Franciscan Pilgrimage to Italy

 Franciscan Pilgrimage to Italy

Rome  Assisi  Laverna  Rieti  Spoleto  Florence

April 11-22, 2024

$2,990 per person (ground only)*

 

*Included in Price:

·        Accommodations including 2 nights in Rome, 2 in Rieti, 1 in Spoleto, 3 in

·        Assisi, 1 in Laverna, and 1 in Florence (2 participants per room)

·         Continental breakfast and dinner daily (lunch on your own)

·        Ground transportation (as per itinerary)

·        Local guides with reflections and prayer

·         

NOT Included: Airfare, lunches, gratuity for guides/drivers, trip insurance. (Note that the price is based on a minimum of ten participants.)

 

Itinerary inside. For more information, contact Bret Thoman, St. Francis Pilgrimages:

voicemail: 404-418-6683 ⬧ bret@stfrancispilgrimages.com ⬧ www.stfrancispilgrimages.com

 

Thursday, April 11

The pilgrimage will begin with a departure from Boston on overnight flight to Rome Fiumicino airport (FCO, aka Leonardo da Vinci).

 

Friday, April 12

Upon arrival, you will have a chartered taxi to Rome. Gathering meeting in the afternoon. Dinner/overnight in Rome

 

Saturday, April 13

In the morning, we will offer a guided visit of St. Peter’s Basilica and Square and surrounding area. Take the rest of the day to enjoy Rome at your leisure. Dinner/overnight in Rome

 

Sunday, April 14

This morning we will depart to Rieti to explore the storied city’s history with a guided tour of Rieti Underground. In the afternoon, we will visit two Franciscan hermitages in the Rieti Valley: Fonte Colombo and Greccio.

Dinner/overnight in Rieti

 

Monday April 15

Today we will head out to the third hermitage in the valley: Poggio Bustone. For those who wish, there will be time for a walk up to the grotto known as Sacro Speco. Then we will drive to Cantalice and walk to the fourth hermitage, known as La Foresta (4 miles/1.5 hours). Return to Rieti for din-

ner and overnight.

 

Tuesday, April 16

This morning we say goodbye to Rieti and head into Umbria. First, we’ll stop in Rivodutri to visit a famed beech tree that sheltered St. Francis during a storm. Our first stop will be a hermitage known as Monteluco. Over the centuries, saints like Francis of Assisi, Anthony of Padua, and Bernardine

of Siena prayed here. Then we continue to Spoleto for a visit including the city and cathedral. Dinner/Overnight in Spoleto

 

Wednesday, April 17

This morning we will continue to Foligno for a brief visit followed by a visit in nearby Spello. Here we will take out our walking poles and walk three miles (1.5 hours) toward Assisi. Overnight in Assisi. (Dinner on your own.)

 

Thursday, April 18

This morning we will have a guided tour of Assisi, including all the main Franciscan sites related to St. Francis and Clare in the city walls of town: Chiesa Nuova, San Francesco Piccolino, Saint Mary Major, Bernard of Quin-

tavalle, Basilica St. Francis. In the afternoon, we will retrace Clare’s “fleeing” from Clare’s childhood home next to San Rufino to the Basilica of St. Clare, to Saint Mary of the Angels. Overnight in Assisi (dinner on your own.)

 

Friday, April 19

This morning we will offer a guided tour of the small church of San Damiano and the mountain hermitage of the Carceri hermitage. Take the afternoon free to explore Assisi how you wish. Overnight in Assisi (dinner on your

own.)

 

Saturday, April 20

Today, we will depart Assisi as we make our way up into Tuscany. On the way, we will stop in Gubbio to visit the Franciscan church containing a wall of the house of the family that housed St. Francis, as well as a statue of

wolf, commemorating the taming of the wild beast. Next, we will continue to the mountain hermitage of Laverna, where St. Francis received the stigmata. For those who wish to walk up the mountain, there is a 2-mile hike to the peak. Dinner/Overnight in Laverna

 

Sunday, April 21

After some final Franciscan reflections, we will head up to Florence. On the way, we will stop in Pontassieve, famed for its pottery.

Dinner/Overnight in Florence

 

Monday, April 22

Departure from Florence airport to Boston 

 

*The itinerary is subject to change due to factors beyond our control. However, the focus on the spiritual nature of the trip will always be the overall objective.

Photo: Goldenrod

 

Prayer: Anonymous: St. Michael

St. Michael, glorious prince of the heavenly hosts and victor over rebellious spirits, be mindful of me who am so weak and sinful and yet so prone to pride and ambition. Lend me your powerful aid in every temptation and difficulty, and above all do not forsake me in my daily struggle with the powers of evil.

