Wednesday, October 4, 2017
FEAST OF SAINT FRANCIS
OF ASSISI-SUKKOT
“Take
delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”-Ps 37:4
Psalm 111, verse 5
5 He gives food to those who fear him, he remembers his covenant
forever.
This
is probably a reference to the manna in the desert, which elsewhere is seen as
a type of the Eucharist. In the Gospel of John Christ states, “I
have food to eat of which you do not know.” So the
disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one
who sent me and to finish his work. (John 4: 32-34). We like our Lord
should have the same desire to build the Kingdom of God; to create a New
Jerusalem in our home, at our work and in our communities. Our Lord asks that
we prepare ourselves for the work by eating the food he gives us which is the
new covenant. We need this food to create a change in us from the old man to
become sons of God in and through Christ which is the new covenant of His
blood. Those who love him frequent Mass and take the food He gives us through
His Priests. For this is real food
indeed. It is not food to give pleasure to the body but it is intended by
God to give joy to the soul. According to the late Bishop Fulton Sheen,
"You can quickly become tired of pleasures, but you can never tire of
joys." Joy comes by finding God. You cannot satisfy a soul with
husks![1]
Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi[2]
ST.FRANCIS
was born at Assisi, in Italy, in the year 1182. His father, a rich merchant,
intended him for trade, and Francis applied himself with aptness to this
employment, in which, though fond of show, he exhibited, at an early day, a
particular love for the poor. Agreeable and amiable, affable and kind to all,
he was beloved by all around him, and the world sought to draw him to its side.
But, enlightened from above, and by heavenly apparitions rendered attentive to
the call he was about to receive, he followed the leadings of grace which drew
him on to imitate Christ in poverty and humility. Hearing one day at Mass the
words of the Gospel “Do not possess gold, or silver, or money in your purses,
nor scrip for your journey, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor a staff” (Matt. x. 9,
10), he began to regulate the whole manner of his life according to this
precept of the Gospel, and at once began to preach penance with such
evangelical poverty, and with such power, that all who heard him were moved to
tears. Disinherited by his father, who was greatly displeased at his poverty
and open-handedness towards the poor, he threw himself altogether upon the
providence of his Father in heaven, dividing with the poor the alms he thus
received. The extraordinary manner of his life soon brought around him
disciples, and as the number of them increased daily, he wrote for them a rule,
and then set out for Home, to procure from the Pope a confirmation of it. He
came back, rejoicing in the Lord that everything at Rome had gone according to
his wish, and established himself about a mile from his native city, at a small
church belonging to the Benedictines, which he called Portiuncula (little
portion). Here he led a life of the severest penance here he prayed day and
night, and here he laid the foundation of that Order which has filled the world
with the splendor of its virtues. Here in this church, dedicated to the virgin
Mother of Jesus and to the holy angels, he received from Christ Himself the
celebrated indulgence known throughout the whole Christian world as the Portiuncula
Indulgence, for while the saint was praying there with glowing devotion, on the
day of the dedication of the church, in the year 1221, the Lord appeared to him
and said “Francis, ask whatever thou wilt for the salvation of the nations.” He
answered: “I desire the remission of guilt and punishment, a plenary indulgence
for all who shall visit this church with contrite hearts and sincerely confess
their sins. The Lord replied, Go then to My representative, the Pope, and ask
the indulgence in My name. “Forthwith he went to Pope Honorius III., who first,
by word of mouth, and afterwards by a proper bull, confirmed to him the
indulgence. The same indulgence was, at a later day, extended to all churches
of the Franciscans, and by Pope Pius VII to all parish churches (at least to
all in Bavaria), and may be gained on the first Sunday in August of every year.
Burning with desire for the salvation of the people, St. Francis with his
brethren, whom he sent out two by two to preach penance and the peace of God,
labored to establish everywhere the kingdom of heaven. His love for sinners,
and his ardent zeal for the salvation of souls, impelled him to visit remote
parts of the world to preach the Gospel to unbelievers. For this he was
rewarded by God with miraculous graces, among which there is particularly to be
mentioned that which was granted him upon Mount Alverno. While he was there engaged,
separated from the world, in fasting and praying for forty days, as he was
accustomed to do often, the Savior appeared to him in the form of a seraph on
the cross, and imprinted the five wounds of His own body on the body of St. Francis.
