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2304 Prestonwood Ct Arlington, TX 76012
raternity Reflections
IMMACULATA FRATERNITY, OFS JULY 2015 VOL XI ISSUE VII
Vice Minister: Deb. Ludwick-Bales, OFS - 817-281-0140
Secretary: Mary Dang, OFS – 817-962-3040 Web Administrator: Clark Jones, OFS – 817.917.2511
Spiritual Assistant: Vacant
Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis www.immaculatasfo.org
Fraternity gathering every third Friday of the Month from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Most Blessed Sacrament in Arlington,
TX. Formation for Inquirers and Candidates meet every first Friday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Most Blessed Sacrament
Immaculata Fraternity is a local fraternity of the Three Companions Region – www.lostrescompaneros.org
Minister: Deborah Pettie, OFS - 817-370-9768
Master of Formation: Sharon Toups, OFS - 972-865-6826 Acting Treasurer: Chuck Lieser, OFS - 817-914-0157
Newsletter Editor: Rafael Refi OFS & Clark Jones OFS
F
The love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity.
Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraph 2239 -V.
The Authorities in Civil Society
HAPPY 4th
Month of the Most Precious Blood Month of the Most Precious Blood
Holy Scripture tells us that God does not change. He
is the same yesterday, today, and always, which is
most likely one of the things that we as children of
God, find so comforting about our Heavenly Father.
For many, change is not always easy, because we
focus on our circumstances, rather than placing our
trust in God and while we are created in the image
of God, we are creation and not the creator, which
often means for us, the creation process continues,
as we grow and stretch more and more into His
likeness.
With all this in mind, we’d like to let you in on
some changes Immaculata Fraternity has gone
through Brothers, Sisters and Friends of
Immaculata.
God Has Not Changed
One of the things we’d like
to share is that our brother,
Warren Falgout, OFS, has
retired as editor of our
monthly newsletter,
“Fraternity Reflections”.
This rest for our brother has
been long overdue, as noted
by our Volume XI
Issue VII copy,
representing eleven
years and six months of
undying commitment
on his part. He’ll be
quick to tell you, it’s
been a labor of love and
while our brother, has served
on Immaculata Fraternity’s
Counsel for almost as many
years, our newsletter was not
part of his “duties”. This
month the baton has been
passed to brothers, Rafael
Refi, OFS & Clark Jones,
OFS, and it’s our heart to
follow Warren’s lead in
serving each of you in all
humility.
We would also like to express our openness to suggestions and contributions as
our brother, Warren, has done over the years and by
all means, let us know how we’re doing.
In continuation, many of our friends may not be
aware that the Order of Franciscan Seculars (O.F.S.)
are governed by a council of members that are
elected every three years to guide each fraternity in
the way of our constitution, by-laws and Rule of the
OFS, as well as providing ongoing formation and
growth to the membership. This process continues
on a regional, national, and international level and if
it helps, you may think of this structure as that of a
small Holy See for our Order, that provides and
protects unity just as Holy Mother Church does for
the greater church.
As of our June
meeting a council
election has taken
place, offering five
of our council
members rest after a
two term stint,
equaling six years.
Immaculata Fraternity
could not possibly
thank these brothers
and sisters enough for
the commitment and
devotion they have
brought to our council
and fraternity life, but
we would welcome
inspection of the fruits
of their labor as they
have sowed and they
have watered and to
that kind of
faithfulness, it is
God that brings a
harvest.
With Much Gratitude To Our brother, Chuck Lieser, OFS Our sister, Carol Lieser, OFS Our brother, Warren Falgout, OFS
Our sister, Ann Falgout, OFS
Our sister, Diane Klein, OFS
By: CJones OFS
JUNE 2015 Counsel Elections
Immaculata Fraternity has been in prayer for several
months for our upcoming council elections and we
truly saw our prayers answered as each new council
member was elected by land slide votes and so well
placed into each position of their individual office.
We were most grateful
to Father John
Shanahan TOR for
providing assistance
throughout our election
process, & in his simple
presence as a TOR
Brother that embraced
us in fraternal humility.
Father John currently
resides at Saint Andrew
Catholic Parish in Fort
Worth, where he serves
as Parochial Vicar.
In addition to Father John’s assistance, we were
blessed to have our brother, Jorge Sosing, OFS
Minister of Senor Santo Nino Fraternity in Dallas, as
well as Angelo Portion Councilor for Los Tres
Companeros Region of Texas.
