Thursday, October 04, 2012
Saint Francis of Assisi, "Giant of Holiness," Honored October 4th
On
Oct. 4, Roman Catholics celebrate the feast of St. Francis of Assisi,
the Italian deacon who brought renewal to the Church through his
decision to follow Jesus' words as literally as possible.
In
a January 2010 general audience, Pope Benedict XVI recalled this "giant
of holiness" as a "great saint and a joyful man," who taught the
Church that "the secret of true happiness" is "to become saints, close
to God."
The
future Saint Francis was born on an uncertain date in the early 1180s,
one of the several children born to the wealthy merchant Pietro
Bernardone and his wife Pica. He originally received the name Giovanni
(or John), but became known as Francesco (or Francis) by his father's
choice.
Unlike
many medieval saints, St. Francis was neither studious nor pious in
his youth. His father's wealth gave him access to a lively social life
among the upper classes, where he was known for his flashy clothes and
his readiness to burst into song. Later a patron of peacemakers, he
aspired to great military feats in his youth and fought in a war with a
rival Italian city-state.
A
period of imprisonment during that conflict turned his mind toward more
serious thoughts, as did a recurring dream that suggested his true
"army" was not of this world. He returned to Assisi due to illness in
1205, and there began consider a life of voluntary poverty.
Three
major incidents confirmed Francis in this path. In Assisi, he overcame
his fear of disease to kiss the hand of a leper. Afterward, he made a
pilgrimage to Rome, where he deposited his money at Saint Peter's tomb
and exchanged clothes with a beggar. Soon after he returned home,
Francis heard Christ tell him in a vision: "Go, Francis, and repair my
house, which as you see is falling into ruin."
Francis
began to use his father's wealth to restore churches. This led to a
public quarrel in which the cloth-merchant's son removed his clothing
and declared that he had no father except God. He regarded himself as
the husband of "Lady Poverty," and resolved to serve Christ as "a
herald of the Great King."
During
the year 1208, the "herald" received the inspiration that would give
rise to the Franciscan movement. At Mass one morning, he heard the
Gospel reading in which Christ instructed the apostles to go forth
without money, shoes, or extra clothing. This way of life soon became a
papally-approved rule, which would attract huge number of followers
within Francis' own lifetime.
Through
his imitation of Christ, Francis also shared in the Lord's sufferings.
He miraculously received Christ's wounds, the stigmata, in his own
flesh during September of 1224. His health collapsed over the next two
years, a "living sacrifice" made during two decades of missionary
preaching and penance.
St. Francis of Assisi died on Oct. 3, 1226. Pope Gregory IX, his friend and devotee, canonized him in 1228.
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Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Bon*Ton / Elder Beerman Community Day Booklets
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Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage
Community Day Coupon Booklet
Price: $5.00
Coupon booklets ship for FREE!
In some cases delivery may take longer than our standard 7-10 day service. However, we do guarantee delivery prior to the start of this event.
In some cases delivery may take longer than our standard 7-10 day service. However, we do guarantee delivery prior to the start of this event.
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In Favor of Preaching
Photo of Fr. Stan Fortuna, C.F.R., taken at the
Franciscan University of Steubenville Youth Conference
"In
prayer we walk with God and listen to him, and we walk with the angels.
But in preaching, we have to descend to the human and live among others
as one of them, thinking and seeing and hearing and speaking only on
the human level. But, in favor of preaching, there is one argument which
seems to count more than all the rest in God's eyes and that is this:
the only-begotten Son of God, who is Infinite Wisdom, descended from the
Father's embrace to save souls"...
Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Bonaventure - Major Life
Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Bonaventure - Major Life
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Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Schedule a "Come to the Quiet" Retreat at Your Church this Spring
Pace e Bene! The peace of the Lord be with you!
The Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and Retreat Center is currently scheduling
"Come to the Quiet" Retreats
for
Ohio and Indiana
in the
Spring of 2013
There appears to be a growing interest in the monastic life among people of all lifestyles, and no wonder! For centuries, the monastic life has provided monks and nuns with disciplines and practices aimed at helping them maintain balanced, healthy and centered lifestyles while they "prefer nothing to Christ!" But these practices are not only for monks! Join us as we explore practices such as silence, prayer, simplicity, solitude and celebration, and the benefits they have for all our lives.
