Franciscan Reflections - December 2022

Quietly with Jesus

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Just before Jesus taught us to pray the Our Father, He instructed the apostles about prayer. ..."when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Mat 6:6-8)

In the human psyche, we are constantly struggling with problems of one sort or another. To place these problems on the back-burner for a time, we find nourishment in our quiet life with Jesus. He told us not to worry. "He said to (his) disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Notice the ravens: they do not sow or reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn, yet God feeds them. How much more important are you than birds! Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your lifespan? If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest? Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass in the field that grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? As for you, do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore. All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:22-32).
 

This is a beautiful passage of Scripture where Jesus tells us that we do not need to worry. But, human as we are, everyone worries. We worry too much, we worry so much that when we enter into that quiet relationship with Jesus, we cannot concentrate solely in Him. A very beautiful passage in Psalm 121 (2-5) shows the deep faith of David: "My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. God will not allow your foot to slip; your guardian does not sleep. Truly, the guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps. The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade at your right hand."
 

Jesus is always there for us! He is always eager to help us because His love is deeper than we can ever understand until we are one in Him after this earthly life has passed. We strive to rest in Jesus, already now in our earthly existence by avoiding (read: not) sinning, and so by loving God unconditionally. That's not easy but it can be done. If this weren't the case, heaven would be very empty. Catholics know that there are many souls in heaven because these souls have interceded for us in prayer. We know the Blessed Virgin is in heaven. On August 15th, we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is in heaven body and soul because she was born without sin. This is a matter of Catholic Dogma. But look at Mary, after the death of her Son, Jesus, she spent the rest of her years in meditation and contemplation. Her life offers us a wonderful example of living quietly in Jesus.
 

So our soul must be awakened and thus we pray to the Holy Spirit for spiritual enlightenment, so that we may understand these inner prayer relationships. So that God may lift the veil and we may see His goodness and Grace with the eyes of the soul. Maybe this would be a good time to examine the concept of "soul" in the Book of Deuteronomy (6:5): "Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength." And in Mat 10:28 (and numerous other verses in the Gospels), Jesus said: "...do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna." The soul is the inner being of each and every person where a direct relationship may exist between ourselves and God. For those who love God, that relationship exists. For those who do not love God, the relationship from us to God is minimal or none, but God loves us just the same. He does not love the sin in us, but He loves all of us unconditionally. With the aid of the Holy Spirit we can understand this relationship easily. And we praise God for His love!

Quietly in Jesus! Set out a time during each day, be it 10 minutes or longer, where we are undisturbed by life around us. Find a quiet place. Often that quiet place is our soul. You know, we can be in a very busy and noisy place and still have this quiet time within us with God, but preferably we should seek a quiet place. Then we place ourselves at God's disposal, ask Him to be with us in the quiet of our soul where we can love Him totally. Tell Him you, as His servant, are waiting on His Word. You are listening. You are ready to receive Him spiritually, and you totally trust in Him.
 

Saint Francis of Assisi was good at finding quiet places. One of many conversations with his brothers comes to mind. One day, St. Francis called his companions to him in the cell where he was staying and said, "Listen and give careful attention. I have asked the Lord in his mercy that he deign to make it clear to me when I am his servant and when I'm not, for I want always to be found his servant. It was told to me in the Spirit, 'What will you give me if I make it clear to you what you ask?' And I said, 'Lord, I have given you my body and my soul; after this I have nothing left to offer you.' The Lord said, 'Such being the case, learn and know that you are truly my servant when you think what is good, speak what is good, and do what is good.'" (from "We were with St. Francis," a partial English translation of the Legend of the Three Companions).
 

Saint Francis had given all he had to God. He had given God his material possessions by giving those to the poor. He had given his body to God by renouncing the flesh. There are many people, even today, who give what they have to the poor and live in total obedience, poverty and chastity. Generally, those are people who live in monasteries and convents. That's why the prayer offered by those good people is in such high demand by bishops of the dioceses that have Monastic Orders, as well as Houses of the Poor Clares.
There are also many people living in the world, outside of cloistered walls, who strive to live their lives in obedience to God, to the Church, to their spouses perhaps, and these people live close to and in spiritual harmony with God, shunning material riches and the flesh. That certainly is the example Francis gave us, but often it is only played out in the life of a soul, a soul striving for God. A beautiful example of such a soul is Mother Theresa of Calcutta. Without a strong interior life, it would not have been possible for her to minister to the sick and dying in the way she did. This interior relationship with the Lord is the backbone of anything we set out to do. Without prayer, nothing is possible. Thus when we become involved in holy activities for our brothers and sisters, we feel inclined to pray more, not less. We know that the inner strengths to carry out the new assignment come directly from God and when we pray more, we are more in the Presence of God, and we represent Him in all we do.
 

