The Harvest is Plentiful

As October draws to an end, I am reminded that the harvest time back on the prairies is also drawing to a close. The month of October has always felt like a finale if you will, as November seems to sit idle and December brings with it a New Church Year.

The image below, I see from our kitchen window every day. This bed of leaves is so beautiful, the photo doesn’t capture the beauty of it, but it reminded me of a reflection I wrote a while ago.

 

‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.’

 

The planting, the tending, the caring, the sharing….

The preparing, the assisting, the labouring, the sharing…

The openness, the growth, the depths, the sharing…

The desire, the potential, the reality, the sharing…

The harvest, the work, the abundance, the sharing…

The harvest is plentiful, the labourers are few.

 

Loving God,

help me to root myself in your Son,

so I may be ready for the harvesting

and help others in the harvesting.

You bless me richly,

help me to remember my blessings,

so I can give more. Amen.

 

The Friary is the white house on the right.

This month ends with Halloween and leads to two of my favorite days of the Church Year – All Saints & All Souls Day! I know that we will not celebrate here as fully as what Resurrection will, but still I will indeed enter into the fun of Halloween, the prayers of the Feasts, will sing with all the saints in glory and pause to remember the faithful departed.

November is a time for remembering our beloved saints and our beloved dead. I encourage you to spend some time this month reading about the saints – there are so many great daily reflection books (and online resources) about Saints, take 2 minutes a day and read about a real hero. I also encourage you to visit a cemetery and pray for the deceased both those known to you and not.

 

Thank God for all the glorious Saints!

Let perpetual light shine on all the faithful departed.

 

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Throughout a year Friars take part in Days of Recollection. A day set aside to purposefully be quiet, pray and reflect on a specific topic. A retreat day if you will. We just had our first one for the year. We headed out of town to the nearby San Damiano Friary (same community of Friars as us) about an hour from our Friary. It was a beautiful day that began cloudy but then the sun burst through. The surroundings near the Friary are wonderful for such a day. Quiet, places to walk, places to sit and ponder and the Friary itself provides enough room for each of us to have our own space.

 

My morning was spent in quiet (and some napping) in a huge recliner chair in a corner of the basement, secluded by myself. I read and reflected on the provided text, I had a nap (I like to think I napped in God’s arms) and then I sat in quiet. Our reflection was about creation, and Francis’ love for it, how he viewed it as a sacrament and how it is beyond him in pictures with animals. As I read and reflected and napped music kept running through my head. I was so happy I had put my mp3 player in backpack, so before lunch I pulled it out and ‘got lost’ in music that was bubbling up inside of me. ‘Blessed Be Your Name”, ‘Awesome is the Lord Most High’ and ‘He Reigns’ are three songs that allowed me to connect with God and reminded me of the gift of creation, and how God’s love is poured into it.

 

We gathered for lunch and after a lunch a discussion on the text we had read. The discussion was very good and allowed everyone to express their insights and what touched them. It also became a forum for us to discuss Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation issues. This discussion came to a close in just over an hour and then the rest of the afternoon was spent in quiet. I took advantage of the weather and area and went for a walk and then spent time journaling on the patio.

 

Our day ended with Mass at the Monastery with the Poor Clares. What a joyful celebration to end the day with Eucharist, great music and conversation after Mass. Talk about getting filled up. After Mass we enjoyed supper before heading home.

 

We now head into the rest of the week a little more filled up and in tune with God.

How are you doing? Are you filled up? In tune with God?

 

I invite you to spend just a few minutes today or sometime this week and stop for a quick tune up.

Stop and listen to the three songs I mentioned above, if you don’t already have them on your play list I know you can find them on YouTube.

 

 

 

I also invite you to read St. Francis’ famous “Canticle of Brother Sun” and also the ‘Canticle of the Three Young Men’ – Daniel 3:52-90. Both are easily found online. (I love both of these writings.)

Both of these are excellent reads and remind us of God’s great love poured forth for us in creation, where everything is ‘the creative intent of God and manifests the creative wisdom of God.’ Just think if God is doing that in creation God is for sure doing that in our lives.