To book a "Come to the Quiet" retreat at your parish, all we require is a hand-written invitation from your parish priest on his personal stationery.
On January 6, 2001, at the end of the Jubilee Year 2000, Pope John Paul II published Novo Millennio Inuente, his vision of dynamic Catholic life for the new millennium, calling for the whole world to reconnect with the mystical tradition, mentioning specifically Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Therese of Lisieux.
In our “Come to the Quiet” Retreats we try as much as
possible to let these saints speak for themselves by a generous use of their
own words, keeping our own commentary to a bare minimum, so as not to impede
the flow of the “road maps.” We restrict ourselves just to those saints of the
Western Church who have been recognized as Doctors of the Church and have made
a major contribution to our understanding of the spiritual journey, the only
exception to this being our Seraphic Father, St. Francis of Assisi.
When Pope John Paul II considered what was the most important
legacy of the Jubilee Year 2000 that should be carried forward into the new
millennium, this is what he said: “But if we ask what is the core of the great
legacy it leaves us I would not hesitate to describe it as the Contemplation
of the Face of Christ” (NMI 15).
The latent richness of our own
Roman Catholic tradition should regain its necessary role in the world through
the teaching of Repentance and Penance through prayer. Contemplative prayer
naturally extends to the Eucharist, incorporating an hour of meditation before
the Blessed Sacrament each week. Our “Come to the Quiet” Retreats speak
specifically to people whose hunger and humility have already brought them to
the point St. Paul meant when he said, “We do not even know how to pray.”
We always begin with the ancient Catholic monastic tradition
of the “Jesus Prayer,” progress through Teresian Prayer (Lectio Divina),
the Office of the Hours, the Rosary, and end with the Ladder of Monks; Lectio,
Meditatio, Oratio, and Contemplatio representing the four rungs on
that Ladder.
The only compensation we ask for at our “Come to the Quiet” Retreats is a free-will
offering at the end.
“Come to the Quiet”
Retreat Schedule
Friday 7:00-8:00 P.M.
Short (15
minute) talk explaining the weekend and an explanation of the ancient Monastic
practice of the “Jesus Prayer.” This is
followed by an hour of Silence where people split off individually and find a
place to be by themselves. They can choose to remain in their pews before the
Blessed Sacrament, walk around outside the church, whatever makes them most
comfortable.
Friday 8:00-9:00 P.M.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament,
remaining exposed throughout the entire weekend.
We humbly
request Reconcilliation be made available throughout the weekend, but especially during the first hour of Adoration. .Everyone is invited to leave in
total Silence.
Saturday 10:00- 11:00 A.M.
Praying the Liturgy of the Hours
Saturday 11:00-12:00 A.M.
Praying the
Rosary (Become Hidden in the Wounds of
the Savior ~ St. Francis of Assisi)
Saturday 12:00-01:00 P.M.
Pitch-In
Saturday 01:00-2:00 P.M.
Teresian
Prayer (Lectio Divina)
Saturday 02:00-03:00 P.M.
Contemplative
Prayer
Saturday 03:00-04:00 P.M.
Ladder of
Monks (Guiggo)
Saturday 04:00-05:00
Large Group
Discussion
Saturday 5:00 P.M.
Close with Mass
Mailing Address:
Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage
P.O. Box 114
Richmond, IN 47375-0114
Mailing Address:
Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage
P.O. Box 114
Richmond, IN 47375-0114
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Sunday, September 23, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Proposed Portiuncula Chapel at the Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and Retreat Center
Photo of the Portiuncula Chapel at the Little Portion in Arkansas
Francis also told the friars to build their
houses small and their cells of wood, not of stone, and he wanted them
built in a humble style. He abhorred pretentious buildings, and disliked
superfluous or elaborate appointments. He wished nothing
about their tables or appointments to appear worldly or to remind them
of the world, so that everything should proclaim their poverty and
remind them that they were pilgrims and exiles.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 6
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Simplicity Itself
Photo of the Rivotorto (Crooked River) where St. Francis and his early followers first lived.
More often than not, the bare earth was the only bed Francis had to lay his tired body on, and his pillow was a stone or a piece of wood. His clothes were simplicity itself - nothing more than a course, rough covering to protect him... He knew that expensive clothes only gave his lower nature, with all its passions, the courage to attack all the more fiercely.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
Chapter III
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Holy Simplicity
"Saint Francis was zealous with more than usual care to show forth in himself, and he loved in others, holy simplicity, the daughter of grace, the sister of wisdom, the mother of justice."