Photo: A Hingham Pond in early Autumn

 

Poem: “As Imperceptibly as Grief,” by Emily Dickinson

 As imperceptibly as Grief

The Summer lapsed away – 

Too imperceptible at last

To seem like Perfidy – 

A Quietness distilled

As Twilight long begun,

Or Nature spending with herself

Sequestered Afternoon – 

The Dusk drew earlier in – 

The morning foreign shone – 

A courteous, yet harrowing Grace,

As Guest, that would be gone – 

And thus, without a Wing

Or service of a Keel

Our Summer made her light escape

Into the Beautiful.

The Power of Choice The 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time

                                                      The Power of Choice

The 26^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

October 1, 2023

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32

 

These readings help us to see that God respects human freedom and that the power of choice determines whether one’s life is saved. In the Ezekiel passage, the author highlights that one can turn away from moral bankruptcy and choose what is good and right for one’s soul. The parable that Jesus uses in Matthew’s Gospel is similar. The son who originally said “no” and entered into a period of self-reflection and changed his mind was the one whose life was saved because he did the will of the Father. This parable of going into the vineyard to work seems obvious, but as we apply the Gospel to today’s situation, we see that this discernment is not as simple as it seems.

 

This is a very big week for the institutional church for three reasons. One, 21 bishops will be elevated to the rank of Cardinal today, and they are the voices of a worldwide communion, and three come from an area where Catholics are actively persecuted. The new Cardinals represent parts of the world that have often been overlooked by Rome with its European heritage. Two, a new version of the Encyclical of Laudato Si will be released on Wednesday, St. Francis’s Feast Day, as it updates the Church’s response to global climate change. Three, the fourth phase of the Synod on Synodality, collegiality, kicks off in Rome as the church goes through a period of global self-examination and discernment as it calls everyone together to listen to the joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties, from the People of God dispersed throughout the earth so we can muster our resources and resolve our communal problems. It is a lofty goal and a difficult challenge.

 

The Gospels highlight the attitudes of the two sons who did not want to go into the vineyard. In this present age, the church is calling its priests and bishops and the People of God to go into the vineyard. Some say “yes” and have no intention of going; some say “no,” and have a change of heart. Of those three points, some clergy and laity are upset that the church is caring for people who are geographically remote; some are climate change deniers; some dismiss the Synod as irrelevant and as a weakening of the Catholic voice, and they fear doctrine will change. Which is the one doing the will of the Father, the one who says “no” or “yes?” Our readings point out that sufficient reflection and self-examination allows one to change one’s mind and come around to doing God’s will.

 

The Church is asking for all people to participate in the Synod because it wants to hear your voice, whatever position you hold. It is not about ideologies, but about hearing what is happening in your corner of the world. It wants to hear from people not just in the U.S. but also from the new and young churches in Asia, the long-established ones in the Middle East, from those who endured colonialization in South America and Africa, and from Europe. Each area has distinct opportunities and challenges, and what is being inaugurated is an emphasis on communion, active participation, and a commitment to mission. The media will try to make it about something else: women’s ordination, LGBTQIA issues, abortion, and married priesthood. It is not about that at all. It is the Church from all corners of the world coming together to figure out how to work together and to support one another. It is a time of encounter and a time of listening. It is a time of prayerful discernment about how to be church. It is about a style of engaging and honoring one another. It is about listening – listening to those who are present, and listening to those who, for whatever reason, did not speak, and finding out why one did not speak. This is the church coming together to experience communion of minds, hearts, and imagination united under Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit, led by the Vicar of Christ, all seeking to do the Father’s will. This is an historic moment, and it is the first of many synods of this type. This is the Church lovingly accepting its modern maturity, recognizing it is responsible for all peoples of the world, and it has a crucial, a vital role in leading all people to the Father’s heart. The Church is saying it hears the cries of joy and hope and it hears the anxieties and griefs, and it wants to be present to it. It wants to be present to you, a laity that is waking up and emerging, and it calls you to say “yes” to the Father’s will.

 

Who does the will of the Father? The one who takes time, examines one’s heart and ideologies, and says, “Yes, Lord, I want to do your will.” 

 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

 

Monday: (Zechariah 8) I am intensely jealous for Zion, stirred to jealous wrath for her. Thus says the LORD: I will return to Zion, and I will dwell within Jerusalem.

 

Tuesday: (Zechariah 8) There shall yet come peoples, the inhabitants of many cities; and the inhabitants of one city shall approach those of another, and say, "Come! let us go to implore the favor of the LORD"; and, "I too will go to seek the LORD."

