320/20180704_104130.jpg" width="240" /></a>Within my 3-week visit with my brother Franciscans, I and other volunteers, visited the migrant trails in the desert 3 times. Each trip was different. We drove many miles into the desert on each occasion, and walked up 1 mile, if not more, to get to our ‘destinations,’ where we repeated the same processes of placing supplies for our brothers and sisters who will pass through these routes. The desert is not a joke. Extreme temperatures, dry heat, views that have no end in sight (the desert floor and sky go on for miles!). It’s foreboding and not kind to people who enter into it.<br />
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When I say, “enter into it,” I mean more than just walking through the desert, physically. I also mean emotionally and spiritually. The desert takes you out of yourself. In my case, the desert was challenging me. It made me stop and take a look at my life and place it into the context of our brothers and sisters who risk their lives to leave their personal hell and try to live a better one, at any cost. And not only our brothers and sisters in this desert, but in all the ‘deserts’ throughout our world. The deserts of poverty, loneliness, abandonment, addictions and abuses, worldliness, pride, and the list goes on and on…<br />
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My ‘cost’ was being stripped down to my core, my soul, to taking a look at my life and the gifts and graces which God had given me and continues to try to give me (if only I would stay open to Him). All the things that I had, many of which those who are crossing the border don’t have. I looked deep inside myself as I looked deeply around the desert, and saw a comparison: my emptiness, my shallowness, my false self. I had many opportunities and offerings in my life, many of which I had not taken, for whatever reasons, and many I had taken…for granted, and not put to good use. There are people out there in the world, who would jump at the offerings that I have had, if they could.<br />
During each of my 3 visits to the desert, the desert had held me hostage, with (literally and figuratively) nowhere to run or hide. I was as exposed to myself as I was to the elements, and I had nowhere, nothing to do, to turn to, except to go interiorly, and visit with God and try to find myself and live the life for which I was created.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iomU7b904b68-IHs-eqo-I4Y1dVC_fiuGiiDK_HAgdm9TooYyVXTZmv2VGqu8jCu6AeSji4ku3abKgJaJONH6QzdkPF724SF_xwLz8QUWSJFB0nVShd5BKgqN8aNmnf8zxkhXq_gGTY/s1600/image_6483441+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="392" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iomU7b904b68-IHs-eqo-I4Y1dVC_fiuGiiDK_HAgdm9TooYyVXTZmv2VGqu8jCu6AeSji4ku3abKgJaJONH6QzdkPF724SF_xwLz8QUWSJFB0nVShd5BKgqN8aNmnf8zxkhXq_gGTY/s200/image_6483441+%25283%2529.jpg" width="98" /></a><br />
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<i>Friar Andrew Dinegar is originally from Brooklyn, NY. He currently is a novice with the Franciscan Interprovincial Novitiate in Santa Barbara, California.</i><br />
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Franciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-74629354749035892542018-07-18T09:12:00.003-07:002018-07-18T09:12:44.903-07:00New Novices Received at Old Mission Santa Barbara<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisW5iJ0BJegzk8Ns8MvAg9EYw3KW_fvQEPGNMaqPUVooTRvPOIMSW8PL1tJZUGqQP87YR8oImKySr5BoJjNCvxR1ay3fjd1brZiXglvSQYOXFttsa9i64l1ElMo2mLskEyEgeEJM_4dC0/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisW5iJ0BJegzk8Ns8MvAg9EYw3KW_fvQEPGNMaqPUVooTRvPOIMSW8PL1tJZUGqQP87YR8oImKySr5BoJjNCvxR1ay3fjd1brZiXglvSQYOXFttsa9i64l1ElMo2mLskEyEgeEJM_4dC0/s400/unnamed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group photo of novitiate class 2018-19: Row 1 (l to r): Josh Tagoylo (SB), Carlos Portillo (HNP), Richard Phillip (HNP), Nhan Ton (SH), Rafael Ozoude (SJB). Row 2 (l to r): John Neuffer (HNP), Steven Young (HNP), Andrew Aldrich (ABVM), Matt Ryan (SJB), Bernard Keele (OLG). Row 3 (l to r): Loren Moreno (HNP), Ian Grant (HNP), Salvador Mejia (SB), Andrew Dinegar (SB). Photo by Dick Tandy, ofm</td></tr>
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On Monday, July 16, 2018—a typically balmy Santa Barbara morning—14 new novices representing all six of the US provinces involved in the R + R (Revitalization + Realignment) process were received into the Order. One of the group, Bernard Keele (OLG) received the Rite of Probation initiating his transfer from the Benedictines to the Franciscans. In addition, two men from Christ the King province in western Canada—not present-- are awaiting their US visas before they can join their US confreres in the program.<br />
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“We’re not at St. Peter’s in Rome, “ began Friar Jeff Macnab as he welcomed the diverse group of new friars—almost all of whom had just completed their postulancy year in Silver Spring, Maryland before moving to the present interprovincial novitiate location at Old Mission Santa Barbara (California). “We’re very relaxed here,” he continued as he looked around the intimate group of new and “old” novices, ministers provincial, formation team members, and others gathered in the Friars Chapel: “This is a family celebration—a family gathering.”<br />
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The sense of family was reinforced in the remarks given by Provincial Minister Jim Gannon of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ABVM) province. Following the proclamation of the Prologue of the Gospel of St. John (1:1-10), Father Jim mentioned that it reminded him of not one, but three separate generations of baptisms witnessed in his native Philadelphia. He began by mentioning the parish priest of his own childhood who, typically, immediately following the baptismal rite, would carry the infant in his arms from the rear of the church. The priest would then “present” the infant by placing it on the main altar, while he recited the Prologue, formerly known as the “last Gospel”. Fr. Jim shared that this same custom has been treasured in his own family for three generations now.<br />
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Fr. Jim challenged the incoming novitiate class members to work to understand more deeply the real meaning of the Prologue—“words full of grace and truth; grace upon grace, love upon love” and to apply its message to their own lives. “The Prologue of the Gospel of John is one of the most glorious foundational statements about Jesus Christ. Yet, we often skip over (it). John's story reveals two most fundamental affirmations about Jesus: Jesus is the presence of God's own life and that Jesus makes this life of God available to every human being.”<br />
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“For Francis of Assisi,” he continued, “ the Word became the core foundation of his renewed, revitalized life. The Word turned Francis of Assisi upside down and inside out. I firmly believe that no individual renewal or revitalization, no global renewal or revitalization of the Order of Friars Minor-- no national renewal or revitalization of the Franciscans in the United States will be successful unless we are committed to renewing our love for living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”<br />
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“Brothers, you are the next generation,” he concluded. “As you enter your novitiate year, enter deeply into the implication of the Prologue of John's Gospel. Enter deeply into the implications of the Incarnation, the Word made Flesh upon your life as a Friar Minor.”<br />
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During the actual reception of the new novices, each man was called by name and, along with two solemnly professed friars as witnesses, signed the Book of Reception. Bernard Keele (OLG) was welcome separately into “a time of probation” with the friars. Also in attendance were representatives of each of the six participating provinces, including: Provincial Ministers Jim Gannon (ABVM), Jack Clark Robinson (OLG), Ralph Parthie (SH), David Gaa (SB), and Mark Soehner (SJB). Friar Basil Valente represented Holy Name Province.<br />
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Afterwards, Provincial Minister David Gaa, of the Province of St. Barbara, presented each new novice with a journal of his own “to write and express your journey.” “. . . . Be attentive to the workings of the Spirit and (even) the days you resist the challenge,” he urged them.<br />
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The service concluded with blessings of and by this year’s interprovincial novitiate team, consisting of Friars Jeff Macnab (SB), Michael Blastic (HNP), and Michael Jennrich (SH), as well as Sister Susan Rosenbach SSSF.<br />
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The new novices include: Andrew Aldrich (ABVM); Ian Grant, Loren Moreno, John Neuffer, Richard Phillip, Carlos Portillo, and Steven Young—all of Holy Name Province; Nhan Ton (SH); Andrew Dinegar, Salvador Mejia, and Joshua Tagoylo (SB); Raphael Ozoude and Matthew Ryan (SJB); and Bernard Keele (OLG), formerly of the Benedictine order. Still to arrive are Adrian Macor and Theodore Splinter of the Province of Christ the King (western Canada).<br />
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<i>Friar Charles Talley is the Communications Director of the Province of St. Barbara. He currently resides at San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville, CA.</i></div>
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Franciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-79093224966545297052017-12-21T05:29:00.001-08:002017-12-21T05:29:54.762-08:00A Franciscan AdventAdvent’s vision and energy for fuller birth I find can be helpful for us as we engage our Franciscan future. Image Advent as a mountain that God beckons us to climb. And as we climb, let us free our imaginations to vision our future, the future of God coming into our present.<br />
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The expression of time as divided into “the already and the not yet” is for me the best understanding of eschatology. The fullness that came and comes in Jesus is “the already”, the “not yet” is what we are called to.<br />
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To me, and I’m sure to you as well, no tradition, no spirituality holds a more future-making potential than one we were graced to become part of. Europe never saw the likes of the Franciscan Movement. It took hold as nothing else did. Its power still resides in that tradition that we claim to be our heritage.<br />
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“…how beautiful the feet of those who proclaim good news…” The human is God’s chosen dwelling place! That is the good news that we bring to all we do and say!<br />