 

That is awesome! Praise God from whom all blessings flow…. Holy God we praise thy name…

 

 

Gratitude Path

 

The path I trod is full of gratitude, each falling leaf reminds me so.

Life’s journey blessed with so much the leaves swirl as if to show.

 

Love and joy and comfort, along with hope and courage too,

these are first to cross my path.

In gratitude these flourish from my faith which is my strength.

 

Next the leaves seem to dance around me as I go,

their dancing ways remind me of the smiles I hold dear.

In gratitude I see each face of family and of friend,

that grace my path and fill me and send me forth again.

 

The leaves that gather near the edge declare to me of times

of growth and change and promise, which have helped to shape me.

In gratitude I ponder these moments and discover the gifts they have been

and once again I am refreshed as the journey is made new.

 

Then a leaf comes tumbling down and rests upon my hand,

I simply stare at it and stop in awe as I cradle this precious gift.

This simple leaf reminds me of great love, that of God’s,

which surrounds me and calls me his beloved one.

In gratitude I pause this day and say thank you to my God,

who walks with me and showers me with blessings from above.

 

These falling leaves on the path I trod have caused me to give thanks,

and so in gratitude I journey on my life again renewed.

 

 

 

When my family gathers for our Thanksgiving meal we always stop to count our blessings and share what we are thankful for. This is my list that will be shared this year as they gather around their table in one province and as I gather around mine in another.

 

My Thankful Top 10 for 2013:

1.      God’s love and my faith.

2.      Love and support of family and friends.

3.      Hugs

4.      Skype, Texts and Emails

5.      Knowing I am under the same sun and stars as my family.

6.      My family: from my Grandparents and Godparents to my Parents,

my Siblings and their Spouses and my awesome Nephews and Nieces.

7.      For special Aunts and Uncles – for being so awesome to our family.

8.      Prayer

9.      The Saints – in a special way this year- Francis.

10.  Traditions such as the Thanksgiving Thankful Sharing and Peddlegrums (or Pedlegrooms)

 

To all who have journeyed with me and have been my support and encouragement

over this past year and through this transition I say thank you.

On this Thanksgiving Day you are held close in heart and prayer.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks to God, and bless his name.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,

eternal God's merciful love.

-Psalm 100

 

 

 

 

 

How do Franciscans celebrate Saint Francis?

October 4^th is the Feast Day of Saint Francis. The day in the liturgical calendar that the Church honors Francis in a special way.

October 4^th is a special day for Franciscans and each community celebrates a little differently, but still we celebrate the gift of the remarkable life of our Founder, Francis of Assisi.

As I heard one Friar say, “Saint Francis’ Feast Day is next to Christmas.” So with that in mind let me tell you how our community celebrated.

Preparations began early in the week. The house was cleaned, the liturgy was put together, choir practice was held, groceries were bought, decorations were put in place and meetings were held.

The Feast Day actually begins on the evening of October 3 (the day Francis died). The Friars and us Postulants gathered for Evening Prayer at 5:15 p.m. the prayer had a special focus on the life of St. Francis and of course how he draws us to Christ.

“Francis a thoroughly Catholic and apostolic man was sent to prepare the way for the Gospel of peace.” – from Evening Prayer I

 

At 6:30 p.m. friends and neighbours gathered in our chapel to celebrate the Transitus. The Transitus is a Franciscan devotion to ritually remember the passing of Saint Francis from this life into God.  This ritual takes place each year, the evening of October 3rd.  This special time of prayer included music, a reading about the death of Francis, a reading from a letter Francis wrote to Brother Leo and the gospel about the Washing of the Feet. This is the gospel that Francis requested be read as he died. Following the gospel, we were inspired by a homily that challenged us to trust in God and walk with Francis. The Liturgy continued with prayers, the sign of peace and music.

 

“Brother Leo, health and peace from Brother Francis! I advise you thus: In whatever way it seems better to you to please the Lord God and to follow His footprint and poverty, do it with the blessing of the Lord God and my obedience.” – from A Letter to Brother Leo

 

Following the Liturgy we continued the celebration with a delicious potluck meal and socializing. We opened up our Friary and guests gathered in our dining room and living room and kitchen as we enjoyed good food, drink and company.

