bro Freds Reflections January 2024

The Love of God is all-powerful
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

God loves us as individuals... that shows us some of the power of God. He knows us each by name! In Isaiah, we read: " Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations." We are His chosen, and His soul delights in us! [Isa 42:1]

Also: "The Lord said to Moses, "This request, too, which you have just made, I will carry out, because you have found favor with me and you are my intimate friend." [Ex. 33:17]

In the New Testament, we find the following words: "And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother." [Mat 12:49-50]

The relationship of those who do the will of the Heavenly Father, is an intimate relationship. Moses was favored by the Lord, so the Lord deemed him an intimate friend, and similarly, people who really try to observe God's law, are intimate friends.

People say that they we are all sinners, and there is no question that all of us are. Original sin gave us that burden. But if we are sorry for our misdeeds, God will forgive us. In frequent reconciliation, we gain in holiness along the way of life, and we too, will become intimate friends with Him. God is all-powerful, and there is no limit to his mercy and forgiveness. If we continue to strive to improve, to sin less and less as time goes on, we too will grow in intimacy with Jesus.

There are definite advantages to becoming a friend of Jesus. One of those is a certain inner peace which follows us around. That is not to say that we won't be tempted and attacked by the evil one to do something that offends God, but at some point if we continue to persevere, we will overcome these temptations and continue to grow in love with God. If we falter once in a while, that is OK: our Lord will give us the grace to get up and continue on our journey. We are so special to Him that He does not want to lose us and thus will protect us and the friendship and brotherhood we share with Him and through Him with each other. If we fail Him daily and we are not careful in our relationship with Him, or perhaps even seek to stray away from Him, then we can damage our friendship. He will still love us, but we will not love Him. And so, when we come to the end of our days, if we do not reach that time in a State of Grace, and we fail to do something about that, then we are in danger of losing our immortal soul. It must not come to that. Our Lord forgave us for crucifying Him, or for being a part of that action, and in order to redeem us, He died for us on the Cross. For each one of us. Do not let Him down. Repent. There is less time than you think. Repent, and sin no more.

Professed members of the Secular Franciscan Order, must obey the Rule of St. Francis, as all Franciscans do. Rule #7 states: “United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance”, and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls “conversion”. Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily. On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace.” (Rule, upd. version)

We are in difficult times. Our Church is being attacked right and left. The secular media and even scholars are attempting to sway our attention away from the Catholic church, by not recognizing God in worldly setting anymore. It began years ago, by a small group of powerful people who did their best to hide the public display of the Ten Commandments. Then, other efforts attempted to omit references to God in all sorts of applications. It is almost as if the world says: Out of sight (God's Name) is out of mind. And even in our Churches, for a time, there was havoc as Church architects designed worship spaces devoid of crucifixes, showing the Corpus, and hid Tabernacles in corners and alcoves. Fortunately, newer designs are friendlier to God.

God is all powerful, and He can punish people. We hope that we will continually grow in our relationship with God and with the Father, and we will grow as long as we remain an intensely loyal Eucharistic people. The strength of the Catholic Church is Jesus Himself, and people who believe and act accordingly; we have Jesus in our midst, in Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Make Him welcome in our Heart and Soul. Make sure He has a place there, forever.

Today (Jan 1, 2024), we are celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Mary is the Mother of God, and our mother as well. If we are struggling with problems, go to Mary in prayer, and she will come to our aid every time. She is a superb intercessor. She loves us as her Son does. Many people pray directly to God, and that’s fine; but His Mother Mary is always a big help. Ask her to help you.

Fred Schaeffer, OFS 2009, upd. 01/01/2024

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Why was Jesus born in a stable?

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Our parish church, as so many other Catholic Churches around the world, has a wonderful Christmas Crib display. Placed amid a sea of poinsettias is a magnificent Crib display with Fontanini figurines. Looks wonderful and colorful, and so festive. But it's all wrong. Jesus was born in a grotto or at least a cave, and there were some animals there, cows or perhaps oxen. And the manger Jesus was lying in was an animal feeding trough. We do well to remember this reality: Jesus, the Son of the Living God, was born in a stable! The question is why?

"And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!" When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:7-19)
 
Could His arrival on earth in poverty have something to do with His death... in poverty, without friends, without anyone except for His mother, and the Apostles?
 