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As you are aware, in Mark, Matthew, and Luke, the eschatological is intertwined —or explicated within — the apocalyptic. On the mountain of Advent God will show us not only the fuller birth that is open to us in this moment of our history, but God will also bring to our hearts places where apocalyptic images are so raw and pressing. Think of Yemen, of Syria, and so many other places and situations that come to your mind so readily and so painfully.<br />
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We face our history! We face it for we are one human family! An image that sears my awareness is, “My country is at the center of every economic, environmental, and military disaster the world over!”<br />
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As Advent begins, Mark becomes our gospel companion. Mark as no other caught the immediacy of Jesus. May his immediacy catch us up too. Mark’s Gospel is a primer on discipleship. How fortunate and blessed we are to live in this communion of disciples! In the immediacy, in the intensity of Francis’ following of Jesus may we join together as one. Jesus calls us to collaboration. A new Franciscan Movement awaits our collaboration.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKG2nzIJ6yOYL4DZ7_NdIsvs9gxt40_7FdI0Yc15XQvfg6xJlbBwQX7l75-PktOZeBPfLwkmnnQaX_6JgY335BEo8TTwun11H86wkZQXTw5_3J2zuTd_1ec2KP-A34NtwpuFc76ikQ7E/s1600/PJS_3116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="496" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXKG2nzIJ6yOYL4DZ7_NdIsvs9gxt40_7FdI0Yc15XQvfg6xJlbBwQX7l75-PktOZeBPfLwkmnnQaX_6JgY335BEo8TTwun11H86wkZQXTw5_3J2zuTd_1ec2KP-A34NtwpuFc76ikQ7E/s200/PJS_3116.jpg" width="133" /></a><i>Friar Matt Tumulty has had the richness of living in two Provinces, Holy Name (NY) and Santa Barbara (CA). He served for over 5 years as a missionary in Japan and worked with a Small Eucharistic Community for fifteen years in San Anselmo, CA. In Portland, OR he helped start Franciscan Enterprise which renovated abandoned houses with volunteers to house low-income families. He also once served as a co-pastor to a Lutheran/Roman Catholic joint community and ministered to the homeless and to migrants at the Arizona-Mexico border. He is presently retired and living at Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside, CA.</i></div>
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Franciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-30685040192950089022017-11-02T09:07:00.001-07:002017-11-02T09:07:28.229-07:00All Souls Matter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple days ago, I went with a group from <a href="http://forms.nomoredeaths.org/en/">No More Deaths</a> and <a href="https://ajosamaritans.wordpress.com/">Ajo Samaritans</a> on a trip to leave bottled waters in the desert near Ajo, Arizona. After a few miles walking, someone from our group noticed a human skull underneath some bushes. We paused and spent some time in silent prayer. It was my first time encountering human remains in a corridor used by migrants to cross from Mexico into the U.S. Some of us in the group had previous encounters, but it is still had a big impact for them. As per the established procedure, we called the Sheriff Office using a satellite phone and waited until the deputies arrived. We also scoured the nearby areas to see if we could find more remains. We did find one more human bone, and also some clothing, shoes, backpacks, and a sleeping bag. It is possible that they had belonged to the person whose remains we found.<br />
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Hundred of migrants have died every year as they try to cross the desert into the United States. One estimate put the total number to more than 10,000 deaths since 1994. Aside from the political and legal debate about immigration, the fact is that these are human lives! Every human life is valuable, each one of them is created by God and loved by God.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6vnt57bUJ-5VTUDi1_l741fBOPviTP4tRE6t7UTpgxQnsH1TgiRwHb3oyCqU0KVaGPUmFQLANpIulsyfv5J_o8rOzHb9XI6rX1BsrS_TD4qGLLih1sqIo2o0IIqB0n_l76S3bxGZO6Hj/s1600/WR8E5363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1326" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI6vnt57bUJ-5VTUDi1_l741fBOPviTP4tRE6t7UTpgxQnsH1TgiRwHb3oyCqU0KVaGPUmFQLANpIulsyfv5J_o8rOzHb9XI6rX1BsrS_TD4qGLLih1sqIo2o0IIqB0n_l76S3bxGZO6Hj/s320/WR8E5363.jpg" width="320" /></a>Today, November 2, the Catholic Church commemorates All the Faithful Departed, also known as All Souls Day or Dia de Los Muertos. When I was living at Old Mission San Luis Rey, I saw for the first time the Hispanic tradition of celebrating the day with some kind of a vigil at the cemetery. On October 2, in the evening, families would gather around the grave of their loved ones. They would drink hot chocolate or champurrado, eat some homemade food, and share stories to remember that family member who had gone before them. It was truly a sign of the Communion of Saints! That night, death is no barrier for us, alive and death, to be spending some time together.<br />
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Back in the Arizona desert, as we were waiting for the sheriff deputies to arrive, we sat around this human skull that we just found, and started to open our backpacks to find whatever little food we had for lunch. We shared trail mixes, crackers, cheese, and hummus with each other. We shared stories about our lives. At first it felt like a disrespect to this sacred ground where the only appropriate mood seemed to only be a somber one. But then as I thought more about it, isn't this what the Christian paschal mystery is all about? We mourn the passion and death of Jesus, but we also then celebrate his resurrection, his victory over death, by breaking bread and sharing meal with each other. And just like that night on All Souls Day at the Mission San Luis Rey cemetery, we celebrated the life of this person who had died alone in the middle of the desert. Probably for the first time ever since his death, a group of people actually gathered around to remember him and celebrate his life.<br />
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<i>Sam Nasada, OFM received his Master of Divinity degree from the Franciscan School of Theology in Oceanside, CA this past summer. He is currently part of a new initiative of the Province of St. Barbara: a small intentional community near the Arizona-Mexico border that is focused on contemplation and helping those in the margins. He hopes that this experience will help in his formation to become a priest who will not be afraid to, borrowing a term from Pope Francis, "smell like his sheep".</i><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-73527992717978431762017-10-29T20:29:00.000-07:002017-10-29T20:29:10.685-07:00“The Slathering of Oil” A Reflection on the Dedication of the Conventual Church of Our Lady of The Angels<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwySsb-_Bn6n2iJyMDegLffIPZfJSZIwSNH95G10HvMWk-BanG7snE2sKlMR3gRClxF72bTTcfXaZFxUDF4jXHlAwxwwH2MKFaeCApinxQl6Aw3y6OaUBWxLBzUDIQWXF-qV6NsHxxE0/s1600/Casa+Oil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwySsb-_Bn6n2iJyMDegLffIPZfJSZIwSNH95G10HvMWk-BanG7snE2sKlMR3gRClxF72bTTcfXaZFxUDF4jXHlAwxwwH2MKFaeCApinxQl6Aw3y6OaUBWxLBzUDIQWXF-qV6NsHxxE0/s400/Casa+Oil.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix pours Chrism Oil onto the altar of the <br />
new Conventual Church of Our Lady of the Angels, Franciscan Renewal Center <br />
(also popularly known as "The Casa"), Scottsdale, AZ</td></tr>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>This reflection was originally published in OFM.FYI, the newsletter of the Province of St. Barbara.</i><br />
<br />
Friar Michael Weisshaar (d. 1996) used to welcome Friar Regis Rohder (d.1983) at the Casa’s front door in the early Seventies with a peck on the top of his head and a giggle: “Kiss a relic!” His parking lot is now a shrine. We buried relics under the floor of a new sanctuary there. Our senses were filled with the smell of chrism and flowers and billowing sweet incense. It is not easy on the Catholic imagination to undo what we witnessed on Francis Day at the Casa this year. Recent decades have seen so many sacred buildings of our country closed and abandoned to “profane use.” But as a bishop slathers chrism across the mensa of a new altar and permanently stains the walls with it, something changes inside of us. Something often messy is dedicated as well. Vestments and new altar cloths were ruined with permanent oil stains, ruined like all of us, and dedicated at the same time, perhaps, to a humanity made more sacred.<br />
<br />
I didn't want to concelebrate; to sit in habit among the friars felt enough. A question by a Lutheran pastor I studied with at the Chicago Theological Union lingered across my thoughts: “I don't understand you Catholics. If the Lord Jesus was not worried about spilling his Sacred Blood on the garbage dump of Calvary, why are you worried about spilling the blest chalice on a “chrismed” altar? “ But we are. Obsessed sometimes. And sometimes we appear “picky” about the proper rites for dedicating things. But these things “baptize” a building of stone and steel with water and oil and sacred Word. It was good, too, to be among the friars, hearing Bishop Olmsted applaud our kind of Franciscan church-building and rebuilding. Even with our personnel issues, he noted, the three Phoenix Franciscan centers continue to invigorate his diocese. After all, the friars have sought to do “good church” here since our Marcos Di Niza first trudged through this desert looking for gold… more than three hundred years ago.<br />
<br />
At that moment of slathering the walls and altar table, we were all one. Not liberal or conservative church people any more. All of our diocesan leadership were there: the bishop, vicar of clergy, vicar general, chancellor and deans… and even a few the “New Franciscans” of the Phoenix diocese. We have done battle recently on the question of what face of the Church do we want project in central Phoenix. Here, we the “older” Franciscans who brought the Gospel to Arizona so many hundreds of years ago became a temporary sea of brown. Our way leans more often toward the human, the messy and the proximate. This seemed to charm as well in the context of ancient rites. In some important way, in the slathering oil, the illuminating of the walls and the dressing of the altar, we were just the Body of Christ, doing business.<br />
<br />