 

Wednesday: (Nehemiah 2) The king asked me, "What is it, then, that you wish?" I prayed to the God of heaven and then answered the king: "If it please the king, and if your servant is deserving of your favor, send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors' graves, to rebuild it."

 

Thursday: (Nehemiah 8) The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate, and they called upon Ezra the scribe to bring forth the book of the law of Moses which the LORD prescribed for Israel.

 

Friday (Baruch 1) During the Babylonian captivity, the exiles prayed: "Justice is with the Lord, our God; and we today are flushed with shame, we men of Judah and citizens of Jerusalem, that we, with our kings and rulers and priests and prophets, and with our ancestors, have sinned in the Lord's sight and disobeyed him.

 

Saturday (Baruch 4) Remember, Israel, You were sold to the nations not for your destruction; It was because you angered God that you were handed over to your foes.
For you provoked your Maker with sacrifices to demons, to no-gods.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 18) "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.

 

Tuesday: (Luke 9) When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him.
On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him

 

Wednesday (Luke 9) "I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus answered him,
"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.

 

Thursday (Luke 10) "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.

 

Friday (Luke 10) "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

 

Saturday (Luke 10) The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."

 

Saints of the Week

 

October 1: These of Lisieux, doctor (1873-1897), entered the Carmelites at age 15 and died at age 24 from tuberculosis. During her illness, Pauline, her prioress, asked her to write about her life in the convent. These stories are captured in "The Story of a Soul." He focused on her "little way" of pursuing holiness in everyday life.

 

October 2: The Guardian Angels are messengers and intermediaries between God and humans. They help us in our struggle against evil and they serve as guardians, the feast we celebrate today. Raphael is one of the guardians written about in the Book of Tobit. A memorial was added to the Roman calendar In 1670 in thanksgiving for their assistance.

 

October 3: Francis Borgia, S.J. became a duke at age 33. When his wife died and his eight children were grown, he joined the Jesuits. His preaching brought many people to the church and when he served as Superior General, the Society increased dramatically in Spain and Portugal. He established many missions in the new territories. 

 

October 4: Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) was from the wealthy Bernardone family who sold silk cloths. After serving as soldier as a prisoner of war, Francis chose to serve God and the poor. He felt called to repair God's house, which he thought was a church. His father was angry that he used family money so he disinherited him. He began to preach repentance and recruited others to his way of life. His order is known for poverty, simplicity, humble service, and delighting in creation.

 

October 6: Bruno, priest (1030-1101), became a professor at Rheims and diocesan chancellor. He gave up his riches and began to live as a hermit with six other men. They had disdain for the rampant clerical corruption. The bishop of Grenoble gave them land in the Chartreuse mountains and they began the first Carthusian monastery. After serving in Rome for a few years, Bruno was given permission to found a second monastery in Calabria.

 

October 7: Our Lady of the Rosary recalls the events in 1571 of the Christian naval victory over the Turks at Lepanto near Corinth. Victory was credited to Mary as confraternities prayed the rosary for her intercession. 

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• October 1, 1546. Isabel Roser was released from her Jesuit vows by St Ignatius after eight months. 
• October 2, 1964. Fr. General Janssens suffered a stroke and died three days later. During his generalate, the Society grew from 53 to 85 provinces, and from 28,839 to 35,968 members. 
• October 3, 1901. In France, religious persecution broke out afresh with the passing of Waldeck Rousseau's "Loi d'Association." 
• October 4, 1820. In Rome, great troubles arose before and during the Twentieth General Congregation, caused by Fr. Petrucci's intrigues. He sought to wreck the Society and was deposed from his office as Vicar General, though supported by Cardinal della Genga (afterwards Leo XII). 
• October 5, 1981. In a letter to Father General Arrupe, Pope John Paul II appointed Paolo Dezza as his personal delegate to govern the Society of Jesus, with Fr. Pittau as coadjutor. 
• October 6, 1773. In London, Dr James Talbot, the Vicar Apostolic, promulgated the Brief of Suppression and sent copies to Maryland and Pennsylvania. 
• October 7, 1819. The death of Charles Emmanuel IV. He had been King of Sardinia and Piedmont. He abdicated in 1802 and entered the Jesuits as a brother in 1815. He is buried in San Andrea Quirinale in Rome.

