Spring 2001 (PDF)
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Tati IMINPUR The Newsletter of the National fraternity of the Issue Number 30 ecular franciscan Order in the United tates Springtime - Do You Perceive It? William Wicks, SFO, National Minister Have you ever had one of those days when everything is entrance of the Son of God into this world, all of creation bright: colors are brighter, wonderful sounds fill the air, is sanctified. All of creation is to be loved. Our loving words seem to have more meaning; all of the senses are God sanctifies; and we must see and appreciate, with a piqued? You are fully alive! It seems like a little bit of contemplative heart, as if through the lens of springtime, heaven. Saint lrenaeus tells us, "The glory of God is the so that "Everything shines". There is the hope of a f1UFT1i:111 person wiry alive . /1 forever spring in this understanding. This appreciation video that I rented recently, moves us to the last stanza of the Frost poem: "The Thin Red Line", For this is love and nothing else is love, includes a narration by a The which is reserved for God above soldier who was very much To sanctify to what far ends He will, out of place in World War II But which it only needs that we fulfill. in the Pacific: he really did This perception enhances our love affair: God sanctifies, not belong there. However, we fulfill. It helps if we approach life's events with the he saw beauty in the land hope of springtime, an expectation of new surprise that was being desecrated encounters with our loving God, be it through God's by the blood that was shed. creation, or otherwise. I shall never forget his statement, "Everything shines", which also seems out of John O'Donohue, in his book Anam Cara, quotes place. The moral here is that we should aspire to be Kathleen Raine, a Scottish poet, who says that aware of the beauty of God's creation, not only during unless you see a thing in the light of love, you do the springtime events of our lives, but also during times not see it at all. Love is the light in which we see of "winterness". One of Father Carey Landry's songs light. Love is the light in which we see each thing asks, "Give me a rose in the wintertime, when it's hard to in its true origin, nature, and destiny. If we could find". If you saw the movie "Oh God", you perhaps recall look at the world in a loving way, then the world that the dialogue presented an inconsistency with would rise up before us full of invitation, Catholic theological teaching. This became evident possibility, and depth. when you saw George Burns playing the part of God. William Blake tells us that "if the doors of perception However, there was also some inspiring dialogue. Near were cleansed, everything would be seen as it is". Our the end of the movie, John Denver asked "God" if he spiritual awareness, a gift of God to be nurtured, had a message for the people. "God" said to tell them cleanses these doors of that "Everything they see and hear around them, they perception to help us see what should delight in". In the book The Color Purple by Alice God has presented to us. Walker, the character Sugar tells the character Celie, "I Because of our limitation, we think [God gets mad] if you walk by the color purple in a miss so much. We must field somewhere and don't notice it." This profound endeavor to acquire an attitude understanding is also present in Robert Frost's poem, "A of a forever spring. Prayer in Spring": the first stanza admonishes us: A penitential spirit brings with it Oh give us pleasure in the flowers today; an openness to encounters with And give us not to think so far away the presence of God. God As the uncertain harvest; keep us here presents to us an invitation to All simply in the springing of the year. conversion experiences, through which naturally follows We must see the world around us with the beauty and an experience of a spiritual springtime — a new hope of springtime, no matter what the distraction. Saint beginning. Irenaeus, the misplaced soldier, Carey Landry's song, May you be aware of the manifestation of the presence George Burns' message, the writing of Alice Walker, and and prompting of our gracious God. This constant Robert Frost's poem all call us to an awareness. The awareness, and response, will bring with it a forever need for this sensitivity is especially pertinent for us as spring. Do you perceive it? Are your spiritual senses Franciscans; we are Incarnation people. By virtue of the vigilant? God give you love, and hope. &B. TAU-USA Housekeeping Details... TAU-USA is published irregularly by Secular Franciscan k tKt■ Publications, National Fraternity, Secular Franciscan Order. Editorial office, 