The anti-Trump demonstrations just a month ago left the friary and the century-old Basilica of St. Mary’s full of tear gas. We friars had stepped away from the crowds that evening to pray vespers and to anoint Fr. Luis for his surgery the next day. It was a wild juxtaposition - the chanting rage of the crowds at an inhumane national administration and the slathering of oil. We friars there “did church” and attended to the crowds from our front steps. To “church” is a verb, after all. Maybe by doing it well on the steps we reduced the violence in those angry streets. The moment became intimate, graced and blest. Slathering and chanting kept coming to mind as the bishop anointed that altar of Our Lady of Angels.<br />
<br />
Our guests did not seem to be bothered by the Casa hand waving and “alleluia” signing. We were just the Body of Christ doing its thing - epiclesis. Dedicating spaces and lives by invoking the Third Sacred Person of the Trinity. Calling on the Spirit to enter our world and heal its violence and self-centeredness. To present a human face of Church, that is our vocation here.<br />
<br />
We friars don't build new buildings often anymore. The recent history of St. Barbara has been in the adapting of old ones to new purposes. But here we saw a building changed from being an impressive piece of architecture to a sacred place for worship. I remember the words over the doors in the old St. Anthony Church in San Francisco: Ecce Domus Domini Firmiter Edificata/ This is the House of God firmly built! Or better yet, this is the House of the People of God - on the road, living messes and messy lives. Trudging along on our way to Jerusalem and Calvary. Together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4gVKrcU9wmaM49ukO_eZu1VJyXRbEML94GiBqQpesEZFK59Mf2ZZ09Q40ANcng4V82UPVPr1Vx0kieq4l4YwsEjrSR_cQ9msOqhQNAmBr3aGmAA_soJE7vUEiseXO5D5mNnZO7PMLGY/s1600/weldon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="429" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4gVKrcU9wmaM49ukO_eZu1VJyXRbEML94GiBqQpesEZFK59Mf2ZZ09Q40ANcng4V82UPVPr1Vx0kieq4l4YwsEjrSR_cQ9msOqhQNAmBr3aGmAA_soJE7vUEiseXO5D5mNnZO7PMLGY/s200/weldon.jpg" width="96" /></a></div>
<i>Friar Michael Weldon is a Friar of the St. Barbara Province. Ordained a priest in 1981, he has served as vocation director, pastor, theology school professor, author, and consultant for parish reconfiguration process. In 2014, he began his current assignment as Rector and Guardian of St. Mary’s Basilica, Phoenix, AZ and Adjunct professor of Pastoral Studies at the Franciscan School of Theology in Oceanside, California. </i><br />
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Franciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-88630336138954386082017-10-11T06:16:00.001-07:002017-10-15T20:48:12.482-07:00Franciscans = Great Lovers<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGX3m8e1u8rUA1aWTH-9A1TTaOTR6pUG8cHqmGYFklBJ4S2vVxX9X_1NnvGGBzLXN2AcQMUhCfyeLSObVupAAnlCgAUQlbQOjqfEjrHuyvcU4Hbwk5pklsrawzyMRE0zykUsDq1gUXkw9w/s1600/b7179d88cbd8f41e894828c9f8505230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="594" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGX3m8e1u8rUA1aWTH-9A1TTaOTR6pUG8cHqmGYFklBJ4S2vVxX9X_1NnvGGBzLXN2AcQMUhCfyeLSObVupAAnlCgAUQlbQOjqfEjrHuyvcU4Hbwk5pklsrawzyMRE0zykUsDq1gUXkw9w/s320/b7179d88cbd8f41e894828c9f8505230.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Death of St. Francis" by Giotto, Bardi Chapel, Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>This reflection was given during a Transitus service commemorating the death of St. Francis on October 3, 2017 at St. Francis Mission Church in Elfrida, AZ. </i><br />
<br />
A friend of mine once asked me, “Can you pick one word to describe what Franciscans are all about?” At first I wanted to say, “Humility!” But then I thought, “That won’t be a very humble thing to say.” So I paused and thought hard. Then it came to me: Lovers! We, Franciscans, are great lovers! I will explain why in a minute. But to understand why, we need to go back to the man who started it all: St. Francis of Assisi.<br />
<br />
Francis was born around 1182 in a small Italian town of Assisi. He was the son of a cloth merchant, in a family that had money. Francis had no problem spending his time and money for food, drinks, and parties. He liked being the center of attention. To gain more fame, he wanted to become a knight, going to battles and win an honor for his own name. Unfortunately, during one such battle, he was captured by the enemy and imprisoned for a period of time.<br />
<br />
There are many versions of what happened next. Some said God talked to Francis in a dream. Another said he heard Jesus talking through a crucifix. But they all seemed to agree on something: Francis went through a profound conversion. I personally like the version that came from Francis’ own writing. In what is called his Testament, he wrote:<br />
“The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus to begin doing penance in this way: for when I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them. And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body. And afterwards I delayed a little and left the world.”<br />
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Francis, in his own word, attributed his conversion to an encounter with the lepers. At that time, lepers, people who were sick with leprosy, were considered outcast. They had to move out and live outside the city. Nobody wanted to do anything with them. But it was this experience that turned Francis’ life around. He began to embrace them as his brothers and sisters. Not only that, he embraced all God’s creation, like the sun and the moon, as his brothers and sisters too. We heard that in the song earlier. He considered all of them brothers and sisters because he was able to see that we were all created by God in Jesus Christ. We are all related. We are all brothers and sisters of Jesus.<br />
<br />
And because we all came from God, Francis loved everyone and everything. He saw the world as good, just as God saw all creation as good in the story we find in the book of Genesis. He loved the world because he believed that was the reason God created everything. The love of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit was so great that it poured out into the world and everything in it. And God the Father sent his only Son first and foremost because God so loved the world. Christ became human because he loved us and wanted to be with us. That was the primary reason. Not to condemn us because we’ve been bad. Not to fix us because we’ve been broken. But to show how he loved us.<br />
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Francis fell in love with this kind of loving God, and he also fell in love with all God’s creation.<br />
So what now? Who is Francis for us today?<br />
<br />
If we want to really follow his footsteps, then, like Francis, a conversion is in order. Are we able to see God as someone who loves us unconditionally, or do we see him as a judge that watches everything we do, waiting for us to make a mistake and punish us? Do we see God as forgiving or do we want him to punish everyone whom we don’t like? Do we see others as brothers and sisters or as competitors, as those who don’t deserve our love or attention, as resources to be exploited?<br />
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The world we live in can seem so dark sometime. We are faced with sickness, with deaths in the family, with the breaking of relationships, with political turmoil among our elected officials, with natural or human-caused disasters and tragedies. But if we share the faith that Francis had, that this world is fundamentally good because it was created by God as such, then we can be the ones who wake the world up and help others to recognize their innate goodness. If we are convinced that God so loved the world, then we can be the channel of God’s love to others, especially to those who have been outcast, rejected, and condemned by our society.<br />
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My prayer is that tonight, you feel inspired by the example of St. Francis. My hope is that you too can be Franciscans, not necessarily wearing a brown habit, but as people who will bring about peace, reconciliation, justice, goodness in this world. Our world today is in desperate need of love more then ever. I hope that you too will be inspired to become lovers - great lovers - of God, of others, and of all creation. Amen.<br />
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<i>Sam Nasada, OFM received his Master of Divinity degree from the Franciscan School of Theology in Oceanside, CA this past summer. He is currently part of a new initiative of the Province of St. Barbara: a small intentional community near the Arizona-Mexico border that is focused on contemplation and helping those in the margins. He hopes that this experience will help in his formation to become a priest who will not be afraid to, borrowing a term from Pope Francis, "smell like his sheep".</i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-23177855550205874532017-09-12T06:34:00.000-07:002017-09-12T06:34:04.590-07:00Starfish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>by Br. Michael Lomas, OFM</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBG5uGzSdmYO77GJYKQnN7McWBJDiR4n06n-wYa7VpytX9VWrxbqUVechhKFirC3zCC-rQjEsI9SHypLb3GytNLhvJpBilhe6z-rSMY3ehlaEptdYhBS68_I95SR7WUZRJ2FNeaUAiVPc/s1600/Starfish_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBG5uGzSdmYO77GJYKQnN7McWBJDiR4n06n-wYa7VpytX9VWrxbqUVechhKFirC3zCC-rQjEsI9SHypLb3GytNLhvJpBilhe6z-rSMY3ehlaEptdYhBS68_I95SR7WUZRJ2FNeaUAiVPc/s320/Starfish_1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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While walking on the beach yesterday evening, my brothers and I came across a starfish washed up on the shore. We marveled at it's beauty then eventually threw it back into the ocean. As I reflected on this event during compline (night prayer) I was reminded of a story:</div>
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Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes I think we fail to see the importance of ourselves and the little daily things we do that go unnoticed to us but mean the world to those around us. I was reminded this morning at Mass that "at some point God looked down and noticed that the world was missing something; something important, something vital and necessary, and so you were born." The world is a big place and it can be very easy to feel small and insignificant, but the truth is that we all have a purpose; a reason that extends past our human understanding and encounters the divine when we trust and look through the eyes of faith. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is so much hurt and hate going around right now, especially in our country, we are facing an overwhelming amount of fear and futility. There is an insurmountable number of starfish on the beach before us, but if we ban together, look past our differences to see the divine inside one another and reach our hands and hearts to those who are in need, like the child throwing starfish into the sea, we can be the tiny difference that is needed to make this world a better place. We can be the gift we were intended to be. Remember that you are loved!</span></div>