So "Quietly in Jesus" becomes a motto, a constant search for the inner life that sustains us in whatever we do for Him. As Franciscans, but certainly anyone, we strive to go to Holy Mass daily, and to receive Jesus in our heart and soul in Holy Communion. We pray the Liturgy of the Hours, or similar daily prayers, thus joining the clergy, religious and members of lay institutes (such as the Secular Franciscan Order) and many others in the unity of the prayers of the Church, whether these prayers are said in common or by ourselves. This motto of seeking a quiet time with Jesus becomes reality when we open our souls to God as His servant, in humility. This inner life of the soul will begin slowly, there will be periods of suffering. There is suffering for anyone in love because to be in love it is necessary to give up a little of ourselves. Marriage is a lifestyle of compromise... and seeking an inner life is a life of self-giving. St. John of the Cross refers to this period of suffering as "the dark night of the soul." This 'night' can indeed be very dark. It can shake one's spirituality to its roots. It is also a time of instability and temptation, because when one is weak through suffering, the devil gets into action. But once past that point (length of this suffering time can be short or long. For some it takes a lifetime), a blissful time arrives.
 

In this blissful time we come to exercise our inner life with Jesus in a wonderful way. We can steer meditation through praying about a specific topic, but contemplation is a gift, a Gift of God. When God allows you to have a contemplative relationship with Him, oftentimes we are not aware of this. But we know that we're close friends with Jesus. We live quietly with Jesus, in His shadow.
 

How I long for this inner life to blossom. Yet it would give me far more joy if I could be instrumental to introduce another person to that inner life with Jesus. That is why I am writing more frequently about this closeness to Jesus which I've felt as a monk, and continue to feel to this day, now back in Vero Beach, living where my vocation began as a Secular Franciscan. But while I was a monk, in the quiet of the monastic setting, Jesus showed me what His love should mean to me. He healed me from a poor attitude to people whom I did not even know. He healed me from certain temptations of the flesh. He healed me and took me to His heart. I will never again let Him go. I love you Jesus, with all my heart, and I love my sisters and brothers as you have commanded. My God and my All. Amen.
 

© Fred Schaeffer, OFS 2003, 2022.

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The Sunset

A reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Sunset is such a special time of the day. When the sun begins to go down the shadows deepen and the hues mellow. Have you ever taken a good look what happens to the flowers in your garden when the sun goes down? The colors mellow but only for a short time, they become more vivid. Many years ago, when I lived in New York, I dabbled with photography, particularly of wildlife. I remember a picture taken at sunset of a Kestrel (one of the small hawks) sitting on a stump, and its colors, tawny brown with gray on the head and back, were very soft and diffused but at the same time, they stood out from everything in the background. Well, it's a little like that with us too. When the sun goes down, when we're ready to kick off our shoes, oftentimes we begin to review the day. What have we done to enhance other peoples' lives; what did we do to bring Jesus to them? As members of the Body of Christ, we are His representatives. Did we play this role well or were we mediocre? Did we treat others in an even-handed way, or were we arbitrary, treating people somehow differently?

As colder temperatures are approaching leaves are daily falling in great numbers, leaving trees barer each day, there is a kind of a 'sunset' in the changing of the seasons. That stand of birch in the rear of our 10-acre property that still has some golden leaves in the crowns, against a backdrop of dark-green pines, seem somehow accentuated, as the sun shines on them. Not far from the birches, there are some trees and shrubs that are bare already and they stand against the deep blue sky in stark reflection of the changing of the guard. Every year, we become older, and hopefully, wiser. The older one gets, the more one thinks, at least this monk¹ does, of the time to come, the time I hope to spend with Jesus in all eternity. No, I'm not thinking of a physical death, but I am thinking of a sort of spiritual death, dying to the 'self.' This is a very different sunset, and one that requires much thought and grace. As I go into chapel very early in the morning when the house is fairly cold, it strikes me sometimes that, when we stand before the Lord to be judged by Him, we stand there naked. We stand there naked because we will know all our faults and the time for excuses is over. We stand there all alone, with no one to help us, not our husbands, wives, friends nor our parents. I've got the feeling deep inside that now's the time to examine what our life has been like and to see if we're worthy to take that step to be judged.

Are you going to gamble with your life in the Lord, and invent more excuses for doing what you shouldn't be doing, or are you finally going to get more serious about the whole thing. That whole thing we're taking about is the difference between life and death. I'm getting prepared, everything else is irrelevant! Sunsets, they are wonderful during summertime, when sunsets occur in the middle of the evening, you can still take a stroll outside to stretch your legs, although we wouldn't be doing this in the monastery; there we'd be praying Night Prayer! In fall, when sunsets occur earlier in the evening, we'd be in our study period or in class, and you'd probably be watching TV. What I think of TV may not agree with what you think of it. I only watch stuff that's rated G or PG and I really make sure what I am watching does not lead me into temptation. When you do that, you will soon find out that there's not much on TV that's worth watching. Nothing of “social redeeming value." During wintertime sunsets come even earlier, probably when we're sitting down for the evening meal. Maybe that's a good time for some family spirit-some togetherness and love.

