Christmas Praise

Office of the Passion by St. Francis of Assisi
for the Christmas Season.

St. Francis prayed this prayer from the time of the nativity of our Lord until the octave of the Epiphany. Let's join him.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

The Praises to be said at all the Hours

Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty,
Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
O Lord our God, You are worthy to receive
praise, glory and honor and blessing.
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
The Lamb Who was slain is worthy to receive
power and divinity, wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and blessing.
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Let us bless the Father and the Son with the Holy Spirit:
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Bless the Lord. all you works of the Lord.
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Sing praise to our God, all you His servants
and you who fear God, the small and the great.
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Let heaven and earth praise Him Who is glorious.
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Every creature in heaven, on earth and under the earth;
and in the sea and those which are in it.
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
    Let us praise and glorify Him forever.

All-powerful, most holy, most high, supreme God:
all good, supreme good, totally good, You Who alone are good,
may we give You all praise, all glory, all thanks,
all honor, all blessing, and all good. So be it! So be it!
Amen.

Antiphon

Holy Virgin Mary,
among women
there is no one like you born into the world:
you are the daughter
and the servant of the most high and supreme King
and Father in heaven,
you are the mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ,
you are the spouse of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for us
with Saint Michael the Archangel,
all the powers of heaven
and all the saints,
to your most holy beloved Son, the Lord and Master.
Glory to the Father... As it was in the beginning...

Psalm 15 (compiled by St. Francis)

Ring out your joy to God our help
and shout with cries of gladness
to the Lord God living and true (cf. Ps 46:2b).

For the Lord, the most high,
the awesome, is the great king over all the earth (Ps 46:3).

For the most holy Father of heaven,
our King before all ages (Ps 73:12a),
has sent his beloved Son from on high
and he was born of the Blessed Virgin Holy Mary.

He called upon me: You are my Father (Ps 88:27a),
and I will enthrone Him as the firstborn, the highest,
above the kings of the earth (Ps 88:28).

On that day the Lord sent his mercy
and at night his song was heard (Ps 41:9a-b).

This is the day the Lord has made
let us rejoice and be glad in it (Ps 117:24).

For the most holy beloved child was given to us,
and he was born for us (cf. Is 9:5) along the way
and placed in a manger
since there was no room in the inn (cf. Lk 2:7).

Glory to the Lord God in the highest
and on earth peace to men of good will (cf. Lk 2:14).
Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice,
let the sea and all that is in it be moved

let the fields and everything that is in them
be joyful (Ps 95:11- 12a).
Sing a new song to him
sing to the Lord, all the earth (cf. Ps 95:1).

For the Lord is great and worthy of all praise
He is awesome, beyond all gods (Ps 95:4)!

Give to the Lord, you families of nations,
give to the Lord glory and praise
give to the Lord the glory due His name (Ps 95:7-8a).

Offer your bodies and take up His holy cross
and follow his most holy commands even to the end (cf. Lk 14-27; 1 Pet 2:21).

Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.

Antiphon

Holy Virgin Mary,
among women
there is no one like you born into the world:
you are the daughter
and the servant of the most high and supreme King
and Father in heaven,
you are the mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ,
you are the spouse of the Holy Spirit.
Pray for us
with Saint Michael the Archangel,
all the powers of heaven
and all the saints,
to your most holy beloved Son, the Lord and Master.
Glory to the Father... As it was in the beginning...

Concluding Prayer

Let us bless the Lord, the living and true God; to Him let us
always render praise, glory, honor, blessing and every good.
Amen. Amen. So be it. So be it.

Holy Year of Mercy

Pope Francis has declared a Holy Year of Mercy from December 8, 2015 to November 20, 2016. Here are some things we can do:

Corporal Works of Mercy

• Feed the Hungry
• Give Drink to the Thirsty
• Clothe the Naked
• Shelter the Homeless
• Visit the Imprisoned
• Bury the Dead

Spiritual Works of Mercy

• Convert Sinners
• Instruct the Ignorant
• Advise the Doubtful
• Comfort the Sorrowful
• Bear Wrongs Patiently
• Forgive Injuries
• Pray for the Living and the Dead

Christ is the Master Teacher

"Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart." (Mt 11:29)

"These words from St. Matthew's Gospel were spoken by the greatest Teacher in the World. They could also be the words of that perfect follower of Christ, St. Francis, and they are taken from the Gospel which is read on his feast day." That is how St. Bonaventure begins the sermon that he preached at Paris, October 4, 1255.

You can find this sermon and others by St. Bonaventure in The Disciple and The Master. It was translated and edited by Eric Doyle OFM. It is another old book published in 1983. It is one of my favorites because St. Bonaventure does not mince words. He gets right to the point.