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Franciscan Friars - Province of St. Barbarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00063750963621852906noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-11053880540630144882017-07-21T17:38:00.000-07:002017-07-21T17:38:05.169-07:00Virtual Tour of Porziuncola Nuova with Brother Didacus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Porziuncola is the name of the little church outside of Assisi that St. Francis repaired and made as the first home for his group of brothers. This church is still in existence now but is contained in the large Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels (Santa Maria degli Angeli) in Assisi. In 2008, a group of devout followers of St. Francis in the city that bears his name, San Francisco, managed to build a replica of this little church next to the Shrine of St. Francis in the Little Italy neighborhood. Brother Didacus is one of the volunteer docents that greet all visitors with typical Franciscan warm hospitality.</div>
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To learn more about the Porziuncola Nuova, <a href="http://www.shrinesf.org/Porziuncola/porziuncola.html">visit http://www.shrinesf.org/Porziuncola/porziuncola.html</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Office of Vocations</span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">1500 34th Ave.</span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Oakland, CA 94601</span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Phone: </span><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #990000;">(408) 903-3422</span></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Email: </span><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #990000;">vocations@sbofm.org</span></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Facebook: </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="color: #771000; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">www.facebook.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Twitter: </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/SBFranciscans" style="color: #771000; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: cambria;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">www.twitter.com/S</span></span>BFranciscans</span></a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Website: </span><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="color: #771000; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">www.sbfranciscans.org</span></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-32221714076315692462017-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:002017-06-09T07:00:23.215-07:00The Lord Gave Me Brothers (Like Didacus!): A Reflection by Br. Juan-Jose Jauregui<br />
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And after the Lord gave me some brothers, no one showed me what I had to do, but the Most High Himself revealed to me that I should live according to the pattern of the Holy Gospel. -- St. Francis of Assisi, “Testament”<br />
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Watching Brother Didacus spending time doing his favorite hobby—putting together his electric trains-- makes me think of what Francis said about the brothers. One of the most powerful experiences for me in the community is living with the older friars, because I personally think it would be very hard for me to be a Franciscan living on my own without them. They are the ones I can look up to as good examples, or with whom I can even just have a cup of coffee in the morning and chat.<br />
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I know in my own faith journey as a Franciscan and a Christian, I am following Francis walking toward Christ and searching to have a good relationship with the Lord and my brothers. I would not have been able to accomplish anything without the grace of God and the help, support, and companionship of my brothers. Truly, the Lord gave me brothers.<br />
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>Br. Juan-Jose Jauregui has been a friar of St. Barbara Province since 2010. He is a native of Zacatecas, Mexico and moved with his family to the Bay Area when he was young. He is currently the Assistant Director of Formation for our Temporary Professed brothers at Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside, CA.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Franciscan Friars</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Office of Vocations</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">1500 34th Ave.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Oakland, CA 94601</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Phone: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #990000;">(408) 903-3422</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Email: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #990000;">vocations@sbofm.org</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Facebook: </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="background-color: white; color: #771000; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">www.facebook.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Twitter: </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/SBFranciscans" style="background-color: white; color: #771000; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: cambria;"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">www.twitter.com/S</span></span>BFranciscans</span></a><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">Website: </span><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #771000; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">www.sbfranciscans.org</span></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-24460254726664502262017-06-01T14:40:00.001-07:002017-06-01T15:03:02.746-07:00Discovering My People Again: A Reflection by Fr. Adrian Peelo<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fr. Adrian Peelo with Seán Cardinal Brady, Retired Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, and the Choir and Schola of Mission Santa Barbara Parish.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In March of this year, just before the feast of St. Patrick, I accompanied the St. Barbara Parish Choir and Schola on a tour/pilgrimage to Ireland (March 8-18). It was strange to find myself a pilgrim in my own native land and I was surprised at how I could so easily give myself to the experience together with my fellow travelers from the United States. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What struck me and moved me most as we visited the holy sites associated with St. Patrick was the lingering holiness and rich spirituality that still pervades this small island. His mission to the Irish nation began in A.D. 432 and despite a golden age of flourishing and four hundred years of destruction and devastation, the echo of his message lives in the very ether of Ireland. Unlike in Italy or Spain one is not overwhelmed in Ireland by vast churches and cathedrals. There is an unpretentious beauty in the ruins of monasteries and friaries; in simple country churches and roadside shrines, ancient cemeteries, shrouded, silent, peaceful. Weather-beaten Celtic crosses have stood as sentinels of heroic witness for centuries with monastic round towers pointing heavenwards, insisting to be recognized as beacons of an enduring faith. “ I pray to God to give me perseverance and to deign that I be a faithful witness to Him to the end of my life for my God.” (Confessions of St. Patrick)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I discovered my own people again through the eyes of my American fellow travelers: the lilting northern accents and the gnarly dialect of my native Dublin. The warmth and good nature of ordinary folk anxious to help and who laugh easily. A waiter in Armagh leaned in at the dinner table and asked, "Will you have a wee drop of soup, Mam?" to an astonished member of our group who looked back at him in total wonderment. "Mam" was really all she heard. There was great hilarity as things became clearer and two cultures embraced in kindness, courtesy and laughter. I was proud. “That's right, there's free beer in Irish paradise. Everyone's jealous.” (Overheard in the bar after dinner in Armagh).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">St. Barbara Choir and Schola were wonderful wherever they sang, whether before the Cardinal in Armagh Cathedral or in the humble setting of Multyfarnham Abbey, the contemplative house of the Irish Franciscans. "Your singing has lifted my spirits" said a beaming Cardinal Sean Brady, Emeritus Archbishop of Armagh, St. Patrick’s own diocese. "Wherever you go in Ireland, lift the spirits of the people with your beautiful voices," he said with obvious delight. And that they did. In St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin a young woman sitting beside me in the pew and who had come on a break from work whispered as the choir's short lunchtime recital came to a close, "Just what I needed, so beautiful."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The New World came to lift the spirits of the Old, returning with the gift received by so many children of Patrick long, long ago. In time, as poor immigrants they crossed the Atlantic Ocean to bring the precious hope of the Gospel in desperate times. Their children came back with the hundredfold and it was a privilege for me to stand in the breach of such mystery. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z8jeFrT2PVwuS4OYi0smKTsOqcIk3Z2tIwqMuz2c-e1VTYItqLAOgHPP_PD19TKOgmcfQyYCvSlXyH7K-ZWTAntJP4KQ_NO2NZUvFY0G_CVdG4azlQM1ALCqGP0YuI1h-yOczdfvlYxj/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z8jeFrT2PVwuS4OYi0smKTsOqcIk3Z2tIwqMuz2c-e1VTYItqLAOgHPP_PD19TKOgmcfQyYCvSlXyH7K-ZWTAntJP4KQ_NO2NZUvFY0G_CVdG4azlQM1ALCqGP0YuI1h-yOczdfvlYxj/s320/IMG_0052.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cardinal Brady and Fr. Adrian Peelo watching the performance of the Choir and Schola of Mission Santa Barbara Parish at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Armagh, Ireland.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #666666;"><i>Fr. Adrian Peelo is a Franciscan friar of the Irish Province. He has been living in California while ministering with the friars from St. Barbara Province for many years. He is currently Pastor of Mission Santa Barbara Parish.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Franciscan Friars</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Office of Vocations</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">1500 34th Ave.