He could have come in great splendor and riches but He came to Bethlehem among the farm animals, the sheep, the oxen, and among the shepherds, people of minimal education, especially in those days 2000 years ago. Was it because the poor are meek and humble, just as Our Lord is meek and humble of heart?

The 2000 intervening years in the history of the Church has been one conflict after another. If you read the History of the Catholic Church ("c. 107: St. Ignatius of Antioch was martyred at Rome. He was the first writer to use the expression, “the Catholic Church.”"1) you'll find that the Catholic Church was attacked by all sorts of doubters and that the Body of Christ really had a tough struggle getting it, in membership and authenticity of teaching, where it is today. And even today there are scandals in the Church, surely the work of the devil who does not want Jesus to succeed. He (Jesus) said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Mat 16:15-19)

The "powers of death shall not prevail against it," - the Catholic Church will survive! Sure, it may go to yet more rough times but it will survive! And people who love the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and those who love Mary the Mother of God, and the Angels and Saints, they too will survive... they will find themselves welcomed in His Heavenly Kingdom."He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:32-33)

Just as Jesus was born in a stable, and died a gruesome death alone on the Cross, He comes to us in a very lowly form...In the Holy Eucharist of the Catholic Church He comes to us in the form of bread and wine. Common staple even to this day in all parts of the world. These substances, consecrated during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, are so common we don't even think about them for we know that in these staple forms He is really present in Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. And so, we adore Him, coming to us in a small way, in a humble way, in an unambiguous way we can identify with. God made all this possible so that His only begotten Son will be in the hearts of men and women throughout the ages.

Fred Schaeffer, OFS (1-6-2004, republished 1/6/2024)

1. Our Sunday Visitor Catholic Almanac

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Put on a new self
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Let us consider the words of the prophet Micah: "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing clemency. He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18-19)

When you receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Roman Catholic Faith, and you receive His absolution, your sins are forgiven and as the prophet Micah states, God does not remain angry, because He delights in his mercy and compassion. He casts our sins into the depth of the sea. In other words, my brothers and sisters, your sins, forgiven as they are in Reconciliation, are a thing of the past. It is very unfortunate, even arrogant, for people to keep the burden of their forgiven sins by not being able to forgive themselves. If God says they are thrown into the sea, then by what logic and right can we say no that his wonderful gift of forgiveness?

The year 2024 has begun, as I am composing this reflection. What have we to say for ourselves? Has 2023-4 been a year that we came closer to Our Lord God, or did we get further away from Him, or denied Him altogether by the attraction to sins of the flesh? In the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians (4:21-24 rsvce), “assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus. Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Read the Word of the Lord (Holy Scriptures), seek to discern how His words apply to your daily living, repent, and love God and your neighbor as yourself, and you're on your way. (some translations say ‘put on a new self’)

I don't believe very much in New Years' resolutions because every year I've made such promises they were forgotten pretty soon. I believe in action. Now! This minute, don't let grass grow under your commitments. Love the Lord as you should and act the way a good Christian would. Not because of how others might think of you, but for your own commitment and integrity, and, of course, because we love God and our sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus.

There are many people who need our urgent prayers. There are the hundreds of thousands of people who have lost home and income in war-torn countries, Ukraine, and Israel/Palestine. There are too many who lost their lives. Some will undoubtedly blame God for their situation or ask how He could permit this. But God is really not at fault. He loves us so very much. He has given us so much as his creation. He has given us a free will, and that was the beginning of the problems. We misused our free wills. We chose to live the "good life," and that good life was often lived without regard to God and directly opposed to His love and goodness for us. Rather, we should learn from the situation. Death can strike at any time. There is usually no forewarning, especially in a war. Will we be ready for death when it comes? When death comes, it is too late. No more time to back peddle and make things right. That's when all changes come to a halt. We would be blessed if in our dying moment we have the presence of mind to ask God for forgiveness for all unconfessed sins. Dedicate your entire life through St. Francis of Assisi (or your favorite Saint) to God. Those who follow the Rule of St. Francis at all times, will be rewarded.

Let's quietly slip into 2024, with the intention to make this new year holier by loving God, and our neighbor as we love ourselves. When we love others as ourselves, we do not fear or be apprehensive because we know that God is with us. So I wish you a Happy 2024, with better health physically and spiritually.

