St. Francis Visits the Sultan

In the thirteenth year of his conversion, Francis journeyed to the regions of Syria, constantly exposing himself to many dangers in order to reach the presence of the Sultan of Babylon. Taking a companion with him, a brother named Illuminato, he came upon two lambs. Overjoyed to see them, he said, "Trust in the Lord, brother, for the Gospel is being fulfilled in us: Behold, I am sending your forth like sheep in the midst of wolves."

When they proceeded farther, the Saracen sentries fell upon them like wolves swiftly overtaking sheep. By divine providence they were led to the Sultan, just as Francis had wished. When the Sultan inquired by whom, why and how they had been sent, Francis replied with an intrepid heart that the Most High God had sent him to point out to the Sultan and his people the way of salvation and to announce the Gospel of truth.

Inspired from heaven, Francis continued: "If you wish to be converted to Christ along with your people, I will most gladly stay with you for love of him. But if you hesitate. . .then command that an enormous fire be lit and I will walk into the fire along with your priests so that you will recognize which faith deserves to be held as holier and more certain."

The Sultan replied that he did not dare accept this choice because he feared a revolt among his people. Nevertheless, he offered Francis many gifts, which the man of God spurned as if they were dirt. Seeing that Francis so completely despised worldly possessions, the Sultan was overflowing with admiration, and developed an even greater respect for him. Thus it came about that the divine fire burned still more perfectly in Francis' heart, so that later it would be clearly seen in his flesh.  (from The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Chelano)

 

The Good Word
 Bro. David Kaczmarek, TOR

Each day of our lives we are faced with so many decisions. Besides all the little decisions we have to make, there are some really big ones, too: Where should I go to college?  What career is right for me? and many others. Sometimes we're not even sure where to begin.  The story of Francis and the Sultan gives us some ideas of how Francis figured out what to do with his life.

First, Francis always prayed to God for guidance. Francis had a very close relationship with God, even closer than best friends. He knew he could give his entire heart and mind to God because God loved him and would help him to make the best decision.

Second, Francis listened to his own heart. He knew himself better than he knew anyone else. He relied on God and his friends to help him understand the desires of his heart and how he should fulfill them.

Third, once Francis knew what God wanted for him, he went after it with all his energy. Francis never did anything half-way! His heart was so full of the joy of knowing Christ that he wanted to share it with everyone, even in far-away countries where his life might be threatened.

Finally, Francis made every decision for the glory of God. He could have yelled and screamed at the Muslim Sultan to try and persuade him but the love of Christ compelled him to treat the Sultan with dignity and respect. The Sultan treated Francis with the same dignity and respect and thus, Francis saw Christ in him.

Francis shows us that no matter what the decision is, we can rely on God and our own hearts to lead us on the right path that will make us happy and fulfilled.                    

 * “The Good Word” is an inspirational article written for young men by men in formation.  Bro. David made his first profession of vows on May 31, 2003.  He is studying for the priesthood.

 

Heroes for Our Day

Bro. John Kerr, TOR has been a friar for 18 years.  He generously responded to a request for assistance with formation in the newly-formed Delegation in Bangladesh.  This article helps us to see that Franciscans, even today, continue to extend a welcoming hand like Francis did to our Muslim brothers and sisters. 

Christians often warned me about Muslims.  Some had bad experiences in Bangladesh, where Muslims had stolen Christians’ land and unjustly treated them.  For this reason I always cautiously approached a village, where one still meets the majority of the country’s 100 million followers of Islam. 

At one village I would pass on the way to the post office, a crowd of kids would quickly gather if they saw me coming.  As the only white person in the area and the tallest person in the country, I was a sight of curiosity and fear to many.  These kids would yell words I didn’t understand, giggle and, if I started to walk toward them, run screaming back into the maze of mud huts.

After many times like this, one day a couple of children tentatively stood their ground.  I bent down, extended my hand, and shook theirs and kept shaking until they started to laugh.  Then many of those who had run returned and wanted the same attention.  Some still ran back screaming when my hand moved their way.

That day was the icebreaker.  The next time I was passing by very few ran away.  One little guy even stopped me from going to the post office.  He held my hand and guided me from the roadside into the formerly hidden land among the huts.  An older child brought out a wooden chair from one hut and I was politely motioned to the honored seat.  The kids crowded around me, and their parents shyly appeared from different directions.  When 100 brown eyes locked on mine the questions began about my family, my country, my work and everything these curious people could think to ask.