On account of this, and for his ardent love for Jesus crucified, St. Francis
received the surname of Seraph. After this event the saint lived two years in
manifold bodily distress and sickness, without murmur or complaint, with
perfect resignation to the will of God. Sometime before his death he caused his
will to be written, in which he left to his brethren poverty as an inheritance
in which they should find great treasure for heaven. As the hour of his
dissolution drew nigh he had the passion of Christ read to him; he then said
the one hundred and forty-first psalms, and at the words, Bring my soul out of
prison that I may praise Thy name, he expired happy in the Lord, October 4,
1226, in the forty-fifth year of his age. St. Francis founded three Orders, the
first and proper Order of Franciscans, or the Order of Friars Minor, then the
Order of Franciscan nuns, or Clares, so called from St. Clare, their first
superior and lastly, that called the Third Order, for people in the world, of
both sexes, who aim at perfection, but do not desire to make the vows of the
cloister. This last Order, which has been approved by many Popes, particularly
by Gregory IX., Innocent IV., and Nicholas IV., has spread throughout the whole
world, and is becoming in our day more and more flourishing.
We must as
is sometimes do as attributed to the sayings of St. Francis, “preach the
gospel, and if necessary, use words.”
This is
the first premise of leadership. As leaders, especially Christian leaders, we
must demonstrate the Be, Know and Do attitudes of Christ. That is we must
become an “Alter Christus” or another Christ. We must BE to others as Christ
would. We must KNOW spiritual principals as Christ does and we must act or DO
in the world as Christ would.
This day emulate our Lord
by reflecting and living the prayer of St. Francis.
The Prayer of Saint Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.
Things to Do[3]
- Pray
the Canticle of the Sun, which was written by St. Francis.
- For
more reading, see the selections from the Catholic Culture Library. This page from the Franciscan
Archives contains links about St. Francis of Assisi, including
biographies, articles, writings, Orders & Societies, liturgical texts
and art.
- Many
parishes have a Blessing of animals or pets on this day. See the Prayers
column for other alternatives. St. Francis loved all of God's creatures.
Find the stories of the Wolf of Gubbio, the Sermon to the Birds, his
Canticle of Creatures to see some illustrations of his honoring God's
creation.
- St.
Francis was influential on our present-day Christmas crib or creche.
- Although
St. Francis is one of the most popular saints of the Church, and his feast
is a huge celebration in Assisi, there are no particular foods attached to
that festival. Tradition has passed on that on his deathbed he requested
Frangipane cream or Moastaccioli (almond biscotti). Fire is a symbol of
St. Francis, first of all because his heart was on fire with love of God,
but there are other stories in Little Flowers of St. Francis that
deal with fire, particularly when he prayed, the surrounding areas would
become so bright that people thought the areas were on fire. So a flaming
dessert or wine would be an appropriate ending of a wonderful feast. One
could also try some Umbrian
style recipes, or just have "Italian night" at home, even
just simple spaghetti or other pasta and sauces.
- Learn
more about the Franciscan
order. The Catholic Encyclopedia has a wonderful entry on St.
Francis, including his Rule. And from the Catholic Culture Library you can
read a detailed summary of the life of St. Francis and his founding of the
Order of Friars Minor.
- What
does poverty
in our state of life mean? How can I follow the Gospels like Francis?
- Learn
more about geography and history of the Umbria
area, and how much Francis has impacted that area.
- Study
art and photos of Francis. Find out more about the Basilica
of St. Francis in Assisi. Although the earthquake in 1997 damaged the
basilica, it reopened in 1999.
- Go
here for Saint Francis of Assisi, The Writings of Saint Francis of
Assisi, translated by Fr. Paschal Robinson in 1906.
- Read
Little
Flowers of St. Francis by Brother Ugolino online or purchase a
copy. This is a collection of many stories and legends of the life of St.