Peace and all Good,
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
Epipany 2024

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The Eucharist: source and summit of the Christian life

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

With so many people not believing in the “Real Presence”, it is appropriate to talk about the Eucharist, which is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ: The Real Presence. He is present during Holy Mass, in the Tabernacle and in the Monstrance set out for Eucharistic Adoration, and also in the Holy Communion we receive. Please refer to following paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition.

CCC* Para. 1374 “The mode of Christ's presence under the Eucharistic species is unique. It raises the Eucharist above all the sacraments as "the perfection of the spiritual life and the end to which all the sacraments tend." In the most blessed sacrament of the Eucharist "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained." "This presence is called 'real' - by which is not intended to exclude the other types of presence as if they could not be 'real' too, but because it is presence in the fullest sense: that is to say, it is a substantial presence by which Christ, God and man, makes himself wholly and entirely present."

I cannot imagine a Holy Mass without receiving Him in the Eucharist. Lack of an automobile notwithstanding, friends usually assist getting me to Church on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. When I miss an occasional Sunday Mass, when friends are out of town, I always ask myself, did I try hard enough getting a ride? Fortunately the Church cooperates by sending someone to the house, once a week, with Holy Communion. Receiving Him is very important to me. I hope you will also make every effort to go to Holy Mass.

I’ve been a Secular Franciscan for the past 31 years; I’ve also had experience as a monk in an Order that did not last, but the memory of that beautiful time is with me almost daily. The reason is that I live alone, and I live very much like in those five monastic years. It was a beautiful time because I felt His Presence daily. I long for His Presence again but it is a greater struggle to maintain this relationship. The key to keep this spiritual relationship active is frequent reception of the Eucharist.

I hope you will desire to receive Him often too, very often. Jesus is like us in all ways except sin#, so we make an effort to eradicate sin in our lives.

Peace and Good!

Fred Schaeffer, OFS

* CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Edition
See: https://scborromeo2.org/catechism-of-the-catholic-church
A very useful website with an excellent search bar.

# Saint John Paul II in a Catechisis on Jesus Christ; General Audience, Wednesday 3 February 1988

• "By his Incarnation the Son of God has united himself in some fashion with every man. He worked with human hands, he thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, he has truly been made one of us, like us in all things except sin" (GS 22).

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A cold but a happy day
A reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

A happy day for me is a day that begins with Holy Mass at our Parish Church. I make this distinction because I don’t have a car anymore and I listen to the Live production of Holy Mass on EWTN. That makes me happy too, but not to the extent that a live Mass in person, does. In other words, a Mass where I receive Him in Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. That tops any experience, every time. It makes me very happy.

This particular day was a Sunday, and after Mass, my friend Adela who picked me up, and her friend, Michael, both members of St. Helen’s Church Choir, and I visited the “Angelic Cafe” in the Parish Center, where we have good company and great conversation. People who know me will find out that I am a man of few words. I listen a lot. I guess it’s because my hearing isn’t so sharp anymore but also because I don’t always find people who have something interesting to say. I am not quiet because I am shy, not anymore. Twenty years ago, I was a monk for four and a half years, and I was less talkative in the ensuing time than before that experience. Those years are never far from my thoughts. It was a happy time for me, for the most part, because I found out my strengths and weaknesses. I found out I liked silence and prayer, to help come closer to Our Lord. Living with two strange men isn’t always easy. The founder was a sick man, in constant periods of pain. It wasn’t until years later, I found out that he had passed away at a very young age all alone. The other guy was healthy and I’m still in contact with him periodically. They had built a new Monastery in Gulf-coast of Florida, but no one had ever occupied the building which took endless years to go through the county code-approval process. What a shame. That said, I did become very close to the Lord and I thank Him daily.

Back to my happy day… Listening to people recount their experiences. A lady and her husband, living in an area of “the island” where real estate values are high, so one might assume they lived the good life Florida is famous for. They came from New Jersey where they had property also. Still they were modest people, and they worshiped at my parish because of its spirituality. The lady looked at my Tau cross and wondered if I was Franciscan. Yes, I am, for the last 31 years and counting. praise the Lord! It’s always great when people recognize the Tau, or if they don’t know what it is, they ask. Then there was another couple but they didn’t say very much. A well-spent half hour with good conversation, fellowship and food.