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Oakland, CA 94601</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Phone: </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #990000;">(408) 903-3422</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Email: </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #990000;">vocations@sbofm.org</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Facebook: </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">www.facebook.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Twitter: </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/SBFranciscans" style="font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">www.twitter.com/S</span></span>BFranciscans</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Website: </span><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #990000;">www.sbfranciscans.org</span></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-59671015102044196982017-05-03T14:12:00.001-07:002017-05-04T06:57:14.312-07:00Easter Greeting from Br. James Seiffert in Vietnam: Chúc Mừng Phục Sinh!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8_uSxmhQ5zwt2_HMWiRwkVJpSnT8S0HuMUfwghMdALgIz7KRqiU3ZJ2TxhzHPd8U_beFXnVRrsfjfJRW0xLxhMzN9Ptn1vVu6KvMs00JaMGicgtYhETbadbpPq0HaT6Uva1SyH_pdaNB/s1600/unnamed+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8_uSxmhQ5zwt2_HMWiRwkVJpSnT8S0HuMUfwghMdALgIz7KRqiU3ZJ2TxhzHPd8U_beFXnVRrsfjfJRW0xLxhMzN9Ptn1vVu6KvMs00JaMGicgtYhETbadbpPq0HaT6Uva1SyH_pdaNB/s320/unnamed+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #403f42; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #403f42; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">“Chúc Mừng Phục Sinh!” -that is, “Happy Easter!” in Vietnamese. I have been at the novitiate in Dalat Vietnam now for several weeks. Dalat is about an 8-hour bus ride north central from Saigon. It is situated in a mountainous area, where the climate is temperate rather than tropical. It's delightful being here with the cool temperatures and the abundance of a variety of flowering plants and pine forests.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #403f42; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14px;">In former days, Dalat was the resort town for the French colonists. You can still see the French influence by the architecture and the many gardens that can be found in the area. The novitiate has its share of beautiful gardens with a view of the surrounding mountains as well. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #403f42; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qzB1RFedDlb7IhNTooIaCuFhZguVFqUTA2erNQZYjAsjjK_3mHGjjMa8cnWgdNBf2mNBrRyQYW5irdOl8hJ6X7KElK0vRpsry5RsOJGHyTynIMisSdC-1a64xGktp5T2Pr-miPLv2-tP/s1600/unnamed+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7qzB1RFedDlb7IhNTooIaCuFhZguVFqUTA2erNQZYjAsjjK_3mHGjjMa8cnWgdNBf2mNBrRyQYW5irdOl8hJ6X7KElK0vRpsry5RsOJGHyTynIMisSdC-1a64xGktp5T2Pr-miPLv2-tP/s320/unnamed+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #403f42; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14px;">My days are spent with the community of novices in prayer, work, and some English classes. I have spent time doing all kinds of work that I have never done before! I have worked on the farm with planting, feeding rabbits, chickens, and pigs. The novitiate is largely supported by its various nurseries, which employ some 60 workers These are flower nurseries, whereby the flowers are sold to various businesses in the area. I am always amazed at everything the novices are able to do-- from building a hermitage by themselves to maintaining the grounds and novitiate buildings. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #403f42; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14px;">This Easter has been especially significant for me in that I renewed my vows at the novitiate here in Vietnam. It has caused me to reflect on how I have responded to the Lord's call. A lot of my response has been to let go of control and to surrender to what God has invited me to. I am truly thankful for the life-changing and life-giving experiences I have had so far a friar living here.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #403f42; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Br. James Seiffert is a temporary-professed friar with the St. Barbara Province. He currently is on a mission assignment, staying with the friars in Vietnam. Br. James joined the Franciscans in 2012 and made his first profession of vows in 2014. To read about his life journey prior to joining the Friars, go to </i></span><span style="color: #403f42; font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><i><a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-faith-journey-of-br-james-seiffert.html">http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-faith-journey-of-br-james-seiffert.html</a></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Franciscan Friars</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Office of Vocations</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">1500 34th Ave.</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Oakland, CA 94601</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Phone: (408) 903-3422</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Email: vocations@sbofm.org</span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Facebook: </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="color: #771000; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">www.facebook.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</a><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Twitter: </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/SBFranciscans"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">www.twitter.com/S</span></span>BFranciscans</span></a><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;">Website: </span><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="color: #771000; font-family: cambria; font-size: 14.85px;">www.sbfranciscans.org</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-66934347128987064802017-04-22T08:17:00.003-07:002019-12-28T14:48:52.398-08:00Brother Keith Warner's Vocations StoryBro. Keith Warner, OFM is a member of the St. Barbara Province. He currently works at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA and serves as Director of Education and Action Research at Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship (<a href="http://www.scu-social-entrepreneurship.org/">http://www.scu-social-entrepreneurship.org</a>). In this video, he shares his vocations story and how the Franciscan social justice and intellectual tradition have influenced his journey as a Friar.<br />
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Peace and all good!<br />
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Franciscan Friars<br />
Office of Vocations<br />
1500 34th Ave.<br />
Oakland, CA 94601<br />
Phone: (408) 903-3422<br />
Email: vocations@sbofm.org<br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</a><br />
Twitter: <span style="color: #403f42; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14.85px;"> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/SBFranciscans" style="font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="font-size: 14.85px;">www.twitter.com/S</span></span>BFranciscans</span></a><br />
Website: <a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/">www.sbfranciscans.org</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-80159555750018378292016-02-16T09:23:00.000-08:002019-12-28T14:48:36.537-08:00Vocations with Br. Michael Perry, OFM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In discernment you'll need to arrange opportunities to spend time with us. You can join us for evening prayer or our community Mass. You can eat and laugh with us at dinner. You can spend a weekend with us. You can visit our ministry sites with other friars. You can spend time recreating with us. We like to have fun! It will be in the context of sharing your life with the friars that you'll be able to discern your desire to live in fraternity as a Franciscan friar. For additional resources, on discerning if you are called to live in fraternity, read our blog post: <a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2015/08/fraternity-in-mission.html">The Lord Gave Me Brothers</a>.</span></div>
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Enjoy this wonderful video with our Minister General, Br. Michael Perry, OFM regarding vocations to religious life.</div>
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Br. Michael Perry, OFM, our Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, discusses the importance and effectiveness of personal invitation and organically developed discernment communities to help foster vocations to the religious life.</div>
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Peace and All Good,<br />
<em>Bro. Scott Slattum, OFM</em><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Franciscan Friars<br />Office of Vocations<br />1500 34th Ave.<br />Oakland, CA 94601<br /><strong>Phone:</strong> (408) 903-3422<br /><strong>Email:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211;"><a href="mailto:vocations@sbofm.org">vocations@sbofm.org</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Facebook:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/OFMvocation" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.twitter.com/OFMvocation</span></a></span><br /><span style="color: #333333;"><b>\</b></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Website:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="color: #771000; text-decoration: none;">www.sbfranciscans.org</a></span></span> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-12762068462717422032016-01-15T15:49:00.000-08:002019-12-28T14:48:22.233-08:00May I Ask You a Question?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqT6k8bTWBJPCwpVJBsfJZ_xvsXgcA3dFLixX8mzI_3hVll5-cGP_sL4hbmt4eGUBqK0STxw_hB9nLfu8BI08QFAN9Tq7JVDVpgN0H6Je4dJWfq_zgEAFiqmZor2irDrvFKj8ztcp2136/s1600/12493566_10153306316512644_1510535510944355856_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqT6k8bTWBJPCwpVJBsfJZ_xvsXgcA3dFLixX8mzI_3hVll5-cGP_sL4hbmt4eGUBqK0STxw_hB9nLfu8BI08QFAN9Tq7JVDVpgN0H6Je4dJWfq_zgEAFiqmZor2irDrvFKj8ztcp2136/s320/12493566_10153306316512644_1510535510944355856_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">He was standing by my table with his infant daughter and young son. He kept looking back at me. I’ve grown used to this experience, and at first I thought he was just enamored by seeing a religious brother wearing a habit, but as it turns out, he was actually building up the courage to ask me a question. Do you know where I can get a shower for my children and myself? He asked. “Yes,” was my answer. Do you know how I can find clothing for my son too? He asked. “Yes,” was my answer. Based on his questions I then asked, “May I inquire where you and your children are sleeping?” “Yes,” was his answer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This young father and his children were sleeping in his vehicle. He came to St. Anthony’s to feed his children, and left with hope. My first goal was to connect him and his family with an overnight emergency shelter. My second goal was to connect him with St. Anthony’s Social Work Center where our social workers would connect him with services to support, stabilize, and improve the quality of life for him and his kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was often privileged to be our guests’ first encounter with St. Anthony’s beyond our Dining Room. I was stationed at our Social Work Center’s Information and Referral Cart, located within the dining room lobby on Mondays. I listened, answered questions, provided information and connected our guests to services. When I would see those same guests a few days later at our Social Work Center, my heart would rejoices. I rejoice not only for the guests, but for the social workers, benefactors and volunteers who make this place possible. In these moments I send up a prayer of gratitude and blessing for all involved in our sponsored ministry, St. Anthony Foundation.</span><br />