El poder de la elección El 26º Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

                                                     El poder de la elección

El 26º ^Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario

1 de octubre de 2023

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Ezequiel 18:25-28; Salmo 25; Filipenses 2:1-11; Mateo 21:28-32

 

Estas lecturas nos ayudan a ver que Dios respeta la libertad humana y que el poder de elección determina si la vida se salva. En el pasaje de Ezequiel, el autor destaca que uno puede alejarse de la bancarrota moral y elegir lo que es bueno y correcto para su alma. La parábola que Jesús usa en el evangelio de Mateo es similar. El hijo que originalmente dijo “no” y entró en un período de autorreflexión y cambió de opinión fue aquel cuya vida se salvó porque hizo la voluntad del Padre. Esta parábola de ir a la viña a trabajar parece obvia, pero al aplicar el Evangelio a la situación actual, vemos que este discernimiento no es tan simple como parece.

 

Esta es una semana muy importante para la iglesia institucional por tres razones. Primero, 21 obispos serán elevados hoy al rango de Cardenales, y son las voces de una comunión mundial, y tres provienen de una zona donde los católicos son activamente perseguidos. Los nuevos cardenales representan partes del mundo que Roma, con su herencia europea, a menudo ha pasado por alto. En segundo lugar, el miércoles, día de la fiesta de San Francisco, se publicará una nueva versión de la encíclica de Laudato Si , que actualiza la respuesta de la Iglesia al cambio climático global. En tercer lugar, la cuarta fase del Sínodo sobre la sinodalidad, la colegialidad, comienza en Roma mientras la iglesia pasa por un período de autoexamen y discernimiento global mientras llama a todos a escuchar las alegrías y esperanzas, los dolores y las ansiedades, de la Pueblo de Dios disperso por toda la tierra para que podamos reunir nuestros recursos y resolver nuestros problemas comunitarios. Es un objetivo elevado y un desafío difícil.

 

Los evangelios resaltan las actitudes de los dos hijos que no querían entrar en la viña. En esta época actual, la iglesia está llamando a sus sacerdotes y obispos y al Pueblo de Dios a ir a la viña. Algunos dicen “sí” y no tienen intención de ir; algunos dicen “no” y cambian de opinión. De esos tres puntos, algunos clérigos y laicos están molestos porque la iglesia se preocupa por personas geográficamente remotas; algunos niegan el cambio climático; algunos descartan el Sínodo como irrelevante y como un debilitamiento de la voz católica, y temen que la doctrina cambie. ¿Quién es el que hace la voluntad del Padre, el que dice “no” o “sí”? Nuestras lecturas señalan que una reflexión y un autoexamen suficientes permiten a uno cambiar de opinión y llegar a hacer la voluntad de Dios.

 

La Iglesia pide que todas las personas participen en el Sínodo porque quiere escuchar vuestra voz, sea cual sea el cargo que ocupéis. No se trata de ideologías, sino de escuchar lo que sucede en tu rincón del mundo. Quiere escuchar a la gente no sólo de Estados Unidos sino también a las iglesias nuevas y jóvenes de Asia, a las establecidas desde hace mucho tiempo en Medio Oriente, a quienes soportaron la colonialización en América del Sur y África, y a Europa. Cada área tiene distintas oportunidades y desafíos, y lo que se está inaugurando es un énfasis en la comunión, la participación activa y el compromiso con la misión. Los medios intentarán abordar otra cosa: la ordenación de mujeres, cuestiones LGBTQIA, el aborto y el sacerdocio matrimonial. No se trata de eso en absoluto. Es la Iglesia de todos los rincones del mundo que se une para descubrir cómo trabajar juntos y apoyarse unos a otros. Es un tiempo de encuentro y un tiempo de escucha. Es un tiempo de discernimiento en oración sobre cómo ser iglesia. Se trata de un estilo de involucrarse y honrarse unos a otros. Se trata de escuchar: escuchar a los que están presentes y escuchar a los que, por cualquier motivo, no hablaron, y descubrir por qué uno no habló. Esta es la iglesia que se reúne para experimentar la comunión de mentes, corazones e imaginación unidos bajo Cristo, sellados por el Espíritu Santo, guiados por el Vicario de Cristo, todos buscando hacer la voluntad del Padre. Este es un momento histórico y el primero de muchos sínodos de este tipo. Esta es la Iglesia que acepta con amor su madurez moderna, reconociendo que es responsable de todos los pueblos del mundo y que tiene un papel crucial y vital para conducir a todos los pueblos al corazón del Padre. La Iglesia dice que escucha los gritos de alegría y de esperanza y escucha las ansiedades y los dolores, y quiere estar presente ante ellos. Quiere estar presente ante vosotros, laicos que despiertan y emergen, y os llama a decir “sí” a la voluntad del Padre .