At home, I prayed the Rosary, and the Liturgy of the Hours, Morning Prayer. The Liturgy is optional for Secular Franciscans, but I love those daily prayers, which are mandatory for priests, religious (men or women) and others who made Vows. I have been praying these beautiful prayers since 1983. I recall when I bought my first book (the single-volume “Christian Prayer). I had been sort of restless in prayer, unorganized, unfocused. That’s when I was still living in the New York area. It was a Saturday, and I believe it was in Valley Stream that I spotted a religious article store. I don’t know why I walked in, but I did, and bought the Christian Prayer book, and left. It sat on my table for a while and then I got the urge to use it. Thank you Holy Spirit! I’ve never stopped using it; now I use the large-print 4-volume edition which I came to love in the monastery. Some people fear it because it’s expensive and complicated (not to me); I had a benefactor, another Secular Franciscan who gave it to me as a gift; I pray for her every day. I love these prayers because I sense the unity and love when thousands of priests (the Holy Father, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons), religious of all Orders, nuns and other sisters, and many of the faithful, are all praying Morning, Evening and Night Prayer, every minute of the day. Sometimes (often during Lent) I pray the Office of Readings, too. Another source of great joy. Using the Franciscan Supplement, I follow those feasts as well. Hint: In the Office of Readings the Second Readings are often beautiful, written by the saint of the day.

The rest of the day, afternoon, I watched TV. My old LCD TV (almost 15 years old) gave up last year, and since I was spending too much money, I bought an Amazon FireTV with some awards money. Best deal I ever made, great LED TV, fully-adjustable, a very light smart-TV working on Wi-Fi, cost ZERO per month to operate. And, I get almost everything I had before. I love Veterinary shows and there are a bunch of them in the UK which I’m able to get. I don’t watch “R” rated stuff, and very little News. I do miss one of my favorite shows, “The Incredible Dr. Pol”, a veterinary show from Michigan, but it’s on a channel I would have to pay for, and I have to keep costs down. A happy afternoon. A happy Sunday.

God bless you and always be happy!

Fred Schaeffer, OFS

January 22, 2024

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His Abundant Love
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Prayer is a Gift from God whose abundant love is always trying to help us. Is He welcome, will He be received with reciprocal love, or are we busy with something else? During the last 3 years, I got back to praying the Rosary daily. Without that Rosary, my day is incomplete.

Memory is a wonderful gift. Sometimes I don’t do well with short-term memory, but I recall a Sunday 7-8 years ago, when I visited good friends of mine in Sebastian, and they had invited two other good friends so we had dinner together. One of the guests remarked that there was always a feeling of peace in that house, and indeed there was. Having supper with friends is always great, not so much because home-cooked meals are a luxury for me, but because of the company, the good humor, and the sure knowledge that Jesus also loved having supper with friends and followers. I once saw a devotional card, actually it was an image often associated with newly ordained ministers or priests... where the Apostles stand in a circle, with Jesus among them, on the shore of Lake Genasseret, and they are preparing for a meal of fresh-caught fish, perhaps. That image has stayed with me throughout the years, as it so strong reminds me of His love for all of us.

But what are we doing in return? We live in a world where nations are at war, and our nation is involved. Any kind of hostility displeases God, because hostility and war is the opposite of love and therefore it is not of Him. War is never the right response. This world is increasingly a dangerous place, with terrorist threat, people suspicious and distrustful of one another, where God is more often forgotten than not. I thank Him for leading me to prayer, as I hope He will lead you to prayer also, so that we will continue to honor His Kingship, His love for us. When we do not accept this love, we go completely astray. We leave ourselves open to temptation and our defenses are down. But when we listen to Him, to the Holy Spirit as He whispers to us what we should do (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 2650), we are strengthened to withstand temptation and other evils.

From the first minute of the day, after we awaken, we are (perhaps dimly) aware of God's Grace. Breakfast might consist of cereal grains, from His bounty, milk, coffee, all natural products that came about from His love. No matter what we do during any given day, you can bet on it that God had something to do with it, and this should come as no surprise since the Gift of our lungs, the air we breathe, is what keeps us going.

