THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS of OUR LADY of GUADALUPE PROVINCE August 2020 Volume 34 Number 8
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THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE PROVINCE August 2020 Volume 34 Number 8 MY PATH OF DESIRE A Reflection by Jose Manuel Mendoza, OFM My name is José Manuel Mendoza, and I am from Santa Cruz Tepenixtlahuaca, Juquila, Oaxaca, Mexico. My native language is Chatino, which is spoken by approximately fifty thousand indigenous people in the southwestern region of Mexico (the state of Oaxaca). Chatino is my first language, and Spanish is the second, and now I am learning English. I am twenty-eight years old. I have three brothers and two sisters, and I am the third in my family. When I was fourteen years old, I left my village and traveled to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, for work and to be able to attend high school. It was there that I began to study Spanish. Pictured above: Jose Manuel Mendoza, When I was twenty-one years old, I joined the OFM receives a blessing from Our Lady Franciscan Friars of St. Peter and St. Paul of Guadalupe Provincial Minister, Jack Province in Michoacan, Mexico. There I Clark Robison, OFM. completed my Aspirancy, Postulancy, 0 1 MY PATH OF DESIRE CONTINUED. Novitiate and my Philosophy studies. I I came to Albuquerque on the feast of St. professed my Simple Vows in Querétaro, Peter and St. Paul. I am living at “Casa de Mexico, on July 13, 2016. I have been in Guadalupe” which is the Mother House of temporary vows for four years. One year Guadalupe Province. I am currently taking ago I arrived in El Paso, Texas where I studied English classes so that I can continue my Theology. studies and my formation to be a Franciscan. I am pleased for this opportunity and for the My desire to become a Franciscan continues new experience. Please pray for me (jniä n´hí as I am now a member of the Province of Ndiösé nshö nnä – Chatino language). Our Lady of Guadalupe in New Mexico. THE NEW NORMAL:A BROTHER'S PERSPECTIVE A Reflection by Bernard Keele, OFM For those who are curious what the changes increased sensitivity to our heightened in our Franciscan environment and our awareness of the needs to protect our own behavior looks like, I offer the following health and safety and the health and safety of perspective. I call it 'a brother's perspective' those around us leads us to a reassessment of because the emphasis of my life is service our relational roles as Franciscans in the oriented as opposed to others in my present and near future. This COVID-19 community whose thoughts and focus is awareness was to be a two week 'stay at sacramental and administrative. home', that some thought initially, before we would collectively resume the life activities From my urban friary of 8 religious men, that marked and defined our behavior. This roughly 20 weeks now of this pandemic brief 'flattening the curve' response would environment has affected our experience of have no lingering or lasting residue - or so we each other and ourselves, especially as it thought at the time. Rather, a wave of relates to our changing relational roles. If we unpredictable, unforeseen directives creating presuppose that a most important aspect of new boundaries and new modes of our vocation as Franciscans is our response interaction has caught us all by surprise. to the changes and needs of our society, how can we not be radically challenged and Our Franciscan friary's relational focus has changed during the past 140 days or so? become, to a certain extent, a measure of the quality of our common life together. It seems What have we experienced? The new we find ourselves with more time and reason constraints, modifications and limitations on to listen, understand, see and know one our behavior as a result of an informed, another. 0 2 THE NEW NORMAL:A BROTHER'S PERSPECTIVE CONTINUED: Celebrations, recreation, and the liturgies in our chapel have taken on a newer, greater significance, in my opinion. When the Rule of St. Francis is read aloud as part of our weekly discipline, the descriptive precepts of our observance of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience somehow, and perhaps mysteriously, become easier to interpret and comprehend without the usual distractions of our mind overwhelmingly and justifiably defending our own former and current habits - as our habitual mannerisms and patterns have been dispensed of and challenged, to say the least, in this COVID-19 environment! While our friary can properly be called our This new landscape of relational discovery can 'Administration House', this has not ever be humorous. From our time during the excluded a continuation of ministerial 'shelter in place' back in the Spring, our assistance at neighboring parishes for our community began to emphasize coming ordained members residing here. While we do together every Wednesday night to play not have a parish attached to the dominoes. While a few abstained, it was responsibilities of this friary, our priest's here presumed that those who were gathering at do reach out as they are still requested to do the table possessed some interest in the game. by other Pastors. Last week, murmuring blossomed forth from one of our conversational interludes that went One amazing example, in my estimation, that I something like this: "Domino night!"