 

¿Quién hace la voluntad del Padre? El que se toma el tiempo, examina el corazón y las ideologías y dice: “Sí, Señor, quiero hacer tu voluntad”.

 

 

Escritura para la Misa Diaria

 

Lunes: (Zacarías 8 ) Estoy intensamente celoso de Sión, despertado por celos de ira por ella. Así dice el SEÑOR: Volveré a Sión, y habitaré en Jerusalén.

 

Martes: (Zacarías 8 ) Aún vendrán pueblos, habitantes de muchas ciudades; y los habitantes de una ciudad se acercarán a los de otra, y dirán: ¡Venid!, vayamos a implorar el favor de Jehová; y "Yo también iré a buscar al Señor".

 

Miércoles: (Nehemías 2) El rey me preguntó: "¿Qué es, pues, lo que deseas?" Oré al Dios del cielo y luego respondí al rey: "Si al rey le place, y si tu siervo merece tu favor, envíame a Judá, a la ciudad de los sepulcros de mis antepasados, para reconstruirla".

 

Jueves: (Nehemías 8) Todo el pueblo se reunió como uno solo en el espacio abierto frente a la Puerta del Agua, y llamaron al escriba Esdras para que trajera el libro de la ley de Moisés que el Señor prescribió para Israel.

 

Viernes ( Baruc 1 ) Durante el cautiverio babilónico, los exiliados oraron: "La justicia es con el Señor, nuestro Dios; y hoy estamos sonrojados de vergüenza, nosotros, hombres de Judá y ciudadanos de Jerusalén, de que nosotros, con nuestros reyes y gobernantes y los sacerdotes y los profetas, y con nuestros antepasados, pecaron ante los ojos del Señor y le desobedecieron.

 

Sábado (Baruc 4 ) Recuerda, Israel, que fuiste vendido a las naciones, no para tu destrucción; Fue porque enojaste a Dios que fuiste entregado a tus enemigos. 
Porque provocaste a tu Hacedor con sacrificios a los demonios, a los no dioses.

 

Evangelio: 

Lunes: (Mateo 18 ) "¿Quién es el mayor en el Reino de los cielos?" Llamó a un niño, lo puso en medio de ellos y les dijo: "En verdad os digo que si no os volvéis y os hacéis como niños, no entraréis en el Reino de los Cielos.

 

Martes: (Lucas 9) Cuando se cumplieron los días para que Jesús fuera llevado arriba, resueltamente determinó viajar a Jerusalén, y envió mensajeros delante de él. 
En el camino entraron en una aldea samaritana para preparar su recepción allí, pero no quisieron darle la bienvenida .

 

Miércoles (Lucas 9 ) "Te seguiré dondequiera que vayas". Jesús le respondió: 
"Las zorras tienen guaridas y las aves del cielo nidos, pero el Hijo del Hombre no tiene dónde reposar su cabeza". Y a otro le dijo: "Sígueme". Pero él respondió: "Señor, déjame ir primero a enterrar a mi padre". Pero él le respondió: "Deja que los muertos entierren a sus muertos.

 

Jueves (Lucas 10 ) "La mies es abundante pero los obreros son pocos; rogad, pues, al dueño de la mies que envíe obreros para su mies. Id, he aquí, os envío como corderos en medio de lobos. No llevéis dinero. bolsa, ni alforja, ni sandalias, y a nadie saludéis en el camino.

 

Viernes (Lucas 10) "¡Ay de ti, Corazín ! ¡Ay de ti, Betsaida! Porque si en Tiro y en Sidón se hubieran hecho los milagros que se hicieron entre ti , hace mucho que se habrían arrepentido, sentados en cilicio y ceniza.

 

Sábado (Lucas 10 ) Los setenta y dos discípulos regresaron gozosos y dijeron a Jesús: 
"Señor, hasta los demonios se nos sujetan a causa de tu nombre".

 

Santos de la semana

 

1 de octubre: Estos de Lisieux, médico (1873-1897), ingresan en las Carmelitas a los 15 años y mueren a los 24 años de tuberculosis. Durante su enfermedad, Paulina, su priora, le pidió que escribiera sobre su vida en el convento. Estas historias están capturadas en "La historia de un alma". Se centró en su "pequeño camino" de buscar la santidad en la vida cotidiana.

 

2 de octubre: Los ángeles de la guarda son mensajeros e intermediarios entre Dios y los humanos. Nos ayudan en nuestra lucha contra el mal y sirven de guardianes de la fiesta que celebramos hoy. Rafael es uno de los guardianes sobre los que se escribe en el Libro de Tobit. En 1670 se añadió un monumento al calendario romano en acción de gracias por su ayuda.