Thanks to a few years of schooling, good mentors, beautiful parents who told us the right things, and a loving teacher, the Holy Spirit, who keeps inspiring us, so that we can be set free by the Truth, we know that He is with us always. So do make time for Him, and especially for Mary, our Mother. Ask Mary to intercede for us that we will always honor her Son, and never do anything that is inappropriate. God's love really is all free. It costs us nothing. All we have to do is accept it, and love Him, and love our Sisters and Brothers more than we love ourselves. Therein lies the key - a person who loves the self too much in proportion to loving God and other people, is someone who is living dangerously. All things not of God, and most of all, sin in some form or another, take us away from that budding friendship in our soul between Master and subject. It diverts our attention from goodness and peace, and as long as we live in this dangerous world full of temptation, we cannot afford to take our eyes off the Lord.

In a few weeks, Lent will be here, and we will again prepare for His Resurrection. Ash-Wednesday is on February 14th, 2024. Lent is a great time to get to know Our Lord.

Peace and all Good,

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
2010 (FR2-545), rev. 1/24/2024

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Know, Live, and Spread your Faith

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

We cannot live or share our Faith until we know what we believe. Those of you who were "born into the Faith," that is, baptized into the Roman Catholic Faith because your parents arranged it, when you were just a baby, probably have a pretty sound background in the tenets of the Faith. In your younger years you may have attended CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) lessons in the Catholic Faith for elementary and/or high school students. But if you are 83, like myself, it is pretty hard to recall what I was taught some 65 years ago! Fortunately, I have kept up, attended Holy Mass every Sunday, listened to fairly good to excellent homilies over the years, and read a lot. I hope you have too, otherwise you may have forgotten the basics. I suggest you do some reading in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a fine book published by the Vatican, which tells about all there is to know about the practice of the Catholic Faith. In addition, please get to know the Bible, especially the New Testament.

People, like myself and others, who are Secular Franciscans are always learning, every monthly Fraternity meeting we have the opportunity to learn something we may have forgotten or even something new. The Secular Franciscan Order now, for the first time (as of 2011) has published a worldwide formation text, for all its professed and candidate members, so that the basics of the teaching of Franciscan spirituality is the same all throughout this world-wide Order. And, on April 18th, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI addressed the Franciscan Family during the Mats Chapter saying: "Dear friends, the last word I wish to leave you with is the same word that the Risen Jesus consigned to his disciples: "Go!" (cf. Mt 28: 19; Mk 16: 15) …and continue to "repair the house" of the Lord Jesus Christ, his Church. … Like Francis, always begin with yourselves.”

We begin with ourselves, always, by living our Faith with joy and enthusiasm, with knowing exactly what we believe, and then we GO, and share God's gift of Love to all we reach with our words, or put another way, with HIS Word! Yes, that used to be something only bishops and priests did. And lately, bishops, priests, deacons, and people of the laity are involved in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Certainly, as the Pope asked us to do, we, members of the Secular Franciscan Order, are expected to share God's Word with the world.

This is a great challenge, because there are people in this big world who do not value His Word, and in fact, who do everything possible to contradict it. I have no wish to be melodramatic about it, but there may come a time when our intention is publicly and openly challenged, so we must have courage. Courage to defend Jesus Christ. I shall do my best to do this, and I pray He will keep me from harm, and all of you, too.

Let us join our beloved Seraphic Father, St. Francis of Assisi. The mandate he was given by the Lord, was to go "repair my house." Francis initially believed God asked him to repair a church building with mortar and bricks, but as we now know, we are to repair the "Body of Christ." The "Body of Christ" is the Church and all the believers. Our task is not to use mortal and bricks, but to spread the love of Jesus Christ to those who need it the most. Those who need spiritual healing, and those who are away, for whatever reason, from the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. I am willing to talk to anyone who needs help. Jesus will probably send me someone who needs help, that is how it usually goes.

Be open to people who ask you to help, at least see what you can do. Or, if you feel you cannot do much, then refer them to someone who can. Pray about it, pray for the individual who asked assistance. For his or her well being, and that soon, he/she be restored to the body of Christ!

GO, and build My Church! (as Jesus told St. Francis to do!). As Franciscans, that is our job!

God bless you!

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
October 23, 2012, Rev. January 28, 2024
(FR2-615)