Brother Pacifico's Advice

"What's the point of piling up any more words? Let's move on to deeds!" After meeting St. Francis and discussing divine judgement, those were the words of Brother Pacifico, a poet who before joining St. Francis was known as the "King of Verses" because he was the "prince of bawdy singers and creator of worldly ballads." FA:ED II p 316-317.

Transitus will be celebrated in the Sacred Heart Church on October 3

Transitus will be celebrated in the Sacred Heart Church, 1530 Union Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225, at 7 p.m.on Saturday, October 3. The event commemorates the death of St. Francis and his passing to the next life. All fraternity members, and the general public, are welcomed and encouraged to attend.  Following the celebration, we will move to the parish hall (nearby at 1125 S. Meridian Street), to share conversation and food/snacks with each other.

Indianapolis SFO Fraternities

There are four SFO fraternities in Indianapolis. Here is how to contact them.

• Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament - St. Luke Catholic Church (northside) Dave Gretencord, Minister, davegretencord@sbcglobal.net 
• People Of Peace - Marian University (westside) Jack Hill, Minister, 317.253.9677, popindyofs@gmail.com 
• Peregrinos de la Paz - St. Patrick Church (Hispanic) (southeast of downtown) Oscar Morales, Minister, osadri01@aol.com 
• Sacred Heart - Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church (south of downtown) Bill Booher, Minister, booher1957@live.com

Exploring the Tau Cross - A Franciscan Symbol

Today, the Tau Cross is the official symbol of the Secular Franciscan Order and associated with the Franciscan Movement worldwide. However, that wasn't the case 800 years ago when Pope Innocent III spoke of it in his homily at the Fourth Lateran Council. His homily put the Tau in the spotlight on center stage.

I created this presentation for the November 8, 2015 gathering of the People of Peace fraternity. You are more than welcome to share it with others.

APB, BOLO, ATF - A Franciscan Symbol: The Tau

All Points Bulletin! Be on the Lookout! Attempt to Find!

A member of our fraternity has a copy of this book and loaned it to me to read.

A Franciscan Symbol: The Tau

This a great little book on the Tau Cross. The author is Damien Vorreaux, OFM. It was translated from French to English by Sr. Marilyn Archer, OSF and Paul Lachance, OFM.  It was published in 1979 by Franciscan Herald Press in Chicago.

If you find this book online or in a used bookstore, add it to your collection. Another member of our fraternity found it online, told me about it and I ordered it.

Francis of Assisi - Early Docment - Digital Edition

I was doing some research on Franciscan Spirituality and discovered a website maintained by the Center for Digital Theology at Saint Louis University that has a digital version of Francis of Assisi - Early Documents. Check it out. It might come in handy sometime. Sure beats lugging that three volume set around.

What's The Difference

Community service is great. Everybody can do it. Everyone does. However, what is the difference between an atheist, agnostic, Protestant, Catholic, and a Secular Franciscan (a Franciscan Catholic) performing community service? How do you tell the difference?

Unless there is some outward sign, you can't tell the difference. What to do? A Secular Franciscan could wear their Tau Cross and offer to lead everyone in prayer before and after performing community service.

Ken Ogorek, the director of catechesis for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, wrote these two prayers for parents performing community service with the teenagers. The prayers could be used with adults, too. Modify and use the prayers as you see fit.

And, at the end of each prayer, add these words: "Saint Francis and Saint Clare pray for us."

That's how you can tell the difference.

Putting On and Taking Off Your Tau Cross

Sr. Agnes Marie Regan, OSF visited our fraternity last month. It was an official visit, but it is always good to see her. She arrived early and was able to participate in the formation session that occurs before we gather as a fraternity.

During the formation session she mentioned that every morning she puts on her Tau Cross and asks the Holy Spirit to help her be a better Franciscan. At the end of the day, she takes off her Tau Cross and reflect on how well she did. She does this every day.

I am going to try it.

Unity Day - August 8, 2015

Here is the agenda for Unity Day, the annual regional gathering of Secular Franciscans. It is a good time. It is great to see so many of us gathered together in one place.

August 8, 2015
St. Joan of Arc, Kokomo, Indiana

10:00 Mass in the worship space – for the intention of National Minister Deacon Tom Bello, OFS, who has been diagnosed with cancer.
11:00 – Lower level - welcoming, visiting, announcements, etc.
12:00 – Lunch
1:15 – San Damiano Crucifix: Icon of Franciscan Prayer – Sr. Agnes Marie
2:15 – Break
2:30 – Annual Memorial Service
3:00 – Ongoing Formation

Explore Franciscan Spirituality | Sunday, July 26, 2015

Explore Franciscan Spirituality. Meet lay Franciscans. Join us at Marian University on Sunday, July 26 from 12:45 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. We gather in the Community Room of the Ruth Lilly Student Center. Look for building #22 on the campus map, which is available on the university's website. For more information contact Bob Golobish at 317-801-0616 or rwgolobish@gmail.com.

