FMA 3 o N , 2 5 l o V / 9 1 0 2 b e F Franciscan Mission Associates Mt. Vernon, N.Y. 10551 Missions in Guatemala - Honduras - el Salvador, Central America Virtue: Trust in God Your As we get older we learn to break Lenten away from our parents or guardians and rely on ourselves. It is a rite of Penances passage and one that forms us as a productive adult. We never cut ties Lent, a time of penance, is completely, because the more we perhaps the best time for a modern know, the more they do as well. This mediation on Chapter 58 of Isaiah sentiment is even stronger when it the prophet. These powerful words in comes to our reliance on our lord. scripture lay out exactly how we As mortal beings, we will never should be penitent during Lent and understand fully as God does. So it always. The chapter of the bible is faith in God’s gift by which we opens with the faithful crying out conquer the world and attain “Why do we fast, but you do not see heaven. To place all our reliance on it, afflict ourselves but you take no God alone and to trust in His note?” (Is 58:3) These people wanted promises requires some effort on our part. We believe often we can God to do something for them, while handle our crosses ourselves, but they did nothing for others. God calls why would we when we can trust in us to reach out to others, not up to God to guide the way. Pray often for heaven for a pat on the back. Here an increase in faith. ■ God exposes the shallow worship of His people. “See on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits, and Lastly Isaiah speaks about drive all your laborers, you fast only honoring the Sabbath. “If you glorify to quarrel and fight and to strike it by not following your ways, seeing with a wicked fist” (Is 58: 3-4). God is your own interests, or pursing your firm in saying these people are own affairs then you shall delight in crying out to be heard in a way that the Lord” (Is 58:13). Caring for will not lead them to a heavenly others, humbly sacrificing and reward. They are fasting to be observing the Sabbath are three congratulated unlike the way a true ways during this holy season of Lent penitent would. Oh God does hear we can strengthen our own faith. ■ their cries but He also sees their actions as inauthentic and unholy. He reaches out to them with some ways that will bring the reward for Remember… which they are looking. “If you lavish Both in life and in death, your food on the hungry and satisfy we belong to the Lord. (Romans 14:8) the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness, and your gloom You can continue to carry on the shall become like midday” (Is 58:10). work of the Missions and the people Fasting is not genuine if the person they serve by remembering them in your estate plans. These legacies of fasting is not changing or reforming love can be made in many different his or her life. However, if those who ways to fit your individual circum - wish to be heard by the Lord do stances. Consider making a bequest of perform genuine fasting and whatever you wish to: Franciscan penance, their lives will be forever Mission Associates, Mount Vernon, NY transformed. “Then the Lord will 10551-0598. Or, if you wish additional guide you always and satisfy your information about making a will, thirst in parched places, will give please feel free to contact: strength to your bones and you shall Father Robert, O.F.M. Franciscan Mission Associates be like a watered garden, like a PO Box 598, Dept 3192 flowing spring whose waters never Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598 fail” (Is 58:11). FMA Focus, official organ of Franciscan Mission Associates, is published quarterly in February, June, September and November. FMA Focus is a member of the Catholic Press Association, the National Catholic Development Conference, Inc., the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and of the Data & Marketing Association. Please address all correspondence to Father Robert, o.F.M., at P.o. box 598, Mount Vernon, N.Y. 10551. Please send changes of address six weeks in advance; if possible include your mailing label, and give both old and new address. 2 GOD’S WILL AND YOURS Each time we offer the Lord’s Jesus and prayer we say: “Thy will be done on are ours if earth as it is in heaven.” But what we do as he exactly is God’s will? Scripture tells asks, love us plainly, “It is God’s will that you one anoth - grow in holiness: that you abstain er, keep from immorality” (1Thess 4:3). holy the Holiness is nothing more than the Sabbath, imitation of Christ, our Lord in every covet noth - action of life. With the pleasures of ing and the world at our fingertips virtually, follow the other commandments he and sometimes even in the flesh, it is has laid down for us, primarily loving difficult to push them away. Greed Him most of all. God is not a spoil - and selfishness are byproducts, sport though, He is against all self - sometimes, of busy lives. It is much ishness and self-seeking. God con - easier to say it is too time-consuming demns never the sinner, but only his to be good, to think of others when sin which is fundamentally saying we barely have time to think of our- whether in word or deed “Not your selves. But there are no excuses. will by my will be done.” When we God’s will is the only path to true ignore God’s will for us, when we happiness and peace. Too many of us take our spiritual future in our own have a distorted notion of God’s will hands we are hampering ourselves. as something unpleasant, opposed to God does not turn His back on us, pleasure, and all the good things of even when we spurn Him. C.S. Lewis life. This is reducing the word pleas- said, “To walk out of God’s will is to ure to its basest and most pedestrian walk into nowhere.” Only He knows form. But that is not what God is what our lives are meant to be, what asking us to seek. True pleasure and our true path is. We are best served happiness reside in the heart of listening and heeding His advice. ■ hAPPY BiRthDAY Father Robert includes a special remembrance for all Franciscan Mission Associates on their birthday if he knows when it is. to be remembered at his Mass on your birthday please send him the filled in form below at any time. My name is ________________________________________________________________ My Birthday is: Month and Day ________________________________________________ My address is ______________________________________________________________ City__________________________________ State_______ Zip ______________________ Fr. Robert, O.F.M., Dept. 3195, Franciscan Mission Associates, PO Box 598, Mount Vernon, NY 10551-0598 3 DRESSED IN LOVE – A NEW SAINT FOR OUR TIME “God wants His Christian dressed in love.” Saint Oscar Romero Oscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdamez his sermons the names of those who was born into a large family in 1917 were missing or killed, he demanded in El Salvador. His father sent him at something be done, he reminded 13 to be an apprentice carpenter. Christians of their responsibilities Soon after, Saint Oscar Romero for the poor and marginalized. The heard God’s call and entered the night before he was killed, Fr. seminary the next year. He studied Romero spoke directly to the soldiers in El Salvador and in Rome and was and police, “I beg you, I implore you, ordained in 1942. He convinced five I order you, in the name of God, stop radio stations to the repres - broadcast his sion.” The Sunday sermons following to the peasants in night a gun - the fields. As man entered Auxiliary Bishop of the chapel of San Salvador, he Divine was not one to fight Providence authority. He did not Hospital and want to break from tra - shot Fr. Romero dition and supported the to death. Two weeks hierarchy. God began to before his assassina - open Fr. Romero’s eyes tion, Fr. Romero said and in 1974, as Bishop these prophetic words: of Santiago de Maria, “If they kill me, I shall where he saw many of the poor arise in the Salvadoran peo - dying, especially children, because ple. If the threats come to be fulfilled, they could not afford medicine. He from this moment I offer my blood to donated church money to those in God for the redemption and resurrec - need. In 1977 he was appointed tion of El Salvador. Let my blood be a Archbishop of San Salvador. At this seed of freedom and the sign that time the military was killing the hope will soon be reality.” Romero’s Salvadoran people, especially those funeral became the largest demon - demanding justice such as teachers, stration in Salvadoran history, some nuns, priests, including Fr. Romero’s say in the history of Latin America. good friend, Fr. Rutilio Grande. More than 30 people were injured or Thousands of people began to go killed when soldiers fired on the missing and Fr. Romero demanded mourners and threw bombs into the his friend’s death be investigated and crowd of thousands. This Saint, the authorities turned a blind eye.