 

3 de octubre: Francisco Borgia, SJ se convirtió en duque a los 33 años. Cuando murió su esposa y sus ocho hijos crecieron, se unió a los jesuitas. Su predicación atrajo a mucha gente a la iglesia y cuando sirvió como Superior General, la Sociedad aumentó dramáticamente en España y Portugal. Estableció muchas misiones en los nuevos territorios.

 

4 de octubre: Francisco de Asís (1181-1226) era de la rica familia Bernardone que vendía telas de seda. Después de servir como soldado y prisionero de guerra, Francisco eligió servir a Dios y a los pobres. Se sintió llamado a reparar la casa de Dios, que pensaba que era una iglesia. Su padre estaba enojado porque usó dinero familiar y lo desheredó. Comenzó a predicar el arrepentimiento y reclutó a otros para su estilo de vida. Su orden es conocida por la pobreza, la sencillez, el servicio humilde y el deleite en la creación.

 

6 de octubre: Bruno, sacerdote (1030-1101), se convierte en profesor en Reims y canciller diocesano. Renunció a sus riquezas y comenzó a vivir como ermitaño con otros seis hombres. Despreciaban la rampante corrupción clerical. El obispo de Grenoble les cedió un terreno en las montañas Chartreuse y fundaron la primera cartuja. Después de servir en Roma durante algunos años, Bruno recibió permiso para fundar un segundo monasterio en Calabria.

 

7 de octubre: Nuestra Señora del Rosario recuerda los acontecimientos de 1571 de la victoria naval cristiana sobre los turcos en Lepanto, cerca de Corinto. La victoria fue atribuida a María cuando las cofradías rezaron el rosario por su intercesión.

 

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 1 de octubre de 1546. Isabel Roser es liberada de sus votos jesuitas por San Ignacio después de ocho meses.
• 2 de octubre de 1964. El P. El general Janssens sufrió un derrame cerebral y murió tres días después. Durante su generalato, la Sociedad creció de 53 a 85 provincias y de 28.839 a 35.968 miembros.
• 3 de octubre de 1901. En Francia, la persecución religiosa estalló de nuevo con la muerte de " Loi " de Waldeck Rousseau. de Asociación ."
• de octubre de 1820. En Roma surgieron grandes disturbios antes y durante la Vigésima Congregación General, provocados por el P. Las intrigas de Petrucci. Trató de arruinar la Sociedad y fue depuesto de su cargo de Vicario General, aunque apoyado por el Cardenal della Genga (después León XII).
• 5 de octubre de 1981. En carta al Padre General Arrupe , el Papa Juan Pablo II nombró a Paolo Dezza como su delegado personal para gobernar la Compañía de Jesús, siendo el P. Pittau como coadjutor.
• 6 de octubre de 1773. En Londres, el Dr. James Talbot, Vicario Apostólico, promulgó el Breve de Supresión y envió copias a Maryland y Pensilvania.
• 7 de octubre de 1819. Muerte de Carlos Manuel IV. Había sido rey de Cerdeña y Piamonte. Abdicó en 1802 y entró en los jesuitas como hermano en 1815. Está enterrado en San Andrea Quirinale de Roma.

Photo: Atumnal Stonehenge

 

Spirituality: Listening

 Listening opens us up - it bonds us to something outside ourselves. When we listen, we are connecting with the world around us - with ideas, with people, and even with the ideas of people that are foreign to our way of thinking. To listen is the responsibility of every human being. 

Photo: Providence Performing Arts Center Theater

 

Poem: Johne Donne, "No Man Is an Island"

No man is an island,
Entire of itself;
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were:
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were.

Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

Prayer: Joseph Tetlow, S.J.

 When they come, you welcome them and call them to labor and rejoice with you. You are the most beautiful among all people, and I can hardly believe you want me for your friend. You are powerful, Lord. Draw me more and more into your friendship and lead me along the way you too with friends. 

Online: Sept. 27th – Pope Francis, The Synod, and the New Style of Church

 Sept. 27^th – Pope Francis, The Synod, and the New Style of Church

Time: 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time

 

In Rome, participants across the world are gathering to speak collegially about their unique regional needs. The church intends to listen, as it focuses upon its goals of communion, participation, and mission. Fr. Predmore will give a presentation that begins with the efforts of Pope Francis to be the representative of Catholics across the world. We will see how globalization has affected and influences a worldwide communion, and we will examine how Pope Francis addresses the contemporary issues within the church. We are a church in motion, and the new way of walking and journeying together represents a transformative shift in the Church’s style as it attempts to be relevant to humanity dispersed across the globe. 

