Page 1 Monday, May 8, 2017 (Week 1) St. Francis of Assisi the Reformer St. Joseph Church 6:45 pm to 8:00 pm Fr. Richard Jones, Presenter St. Thomas Aquinas St. Francis of Assisi G. K. Chesterton St. Catherine of Siena Michelangelo Bl. John Henry Newman
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Monday, May 8, 2017 (Week 1)
St. Francis of Assisi
the Reformer
St. Joseph Church
6:45 pm to 8:00 pm
Fr. Richard Jones, Presenter
St. Thomas Aquinas St. Francis of Assisi G. K. Chesterton St. Catherine of Siena Michelangelo Bl. John Henry Newman
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This Evening’s Schedule
Subject
Page Number(s)
Prayer for the Universal Call to Holiness 3
Opening Song – Canticle of the Sun by St. Francis of Assisi
4
Opening Prayer 5
Canticle of the Sun Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi
6
Mediations on the “Beatitudes by St. Francis of Assisi”
7
Video Outline – Part I and II 8 – 9
St. Francis Prayer for Blessing of Animals 9
Questions for Understanding – Part I 10 – 15
Questions for Understanding – Part II 15 – 19
Peace Prayer of St. Francis 20
Closing Prayer by Mary DeTurris Poust from her bookWalking Together: Discovering the Catholic Tradition of Spiritual Friendship
21
Closing Song – Make Me a Channel of Your Peace by Susan Boyle
22
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Prayer for the Universal Call to Holiness
Lord Jesus Christ, you desire that all people be holy,
as you are holy with the Father and the Spirit,
and have given us your Church so that all might
participate in the fullness of the Christian life and be
sustained by faith, enlivened by hope, and perfected in charity.
Conform us to your image so that the world may,
in meeting us, experience an encounter with you.
Help us to seek, as you did, the will of the Father.
Grant us lives worthy of our relationship with you.
Inspire us to take heroic risks and make courageous sacrifices so that
your Kingdom may come and your will be accomplished.
May the promises of our Baptism be fulfilled and may we,
having received your saving grace, share this gift with others.
May we devote ourselves to the glory of God in worship,
reverence you in the Sacraments, attend to your teaching in your Word,
seek communion with you in prayer, be inspired trough the
study of your sacred truths, imitate the saints, and honor your
commandments in our loving service to God and to neighbor.
May the evangelization and sanctification of all people
be accomplished through our bold and creative witness
to the Gospel and through our lively works of mercy.
Permit us to be worthy of the name Christian
and to truly be your disciples in Spirit and in truth.
And help us to appreciate and understand that holiness is a mission,
a unique way of life, through which we are conformed to you, so that
we may share your life and presence with the world
and become the saints that you have created us to be.
We ask this in your name, you who live and reign with
the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
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Opening Song
Canticle of the Sun
by St. Francis of Assisi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe5b_Tvt_iw
The Judgment of the Nations. 31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, 32 and all the
nation will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from
another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will place the
sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34Then the king will say to those on
his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you
gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you
welcomed me, 36 naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison
and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord,
when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the king will say
to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least
brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41 Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and
his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you
gave me no drink, 43 a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you
gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ 44 Then
they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ 45 He will
answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least
ones, you did not do for me.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but
the righteous to eternal life.”
James 2:14-17 14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have
works? Can that faith save him? 15If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and
has no food for the day,16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep
warm, and eat well,” but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it? 17So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
1 John 3:11, 16-18 11For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love
one another, 16The way we came to know love was that he laid down his life for us; so we
ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If someone who has worldly
means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love
of God remain in him? 18Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed
How was the lifestyle of St. Francis and his Friars Minor similar to
the lifestyle of the early Christian community?
Answer: Both communities had a total trust in God’s providence. They prayed, ate,
and celebrated the Eucharist together. They shared all that they had and did not keep
material possessions for themselves, but lived in common. People joined the early
Christian community and St. Francis and St. Clare’s orders in great numbers. Francis
followed Jesus’ actions literally when he sent his brothers out to preach the message
of the Kingdom of God and to take nothing for the journey.
For additional reading:
Acts 2:42-47 42They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the
communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43Awe came
upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would
sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to
each one’s need. 46Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in
the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals
with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and enjoying favor with all
the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were
being saved.
Acts 4:32-35 32The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed
that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. 33With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. 34 There was no needy person
among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring
the proceeds of the sale,35and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they
were distributed to each according to need.
Luke 9:1-3 1He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all
demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of
God and to heal [the sick]. 3He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a
second tunic.
3
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Where did Francis’ joy come from? How did it affect his
evangelization?
Answer: Francis’ joy came from being deeply in love with Christ and being filled with
the Holy Spirit. Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, evident in those who are filled
with his grace. Joy is also a fruit of charity, along with peace and mercy. Francis’
entire life was filled with charity and mercy, especially to the poor and suffering.
