Thanksgiving Blessing

Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Francis of Assisi Church,

May the Lord give you peace.
The friars and all of the ministry at St. Francis wish you a blessed Thanksgiving. May you know the peace that is God’s gift at this time.
Many years ago, when I was in Little Falls, NJ, we began a blessing of bread, wine, and candles for Thanksgiving.  People would bring them to the church for the Thanksgiving Day mass. We continued this blessing while I was in Hartford, CT. Realizing that we may not all be able to get to church tomorrow, I am sending this blessing for you to use in your home. It was composed by one of my good friends. You may pray this with those with whom you gather and perhaps share it with those who may not be able to join at your table this year.
Blessings on this Thanksgiving and always,
-Fr. Tom Gallagher, ofm

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BLESSING FOR THANKSGIVING DAY

Leader: Gracious God, in the beginning your Word summoned the light and by a pillar of fire you led your people through the dark night from slavery to freedom. Then, when the times had at last grown full and our eyes accustomed to our chosen darkness you sent your Son as Light of the World.

We pray you, bless these candles. May the radiance of their light reflect for us the brilliance of your light. May we see each other in their light as you see us, in love, in kindness, in goodness. We ask this in the power of your Spirit and the name of Jesus our Lord.

ALL:  AMEN

Leader: Gracious God, when your people’s journey became overwhelming and they had lost their way, you led them to new life and fed them with manna. Then, when they had grown accustomed to their hunger and their deafness, you spoke your Word, Jesus, into their hearts and fed them with the Bread of Life. We pray you, bless this bread. May the bread that is broken at our tables this Thanksgiving Day feed our hunger for communion, for peace, for wonder at your constant presence among us. We ask this in the power of your Spirit and the name of Jesus our Lord.

ALL:  AMEN

Leader: Gracious God, in the beginning your Word separated the waters and called forth from the earth the grapes that provide the wine to cheer our hearts. Then, when our covenant with you had been forgotten, you sent your Beloved to offer a new covenant in the cup, his life, that was poured out for us. We pray you bless this wine. May the wine we share at our tables bring us closer together in your love and with one another. May it be for us the wine of compassion, of healing, of reconciliation. We ask this in the power of your Spirit and the name of Jesus our Lord.

ALL:  AMEN

Thanksgiving Holiday Schedule

The friars and staff would like to wish all of our parishioners and visitors a very happy and safe Thanksgiving this year.

Our Holiday schedule is as follows:

Thanksgiving day:

Mass at 12:00 PM

There are no confessions Thanksgiving Day

Friday after Thanksgiving:

Mass at 12:00 PM

There are no confessions on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day.

World AIDS Day Commemoration

Join us for prayer on World Aids Day,

Tuesday, December 1, 5:30PM.
(in person and on livestream)

On this day, we remember all who have died from HIV and AIDS and those who continue to be affected. We also take this day to raise awareness and recommit to a faithful and dedicated response.

Come and worship with us.

All are welcome!

Advent Wreath-making workshop

Join Father Michael Reyes as he walks us through the steps to make your very own advent wreath.
On Saturday, November 28th at 2:30pm

We will be posting a list of supplies very soon, so you can be well-prepared. In addition, the live video will stay up on our website and Facebook. If you aren’t available that day, stop back another time to join in the fun.

HISTORY OF ADVENT WREATHS
The word “Advent” is from the Latin word “adventus”, meaning arrival or coming. The Advent season is a four-week journey to the Christmas event and is a time of quiet growth, eager preparation and joyful anticipation. The Advent wreath itself is an enduring celebration of hope. In olden days, when snowy roads became impassable, farmers would bring their wooden wheels inside and hang them up to keep them from warping. Some people even decorated them with greens or lights as a prayer of hope that the dark winter would soon become a brilliant spring.

MEANING IN ADVENT WREATHS
Our modern Advent wreath is still a symbol of hope, rich with Christian meaning:

  • CIRCLE – We use a circle wreath that has no beginning and no end to remind us of God’s unending presence – God was, is and always will be. As a symbol of eternity, we are also reminded that there is no end to God’s love for us and no darkness that God’s light cannot penetrate.
  • EVERGREENS – the wreath circle is covered with branches from an evergreen tree that remind us that all life comes from God and that even in the cold grips of winter, life survives in unexpected places.
  • CANDLES – adorn the wreath and represent the light of Christ, who said “I am the Light of the World” and came to bring God’s light to all of us.
  • COLORS – The traditional colors for Advent candles are purple or blue, which represent both penitence and the kingship of Christ. A pink/rose candle for the third week of Advent to represent joy (Gaudete Sunday). The optional large white candle in the middle is the Christ Candle and represents purity.

Below are three different options for wreaths for you to choose from.  Fr. Michael Reyes will demonstrate all three:

Advent: Hope and Healing – Small Scripture Sharing Groups

Advent: Hope and Healing… Small Scripture Sharing Groups

Advent begins a new liturgical year full of possibilities to deepen our spiritual outlook and intimacy with God. The season encourages us to awaken new hope in God’s plan and promises. Advent can be a season of healing through profound appreciation that the Christ Child longs to be born once again in us. The Savior arrives to free, heal, and deliver us. His coming is personal.

We invite you to journey with the Friars throughout this Advent season by delving deeper into the prophetic texts from the Sunday’s in Advent. This year, we have several schedule options via zoom, to aid in making prayerful introspection a priority in your life this Advent and beyond.