 

On October 4^th, our day began as usual with Morning Prayer at 7:00 a.m. – again a special focus on the gift of St. Francis. We celebrated the Feast Day Mass at 7:30 a.m. with special readings for the day. Following the Feast Day Mass we had coffee and muffins!

 

“God’s praise was ever on his lips; he called upon the stars, spirits, birds and all creation to praise the Creator.” – from Morning Prayer

 

After coffee, some of us went to the Soup Kitchen to serve the poor, others sent messages to other Friars and communities, and others worked on preparations for supper.

We invited a few guests to join us for Evening Prayer at 5:15 p.m. The prayers once again focused on Francis walking with Christ. Following Prayer we sat down at our Feast Day table to enjoy a delicious meal, celebrate Francis, the brotherhood and community.

 

Feast Day Dessert

Feast Day Table

 

“Father you helped our seraphic father Francis reflect the image of Christ through a life of poverty and humility. May we follow your Son by walking in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi and by imitating his joyful love.” – from Evening Prayer II

We indeed celebrate our beloved Francis well. It serves as a reminder of him and his love for Christ and the world. It also serves as encouragement for us to continue to walk in his footprints to bring Christ to the world!

To Father, Son and Spirit’s Name

Be honor, glory, blessing, praise;

And may Saint Francis’ merits, fame,

To heaven’s joy and bliss us raise!

 

 

Feel like you missed out and want to celebrate Saint Francis?

Do it today… enjoy a chocolate cake (to remind you of the brown habit), enjoy a glass of Italian wine/soda (to remind you of his home) and then do an act of charity – donate food or clothes, help a neighbour, say extra prayers (to remind you of who Saint Francis was all about)!

Any day is a good day to celebrate St. Francis!

Simple Pleasures

Simple pleasures really are becoming a big part of this journey and for that I am very thankful. Things that I maybe took for granted or my former schedule did not allow me to enjoy to the fullest have become great gifts. In no particular order, let me explain…

1.       Grocery Shopping! I love grocery shopping! Call it a product of my environment for the past 36 years. Blame it on the fact that for the first year of my life I lived above a grocery store or that I loved to play store as a child. You could say that because I have seen the under workings and the behind scenes of how a grocery store runs that it has influenced me. No matter what angle you look at it from, even when I’m frustrated with the fact that my parents owning a grocery store is sometimes very exhausting, I still love to grocery shop. Before I began this journey grocery shopping was at times my way to unwind, in this journey it is a way to build community. Weekly a small group of us go out to buy for the week. It is a mix of grocery store, farmers market and possible other stops. I am the weekly patron of the event! We have shared laughs, have helped determine which products are best for us and met the challenge of shopping for 10+ people. Then we come home and a joyful chaos unfolds as we unpack bags and find places for everything! I love it! Every minute of it! Fraternity at its best!

 

 

2.       Decorating! Anyone who knows me knows I love to decorate. Decorate a room, decorate a church, decorate a table, or decorate a shelf! I love to decorate! I love seasonal changes, I love room design, I love new spaces and I love new items to utilize. Since I have moved into our new home I have had the joy of rearranging my room, reconfiguring our front room, decorating the chapel, decorating for a birthday party and decorating my little shelf in my bedroom for a new season. (Look out Christmas time! J) This was one of my gifts I was most worried about not being able to utilize and share but our God is so awesome, God knew I would need to share my creativity. These moments allow me time to think, to ponder my studies, to explore and challenge my brain in a new ways! I love every minute of it! Creativity called forth!

 

3.       Organizing! Oh the challenges, the planning, the excitement and the joy of final details in place. I love to organize and plan. This gift has come in very handy over the past few weeks and will continue to do so. Organizing my stuff was the start, then came my schedule, then came my class (still trying to best organize my writing in this area), then came the candle cupboard and my last project has been the china cabinets. I got permission first, don’t worry! (I’m working on the vow of obedience!) Organizing allows me the opportunity to think outside the box, challenges me in ways similar to décor, but also allows me to be practical and detail driven. I love it! Functionality in full swing!