 

Zoom Meeting: https://bchigh.zoom.us/j/85948192450?pwd=YWFLSFo1WU1HNlFrK2l5SXNXanNldz09

 

Meeting ID: 859 4819 2450

Passcode: 755679

Prayer: Nan Merrill, Psalm 144

Let each one be receptive to the
Spirit that inspires
Allowing the will to respond
with action;
And may all judgments and denials
Be released
That our souls are freed to
Serve the Light with joy!
Thus will we recognize oneness with
The Divine Spark dwelling
Within our hearts,
Fanning it to illuminate the way.

Photo: Autumn Gourds

 

Prayer: Benedict

Gracious and holy God, give us wisdom to perceive you, intelligence to understand you, diligence to seek you, patience to wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate on you, and a life to proclaim you.,  

Photo: A Labyrinth

 

Poem: "The Soul," Mary Oliver

 Is the soul solid, like iron?

Or is it tender and breakable,

like the wings of a moth in the beak of the owl?

Who has it, and who doesn’t?

I keep looking around me.

The face of the moose is as sad

as the face of Jesus.

The swan opens her white wings slowly.

In the fall, the black bear

carries leaves into the darkness.

One question leads to another.

Does it have a shape? Like an iceberg?

Like the eye of a hummingbird?

Does it have one lung, like the snake and the scallop?

Why should I have it, and not the anteater who loves her children?

Why should I have it, and not the camel?

Come to think of it, what about the maple trees?

What about the blue iris?

What about all the little stones, sitting alone in the moonlight?

What about roses, and lemons, and their shining leaves?

What about the grass? 

Seeking the Lord in Unity: The 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

                                                 Seeking the Lord in Unity:

The 25^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

September 24, 2023

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm 145; Philippians 1:20-27; Matthew 20:1-16

 

The Isaiah passage begins, “Seek the Lord while He may be found,” and then continues, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” These are helpful words to always remember, but especially this week as the Church gathers in Rome to inaugurate the Universal phase of the Synod. I’ll speak of the Gospel a little later because the reception of the Synod is quite important, and many in the U.S. are not warm to receiving it well.

 

In Rome, several bishops will be elevated to the rank of Cardinals and will be able to vote for the next Pope. Three of these new Cardinals are from troubled spots in the world where Christians are being persecuted: Palestine-Jerusalem, Sudan, and Mongolia. These are powerful statements to the nearby autocratic governments, and they also show that the Pope is going to the ends of the earth to represents Catholics who have not had a say at the table. These Cardinals will be able to speak of very real needs that are not present in the West – religious persecution, religions liberties, fundamental human rights, economic emergence from post-colonial empires, and the existential threat caused by climate change. 

 

The Church is also convening a set of meetings to share responsibility in church governance, and its goals are communion, participation, and mission. Some in the West might think the meeting is to advance discussions on married priests, women deacons, and the blessings of gay couples, but, while those topics may be brought up, they are far from the major points of conversation. These meetings are essentially the church’s period of self-reflection, and it may be better understood as collegiality. The church is doing its collective examination of conscience and consciousness. It is a way to enlarge the space of one’s tent as it examines itself as a worldwide communion. Who are we as Catholics? Who are we as Christians? The Church wants to hear directly from the people of God about their suffering, concerns, and needs. It is an authentic way of understanding the problems of the world and together charting a course forward to resolve present tensions. The worldwide church is complex and is quite different from the understanding of the U.S., which comprises only 6% of the church.

 

This is where the Gospel comes in. The landowner invites laborers to work the vineyards and will pay a just wage. Some laborers become resentful because those who came to the labor force later are given the same wage, and they express their anger. Let’s relate it to the Synod. Some bishops and priests in the U.S. are upset that others are invited to the table. In the past, only bishops and a few priests attended these meetings. Now, women have a seat at the table; people who represent LGBTQIA people are at the table; diverse nations across the world are sending representatives, and many in the U.S. church are dealing with this passive-aggressively. They are dismissing and diminishing the meetings as attempts to change doctrine, and they do not fully understand the intentions and goals of this new style of being church. Many want to hold onto the old ways and do not want to Church to be responsive to the real, genuine needs of the people of God. They are acting like the resentful laborers who are upset that those who arrived late can get the same wage as they earned.