Our community always eats together and, though sometimes we are silent or listen to spiritual tapes, there are other times that we speak with one another. For Jesus there was a sunset too; that was when He died on the Cross for us, to save us, to set us free! Let us make the most of the time we have left-not the most as in material things, but the most as in living a pious life, totally dedicated to our Lord Jesus Christ. During autumn we had gloriously-colored leaves in reds, yellows, brown, rusty, etc. It didn't last long, in fact the peak was between Oct. 3-10. At sunset, all those colorful trees swaying in the wind, what a marvelous spectacle... a little comer of Heaven! Sometimes, when you have nothing else to do during a sunset, especially in Vero Beach by the seashore, take a walk along the boardwalk and carefully examine the waves as they gently, or not so gently, come rolling in... and then, in the approaching dusk, imagine a fisherman standing by the edge of the water. As you meditate on that, allow the colors you See to become more vivid-and soon you will see Jesus standing at the edge of the water. May He bless you and keep you and give you peace!

Fred Schaeffer OFS
Orig. written in December 1998 but never published.
Publ. 11/30/2022

1. I was a monk with a small Order of Monks, the Monks of Adoration, when “The Sunset” was written. The Order no longer exists.

Advent is a special time

by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

The focus of Advent is preparation for the coming of the Lord-both in commemoration of His Nativity and His coming again at the end of time. Though most Christians see this time of year as a part of the "Christmas Season," it isn't; the Christmas season does not begin until the first Mass at Christmas Eve.

The mood of Advent is one of spiritual preparation, and the gaudy "Christmas" commercialism that surrounds it in the Western world should be overcome as much as possible. The singing of Christmas carols (which comes earlier and earlier each year), the talk of "Christmas" as a present reality, the decorated trees and the parties -- these things are "out of season" for Catholics; we should strive to keep the Season of Advent holy and penitential, always remembering, as they say, that "He is the reason for the Season."

Secular Franciscans, once called the “Order of Penitents,” can make their Advent Season very special in a very personal way. Penance must be filled with a spirit of gratitude and joy, not pessimism. Through the cross we share in Christ’s Resurrection. That’s a privilege he grants to those he loves. We know that suffering, pain, disappointments and fatigue are a part of everyday life. St. Francis has shown us that these sufferings are an opportunity to share an intimacy with Jesus in His mission of salvation. So take this time of Advent, and really look for daily opportunities to share this intimacy with Jesus’ suffering. St. Francis of Assisi is such a great inspiration when it comes to penance. Let’s make sure that we recognize Advent for what it really is, a time of preparation for the coming of Our Lord.

Advent is a great time to practice daily conversion; for Franciscans however, this is something we should be doing every day of the year. After all, we strive for perfection and that takes a great deal of daily effort. Spiritual reading helps us tremendously in keeping us going in the right direction.

May I wish you a very Holy Advent Season, followed by a Christmas Season where your only focus, this time of year, is the Nativity. Christmas really comes every day for those who love Jesus.

Peace and all Good,

Fred

Fred Schaeffer, OFS  - 2011, 2022

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The last Sunday of Advent

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

The last Sunday of Advent is here and there is just one week left before the Lord is born. Yesterday, I put up a single string of lights outside, just to have some color to look at for me and for my neighbor. He’s got one of those moving color lamps, lighting up a small palm tree, looks rather interesting and special. And I put a tiny artificial tree inside, about 20 inches high – that’s all I have room for; and toward Christmas I’ll have to find space for my crib figures, although space in my living room is at a premium. I love my little house (a single-wide trailer really with a kitchen-living room, a utility room I use as a bedroom, and a bedroom I use as a workroom) but storage space to put things is at a premium. Add to that a daily avalanche of junk mail: mail begging for contributions for all sorts of causes, some good, most uninteresting, and all above my budget. Most of it ends up in the trash, eventually. The causes I contribute to are (in this order of priority): my Parish Church; Veterans organizations (one or two); Religious organizations (one or two, but there are dozens); and by that time no more charity money because my living costs must take priority and they are constantly increasing. Many people are in the same boat, fixed income just goes so far, especially these days.