 

4.       Praying! The gift of prayer has been a part of my journey, well, since as far back as I can remember. Familiar prayers, personal prayers, intentions, Divine Office, shared prayer, quiet prayer, journaling, end of day prayer, it doesn’t matter. I can get caught up in it and in doing so I draw myself closer to Christ. It also helps me to see how I must make all I do flow from my prayer and become prayer. A challenge indeed but one so worth taking. Here we gather on a regular basis for prayer…Morning Prayer at 7:00 a.m., Mass at 7:30 a.m., Evening Prayer at 5:15 p.m., Meal Prayers, and in the day some quiet time on my own. In this alone time I pray for family and friends (I do so at the other times as well), I journal, I sit in quiet, I listen to a song, or I read scripture. Finally each night before I go to sleep I journal about my day with 3 questions… What am I thankful for? What brought me joy? Where did I see Christ? I then end with daily night time prayer and drift off to sleep. All blessings enriching my journey. I love the gift of prayer! It is the gift of poverty before my friend, brother and Savior. I can only offer who I am.

5.       Scripture Reading! Each day scripture fills more and more of it. Scripture has fascinated me for a long time but in this setting I seem to hear it more clearly. Words jump out, reflections take me deeper, rereading it brings more clarity and desire to know more. This gift is just starting to take root and I pray it strengthens. Scripture really does offer it all from big drama, to great advice, to gentle reminders, to strength and comfort, to joy, to intimate moments, to romance and to life-giving words. As scripture becomes a greater part of my day, our community is also watching a Bible Series right now. I must admit this is a great way to come to embrace and understand it more and more! I have loved scripture and will continue to love it more.

September 30 happens to be the Feast Day of Saint Jerome, who had a living and tender love for Sacred Scripture (as the Collect prayed). I will close with a few lines from scripture that I had the privilege to proclaim today on his feast day, they caught my attention, sparked my interested and called out my imagination.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” – Zechariah 8.1-8

Is that not a beautiful image of community? Of hope? Of God’s love?

I hope your simple pleasures bring you closer to our awesome God!

Fall Realities

Welcome Autumn! This most wonderful time of the year with the riches of the bounty of earth being harvested, the pace of days in routine taking shape, and the colors of our world changing seem to be helping me embrace the journey I am on.

Today as we begin the season of fall I was able to enter into the season in 3 ways.

1.      Our day begins with prayer at 7:00 am, before prayer today I was in the kitchen preparing for our noon meal. Onions were simmering with a hint of garlic and then the bounty of the earth was added. Eight different vegetables were added to create a vegetarian chili and it was all in the pot before prayer! One of my classmates then made Venezuelan bread, it was a delicious first day of fall lunch. Vibrant colors, taste and conversation surrounded the table.

One of the greatest gifts about my new schedule is the flexibility to be in the kitchen! Once the chilli was simmering and after prayer and breakfast I spent the morning in the kitchen baking cookies (Grandma’s recipe), recipe cake and muffins! Talk about a perfect thing to do on a fall day! And let me tell you my community loves the cookie jar being full!

   

2.       Doesn’t fall just seem to say, sit down and have a great conversation with good people?

The second way I was able to enter into the season was with conversation. As part of my journey I had to find a new spiritual director for time here. Today was our first meeting. After eight years with one of the best spiritual directors ever (thank CS) it is tough to begin a journey with a new director. I am so thankful for the past eight years with my former director, she helped prepare me for the journey. My conversations and prayers with her continue to influence my journey. I am so grateful for her guidance and continued prayers.

God’s goodness is definitely guiding good people into my life, as my first meeting with my new spiritual director was life giving and helped me to discover some of the gifts so far on the journey.

I also had the opportunity for my one on one monthly check in with our director. This was a lively and spirited conversation. Our director is full of life, joy and honesty. It was so good to sit with him and share about the journey so far, so much so that supper was late tonight because we got so wrapped up in the conversation!

 

 

3.      A walk was the third way. I love walking in the fall. You know how in movies, people go for a walk in the fall and the trees that arch over the street are changing colors, the leaves drift slowly down and homeowners are making the most of end of season plants in the cooler temperatures? Well that was my walk this afternoon! It was so beautiful and then it hit me, this is not a movie, this is real life. I and smiled and thought how great is our God!

 

 

Let us lift up our hearts to the Lord for the blessings of a journey and a new season.

