St. Francis Parish News

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Opening Prayer

You keep vigil, O God,
over the lives of your people,
guiding their destiny as the history of the world unfolds.
Increase our faith
that those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall rise again.
As you gather your elect from the ends of the earth,
count us also among those
whose names are written in the Book of Life.
We ask this through the Christ
who was, who is and who is to come:
your Son who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. AMEN.

Hello Everyone and Peace:


WOW! What a wonderful celebration of Confirmation we had last Sunday with Alberto and John, congratulations to both of you. Thank you to the many parishioners who supported John and Alberto through their preparation and who participated in their liturgy of Confirmation.
It was equally nice to welcome so many new comers to the parish; we all hope to see you at our Mass on a regular basis. Welcome, welcome! Please join us in spreading the message of hope and love to those who may not have heard it for a while.
Our readings for this Sunday speak about God’s blessings on those of us who try to do justice. We at St. Francis have formed as a result of our experience of injustice, and are now trying to conform our lives to proclaim that we are a people dedicated to being witnesses to the merciful dimension of justice. As a parish we recognize that our experiences have helped us mature in the faith, we have demonstrated our commitment to our mission of spreading the message of God’s all inclusive to people who have been disenfranchised from the important liturgical and sacramental Traditions of our ancient faith. We have taken this small kernel and established a vibrant diocese in Cameroon, Africa, and have created a new jurisdiction to support our mission: The American National Catholic Church. We have baptized, married, confirmed, ordained and called to the study of Holy Orders three of our parishioners, and buried all those who have asked us to bring the reality of Christ present in her churches sacraments to witness to these important moments; we have opened the doors to the sacred to many who had thought that the way was barred to them; we have worshiped together and celebrated the liturgical seasons with great joy and solemnity, and in doing so humbly acknowledged our acceptance of time as seasonal gifts from God; we have built important ecumenical relationships with our brothers and sisters from different Traditions and celebrated with them in our worship; we have established our parish as a haven and support for those who incarnate Christ in the corporeal works of mercy, especially to those most vulnerable in our society, we have taken to heart Christ’s admonition to his Church to “Gather up the fragments so that none might be lost” and have moved that motto into our desire to act justly, love kindly, and walk humbly with our God.
Having reflected on all that we have done and recognizing that there is much more to do as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, I think it is time to say that our belief in St. Francis of Assisi Independent Catholic Church as an experiment is over, and now is the time to form ourselves into a real parish structure that will outlast our individual efforts. All of you who have helped and continue to support us are the founders of these wonderful institutions that have become St. Francis of Assisi. Now I would ask you to become part of the community in a committed way. I have copied below a Parish Registration sheet. If you would like to become an official member of the parish please fill in the information and return the form to the rectory at:

St. Francis of Assisi Friary
22Mellon Ave
West Orange, New Jersey, 07052

This commitment on your part provided you with a parish home and us with the assurance of your continued prayers for our well being. As in all Catholic parishes it is a concrete sign of our commitment to each other and to the faith of the Church, and a statement about where we belong, a place where all are welcome. We have 455 names on our e-mail list; I am hoping that many of you will become part of our parish, no matter how far you live from us.

Please mark your calendars and join us for our Thanksgiving Liturgy on Wednesday November 25, 2009n at 7:00 P.M. Please bring you donations of blankets, sweaters, and coats so we can bless them at the Offertory for distribution to the poor.

Remember Deacon Matthew’s ordination in New Haven, Conn. On Dec. 19th at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. The church is located at 830 Whitney Ave, New Haven Conn. 06511 at 1:30 P.M. Matthew will be the first priest ordained in the new jurisdiction.

At our last parish council meeting it was decided that we would try

I have been asked by the parish council to share with you our need for your financial support as we continue to grow. Our parish host, the Glenn Ridge Congregational Church has been very gracious in the first year of our development, and now as we have matured it become incumbent upon us to help support our selves. To that end we have been asked to pay rent of 100 per Mass and ½ of the heating costs, which amounts about 500 for the year. I don’t think this is extremely generous for so beautiful a worship space. You all have been so generous in the past and I know you will be again.

Next Sunday, November 22 is the Feast of Christ the King. Fr Seamus will be our main celebrant.
Sunday Nov. 29 is the first Sunday of Advent. Fr. Jason will be the main celebrant for our Mass and lighting of the first candle in our Advent Wreath. The new Advent candle holder is a gift from my family in honor of the deceased members of our family.