Saint Francis of Assisi
Celano, Second Life
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Order of the Brothers of Penance
"Carried away by the force of his preaching, great numbers of people adopted the new rule of penance according to the form instituted by St. Francis which he called the "Order of the Brothers of Penance." The way of penance is common to all those who are on the road to heaven and so this way of life includes members of both sexes, clerics and lay folks, married and single. How meritorious it is in the eyes of God is clear from the numerous miracles worked by some of those who followed it."
Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
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Many Franciscans Abandoning Their Vocations
Foreseeing the future, Francis knew through the Holy Spirit and often repeated that many Franciscans, under the pretext of edifying others, would abandon their vocation, that is to say, pure and holy simplicity, prayer and Lady Poverty; they would consider themselves more fervent and more on fire with the love of God because of their knowledge of the Scriptures, whereas precisely because of it they would inwardly remain empty and cold; and they would not be able to return to their former vocation and they had let their time given to them to live in this holy vocation slip by. "And I strongly fear," he concluded, "that what they seem to have will be taken away from them because they have abandoned their vocation."
Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 70
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RALPH MARTIN
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Ralph Martin
"THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL DESIRE"
Are you interested in the Contemplative Life?
Drawing upon the teaching of seven Spiritual Doctors of the Church, Ralph Martin presents an in-depth study of the journey to God. This book provides encouragement and direction for the pilgrim who desires to know, love, and serve our Lord. I have personally read this book six times and grow deeper in my faith with every reading.
About the Author:
Ralph Martin has been a leader in renewal movements in the Church for many years, and the author of many books, articles, and audio albums on contemporary issues in the life of the Church and the teachings of the saints. He is currently Director of Graduate Programs in the New Evangelization at Sacred Heat Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit and Assistant Professor of Theology. He continues to lead the work of Renewal Ministries, an organization devoted to Catholic Renewal and Evangelization and hosts the weekly television program "The Choices We Face." He and his wife Anne are parents of six children and grandparents of six and reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Drawing upon the teaching of seven Spiritual Doctors of the Church, Ralph Martin presents an in-depth study of the journey to God. This book provides encouragement and direction for the pilgrim who desires to know, love, and serve our Lord. I have personally read this book six times and grow deeper in my faith with every reading.
About the Author:
Ralph Martin has been a leader in renewal movements in the Church for many years, and the author of many books, articles, and audio albums on contemporary issues in the life of the Church and the teachings of the saints. He is currently Director of Graduate Programs in the New Evangelization at Sacred Heat Major Seminary in the Archdiocese of Detroit and Assistant Professor of Theology. He continues to lead the work of Renewal Ministries, an organization devoted to Catholic Renewal and Evangelization and hosts the weekly television program "The Choices We Face." He and his wife Anne are parents of six children and grandparents of six and reside in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Veneration of the Body of Christ, which is held in the priest's hands during the Holy Eucharist
"St. Francis admonished the brothers faithfully to observe the holy Gospel and the rule to which they had bound themselves; to bear themselves reverently and devoutly towards the services of the Church and all ecclesiastical observances; to hear Mass and adore the Body of the Lord with devotion and worship. He also taught the brothers to honor with special respect all priests who were ministers of the sacraments; and wherever they might happen to meet such a priest they should bow before him, and not only kiss his hands, but, if he were riding, even the hooves of his horse, out of reverence for his priestly authority."
Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of the Three Companions
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Monday, September 17, 2012
Franciscan Lay Apostolate: Hasidic Franciscans?
With
their distinct dress, Hasidic Jews are pretty hard to miss, and that’s
part of the point. They believe their faith separates them from the
general population and that their style of dress should reflect this
distinction. It’s also an expression of their commitment to tradition,
as their dress today was typical for Ukrainian Jews 250 years ago. Male
Hasidic Jews also sometimes sport long beards and curled sideburns
called payot, based on a biblical commandment barring men from shaving
the sides of their faces.
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Sunday, September 16, 2012
The Real Presence Association
Our Lord Jesus told his disciples, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. If you had known me, you would also have known my Father. And henceforth you do know him, and you have seen him. Philip said to him, Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been so long a time with you, and you have not known me? Philip, he who sees me sees also the Father (John 13: 6-9).