... "Yay!"... recently discovered about one of our younger "Do we have to?", someone replied..."What?" priests came to me indirectly through time "Haven't we all been looking forward to spent at a non-profit organization that has this?"... "But I don't like dominoes!", the same been receiving some of my time and attention. one responded. "But you have been here, There, I overheard a student (on a video chat) participating, all this time, week after week!" discussing how she was coping with the 'new "Look", he said, "I am interested in supporting normal'. And much to my own surprise, she you guys and spending time together, but my was mentioning how this priest was offering recreational interest has never been in the these daily 'podcast' reflections on the Gospel. GAME OF DOMINOES!" 0 3 THE NEW NORMAL:A BROTHER'S PERSPECTIVE CONTINUED: This priest she spoke of I knew, because, well, This sharing is but a brief, lite snapshot into I live with him! I was not aware of these 'daily how our lives here at the friary have been reflections on the Gospel' that evidently were impacted and changed. I am certain that this being broadcast far and wide through the year, 2020, will be one for the history books, Latino community in Albuquerque and so to speak. The gravity and heaviness of the beyond! So, yesterday, I approached this priest, pain, suffering, isolation, and economic and asked him to elaborate a little, amazed as I devastation will hopefully be written about, was at this creative outreach that was too. My prayer is that all of us continue to happening right under my nose without my listen to one another. And that our focus, as knowledge. It turns out that, yes, he waits we move toward 2021, be on our collective until the house is quiet, and then records a identity as brothers and sisters. If we are given daily meditation and Gospel reflection before lemons, as the saying goes, make lemonade. uploading them through a well known social Let us be sensitive to the real needs of our media app that is then distributed to literally families today, and no matter what boundaries hundreds or more! Wow! Thank you Fr. Jose and modifications we must create in the near Luis Peralta, OFM. for doing this! future, may we do so in a spirit of love. GARDEN GIFTS FROM MOTHER EARTH The Green Thumb of John Friebel, OFM John Friebel, OFM, is known far and wide for this green thumb! Brother John has been very busy over the past months tending his magnificent garden at St. Michael's Mission. Although Br. John's garden produces many gifts from Mother Earth, the pickles are most beloved! 0 4 THE ART OF GREEN CHILE STEW Living in The Chile Capital of the World New Mexico is the 'Chile Capital of the World.' As chile is a staple in New Mexican cuisine, it should be no surprise that our Southwest Franciscans have become chile culinary experts. Bruce Michalek, OFM, documented his green chile stew recipe with the photo collection below! Does this recipe look tasty enough to try? Send us photos of your green chile stew: [email protected]! 0 5 LOOKING INTO OUR TRADITIONS A monthly reflection on our Franciscan Heritage by Jack Clark Robinson, OFM The picture above, taken on August 11th, colonizers to come to New Mexico. Fray 2020, shows the vandalism done to the statue Angelico was not San Junipero Serra, in of Fray Angelico Chavez in front of the charge of many missions and friars, as a Historical Library and Photo Archives of the matter of fact he was never a pastor or a State of New Mexico in Santa Fe, which bears guardian of a Franciscan community. Fray his name. Many, many things have been said Angelico was not a man of political power. by the friars – especially those who lived with But Fray Angelico was a missionary, a him – about Fray Angelico, but without doubt, military chaplain who made beachhead no matter the disagreements and the landings with Marines in the Pacific during difficulties caused by his particularly prickly the Second World War alongside New personality, none of the friars would have Mexican Native Americans, Hispanics, and wanted to see him disfigured in this Anglos.