Francis. Of particular note is his Sermon to the Birds,
"My
little sisters the birds, ye owe much to God, your Creator, and ye ought to
sing his praise at all times and in all places, because he has given you
liberty to fly about into all places; and though ye neither spin nor sew, he
has given you a twofold and a threefold clothing for yourselves and for your
offspring. Two of all your species he sent into the Ark with Noah that you
might not be lost to the world; besides which, he feeds you, though ye neither
sow nor reap. He has given you fountains and rivers to quench your thirst,
mountains and valleys in which to take refuge, and trees in which to build your
nests; so that your Creator loves you much, having thus favoured you with such
bounties. Beware, my little sisters, of the sin of ingratitude, and study
always to give praise to God."
St. Francis was a great
respecter of life and viewed all creation as a gift of God; he called the
animals brothers and the moon sister moon. If we have God’s breath and love in
us we must respect and protect all creation starting with the most vulnerable
of human life.
October: Respect Life Month[4]
Sukkot
(Hebrew: סוכות), meaning
Tabernacles, is the autumnal
'foot festival' in which the Jews are commanded to leave their permanent houses
and to dwell in booths for seven days. The idea behind this is to remember that
the Israelites lived in booths in the Wilderness for forty years. Additionally,
when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, this was a pilgrimage holiday to celebrate
the harvest. It is most likely our
Lord did this every year as He was a devout Jew.
Tabernacles are typically built out of wood, sheets and have a roof of a natural product, such as leaves, palm branches, through which the stars can be seen at night. The Succah must be built of certain dimensions (not too low or too high) and should have three or four walls. On Succot, it is customary for Jewish men buy a set of the four kinds/species comprising a lulav (a palm branch), an etrog (a citron), hadassim (myrtle) and aravot (willows).
Tabernacles are typically built out of wood, sheets and have a roof of a natural product, such as leaves, palm branches, through which the stars can be seen at night. The Succah must be built of certain dimensions (not too low or too high) and should have three or four walls. On Succot, it is customary for Jewish men buy a set of the four kinds/species comprising a lulav (a palm branch), an etrog (a citron), hadassim (myrtle) and aravot (willows).
Sukkot Facts
& Quotes
·
Sukkot
is also a harvest festival, and is sometimes referred to as Chag Ha-Asif, the
Festival of Ingathering. No work is permitted on the first day, but some
work is allowed on the intermediate days which are known as Chol Hamoed.
·
Each
day of Succot is associated with Ushpezin (visitors), one of seven Succah
visitors. Each day has its visitor, starting with Abraham. The
other visitors are: Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, David and Solomon.
Hebrews
11:8 “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he
was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was
going.”
·
The
book of Ecclesiastes is typically read in Synagogues. This book relates
to the futility of man under the sun, but concludes optimistically with the
notion that we should just do our thing and serve God.
·
There
is a special Priest's (Cohen's) blessing performed at the Western Wall during
Succot. The Western Wall is the last surviving wall of the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem at the side of the Temple Mount. Thousands of Priests, who are
believed to be descendants of the original priests, assemble at the Western
Wall and perform blessings.
·
In
the days of Nehemiah, an original Bible was found with the passages relating to
the building of a Succah.
All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel (Nehemiah 8:1).
They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month (Nehemiah 8:14).
All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel (Nehemiah 8:1).
They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month (Nehemiah 8:14).
Sukkot Top
Events and Things to Do
·
Purchase
or make your own Sukkah. They are typically designed to be assembled and
disassembled quickly - in less than two hours by two people.
·
One
can buy the four kinds (of material used to build Sukkot as per the Torah) or
order them from Israel. The four kinds include palm branches, an Etrog
(citron), three willow branches and two myrtle branches. The palm, myrtle and
willow are bound together in a palm holder.
·
See
the movie Ushpezim with English subtitles. It which relates to the
four kinds and a couple's efforts to buy a most beautiful four species set,
despite their poor economic situation.
·
Read
the book of Ecclesiastes or watch a lecture about it. It was written by
King Solomon. It relates to the futility of life, apart from basic belief
and being righteous.
·
Attend
a local Succot fair.
Daily Devotions/Prayers
·
Total
Consecration Day 24
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