 

Let’s return to Isaiah. Seek the Lord while he may be found. That is the task of these meetings – to seek how the Lord is guiding us and to follow the Spirit’s lead. This is an exciting time for the Church. Society is changing rapidly, and the Church reflects the larger society. The Church begins an ambitious, energetic period of making itself relevant to a world that seeks God in all things. This is a time of mysticism and mystery when the Church opens up to the mind, heart, and imagination of the Holy Spirit. No one knows what will happen, yet we need our souls to remain open. The beauty in this new style of church is our willingness to come together, to express our emotions and need, and to know that very fully, very honestly, the Church cares to hear what you have to say. 

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

 

Monday: (Isaiah 55) Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving.

 

Tuesday: (Ezra 1) The Lord inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation throughout his kingdom, both by word of mouth and in writing: "Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia: 'All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord, the God of heaven, has given to me, and he has also charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

 

Wednesday: (Ezra 6) Let the governor and the elders of the Jews continue the work on that house of God; they are to rebuild it on its former site. I also issue this decree concerning your dealing with these elders of the Jews in the rebuilding of that house of God.

 

Thursday: (Ezra 9) I said: "My God, I am too ashamed and confounded to raise my face to you, O my God, for our wicked deeds are heaped up above our heads and our guilt reaches up to heaven. 

 

Friday (Haggar 1) This people says: "The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord." (Then this word of the Lord came through Haggai, the prophet:)
Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?

 

Saturday (Daniel 7) Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; His throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (Matthew 20) The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

 

Tuesday: (Luke 8) No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.

 

Wednesday (Luke 8) The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you."

 

Thursday (Luke 9) Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.

 

Friday (Luke 9) Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, "John has been raised from the dead";
others were saying, "Elijah has appeared"; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."

 

Saturday (John 1) Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"

 

Saints of the Week

 

September 26: Cosmas and Damian, martyrs (d. 287), were twins who became doctors. They were noted because they never charged anyone a medical fee. They died in the Diocletian persecution. Great miracles have been attributed to them and the Emperor Justinian is claimed to be healed through their intercession. 

 

September 27: Vincent de Paul, priest (1581-1660), was a French peasant who selected to be chaplain at the Queen's household after his ordination. He provided food and clothing to the poor, including prostitutes, the sick, disabled, and homeless. He founded the Congregation of Missions (Vincentians) to preach and train clergy and he co-founded the Daughters of Charity with Louise de Marillac.

 

September 28: Wenceslaus, martyr (907-929), was raised a Christian by his grandmother while his mother and brother were opposed to Christianity. His brother opposed him when he became ruler of Bohemia in 922. He introduced strict reforms that caused great dissatisfaction among nobles and political adversaries. His brother invited him to a religious ceremony where he was killed in a surprise attack.

 

September 28: Lawrence Ruiz and 15 companion martyrs (seventeenth century), were killed in Nagasaki, Japan during 1633 and 1637. Most of these Christians were friends of the Dominicans. Lawrence, a Filipino, was a husband and father. He and these other missionaries served the Philippines, Formosa, and Japan.

 

September 29: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels are long a part of Christian and Jewish scripture. Michael is the angel who fights against evil as the head of all the angels; Gabriel announces the messiah's arrival and the births of Jesus and John the Baptist; and Raphael is a guardian angel who protects Tobias on his journey. Together, they are venerated to represent all the angels during a three-day period.

 

September 30: Jerome, priest and doctor (342-420), studied Greek and Latin as a young man after his baptism by Pope Liberius. He learned Hebrew when he became a monk and after ordination he studied scripture with Gregory Nazianzen in Constantinople. He became secretary to the Pope when he was asked to translate the Bible into Latin.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• September 24, 1566. The first Jesuits entered the continental United States at Florida. Pedro Martinez and others, while attempting to land, were driven back by the natives, and forced to make for the island of Tatacuran. He was killed there three weeks later. 
• September 25, 1617. The death of Francisco Suarez. He wrote 24 volumes on philosophy and theology. As a novice he was found to be very dull, but one of his directors suggested that he ask our Lady's help. He subsequently became a person of prodigious talent. 
• September 26, 1605. At Rome, Pope Paul V orally declared St Aloysius to be one of the "Blessed." The official brief appeared on October 19. 
• September 27, 1540. Pope Paul III signed the Bull, Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, which established the Society of Jesus. 
• September 28, 1572. Fifteen Jesuits arrived in Mexico to establish the Mexican Province. They soon opened a college. 
• September 29, 1558. In the Gesu, Rome, and elsewhere, the Jesuits began to keep Choir, in obedience to an order from Paul IV. This practice lasted less than a year, until the pope's death in August, 1559. 

September 30, 1911. President William Howard Taft visited Saint Louis University and declared the football season open.