The emphasis of these seven days before Christmas is on inner peace. Peace in my heart/soul, peace in prayer, watching sane television programs that elevate the mind rather than tear down tranquility and inner peace. There were several programs under the collective title, “Epic Yellowstone.” I saw several hour-long episodes, one on winter in Yellowstone “Fire and Ice”, the other on nesting birds in the park, “Life on the Wing”. Both were beautifully photographed. Then there was one on the “Return of the Predators”, and another, “Down the River Wild.” Many years ago, I visited Yellowstone National Park, drove through it from the Grand Teton range into this huge park of 3,472 square miles, stopping many places. It is located in the most Northwestern corner of Wyoming. Doing this area in one day doesn’t do it justice. In those days (1970’s) I was still working for the airlines and flying here and there on employee discounts allowed me to visit many distant places, using rental cars to get around. The good old days!

I love television documentaries about nature, the nature God created. Unfortunately, once the human species gets the idea to “make it better,” it usually ends up much worse. Fortunately, Yellowstone and all the other large parks are still much the same.

I was searching for an old photo of my Christmas Crib, actually of the statues that I’ve been using rather than the crib itself. It was filed in “the cloud” and it took a while to locate the file. These figurines/statues are older than myself. My parents bought them after they married. Dad made a crib, a place for these statues to stand, but that crib was too large to be moved easily and I chose to display the statues without the crib. There are additional statues not shown in the image, two additional shepherds and two sheep, all in this sand-colored format. I’m sorry the picture isn’t too sharp. I ran it through an imaging program but this is as good as it gets because the image was very small.

Have a very happy week, probably shopping for last minute gifts. But give yourself a gift too, find a nice quiet place which rest the eyes and say a quiet prayer for all that needs fixing in this world! Please say a prayer for me too.

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
December 18, 2022

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Greccio: “Finally, the holy night arrived...”
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

In the life of St. Francis at Christmastime in 1223, three years before he died, we find a unique story that takes place in the Italian town of Greccio: “Therefore, desiring to represent as faithfully as possible the lowly poverty of the infancy of the Savior born at Bethlehem, when the Feast of the Nativity was at hand, the man of God sent word to a religious nobleman in the town of Greccio named John, who provided an ox and an ass, with a stable, in anticipation of the joys of the coming celebration. (from: “The Life of St Francis”, Julian of Speyer, FA:ED, vol. 1, 406 ff.)

“Finally the holy night arrived. Blessed Francis was there with many of his brothers gathered around him. The hay in the manger is prepared, the ox and the ass are arranged around the manger, and the vigil celebration begins with joy. A great multitude of people stream together from various places, the night is filled with an unaccustomed joy and made luminous by candles and torches. And so, with a new ritual, the festival of a new Bethlehem is celebrated. (ibid)

“The brothers also paid their debt of praise to the Lord, and all present acclaimed him with new songs of praise. Blessed Francis, however, was standing before the manger full of sighs of joy and suffused by an indescribable sweetness. Finally, when Solemn Mass was celebrated above the manger, the holy Levite of God, dressed in festive vestments proclaimed the gospel with a sonorous voice and then with a voice flowing with honey he preached to the people about the poor King born in Bethlehem. Truly, he was so overcome by sweet devotion toward the infancy of that King, that whenever he had to speak the name of Jesus Christ, he would, as if stuttering, call him “the babe of Bethlehem,” out of an excess of loving tenderness. (ibid)

“Lest it be thought that these things happened without divine approval, a miraculous vision was shown to a certain virtuous man, who saw Blessed Francis go up to the manger and waken, as if from a deep sleep, a child who seemed to be lying there lifeless. It is therefore believed, and not without reason, that the Lord Jesus aptly revealed his infancy in this vision to the one who reflected upon it. He who was asleep or dead in the hearts of many, owing to forgetfulness, was awakened and recalled to memory by the teaching and example of Blessed Francis. The solemnities were completed with great exultation, and everyone happily returned to their homes. (ibid)

“Later, hay from the manger saved both men and women from various perils and also proved health-giving when applied to stricken brute beasts. Moreover, the place of the manger is consecrated as a temple of the Lord, (1 Kgs 8:63) and an altar, constructed above that same manger, is dedicated to the honor of the holy father Francis, and in memory of the event. (ibid)

This text from Julian of Speyer gives us what occurred at Greccio in 1223 at Christmas, and now it is our turn in 2022 to relive Christmas again as Franciscans in 2022. We love our Seraphic Father Francis for his life, his example, his Faith and devotion. We also love him for the Rule we follow daily.

I hope that the “unaccustomed joy” that was felt in Greccio is also felt by each of you as you sit down at your family table or in easy chairs in your den with all of your family, and in Church, on December 24/25, as you relive the Franciscan Christmas Feast. Living alone, I miss the family celebration of Christmas Eve, but this year, a friend volunteered to drive me to the 6 PM Mass on Christmas Eve at St. Helen’s (Vero Beach, FL), and you will all be in my heart as I celebrate Christmas in receiving Jesus in Holy Communion on this wonderful night.

Please pray for me as I will for all of you
Have a Blessed and Wonderful Christmas. Think of St. Francis at Greccio. Peace!

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
December 23, 2022

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