Anyone wishing to make a memorial donation for the any of the church supplies please let me know. Also if you would like a Mass card or to add a loved on to our Memorial page please go to our Franciscan community’s website there you will find sources for your love ones: http://www.franciscancommunityofmercy.com

Please join me in giving thanks to God; I have been named Dean for Missions at the Sanctus Theological Institute http://www.sanctustheologicalinstitute and a Fellow of the Institute with a seat on the advisory board of STI. Geety and Stephanie and our seminarians in Cameroon are pursuing their theological training with the Institute and our National seminary of St. John the Beloved: www.stjohnthebeloved.org.



MEDITATION:
One Thing Necessary
The main readings for Sunday are called “apocalyptic literature.” You will find the images jagged and dark. “A time unsurpassed in distress,” when “. . . some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.” “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”*
Why such difficult imagery now, especially with Advent only two weeks away?
Recall that today we find hundreds of competing ideologies knocking each other over to get to us. Commercials able to reshape our lives. To shampoo your hair makes you ecstatic (do you have a corn-cob-eating grin on your face as you wash your hair?). Advertising a car that can “save your soul.” Casual sex without commitment is a taken for granted. Free cable movie channels censure out words referring to bodily functions, but freely engage in the blasphemous use of God’s name, Jesus’ name, for no real reason. On top of such destabilizing media forces, the world is faced with crises every bit as bad as apocalyptic literature might suggest. Wars without any real goal, economic troubles that wreck people’s lives, toxic wastes, holes in the ozone layer, major climate changes, just to start the list.
Now, there are more than a few grains of hope. At the end of the First Reading we find a beautiful promise of rescue:

The wise shall shine brightly
like the splendor of the firmament,
and those who lead the many to justice
shall be like the stars forever.

This passage brings us peace; it lets us relax.
But should we relax? Should we take nourishment from such beautiful words when the greatest crises in history are frowning us in the face?
I could make the present reflection into a campaign for action, action now. Reform television, recordings, movies, video games, and so on. Stop spending the money of the poor on luxuries that 50 years ago we never would even have dreamed of. Reinstate honesty and fairness instead of greed as our goal in life. Get to Africa and to the ghettos; care for individuals and families who otherwise have no chance. Shine brightly by helping rightly.
The quandary with this reasoning is not that it is wrong. It is right. But how can you or I have any effect on the enormity of our situation? Shouldn’t we simply relax and wait?
There are two responses to this question.
First, get smart. Examine carefully what you can do and with what effect. It is not true that you and I are helpless, no matter how we feel.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Second, let our courage rest in divine help. Remember the famous passage from Jeremiah:

I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! plans to give you a future full of hope. When you call me, when you go to pray to me, I will listen to you and bring you back (Jeremiah 29:11).**

Let us let God listen to us, and guide us this future.

Then we will be ready for Advent.

____________
*Apocalyptic writings are thought to be a distinctive branch of literature. Some think that this kind of writing took place in times of persecution, when straightforward writing would be penalized. They usually feature visions or dreams revealed to the writer, predictions of the future, fantastic imagery, mystical symbols, and the prediction of the end of the age. The First Reading from the Book of Daniel and the Gospel passage from Mark for this week are two of the most important examples of apocalyptical writings in the bible. Fr. John Foley, S. J. of the Center for Liturgy
Fr. John Foley, S. J.

General Intercessions
Until the Lord comes,
we are pledged to hold fast to his words and be constant in our faith.
Let us pray for one another that the Lord will find us ready.
Our response is: Lord, keep us in your love. (Please repeat)
For those in charge of social and political affairs in
our country: (pause)
May they see themselves not as proprietors but administrators of the
duties entrusted to them, and accountable to the people and to the Lord.
We pray in hope:
For those overcome by fear and anxiety: (pause)
that the Lord will console them in their time of distress
and give them new reason to hope in his name.
We pray in hope:
That nations and peoples engulfed in conflict may find the
path to peace and discover ways to build bridges of reconciliation
and forgiveness. We pray in hope:
For ourselves: (pause)
that we may prepare for the coming of the kingdom by lives of truth,
honesty and goodness.
We pray in hope:
For our beloved dead. (pause)
May you bring them into your kingdom of light, happiness and peace.
We pray in hope:
For the sick of our parish, especially Dillon amd Bill(pause)
We pray in hope:
God our Father,
you know the day and the hour
when this world, as we know it, will come to an end.
As we offer these prayers,
we place ourselves in your provident care.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Bishop George Lucey, FCM
Presiding Bishop of the American National Catholic Church and Bishop Protector of the Tridentine Catholic Church