The children insisted on a song.  I stood up and told them I would sing an English song, but they had to sing with me.  Their shyness returned.  I pointed to my head, said and then sang, “Head, shoulders, knees and toes… and eyes and ears and mouth and nose…” all the while pointing to the different body parts.  After a few rounds, they were slapping themselves all over and falling on the ground.  The parents watched with some stupefaction while the kids requested another song.  I told them next time; now I had to go.  With many invitations to return and an entourage of children, I continued to the post office. 

Action Steps Read Kevin Regan, “Catholics and Muslims:  Two Faiths, One God”, Catholic Youth Update (Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2002.) Pray for the Spirit’s gift of understanding and a deeper sense of openness to differences. Act!  Ask your parish youth leader or your religious education teacher to organize a trip to a local mosque.  Talk with Muslims to better understand their faith and pray with them.

 

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1. HOW ST. FRANCIS CONVERTED
THE VERY FIERCE WOLF OF GUBBIO

Making the sign of the most holy cross. he went out of the town placing all his confidence in God. Francis took the road toward the place where the wolf was. The wolf. ran toward Saint Francis with his mouth open. Drawing close to him. Francis made the sign of the cross on him and called him to himself and said this: "Come here. Brother Wolf. I command you on behalf of Christ that you do no harm to me or to anyone." Immediately the fear some wolf closed his mouth and stopped running.

It came meekly as a lamb. Francis spoke to him thus: "Brother Wolf, you do much harm in this area. and you have done great misdeeds. Not only have you killed and devoured beasts, but you have dared to kill people, made in the image of God. And all the people cry out and complain against you. But I, Brother Wolf, want to make peace between you and these people, so that you do not offend them any more, and they may pardon you every past offense. Then Saint Francis said.

"Brother Wolf, I promise that I will have food given to you constantly, as long as you live. by the people of this town. since I know very well that you did all this harm because of hunger.

Then Saint Francis said. "Brother Wolf, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ: come with me now without any hesitation, and we will go to seal this peace-pact in the name of God." And the obedient wolf went with him like a tame lamb.

Once all the people were fully assembled Saint Francis got up and preached to them. " Dear people. return to God and do fitting penance for your sins, and God will free you from the wolf in the present, and from hell's fire in the future." When he finished the sermon, St. Francis said, "Brother Wolf, do you promise to observe the peace-pact with these people, that you will not harm the people, the animals , nor any creature?" And the wolf, lifting his right paw, placed it in the hand of St. Francis. Because of this action, all the people began to cry out to heaven, praising and blessing God.

The Little Flowers of St. Francis, Chapter 21

Fr. Vincent Spinos, TOR is chaplain for the circus.
Here he is with one of his new found friends.

 2. THE GOOD WORD

The world can seem awfully dark sometimes. Pope John Paul II, at World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, Canada, said that the greatest tragedy of our day is that so many people are living without hope. It is easy to shake our heads sadly and say that we can do nothing about it. We would be wrong! It is during just these kinds of times that saints and prophets arise to speak the truth from God.

How wonderful it would be if another St. Francis would come along to help give the weary world hope! Yet, all of us are called to lead holy lives and follow the Gospel just like he did. I am not saying that you should sell all your belongings and live as a hermit or anything drastic like that. I bet there are some things that you could do, however, such as volunteering at a soup kitchen or visiting elderly people in a nursing home or even simply smiling at someone who looks sad. To truly live out our call to holiness means to be witnesses to God's love for the world.

A recent car commercial featured a young woman who sees the car and smiles and says hello to a man walking by. This causes that man to smile at another woman, who then helps a man that has dropped his things, and on it goes. I do not know if it will sell cars, but the message is great: a little kindness goes a long way toward building a world of hope and peace. It is like yeast in a lump of dough. What will you do to be yeast for the bread, and not just part of the lump?

Prayer is always the first step.

Bro. Peter Surran, TOR

*"The Good Word" is an inspirational article written for young men by young men in formation. Bro. Peter is 26 and made his first profession of vows on June 6, 2002.

 

3. Heroes for Our Day

The events of September 11, 2001 remind us that heroes and heroines are not the strangely dressed, magically empowered characters we meet in the fanciful life of comic books and television. Heroes and heroines are found in the flesh and blood people who surround us. Heroism may manifest itself in a moment of crisis; but what about the kind of heroism that rises, not just in a moment, but throughout a lifetime?