...It is the Most High himself who has told us, (Mark 14: 22-24), and, This is my Body and Blood of the new covenant he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has life everlasting (John 6:55).
Saint Francis of Assisi
THE ADMONITIONS
Admonition I
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Saturday, September 15, 2012
St. Francis's Tunic Bore A Likeness To The Cross
Original Tunic once worn by St. Francis of Assisi found in Assisi, Italy
Francis designed for himself a tunic that bore a likeness to the cross, that by means of it he might beat off all temptations of the devil; he designed a very rough tunic so that it might crucify the flesh with all its vices and sins, he designed a very poor tunic, one that would not excite the covetousness of the world.
Saint Francis of AssisiCelano, First Life
Chapter IX
Saint Francis of AssisiCelano, First Life
Chapter IX
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Build Humble Cells; Small And Of Wood
Hermitage Cell
Francis also told the friars to build their houses small and their cells of wood, not of stone, and he wanted them built in a humble style. He abhorred pretentious buildings, and disliked superfluous or elaborate appointments. He wished nothing about their tables or appointments to appear worldly or to remind them of the world, so that everything should proclaim their poverty and remind them that they were pilgrims and exiles.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 6
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Holy Obedience Due Our Bishops
Photo of Pond at the Portiuncula Hermitage and Retreat Center in Jerusalem, Ohio
'When
the friars have examined the land necessary for a house,' Francis said,
'they should go to the Bishop of that city and say to him, "My Lord
so-and-so is willing to give us so much land for the love of God and for
the salvation of his soul, so that we may build a house there. We are
therefore coming to you first of all, because you are the father and
lord of the souls of all the flock entrusted to you, as well as of
ourselves and of all the brethren who will dwell in this place. So, with
God's blessing and your own, we would like to build there." '
He spoke this because the harvest of souls which the friars desire to gather is more readily obtained by working in harmony with the clergy, thereby helping both them and the people, than by antagonizing them, even though they may win the people.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 10
He spoke this because the harvest of souls which the friars desire to gather is more readily obtained by working in harmony with the clergy, thereby helping both them and the people, than by antagonizing them, even though they may win the people.
Saint Francis of Assisi
Mirror of Perfection - 10
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Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Leaving Home, Leaving Church - A Rite of Passage?
By Mike Filce, Crisis Magazine, Sept. 4, 2012
We rural people share a common understanding when it comes to our young: that it is essential for them to leave home after high school, to go away to college or work. This understanding comes from witnessing the stagnation of those who stay, the narrowed horizons and expectations, the dead-end life goals and plans.
Those who grow up here in Tahoe often do return, having seen what’s “out there,” and preferring what they know here. It then is a choice for something, rather than an absence of choice based on ignorance. Unsurprisingly, these “returnees” seem to find greater happiness and purpose than those who have never left.
A Rite of Passage?
The trouble for Catholics arises in that we often come to view our children’s faith journey in similar terms—almost condoning their choice to drift away from the faith we have guided them in forming. After all, many of us did the same thing—stopped attending mass with our parents, stopped practicing the sacraments on a regular basis, rationalizing our choices in myriad ways. When you’re young and impatient, when you find attending mass a chore, it requires only the smallest excuse to drift away. There are plenty of Christian assemblies around to provide the stimulation as well as the ready-made critiques of the Catholic faith and they do an admirable job of reaching out to our young people; and to be fair, we Catholics have provided our young with plenty of excuses to grow disinterested. So when our young adults stray, we are not greatly surprised or alarmed. Perhaps we offer up a prayer for their eventual return—that the Holy Spirit will lead them home; perhaps we lament the lack of programs and services aimed at retaining our young adults; but that’s usually as far as it goes.
And when our own children begin to drift, we accept it as our cross to bear, rather than pushing the child away from the Church even further. Without exception, it seems, we parents opt to avoid the tyranny of forced attendance, clinging to the hope that our children will one day return of their own volition.
What the Studies Say
The process of disengagement is a subtle yet corrosive one, and there is no shortage of pundits who attempt to list reasons for it. Such attempts invariably reflect on the alarming trends and note the clichés that we all tend to reiterate when lamenting the tragic exodus of our youth.