Our sister Deborah (Debbie) Pettie was elected as the
new minister for Immaculata Fraternity and has been a
professed member since January 2003. She comes
with a very learned background of church teaching
and the Franciscan charism, but what Debbie brings in
her heart is far deeper to make a great minister and by
that we are blessed, as we are with the election of our
new Vice-Minister, Debbie Ludwick-Bales. Our sister
Debbie was professed into the order; September of
1993 and took a short leave a few years later, to
pursue the mission field of Bolivia, where she taught a
vulnerable population of women the skill of martial
arts for their protection as well as other skills. Debbie
continues here in the states with the heart of a
missionary and Immaculata Fraternity welcomes her
skill-set for living a Gospel Life.
Our sister Sharon Toups also joins our new council as
Master of Formation. Sharon made her profession,
June 1984 and brings a wealth of knowledge to grow
us in the richness of our faith.
Our brother, Rafael Refi was voted into the office of
treasurer and as a young husband and father, we are
grateful for his openness to stretch himself in service
to Immaculata Fraternity. Our brother, Rafael
professed into the OFS, March 2011.
Mary Dang, whom became our sister in February
2009, has been elected secretary after years of serving
our fraternity on formation teams, and always ready to
say yes, much like another Mary we know.
By: CJones OFS
This month, we celebrate the service to God of a number of martyrs
and saints who preached the Gospel in the Americas, China and
Mongolia
1. Servant of God Philomene Jane Genovese Virgin. Third
Order.
2. Servant of God Bernard of Quintavalle. Confessor. First
Order.
3. Servant of God Andrew of Burgio. Confessor. First Order.
4. St Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal. Widow. Third Order.
5. Servant of God John Martinez. Confessor. First Order.
6. Servant of God Sancia. Widow. Second Order.
7. Blessed Emmanuel Ruiz and Companions. Martyrs. First
Order.
8. Blessed Gregory Grassi and Companions. Martyrs. First
and Third Orders.
9. St. Nicholas of Gorcum and Companions. Martyrs. First
Order.
10. St. Veronica Giuliani. Virgin. Second Order.
11. Blessed Vitalia of Bastia. Confessor. Third Order.
12. St. John Jones and St. John Wall. Martyrs. First Order.
13. Blessed Angelina of Marsciano. Widow. Third Order.
14. St. Francis Solano. Confessor. First Order.
15. St. Bonaventure. Doctor of the Church. Bishop. First
Order.
16. St. Mary Magdalen Postel. Virgin. Third Order.
17. Servant of God. Frances Garces and Companions.
Martyrs. First Order.
18. Servant of God. Cecilia Joanelli-Castelli. Housewife.
Third Order.
19. Blesed Peter Cresci. Confessor. Third Order.
20. Blessed Oddino Barrotti. Confessor. Third Order.
21. St. Lawrence of Brindisi. Confessor and Doctor of the
Church. First Order.
22. Blessed Kinga (Cunegunda). Virgin. Second Order.
23. Blessed Bridget of Sweden. Widow. Third Order.
24. Blessed Louise of Savoy. Widow. Second Order.
25. Blessed Petronilla of Troys. Virgin. Second Order.
26. Blessed Felicia Meda. Virgin. Second Order.
27. Blessed Mary Magdalen Martinengo. Virgin. Second
Order.
28. Blessed Archangel of Calatafimi. Confessor. First Order.
29. Blessed Peter of Mogliano. Confessor. First Order.
30. Blessed Somoin of Lypnica. Confessor. First Order.
31. Servant of God John of Piano Di Carpine. Confessor.
First Order.
Martyrs & Saints July
HAPPY BIRTHDAY To Our Brother
Joe McGookin
Congratulations
to our new Minister, Debbie Pettie and her lovely daughter, Nikale Pettie and her marriage to Brian Bordovsky on May 30th 2015
Our council elections would not have been complete
without a celebratory rendition of the Macarena!
Which for those not knowing; translates “Blessed”.
Please Note: RE: Our recent elections.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, our brother, Rafael Refi will be taking a leave from the fraternity for a time. As a result our brother, Chuck Lieser will be acting as Treasurer for Immaculata Fraternity.
Many thanks go out to Br. Chuck!