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It's these types of encounter that let me know I'm on the right track as a Franciscan friar. It will be these types of encounter that will help you discern your calling, too. Spend some time and review the blog post called, <a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/10/consider-your-gifts.html">Consider Your Gifts</a> to see if you are being called to love and be loved as a Franciscan friar of the Province of Saint Barbara.<br />
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Peace and all Good,<br />
<em>Bro. Scott Slattum, OFM</em><br />
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A beautiful reminder of our ministry as Volunteers, <br />
Staff and Friars at St. Anthony Foundation.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Franciscan Friars<br />Office of Vocations<br />1500 34th Ave.<br />Oakland, CA 94601<br /><strong>Phone:</strong> (408) 903-3422<br /><strong>Email:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211;"><a href="mailto:vocations@sbofm.org">vocations@sbofm.org</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Facebook:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/OFMvocation" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.twitter.com/OFMvocation</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Website:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="color: #771000; text-decoration: none;">www.sbfranciscans.org</a></span></span> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-32405815647322507772015-11-10T07:40:00.000-08:002019-12-28T14:48:07.233-08:00Safe Streets = Safe Kids<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd75vO88DxPAtFbQCqX_ThbUpkQc6EW__gy26OihdhEh-qVQbB0kdrkSPU8dzB_J1fNg0W-mYQjMfw7WlsiiKLLrY93PkLbsV0d9XT4SWPm26ZmKwBvgCM2nfVfck31JT8V1IYHFRj2i3/s1600/N.+Call+2015-228-228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnd75vO88DxPAtFbQCqX_ThbUpkQc6EW__gy26OihdhEh-qVQbB0kdrkSPU8dzB_J1fNg0W-mYQjMfw7WlsiiKLLrY93PkLbsV0d9XT4SWPm26ZmKwBvgCM2nfVfck31JT8V1IYHFRj2i3/s320/N.+Call+2015-228-228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I stood outside the parked car's window. My eyes connecting with the driver. He looked down at the sign I was holding. "Safe Streets = Safe Kids," he read. He looked down at his crack pipe and turned to his passenger to confirm what he was seeing. However, his passenger's attention was focused on the friar standing outside his own window. The friar held a similar sign, "Peace on our Streets". I could tell in that moment he was wondering if he was experiencing a bad drug trip, or were there actually friars standing outside his car, on the inner-city street's of Oakland, while he sold drugs. The answer was, YES. <br />
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We were invited by our local city-councilman to walk with him for peace. We accepted his invitation. We walked to support our local businesses, and to stand in solidarity with our neighbors who experienced the consequences of violence in their Fruitvale neighborhood. This became our Friday's Lenten devotion. <br />
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We were nervous and timid on our first Friday night. Our chanting for peace was meek, and our signs lay motionless in the dark. Then I heard an inner voice, "Be not afraid. I go before you always. Come follow me." My poster transformed from a child's hand-made sign into a street sign twirler hired for Domino's Pizza. Soon the other friars joined my lead. The cars filled with gang members, protecting their turf, began to hear our shouts for peace, and the passing cars began to honk their horns in support. The night was filled with horns crying out for justice and peace. <br />
<br />
Our group began to grow. We were stopping, along the way, to pray with other Churches for peace. Soon they began to walk with us. The former Mayor of Oakland joined us. Business owner were staying open later on Fridays. And men, women and children we encountered soon became our co-workers for peace. This group of walkers, along with the Franciscan friars, became a visible sign of God's faithful love for the neighborhood of Fruitvale. And our Friday's Lenten devotion unpacked for the friars what it meant to be a Fraternity-in-Mission. <br />
<br />
<strong>Reflections on Religious Life:</strong> <br />
<br />
By its very nature, our religious life foretells the glory of Heaven. Our fraternity-in-mission is a witness to this future glory. In the Bible Jesus offers the image of a wedding feast as a metaphor for understanding Heaven. In Heaven, two different houses will come together and become one in God and celebrate together with Christ. Our fraternity-in-mission models and celebrates this reality on earth. And through our care and love for one another, we remind humanity of what one day we hope to all experience in Heaven. <br />
<br />
This is the value of our fraternity-in-mission. It prompts and embraces all people to be open to the possibility of relationship where there has been no relationship before. It inspires us to nurture peace in places of distrust and violence, where fear of "the other" too often dominates. It is an affirmation of the value of cultural diversity, shared leadership, and the creative expression of the love of Jesus Christ. <br />
<br />
If you are discerning our way of life we invite you to come and experience our fraternal life. Discover if this is how God is calling you to mission.<br />
<br />
Peace and All Good, <br />
Bro. Scott Slattum, OFM<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">C</strong><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">ontact Information:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></strong><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Franciscan Friars<br />Office of Vocations<br />1500 34th Ave.<br />Oakland, CA 94601<br /><strong>Phone:</strong> (408) 903-3422<br /><strong>Email:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211;"><a href="mailto:vocations@sbofm.org">vocations@sbofm.org</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Facebook:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/OFMvocation" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.twitter.com/OFMvocation</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Website:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="color: #771000; text-decoration-line: none;">www.sbfranciscans.org</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-45409838124471127892015-09-03T15:39:00.000-07:002019-12-28T14:47:54.259-08:00A Pantry Full of Food and Gratitude<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6r7XXH3m60b_hjmuNdYpy7Rbta6lIBtOCsYb6LZESVF6e5Db30V8WEuQr6UGQlnP8TUZTcaPQY7WaQpOEqYEnAxW7x6bJz7Jok9la1KPuInp-8cmog4iNKMCnYjlMlKXzun-gz2rHtcI/s1600/DSC_0633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6r7XXH3m60b_hjmuNdYpy7Rbta6lIBtOCsYb6LZESVF6e5Db30V8WEuQr6UGQlnP8TUZTcaPQY7WaQpOEqYEnAxW7x6bJz7Jok9la1KPuInp-8cmog4iNKMCnYjlMlKXzun-gz2rHtcI/s320/DSC_0633.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brothers Sam and Scott collect frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving<br />
with volunteer firefighters at the St. Anthony Foundation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">September is Hunger Action Month™, when Feeding America and member food banks ask everyone in America to take action to fight hunger in their community, all month long. The Franciscan friars of the Province of Saint Barbara's sponsored ministries are proud to take part in this national outreach. Everyday we are reaching out to those who are struggling with the basics of life. Read about Br. Scott's work with our sponsored ministry the St. Anthony Foundation...</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">She was holding her stomach as she approached. I could tell she was a few months pregnant. “I’m really hungry; I’m pregnant, and I’ve run out of food,” she shared with a hint of desperation in her voice. In San Francisco, one in five adults lacks the resources to provide food for themselves or their families. In the Tenderloin that number is as high as one in two.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I continued to listen to her struggles to find adequate and nutritional food. I made sure she was connecting with other resources, CalFresh (food stamps) and Women with Infants and Children (WIC). She was, but like other recipients of these benefits she needed to supplement them with other food program to meet her nutritional needs.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After paying rent she was forced to choose between food and health care. This is a situation that gets played out every day in the Tenderloin. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I’ve heard this story. I’m stationed on Fridays at St. Anthony’s Social Work Center, where I help our guest access our emergency and supplemental food pantry for individuals requiring special nutritional support, seniors, and families.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Her sense of desperation began to fade as I told her she qualified for our supplemental food pantry. Within 20 minutes she was enrolled in our program and walking out the door with two full bags of groceries, and a heart full of gratitude for St. Anthony’s social workers, benefactors and volunteers. As I said good-bye to her my next appointment was coming in. He had a different story, but shared the same need for nutritional food to support his battle with cancer.