Schedule options for 2020 Advent Small Groups:

  • Tuesday Evenings, beginning Dec. 1st         |   7:00-8:00 p.m.
              (to meet the demand there will be two, Tuesday evening groups)
  • Wednesday Midday, beginning Dec. 2nd    |   12:30–1:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday Evenings, beginning Dec. 2nd |   7:00-8:00 p.m.
              (This group is now full.  Please chose another option)
  • Saturday Mornings, beginning Nov. 28th    |   9:30-10:30 a.m.
              (Due to lack of demand for this time, this option has been moved to a second Tuesday evening group)

All Sessions are conducted via zoom. Once your registration is confirmed, you will receive an email with a personalized link to the zoom session.

We ask that links not be shared.

To register for a group, please fill out the form below.  Registration cut-off date:  November 30th.

    Ugnayan Filipino Ministry Advent Afternoon of Prayer

    The UGNAYAN Filipino Ministry is hosting An Advent Afternoon of Prayer with Fr. Michael Reyes, OFM.

    With the advent season coming up,  this event gives us an opportunity to see his presentation, pray with the community, meditate quietly and to join the rest of the parish community to celebrate mass at 5:00 pm.

    The event is FREE but you must register to attend as we have a limited number of seats.

    To register go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-advent-afternoon-of-prayer-tickets-126468200793?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing

    The Pastor’s Corner – Sunday November 22, 2020

    Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Francis of Assisi Church,

    May the Lord give you peace.

    This weekend we celebrate the feast of Christ the King. This great feast invites us to consider the king, who reigns from the cross. In the judgment scene in Matthew’s Gospel, the criterion is simply compassion. We are presented with a king upon the glorious throne who gathers the nations and the people. Though unaware of their encounters with Christ, they are blessed. They fed, clothed, gave drink, and visited the ill or imprisoned. There is no question of their keeping the law, their religious observance, or their religious tradition. They are judged on the evidence of a life of compassion. They are not asked how they voted, prayed, or were respected by others. They lived the love of the one who sat upon the throne. This is a text that frees us to do the good, to make adult decisions, and to live in a broken world with a mission. Happy Feast to all! You are those who are blessed and sharers on God’s reign. You are the people blessed with compassion. Blessed, are you!

    Happy Thanksgiving to all! 

    Amid the pandemic, with rising numbers of cases being reported, we are invited to give thanks. We give thanks for God’s constant presence among us, in sickness and in health.

    We give thanks for the vast number of medical professionals who continue to care for the sick, nurture the worried, and embody Jesus’ compassion.
    We give thanks for the first responders and the many who work to ensure that health care facilities provide food, clean spaces, and often unseen yet essential tasks.
    We give thanks for workers who go to their jobs, day after day.
    We give thanks for parents and children, for teachers, their aids, and school workers.
    We give thanks for all who check up on those who live alone and the elderly.
    We are blessed in caregivers who selflessly tend our aged, lonely, and homebound sisters and brothers.
    We give thanks for all who stay at home.
    For whom do you give thanks?…….

    In all of you and so many more, the love of God is realized for all of us.

    We are also aware that we are on a mission this Thanksgiving. Our mission is to slow the number of infections from this pandemic. This makes our Thanksgiving celebration different from what we might usually have done. Like anyone on a mission, we are separated from some with whom we would typically gather. We can communicate in many ways but being physically present is not an option. When I was in Bolivia on 9/11/01, I was not able to return to the states. I wanted to pray with my brother friars at the death of our brother Mychal Judge. I also wanted to connect with family and friends, some of whom had lost loved ones. My mission was to be with the novices in Cochabamba. Let our mission this Thanksgiving slow the virus enabling future gatherings. Let us choose to gather via the internet, telephone, e-mail, and texts.

    Next weekend, we will begin our season of Advent. This is our time to reflect on what it is to wait in hope. It is a time for our community to gather virtually and to pray with one another. Please join us for one of the many scripture sessions, for our retreat, for our Carols with the Choir. All of these will be available on-line so that we may be together and also be safe.  While we may not come together as in years past, we are called to join with one another to watch and pray. All of the details are available on our homepage.

    Finally, I hope to get another camera for the church and create a link to stream 24/7 from the Lower Church. This would make a portal for anyone who wanted to pray in the church space at any time. Just click on the link, and through the internet, you are in the church. If you can help with this project, please let me know at tgallagher@stfrancisnyc.org.  We will soon resume Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during the day. The camera will allow you to reflect on God’s goodness from your home, yet in St. Francis of Assisi Church.

     

    Blessings and peace,

    Fr. Tom, ofm

    Suicide Awareness Liturgy

    The Church of St. Francis of Assisi will be holding a special liturgy for people affected by suicide. This will take place on Saturday, November 21, 2020, at 6pm.

    This liturgy is for anyone that may have been affected by suicide – those of all faiths or none, you are welcome.

    People of all races, ethnicities, social classes and gender take their lives. At times there are warning signs while other times there are not. But no matter what, nothing can prepare us for the loss of a beloved family member or friend from suicide. It leaves us with so many questions as well as feelings of guilt and loss. While we will never fully know why a person ends his or her life, we can turn to prayer for comfort. Through prayer we can voice our pain, loss, anger and confusion. In prayer, we must also remember to lift up those who battle depression, isolation and hopelessness. Everyone is fighting a battle of their own, some are visible and others are not, let us come together and pray with one another.

    If you would like to have someone remembered who has been affected by suicide we will speak their names during our prayer of the faithful at this Mass.  Please feel free to fill out the form below with their first name.

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    All are welcome.

    © St. Francis of Assisi 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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