By her consecration of it, the Church has freed water from the dark powers that sleep in it. This is not a form of language. Anyone whose perceptions have not been blunted must be aware of the powers of natural magic inherent in water. And are they only natural powers? Is there not present also a dark and preternatural power? In nature, for all her richness and beauty, there is something demonic. City life has so deadened our senses that we have lost our perception of it. But the Church knows it is there. She "exorcises" out of water those divinities that are at enmity with God. She blesses it and asks God to make of it a vehicle of his grace. Therefore the Christian when he enters church moistens forehead, breast and shoulders, all his person, with the clean and cleansing water in order to make clean his soul. It is a pleasing custom that brings grace and nature freed from sin, and man, who so longs for cleanness, into the unity of the sign of the cross. At evening also we sign ourselves in holy water. Night, as the proverb says, is no friend to man. Our human nature is formed and fashioned for light. Just before we give ourselves over into the power of sleep and darkness, and the light of day and consciousness is extinguished, there is a satisfaction in making the sign of the cross on ourselves with holy water. Holy water is the symbol of nature set free from sin. May God protect us from every form of darkness! And at morning, when we emerge again out of sleep, darkness and unconsciousness, and life begins afresh, we do the same thing. But in the morning it is to remind ourselves of that holy water from which we have issued into the light of Christ. The soul redeemed and nature redeemed encounter one another in the sign of the cross.
From Guardini's Sacred Signs (Holy Water): Water is a mysterious thing. It is so clear and frictionless, so "modest," as St. Francis called it. It hardly pretends to any character of its own. It seems to have no other end or object than to be of service, to cleanse what is soiled and to refresh what is dry. But at some time you must have gazed down into the still depths of a great body of water, and felt it tugging to draw you in, and have got a glimpse of the strange and secret thing water is, and of the marvels, terrors and enticements that lurk in its depths. Or, at another time when it was whipped to a boiling torrent by a storm, you have heard it rushing and roaring, rushing and roaring, and watched the sucking vortex of a whirlpool and felt a force so grim and dreary that you had to tear your thoughts away. It is indeed a strange element. On the one hand smooth and transparent, as if it hardly existed in its own right, ready at hand to wash away dirt and satisfy thirst; and on the other a restless, foundationless, enigmatic force that entices us on to destruction. It is a proper image for the secret ground-source from which life issues and back into which death recalls it. It is an apt image for this life of ours that looks so clear and is so inexplicable. It is plain why the church uses water as the sign and the bearer of the divine life of grace. We emerge from the waters of baptism into a new life, born again of water and the Holy Ghost. In those same waters the old man was destroyed and put to death. With this elemental element, that yields no answer to our questioning, with this transparent, frictionless, fecund fluid, this symbol and means of the supernatural life of grace, we make on ourselves, from forehead to breast, from shoulder to shoulder, the sign of the cross.
Sister Water the power of humility
SACRED SIGNS by Msgr.ROMANO GUARDINI
Copyright 1956 by PIO DECIMO PRESS St. Louis 15, Mo. IMPRIMATUR + JOSEPH E.RITTER-Archbishop of St. Louis
November 14, 1955
Francis spent much of his time praying in solitude in nature. He
practiced contemplation, or "a long loving look at the real," which
allowed him to see in a new way. Seeing from a pair of glasses
beyond our own is what I call "participative seeing." This is the new
self that can say excitedly with Paul, "I live no longer, not 'I' but it is
Christ now living in me" (Galatians 2:20). In the truest sense, I am
that which I am seeking. This primal communion communicates
spaciousness, joy, and a quiet contentment. It is not anxious, because
the essential gap between me and everything else has already been
overcome. I am at home in a sacred and benevolent universe, and I do
not need to prove myself to anybody, nor do I need to be "right," nor
do others have to agree with me.
A mature believer, of course, knows that it is impossible not to be
connected to the Source, or to be "on the Vine," as Jesus says. But
most people are not consciously there yet. They are not "saved" from
themselves, which is the only thing we really need to be saved from.
They do not yet live out of their objective, totally given, and unearned
identity, "hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3). This is what
saints like Francis and Clare allowed, enjoyed, and "fell into." It is
always a falling! For most of us, our own deepest identity is still well
hidden from us. We are all "Sleeping Beauty" waiting for the
redemptive kiss. Religion's primary and irreplaceable job is to bring
this foundational truth of our shared identity in God to full and
grateful consciousness. This is the only true meaning of holiness.
The irony is that this "holiness" is actually our "first nature"; yet we
made it into such a contest that it did not even become most
people's "second nature." This core identity in Christ was made into a
worthiness contest at which almost no one wins and so most do not
even try or give up early. Francis and Clare totally undermined
this contest by rejoicing in their ordinariness and seeming
unworthiness--which I believe is the
core freedom of the Gospel itself, the ultimate coup d'etat of the soul.
Now losers are the real winners, and that includes just about
everybody.
Adapted from Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Saint Francis of Assisi,
pp. 65-67
Gateway to Silence
"I am who I am in the eyes of God, nothing more and nothing less."
--Francis of Assisi
SHARED IDENITY
The Franciscan Way Daily meditations by:
Br. Richard Rohr