6 Light Street, Nuangola PA 18707-9415. tML Next TAU-USA Deadline Springtime — Do You Perceive It? 1 The deadline to submit articles for the next issue of TAU- by Bill Wicks, SFO USA is April 15, 2001. Please submit articles to: On-Going Formation TAU-USA Formation 3 do Mr. and Mrs. Antony Outhwaite, SFO Family 4 6 Light Street Peace and Justice 5 Nuangola, PA 18707-9415 Work 6 Youth 7 e-mail: tauusa(gnet2ero.net New Year's Resolutions 7 Subscription Information by Stephanie Sormane, SFO For subscription information or change of address, Fasts and Feasts 8 contact the Subscriptions Coordinator: Clare's Service to Others 8 Dolores Smelko, SFO by Dorothy J. Henkes, SFO RD 1, Box 155 Introducing... (NAFRA Appointees) 9 Anita, PA 15711 Regional Roundup 10 e-mail: deesmelko©penn.com New SFO Websites 11 For more information, please see the back cover. The Sun & Moon Over Assisi 12 Book Review by Patti Normile, SFO Permission to Re-print Articles Permission to copy all material printed in TAU-USA is Dignitas... "What are you Doing?" 13 by Teresa S. Redder, SFO granted, except where the copyright is specifically reserved to the author/artist. In cases where copyright is Christian Martyrs 14 by Antony Outhwaite, SFO not reserved, please credit TAU-USA and author, if National Work Commission Seeks Members 15 noted; care must be taken not to distort the authors intent by adapting or editorializing the article. Professed 15 A poem by Rubina Mary Martinez, SFO Guidelines for Submission of Articles Family Matters 16 Due to the overwhelming number of submissions for the by Sonia and Jaime Bernardo, SFO national newsletter, we cannot possibly include all submissions. Therefore, to increase the likelihood of Jump-starting Franciscan Youth Groups 17 by Anthony and Mary Mazotti, SFO your submission being printed, we offer the following Quinquennial Congress 17 guidelines: Musings... Morning Praise 18 • Please ensure that articles do not exceed 500 words; by Charlotte Prather, SFO • Please understand that articles may be edited for To Adore Christ 18 length and clarity; by Brenda Nord, SFO • Submissions received after the deadline for a Annual NAFRA Financial Report 19 particular issue will be given consideration for the by John K. Sanbom, SFO following issue. Franciscan Formation Materials Order Form 23 • In the Franciscan interest in ecology, please try to send submissions in electronic format (e-mail or floppy disc), instead of on paper. Mg thoughts turn first to the Letters to the Editors All correspondence sent duty of pralse. This is the point to the editors becomes the property of the editors, and may be of departure for every genuine published in TAU-USA. Please state in all correspondence whether response of faith to the you wish to have your name withheld. revelatton of God In Christ. Pope John Paul II, January 6, 2001 Novo MNennio lneunte - two - Beginning Again to Serve not accept the reign of God like a little child Our Lord and God shall not take part in Therese and Deacon David Ream, SFO it." Then He embraced Chairs, National Formation Commission them and blessed Umbria, RR3, Orrick Road, Kirksville, MO 63501 them, placing His 660-627-5626; e-mail: [email protected] hands on them. At the very beginning of the new year and this new Mark 10: 14-16 millennium of Christianity, we wish all of our sisters and Who of us does not want brothers the Lord's peace and every blessing! to be embraced by The National Commission Chairs have decided on a Jesus? Who among us does not wish to be blessed by general theme of "New Beginnings" to guide the articles Him? we will write for the ongoing formation section of TAU- Jesus even used a child to teach His disciples about the USA in 2001. We will be encouraged to begin again, dangers of ambition. with new understanding and new insights, at each of the A discussion arose among them as to which of ages and developmental stages of our lives (childhood, them was the greatest. Jesus, who knew their youth and young adulthood, midlife adulthood, and thoughts, took a little child and placed it beside mature adulthood). Him, after which He said to them, "Whoever During the weekdays of the Christmas season, we were welcomes this little child on my account welcomes nourished with a rich spiritual diet of Scripture readings, me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes Him which included this passage from the First Letter of Saint who sent me; for the least one among you is the John: greatest." Luke 9: 46-48 0 See what love the Father has bestowed on us in In the midst of the tremendous complexity which marks letting us be called children of God! Yet that is so much of humanity's life as we begin the third what we are.