With God there is no accidents. Every incident is intended to bring us closer to Him. – Max Lucado

30 Days = 30 Steps Onward

Today marks 1 month since I entered into retreat to begin my Postulant year with the Franciscans. The month has sailed by very quickly, with adjusting to a new home, living in community, beginning new ministry, meeting new people and relying on technology to stay in touch with dear friend and family.

Earlier this week one of the lines of our prayers said… ‘I have been grasped by Christ Jesus. Christ will be exalted through me, for to me life means Christ.’ That seems to best describe how I feel in this journey and what I am experiencing. Through joys and challenges, letting go and embracing, newness and roots Christ continues to be my life. I am more and more connected to St. Francis. I am in awe again of the journey and our awesome God.

I am so very thankful and grateful for the prayers, support and love I have received from family and friends. It is because of these gifts that my journey is full of blessings. Know of my prayers and gratitude and love, please continue to pray for me.

My first month in this journey has been full of lots of firsts as previous blogs have outlined, to add to that I received my first Franciscan haircut yesterday! No I didn’t get a tonsure, my hair was simply cut by a Franciscan! J It was an adventure for sure!

Below is my reflection I shared at Lectio Divina last night. It seems to celebrate 1 month well and describe being grasped by God.

Holy Temple and Dwelling Place for God: Building It Each Day

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ²⁰built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.^{* 21}In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together spiritually^* into a dwelling-place for God. – Ephesians 2.19-22.

When I was a child, my Grandfather would lift me up by my ears and hold me above his head and ask me if I could see Grandma. He would not put me down until I saw her but there was a trick to this Grandma was always behind me. In the moment it was funny and a bit scary, but I would still feel safe and secure because I knew Grandpa was my foundation.

Another occasion when I didn’t feel as secure was when I was turning 7 or 8, we were visiting our other Grandparents and it was on or near my birthday. My aunts and uncles decided to give me the bumps. All I remember is my belly hitting the ceiling and my bum hitting the floor. My foundation was a little shaken.

Today marks 1 month since I officially began the journey with the Franciscans. The process began long before that, but this part of the journey is still in its infancy. Just like when a baby is born, there is lots of support, nurturing and care surrounding us as Postulants. I came from one caring and supportive community and family and have entered another.

In the letter to the Ephesians we hear… ‘So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God.’ That seems to describe my journey as of late, over the course of the last month I have been a stranger, but then warmly welcomed, I have been an alien but then have discovered a new land.

When I stop and ponder my life journey I am in awe of the path and realize that since my baptism I have been a citizen with the saints, a member of the household of God. What a gift that is. Each of us have been given the gift of this citizenship and challenged to continue to build upon the foundation that apostles and prophets laid down. That foundation being rooted in Christ Jesus.

Knowing that Jesus is our cornerstone calls us to life and to love. It calls us to give of ourselves and share our gifts. For with Christ as our cornerstone we know that we are on solid ground in the household of God. Even when our earthly dwelling is weak or broken; even when our earthly dwelling is jealous or frustrated, even when our earthly dwelling is selfish and rude, our cornerstone is secure. Jesus never changes, his love is consistent and it is because of that, that no matter what state our earthly dwelling is in we are being built in to a dwelling place for God, a holy temple. Each of us are being built into this dwelling place for God.

As this journey continues on, as my classmates and I journey deeper into the Franciscan life, I am reminded to be a builder, and to ensure that when I am helping others to build that my focus must be on the cornerstone, Jesus, so I can help others be holy temples.

Before I joined the Franciscans I discussed several times with my spiritual director what it means to be a holy temple. I have shared with her how I desired to be a living icon, a living tabernacle for Jesus. This desire is at the heart of the scripture above. It calls me and each of us to work each day at radiating light from the windows of our lives, to remain connected to our foundation and to better our earthly dwelling each day by keeping our eyes on the cornerstone, our brother, our friend, our savior…Jesus. We have to ask ourselves... How do we do this each day on your journey? How do we build? How do we shine light? How do we keep connected to our foundation? How do we remain intact with our cornerstone?

May it be in our actions, words and in remembering we are always holy and living, tried and true sanctuaries!