For Up to Now (FUN) Manual

I found the complete FUN Manual online. It is a great resource for all Secular Franciscans, especially for those who are involved in formation. Check it out.

Liturgical Prayer for the Members of the Secular Franciscan Order

According to the OFS Rule (art. 8), the members of the Secular Franciscan Order are to join in the liturgical prayer in one of the forms proposed by the Church, reliving the mysteries of Christ. Top on the list, is morning and evening prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours.

When starting out, praying the Liturgy of the Hours can be challenging. DivineOffice.org is a great resource. Get a copy of Christian Prayer and just follow along until you get the hang of it.

Afterwards, to give the entire experience a Franciscan flavor read a passage from The First Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano and spend a few minutes reflecting upon it.

Words Every Franciscan Should Remember

Sister Norma Rocklage OSF, our fraternity's spiritual assistant, is fond of saying that at the end of his life, St. Francis said: "I have done what was mine to do; may Christ teach you what you are to do." (Celano, Second Life of St. Francis, 214)

Write Your Own Praise to God

Praise to the Blessed Trinity

All praise to you most blessed Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You were before the beginning.
You will be after the end.
You alone are worthy of my praise and tribute.

All creation sings your praise.
I join with all the angels, prophets, and saints,
With the morning sun that rises in the east and warms the day,
And with the moon and stars that illume the night.

All creation pays homage to you.
I join with the snow-capped mountains that stretch high into the blue sky,
With the wind that sweeps across the sand dunes,
And with the waves that crash upon the shores of the oceans.

Most blessed Trinity.
The creatures of the forest, the sky, the deep, the plain and the desert sing your praise.

You know my heart.
You know where I have failed
and when I have fallen short.
(Add from your own list of sins and shortcomings.)

I thank you for all of the gifts that you have given me.
I am because of you.
I know because of you.
I love because of you.
(Add from your own list.)

This day, make me an instrument of your peace,
Remove the pain, bitterness and anger from my heart,
And replace it with faith in you,
Hope in you,
And love for you and others.

Amen.

(A note of explanation: Several years ago, after reflecting on Francis' Canticle of Creation and Praises to God, I wrote the prayer above. I am always tweaking it. As you can see, it follows the ACTS model, i.e., Acclaimation, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Try writing your own prayer, modify this one, or just use this one. Each day we begin anew. Beginning each day by praising God helps me deal with the challenges of modern life.)

Praying the Secular Franciscan Rule

Pray the Rule
Liam McCarthy, OFM

O Lord, our God, we intend to make present the charism of our Seraphic Father Francis in the life and mission of the Church, in various ways and forms but in life-giving union with one another. By our profession, we pledge ourselves to live the Gospel in the manner of St Francis by means of our Rule approved by the Church (Arts. 1-3). Help us, we pray, so that daily we may:

• observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St Francis, going from gospel to life and from life to the gospel (Art. 4);
• seek to encounter the living and active person of Jesus Christ in our brothers and sisters, in sacred scripture, in the Church and in the Eucharist (Art. 5);
• go forth as witnesses and instruments of the Church’s mission among people, proclaiming Christ by our life and words (Art. 6);
• conform our thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by the radical interior change which the Gospel calls “conversion”, making use of the sacrament of reconciliation on the way to renewal (Art. 7);
• let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all we are and do (Art. 8);
• imitate the Virgin Mary’s complete self-giving in her openness to your every word and call (Art. 9);
• faithfully fulfil the duties proper to our various circumstances in life (Art. 10);
• seek the proper spirit of detachment and purify our hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power (Art. 11);
• acquire the purity of heart needed to set ourselves free to love God and our brothers and sisters (Art. 12);
• accept all people as your gift, Lord, and an image of Christ (Art. 13);
• exercise our responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service (Art. 14);
• be in the forefront of promoting justice by the testimony of our human lives and by courageous initiatives (Art. 15);
• esteem work both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, redemption and service of the human community (Art. 16);
• cultivate the Franciscan spirit of peace, fidelity and respect for life in our families, striving to make it a sign of a world already renewed in Christ (Art. 17);
• respect all creatures, animate and inanimate “as bearing the imprint of the Most High” (Art. 18);
• be bearers of peace and messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, as immersed in the resurrection of Christ, we serenely tend towards Sister Death and our ultimate encounter with you, our Father (19).

All this we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Brother. Amen.

"Pace e Bene" in 2015

Happy New Year! Pace e Bene means "Peace and good" in Italian. I found a description of a deeper meaning on the Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service website. I like the description a lot so I am sharing it with you. "May you have the fullness of well-being, may you be secure and happy; may you not want; may your dignity be respected; may the goodness in your inmost being flourish; may the world in which we live know this deep peace."