Francis abandoned himself totally to God and to his purposes with absolute trust in
the Lord, so he had no reason to be troubled. He was able to preach the Gospel and
bring others to Christ without fear or worry because he firmly believed that God would
provide all he needed. This deep faith gave him true freedom and the power to
accomplish his mission on earth.
For additional reading:
1 Peter 1:8-9 8Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see
him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.
Romans 15:13 13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you
may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit
Catechism of the Catholic Church 736
736 By this power of the Spirit, God's children can bear much fruit. He who has
grafted us onto the true vine will make us bear "the fruit of the Spirit: . . . love,
1829 The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy; charity demands
beneficence and fraternal correction; it is benevolence; it fosters reciprocity
and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion: Love
is itself the fulfillment of all our works. There is the goal; that is why we run: we
run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest.
Part II
How did Francis “restore the ‘flesh and blood’ to the mysteries of
Christianity”? Why was that particularly important at that time in Church
history?
Answer: During Francis’s time, there was much corruption in the Church and the
people were hungry for reform. Many Christian teachings had become theoretical
and conceptual, and did not translate into the way people lived their lives Francis
literally lived the way Jesus did, and created a large following who did the same,
proving that indeed the Christian life could be lived literally and lead to joy and
peace, as Christ promised.
In the video, Bishop Barron talks about two graces that Francis
prayed for about a year before he died. What did he pray for and how did
God answer his prayer?
Answer: Francis prayed that he would feel the pain of Christ’s passion and that
he would love Christ with the same love that made Christ sacrifice himself for us.
We know God answered his first request, as Francis received the stigmata shortly
thereafter. We have no sure way of knowing the type of love for Christ that was in
his heart; however, we have evidence that Francis loved his fellow man,
especially the poor and suffering, with a Christ-like love. As Francis is a saint, it
seems very certain that these two requests were granted by the Lord.
St. Francis embraced suffering with great joy, even seeming to
seek it out. Why do you think he did that? How is suffering related to
penance?
1
2
3
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Answer: Bishop Barron attributes Francis’ embrace of suffering to his desire to
be fully united with Christ in all things, to “take up his cross” and become like
Christ. As adopted children of God in Christ through baptism, we are all meant to
share in his suffering and death, as well as in his eternal life and glory.
In his apostolic letter Salvifici doloris (“redemptive suffering”), St. John Paul II
explains:
Down through the centuries and generations it has been seen that in suffering
there is concealed a particular power that draws a person interiorly close to
Christ, a special grace. To this grace may saints, such as St. Francis of Assisi,
owe their profound conversion. A result of such a conversion is not only that
the individual discovers the salvific meaning of suffering but above all that he
becomes a completely new person. He discovers a new dimension, as it were,
of his entire life and vocation. This discovery is a particular confirmation of the
spiritual greatness which in man surpasses the body in a way that is
completely beyond compare.
Penance is a type of reparation for sin. While Christ’s death merited forgiveness of
sins and eternal redemption for all who believed in him, there is still need for
temporal reparation for the effects of sin. St. Paul says that by our own suffering
and sacrifices, we can make up for what is lacking in the “body of Christ that is the
Church.” So we can offer our own suffering as penance for other members of the
Body of Christ, including those who have died and are in purgatory.
St. John Paul II goes on in the same encyclical mentioned above to explain:
Christ has accomplished the world’s Redemption through his own suffering. At
the same time, this Redemption lives on and in its own special way develops
in the history of man. It lives and develops as the body of Christ, the Church,
and in this dimension every human suffering, by reason of the loving union
with Christ, completes the suffering of Christ. It completes that suffering just as
the Church completes the redemptive work of Christ.
For additional reading:
Romans 8:16-17 16The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we
suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Colossians 1:24 24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the
church,
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Catechism of the Catholic Church 977
977 Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: "Go into all
the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and
is baptized will be saved." Baptism is the first
and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ,
who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that "we too
might walk in newness of life."
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1494
1494 The confessor proposes the performance of certain acts of "satisfaction"
or "penance" to be performed by the penitent in order to repair the harm
caused by sin and to re-establish habits befitting a disciple of Christ.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1434-35
1434 The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and
various ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three
forms, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving,31 which express conversion in relation
to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical purification brought
about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of obtaining forgiveness of
sins: effort at reconciliation with one's neighbor, tears of repentance, concern
for the salvation of one's neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the
practice of charity "which covers a multitude of sins."
1435 Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of reconciliation,
concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice and right, by the
admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal correction, revision of life,
examination of conscience, spiritual direction, acceptance of suffering,
endurance of persecution for the sake of righteousness. Taking up one's cross
each day and following Jesus is the surest way of penance.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1032
1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead,
already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made
atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." From the
beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered
prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus
purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also
commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on
behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their
father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead
bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who