For a typical summary of reasons behind the exodus, I refer you to a respected 2011 study by Charles Zech and Father William Byron, not to affirm their accuracy, but to confess my own easy acceptance of such findings, and to contrast them with my revised assessment that the answers lie in a different direction. This study—eventually titled “Empty Pews: Survey of Catholics Regarding Decrease in Mass Attendance”—boils the somewhat predictable responses down to a list of seven reasons Catholics leave church (also summarized by Merica, Zimmerman).
The trouble with such studies is that they highlight the more public and sensational concerns—scandals and particularly rigid stances or doctrines; they conclude with platitudes and clichés without clarifying why young people really drift away from Catholic worship.
Getting at the Real Reasons
Looking a little further, one will consistently find that “People are not [leaving the Church] because they disagree with specific Catholic teachings; people are leaving because the church does not meet their spiritual needs and they find Protestant worship service better” (Reese). Read “emotional” for “spiritual,” and “desires” for “needs,” and you have a fairly accurate picture.
Offering the most accurate explanation for the exodus is Dennis Coday, editor for the National Catholic Reporter. He bases his analysis on a 2009 follow-up study to the well-known “Pew Report,” a 2007 study involving 35,000 Americans. Coday reports that commonly the decision to leave “happened over time” rather than being “prompted by a one-time event”; it’s not about the sex-abuse scandals. Catholic Researcher, Mark Gray, agrees that “The poster child of former Catholics is a disaffected teenager . . . This is about youth coming of age and not feeling connected to their faith” (qtd. in Coday).
“Matthew’s” story, as told in an essay by Kathryn Jean Lopez, epitomizes the complex emotional need to “feel connected,” which claims most casualties of the faith: Matthew grew up in a practicing Catholic household and went to Catholic schools. He was raised, as many of us were, “with the indoctrination of how the Church was infallible, perfect, the sole authority of God.” Not surprisingly, as he grew older, “he began to wonder whether this corresponded to the Church he saw.” Couple this disillusionment with the way in which another Christian faith made him “feel welcomed, valued, and affirmed,” and you have the standard recipe for disenfranchisement. It is almost pointless to speculate “how many there are who end up in ‘Bible churches’ because they find fellowship, scriptural preaching and teaching, and a sense of spirituality they had been lacking” (Lopez).
Where the Research Leaves Us
Whether or not we have children, we need to recognize this
crisis among our Catholic children and young adults, because it is
therefore a crisis of our Church and our Faith—for we are all one body,
and we share responsibility for the faith formation of our young;
likewise we all suffer when they neglect and abandon their faith. We as
parents and members of the congregation have become too passive in
allowing other influences to govern our children’s key decisions,
downplaying them as harmless rites of passage.
Uniquely Catholic
First, let’s acknowledge that because we claim to be the “one true Church,” to have the answers, to be the leader in the world, we open ourselves to relentless scrutiny, and a human institution must always fall short when measured against perfect righteousness. Make no mistake, our young people bring that scrutiny to mass.
I urge you to spend a few minutes during mass to observe the congregation through the eyes of a teenager—witnessing people as the automatons our teenagers see. It looked that way to me as well, and played a key role in my wanderings. In fact, it took years for me to realize that Catholics take to heart Jesus’ teaching that “what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:5-6, NAB), and in embracing this teaching, end up looking like the least devout, the least engaged, the least spiritual, while in fact they are often among the most. Add to that the criticism that our faith and worship are not “scripture-based,” and you have the basis of evangelical efforts to lead us away from our church and toward theirs.
Under these attacks, our young people easily lose sight of the mass as an exaltation of the scriptures and a multi-faceted prayer . . . and that’s as good a place as any to start a dialogue with our kids.
Defending the Faith at Home
The other day my wife and I had to explain to our fifteen-year old daughter why we weren’t allowing her to attend a weekend retreat with her friend’s evangelical Christian church group. Acknowledging that we cannot compete with the “fun” offered by other churches, we talk to her about the differences at the heart of our Faith and how those differences demand more from us, but that they define her and her faith in a vital way. We talk about what the “one true church” means; we do not pretend that all churches and all faiths are equal in God’s eyes; we try to make her aware of the motives of evangelical groups, and what challenges that will raise for her. It’s going to be an ongoing issue, one I’m sure we will continue to pray over, one that will push us to seek out guidance, one that will force us to frequently evaluate our beliefs and how we live them, and more importantly how we model those values to our children.