Our Brother Didacus was thirteen years old when he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s is a particularly debilitating disease that affects the intestinal tract. The doctors told him he would not live past the age of twenty-one and to expect that the few remaining years of his life would be filled with numerous operations and significant pain. What would you do if you were told you had eight years, at most, to live? Well, the doctors were right about the operations and pain but they misjudged the resiliency and courage of the young man. Brother Didacus is now forty-eight and has been a professed member of the Franciscan friars for twenty-one years. He not only lives each day with the devastating effects of Crohn’s, but also dedicates his prodigious talents to the ministry of education. The challenges of his life are a heroism greater, perhaps, than any split-second run into a burning building.

By age twenty-five Brother Didacus had already undergone thirteen surgeries. It is to his illness that he traces his vocation. Like the proverbial fox-hole, "there are no atheists in sick-beds", he quipped. "As prayer became more a part of my life I felt like I was being invited into asking questions of God and to hear God’s questions of me," Brother Didacus said. "My illness moved me out of a sense of narcissism and caused me to look beyond myself. Prayer helped me see the larger picture. I was the last person I thought would be a friar," he chuckled. "The more I felt invited into prayer and service, the more I came to recognize my vocation."

Despite having entered the ministry of teaching, "backward," as he describes it, Brother Didacus discovered in that ministry his heart’s passion. He has ministered as a teacher in many settings: the Fairfax County school system, private schools, religious education, ESL courses, and Catholic University. Presently he teaches literature at Bishop Ireton High School. Maybe the last place we might think to find a hero or heroine is in our teachers. Somewhere along the line, though, we may encounter at least one teacher who stretches our vision, opens us to new possibilities, and helps us reach beyond ourselves because of their belief in us. "I’m a teacher of literature and therefore I am interested in stories," Brother Didacus said. "What is really exciting for me as a teacher is helping young people see, through other people’s stories, that their life can make a difference. As a religious, I am especially interested in helping them discover how their story intersects with the story of Jesus Christ." Brother Didacus stretches his students. He has received the same gift from the community. "The friars have always nurtured my growth," he stated. "I have always been called to do more than I thought I could do." Perhaps because Brother Didacus’ life is lived on the edge he applies special passion to his ministry. "This is my last chance," he said, "to help kids capture a vision for their future and to grasp the place for spirituality. I touch the future with each young person."

Wasn’t it Jesus who said, "The gift you have received, give as a gift."? Courage comes in many packages. Its potential rests within each of us. Brother Didacus is a hero among us. What about you?

Action Step: Be a Hero:

* Francis recognized that the wolf of Gubio was violent because the wolf was hungry. He stopped the wolf's violence by meeting its need. What do you think are the needs of the people of Iraq? What can you do to meet their need? What can we do as a nation?

The "Good News"

A number of friars have been in the news for the good work God is doing through them. We rejoice with them and are thankful for the good publicity.

Robert D’Aversa celebrated Christmas Mass for the female inmates at the Orange County Jail– Whitcomb Unit. An article appeared in The Florida Catholic newspaper, January 2, 2003, page 6. The inmates’ request was only made known on the Friday before Christmas. Robert received the call on Christmas Eve and showed up the next day to respond to the need! The "jailhouse Greccio" appeared in a small, bare room with fifteen chairs, two tables, a sink and a toilet tucked behind a half wall. Angela Johnson, a chaplain with the Good News Jail and Prison Ministry, said, "The women really appreciated this special Christmas Mass. There is a real sense of peace about them." Thanks for your generous response, Robert! (Photo credit– Tom Gillan)

Raphael Eagle was featured in an article that appeared in the December edition of the North Texas Catholic. Over one hundred teddy bears were donated by the Fort Worth Diocesan Council of Catholic Women to the Cook Children’s Hospital where Raphael ministers. Over 11,400 bears were distributed the year before to children receiving treatment at the hospital. These bears, Raphael noted, "are a source of comfort to the children to whom they are given; they know that they are not ordinary bears but ones that carry with them the prayers and blessings of the giver." Let us add our prayers to those generous donors who seek to ease the pain and distress of the young ones to whom Raphael ministers.

A full, two-page article (p. 20, 17) appeared in the February 10, 2003 edition of The Catholic Register (the diocesan publication for Altoona-Johnstown) regarding the work and vision of the Bon Secours’ Chaplaincy program.

Brad Baldwin is one of the six full and part-time staff chaplains who have helped this new vision to emerge. Brad expressed part of this vision when he was quoted in the article. He stated: "We are part of the interdisciplinary plan of care for each patient; right along with the doctors and nurses. We attend care-plan meetings. We are all a part of the healing team." Great ministry, Brad! (Staff photo)

Call 1-800-2200TOR
Ask for: Bro. David Liedl, T.O.R.
Vocation Director