</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> As Catholic Christians we are called to engage in the Corporal Works of Mercy. Can you name all seven of them? Trying naming them and then check your answers using the list below. (The answers are spelled backwards)</span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">yrgnuh eht deef oT</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">ytsriht eht ot knird evig oT</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">dekan eht ehtolc oT</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">sselemoH eht retlehS oT</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">kcis eht tisiv oT</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">denosirpmi eht tisiv oT</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">daed eht yrub oT</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">How many did you get right? How many of them do you practice? I am going to challenge you this month to choose one Corporal Work of Mercy and practice it. It is through "action" that we manifest the Good News for others. St. Francis of Assisi understood this as he told his brothers, "It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are discerning a vocation to religious life its also imperative that you begin to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy. Your vocation will be worked out among the poor and marginalized, as it was for St. Francis of Assisi. It was his starting point:</span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Lord granted me, Brother Francis, to begin to do penance in this way: While I was in sin, it seemed very bitter to me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I had mercy upon them. And when I left them that which seemed bitter to me was changed into sweetness of soul and body; and afterward I lingered a little and left the world.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, reread our vocation blog post called, "<a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/10/consider-your-gifts.html">Consider your Gifts</a>" for more information on how to discern religious life while working with the poor and marginalized.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Peace and all good,</span><br /><em><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bro. Scott Slattum, OFM</span></em></span></span></div>
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Practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy</div>
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St. Anthony Foundation - San Francisco, CA</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Personal Reflection:</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />What Corporal Works of Mercy do you find easy to do? What Corporal Works of Mercy do you find difficult to do? Feel free to share you answers in the comment section.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">C</strong><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">ontact Information:</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></strong><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Franciscan Friars<br />Office of Vocations<br />1500 34th Ave.<br />Oakland, CA 94601<br /><strong>Phone:</strong> (408) 903-3422<br /><strong>Email:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211;"><a href="mailto:vocations@sbofm.org">vocations@sbofm.org</a></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Facebook:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/OFMvocation" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.twitter.com/OFMvocation</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Website:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="color: #771000; text-decoration: none;">www.sbfranciscans.org</a></span></span> </span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-908441662711576852015-08-27T14:48:00.000-07:002019-12-28T14:47:37.407-08:00The Lord Gave Me Brothers...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">St.
Francis of Assisi understood that God is Trinity, a communion of persons in
love. When the friars are in communion
with each other, their relationships image the Triune God, and become their
primary form of evangelization. Therefore, Franciscans cannot consider
themselves authentic Friars Minor without there being a relationship of real
communion with the other friars. This isn't always easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
As friars of many cultures, elder and younger, both lay and ordained, we work to respect and value our diversity and individual differences. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 13.5pt;">By its very nature, our religious life
foretells the glory of Heaven. Our
fraternity-in-mission is a witness to this future glory. In the Bible Jesus offers the image of a
wedding feast as a metaphor for understanding the Kingdom of Heaven. In Heaven, two different houses will come
together and become one in God. </span><span style="line-height: 13.5pt;">Our fraternity-in-mission models and celebrates
this reality on earth. We come from a
diversity of backgrounds, cultures, and generations, and through our care and
love for one another we remind humanity of what one day we hope to all
experience in Heaven.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></span>
This is the value of our fraternity-in-mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It prompts and embraces all people to be open to the possibility of
relationship where there has been no relationship before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It inspires us to nurture peace in places of
distrust and violence, where fear of "the other" too often dominates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an affirmation of the value of cultural
diversity, shared leadership, and the creative expression of the love of Jesus
Christ. <o:p></o:p>If you are interested in this way of life you'll need to test your abilities and clarify your desires to live within this type fraternity.<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In discernment you'll need to arrange opportunities to spend time with us. Join us for evening prayer or our community Mass. Eat and laugh with us at dinner. Spend a weekend with us. Visit our ministry sites with other friars. Spend time recreating with us. We like to have fun. It will be in the context of sharing your life with the friars that you'll be able to discern your desire to live in fraternity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
As you experience fraternal life you'll again need to become aware of the movements of consolation and desolation before, during, and after engaging in our fraternal life. As you reflect on your experience you'll ask: Did I experience desolation? Did I feel weary, dry and dissatisfied? Did I feel consolation? Did I feel cheerful and satisfied? Was I able to engage in these activities with a joyful and generous heart? These two movements well help reveal the movement of the Holy Spirit in your discernment process. Read the blog post "<a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/04/consolation-and-desolation.html"><span style="color: #992211;">Consolation and Desolation</span></a>" for more information on using this discernment tool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, take your experiences and engage in theological reflection. Theological reflection is an essential ingredient in the process of spiritual discernment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It holds the possibility of discerning God's presence and/or direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's the process of standing before your experience 'open' to what may or may not be revealed through the lens of faith. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Read the blog post "<a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/04/theological-reflection.html"><span style="color: #992211;">Theological Reflection</span></a>" for more information on using this discernment tool.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Next, share you experiences with your spiritual director and/or vocation director. This person will listen to your story with an ear for the movement of the Holy, of the Divine. They will also help you discern between your voice, the world (family, culture, and society) and God's voice within your experiences and theological reflection. Read the blog post "<a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/10/companions-on-journey.html"><span style="color: #992211;">Spiritual Direction</span></a>" for more information on using this discernment tool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lastly, remember to be nourished by the Word and the Eucharist at Mass in order to be sent forth in mission to love and serve the Lord. Read the blog post "<a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/06/freely-you-have-received-freely-give.html"><span style="color: #992211;">Freely You Have Received, Freely Give</span></a>" for more information on why Mass is important for discernment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At this stage in the journey you are trying to put on the "habit" of fraternal living with a diverse group of men. You're trying to see if you have the abilities and the desire to live and share your life with us a religious brother or priest. Fraternal life isn't always easy, but it's the joy of being brothers to one another that sustains and nourishes us. It's a great life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Peace and all good,</span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bro. Scott Slattum, OFM</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em><br /></em>
<strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Personal Reflection:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></strong><br style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">What are you looking for in fraternal life? What is important in your vocation search? Please share your answer in the comment section below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><br style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">C</strong><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">ontact Information:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></strong><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">Franciscan Friars<br />Office of Vocations<br />1500 34th Ave.<br />Oakland, CA 94601<br /><strong>Phone:</strong> (408) 903-3422<br /><strong>Email:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211;"><a href="mailto:vocations@sbofm.org">vocations@sbofm.org</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Facebook:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/OFMvocation" style="color: #771000; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211;">www.twitter.com/OFMvocation</span></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Website:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="color: #771000; text-decoration-line: none;">www.sbfranciscans.org</a></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-3068478106949550002015-05-18T19:47:00.001-07:002019-12-28T14:47:19.959-08:00New Podcast Channel, Part II<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Have you listened to our new podcast channel called, </span><em style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Discern the Call? </em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The podcast was created to supplement our blog by the same name,</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><em style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Discern the Call</em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">. Each podcast is only few minutes long, but packed with insights into the Franciscan friars of the Province of Saint Barbara. Discover the beauty of each friar and listen to part II of our conversation.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">This week blog and podcast focuses on the question, <strong>"What was important in your vocation search or story?" </strong>These podcast are our attempt to introduce you to our members with the hope you will visit us in the near future.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://discernthecall.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2015-04-13T20_04_54-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiscernthecall.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2015-04-13T20_04_54-07_00%3Fcolor%3D1c60ff%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="440"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://discernthecall.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2015-04-20T13_34_25-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiscernthecall.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2015-04-20T13_34_25-07_00%3Fcolor%3D1c60ff%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="440"></iframe><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">The last podcast focuses on the question, </span><strong style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"Why is formation important?" </strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">presented by Br. Jeff who spent six (6) years as our former postulant director and four (4) years as our Director of Temporary Professed. To learn more about our first stage of formation called "postulancy" visit our blog post called, "</span><a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/01/to-know-god-is-to-know-gods-will.html" style="color: #771000; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;">To Know God's Will, Is to Know God.</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Peace and All Good</span><em style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,<br />Bro. Scott Slattum, OFM</span></em><br />
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<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Personal Reflection:</span></strong><br />
<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></strong><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">What are you looking for in a Religious Order or Institute? What is important in your vocation search? Please share your answer in the comment section below.</span><br />
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<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">C</span></strong><strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ontact Information:</span></strong><br />
<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Franciscan Friars<br />Office of Vocations<br />1500 34th Ave.<br />Oakland, CA 94601<br /><strong>Phone:</strong> (408) 903-3422<br /><strong>Email:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:vocations@sbofm.org">vocations@sbofm.org</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Facebook:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations" style="color: #771000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/OFMvocation" style="color: #771000; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">www.twitter.com/OFMvocation</span></a><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Website:</strong> </span><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/" style="color: #771000; font-family: cambria; line-height: 20px; text-decoration-line: none;">www.sbfranciscans.org</a></span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-68729825891787785952015-04-21T17:03:00.003-07:002019-12-28T14:47:07.819-08:00New Podcast Channel<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Have you listened to our new podcast channel called, <em>Discern the Call? </em>The podcast was created to supplement our blog by the same name, <em>Discern the Call</em>. Each podcast is only few minutes long, but packed with insights into the Franciscan friars of the Province of Saint Barbara. Discover the beauty of each friar and listen today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This week blog and podcast focuses on the question, <strong>"What attracted you to life as a Franciscan friar?"</strong> The answer are all different, but the same. Can you guess the answer? More than anything else, men are attracted to their particular religious institute by the example of its members, and especially by their sense of joy, their down to earth nature, and their commitment and zeal according to the National Religious Vocation Conference. These podcast are our attempt to introduce you to our members with the hope you will visit us in the near future.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://discernthecall.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2015-04-07T21_25_15-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiscernthecall.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2015-04-07T21_25_15-07_00%3Fcolor%3D1c60ff%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="440"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://discernthecall.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2015-04-08T21_16_50-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiscernthecall.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2015-04-08T21_16_50-07_00%3Fcolor%3D1c60ff%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="440"></iframe>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://discernthecall.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2015-04-09T14_06_22-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiscernthecall.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2015-04-09T14_06_22-07_00%3Fcolor%3D1c60ff%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="440"></iframe>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://discernthecall.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2015-04-11T11_44_32-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiscernthecall.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2015-04-11T11_44_32-07_00%3Fcolor%3D1c60ff%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="440"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The last podcast focuses on the question, <strong>"Why is formation important?" </strong>presented by Br. Robert who spent nine (9) years as our former postulant director. To learn more about our first stage of formation called "postulancy" visit our blog post called, "<a href="http://sbvocations.blogspot.com/2014/01/to-know-god-is-to-know-gods-will.html">To Know God's Will, Is to Know God.</a>"</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="85" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://discernthecall.podomatic.com/embed/frame/posting/2015-04-12T12_08_39-07_00?json_url=http%3A%2F%2Fdiscernthecall.podomatic.com%2Fentry%2Fembed_params%2F2015-04-12T12_08_39-07_00%3Fcolor%3D1c60ff%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26width%3D440%26height%3D85%26objembed%3D0" width="440"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Peace and All Good</span><em><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">,<br />Bro. Scott Slattum, OFM</span></em><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Personal Reflection:</span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">What are you looking for in a Religious Order or Institute? What draws you to look at a particular community? Please share your answer in the comment section below.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">C</span></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">ontact Information:</span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Franciscan Friars<br />Office of Vocations<br />1500 34th Ave.<br />Oakland, CA 94601<br /><strong>Phone:</strong> (408) 903-3422<br /><strong>Email:</strong> </span></span><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:vocations@sbofm.org">vocations@sbofm.org</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Facebook:</strong> </span></span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations"><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> </span></span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/OFMvocation"><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">www.twitter.com/OFMvocation</span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Website:</strong> </span></span><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/"><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">www.sbfranciscans.org</span></span></a> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137112387537072703.post-65176188143468498112015-04-05T09:07:00.001-07:002016-01-27T07:58:24.717-08:00Happy Easter!<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Franciscan friars of the Province of Saint Barbara wish you and your family a blessed Easter! Let us rejoice in song with the words of St. Francis of Assisi. Alleluia!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Peace and All Good,</span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Bro. Scott Slattum, OFM</span></em><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Contact Information:</span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span></strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Franciscan Friars<br />Office of Vocations<br />1500 34th Ave.<br />Oakland, CA 94601<br /><strong>Phone:</strong> (408) 903-3422<br /><strong>Email:</strong> </span></span><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="mailto:vocations@sbofm.org">vocations@sbofm.org</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Facebook:</strong> </span></span><a href="http://www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations"><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">www.facebooks.com/SBFranciscans.Vocations</span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Twitter:</strong> </span></span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/OFMvocation"><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">www.twitter.com/OFMvocation</span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Website:</strong> </span></span><a href="http://www.sbfranciscans.org/"><span style="color: #992211; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">www.sbfranciscans.org</span></span></a> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0