My wife and I do not see any point in “competing” with other faith communities or in trying to bring what works for them into our Church as so many seem inclined to. We can neither surrender our children to the more enticing activities of other churches, nor try to emulate those churches in hopes of “winning” some unspoken battle for attention. Emulation would only convey fear, whereas we need to embrace and celebrate the uniqueness of our faith instead. This doesn’t mean it’s not important to create engaging opportunities for our children and young adults, but that it’s more important to get them to look at their relationship with God and their church as something transcending the allure of fun events with friends.
Returning to the Voices of Wisdom, One Last Time
Not surprisingly, one of the Pew Report’s findings was that “The church
must make a preferential option for teenagers and young adults or it
will continue to bleed. Programs and liturgies that cater to their needs
must take precedence” (Reese; Cabaniss)—a
suggestion so sensible and unassailable that we tend not to question
it. But it’s also the same facile response that always emerges in such
conversations, probably because it sounds so logical. The problem, as
Margaret Cabaniss so cogently expresses, is that such “preferential
options” have been made available for some time, and without effect; in
fact, she points out, if we merely mimic what’s offered down the street,
that provides even less reason to stay. She focuses instead on what
makes us unique: the Eucharist. Cabaniss is also absolutely correct
that “modern, ‘accessible’ liturgies, social justice outreach; and
tight-knit communities” mean nothing “if we haven’t conveyed the
fundamental truth at the heart of our Faith: that we receive
the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord in the Eucharist at
every Mass, through an unbroken 2,000-year chain stretching back to
Christ Himself. Any attempt to address the attrition problem that
doesn’t begin here will fail before it has begun.”
Cabaniss is not alone in this assessment. Rev. Joseph Wilson, a priest at St. Luke’s Church in Queens, New York, identifies the real problem as a “deep misunderstanding of what the Mass is about,” citing the pervasive and misguided expectation that the “liturgy is our self-expression, that it should be comfy and entertaining.” He focuses on the need to inculcate the understanding that mass should really be “not about what we do so much as about what God does” (qtd. in Lopez). In all the hand wringing over the loss of so many young Catholics, I’ve rarely seen such a pithy and vital truth.
Where Do We Go From Here
Let’s turn to solutions—what we can take away from this discussion and begin applying to our families and communities. I offer this list not only in the hopes that you will find something useful, but also for myself, as a way to clarify the task before me:
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We must first renounce the notion that our young people must be entertained more than challenged.
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We must consciously stop interpreting the departure of our young people as some kind of “rite of passage.”
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We must be wary of trying to emulate those who compete for our children by providing fun and distraction.
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We must emphasize to our children that God wants us to be serious thinkers; He does not want a cheerleader camp.
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We must talk directly with our children about the church’s complex challenge – its role in the world; the nature of its critics and the allure of other faith communities.
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We must be clear first in our understanding, second in our explanations of our faith to our children.
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We must help our children to see the difference between the Church as a faith and the church as only the sum of its flawed human representatives.
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We must constantly talk with our children about the literature, movies, music, and other media they are exposed to, and teach them to evaluate the messages that play such a subtle yet ubiquitous role in their lives.
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We must challenge our children to reflect on the tenets of their confirmation and the sacraments as a whole.
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We must pass on to them a religion that is not adulterated by the modern “cafeteria-style” approach to the Church’s doctrines and teachings.
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We must openly acknowledge with our children that our faith does demand much more than others’ and we must support them tirelessly in shouldering that burden; after all, nothing valuable comes without hard work.
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We must demonstrate for them what role spiritual emotion plays in their faith so they do not perceive it as bloodless; we must remind them that what a congregation looks like is often different from what is really going on within its members.
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Last, we need to show our children that Christ is the center of our lives, not just what we do on Sunday.
A longer version of this essay first appeared August 30, 2012 on The Devout Life blog.
http://www.crisismagazine.com/2012/leaving-home-leaving-church-a-rite-of-passage
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
BonTon Community Day Booklet - Helping Non-Profits Like the Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage
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Chris Dickson, F.L.A.
Servant General
Franciscan Lay Apostolate
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