The Pastor’s Corner – Sunday, January 15, 2023
Dear Community and Friends of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi,
May the Lord give you peace.
We celebrated the feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the day after Epiphany. This brings to a close our celebrations of Christmas 2022. Thank you for all your support during the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas. Our gatherings were beautiful. Many people braved the cold to be with us for Christmas in person and many more participated from home. All our ministers and ministries were experiences of grace. Thank you all. We also had visitors from around the globe. It is good to be a place where so many feel welcome. Your hospitality is a great gift.
As I write this letter, we have just received a statue of St. Benedict the Moor. St. Benedict was born (1525) to enslaved African parents who had been brought to San Fratello, a small town near Messina, Sicily. He, himself, was freed at birth. Benedict, a shepherd, did not attend school. He was kind to the poor. After encountering Franciscan Friars, living as hermits according to St. Francis’ rule for hermitages, he gave away his possessions and joined the friars. He became the leader of the small band of Franciscan hermits which was later incorporated into a larger fraternity living the Rule of St. Francis. He was recognized for the depth of his spiritual understanding and was asked to work with the novices. Ultimately, he became the Guardian of the friar community. He was not a priest, nor had he had the opportunity for studies. He was known for his intuitive understanding of the scripture and human nature. Benedict had a reputation for healing and for his care for the poor. It is also to be noted that he enjoyed cooking. He served as a cook for the community of hermits and later for the larger friar community. St. Benedict died in 1259. We are blessed to have him as our brother. (No doubt, Fr. David would have asked him to film something for Friar Chef!)
This incredible work is a gift from a donor. Indeed, it recognizes our own Secular Franciscan Fraternity of St. Benedict the Moor.
Blessings and thanks,
Thomas M. Gallagher, ofm
A Deeper Look at Catherine of Siena: Her Dialogue, Prayers, Spirituality, and Life
A Deeper Look at Catherine of Siena: Her Dialogue, Prayers, Spirituality, and Life
This course continues on past coursework where the life and works of Catherine of Siena were introduced. Here, we take a deeper look at understanding her theology and spirituality through careful reading and analysis of common concepts and threads that intersect the various areas of her thought and life. The dynamic vibrancy of the seraphic virgin comes through to set us on fire with the Spirit of God in our own day, as once her inner fire lit up the world of her own age with her holiness.
Saturday March 11, 2023
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
On Zoom
Fee: $ 30.00
Elizabeth of the Trinity: Her Life, Letters, and Spirituality
due to low registrations, this course has been cancelled.
Elizabeth of the Trinity: Her Life, Letters, and Spirituality
This course explores the life and spirituality of this Carmelite mystic through various sources of her writings. This incredible woman with a love for music and a lively secular life entered a Dijon Carmel and explored the depths and heights of the inner life. She also gave very practical spiritual advice, particularly through her retreats. She found her fulfillment in being a praise of glory and living the indwelling of the trinity. She also promised to assist souls in the inner life from heaven.
Instructor: Mary J. Gennuso, PhD
Saturday March 11, 2023
1:00 pm-4:00 pm
On Zoom
Fee: $ 30.00
Great Music Inspired by the Old Testament
Great Music Inspired by the Old Testament
Stories in the Old Testament that have inspired great composers through the ages. Using the oratorios of Handel as a basis for the course, we will also feature the music of Rossini, Saint-Saens, Verdi and others.
Instructor: Charles Powell
Tuesday February 28th until April 4th
12 noon until 1.30 PM
2nd Floor Conference Room, Francis House
Fee: $60.00
Reconsiderations: Three Novels of the Bronte Sisters
Reconsiderations: Three Novels of the Bronte Sisters
Sometimes called “the first family of literature,” the Bronte sisters nurtured one another’s creativity from early childhood. Using male pen names of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, the sisters published a book of poems in 1846. Maintaining their pseudonyms, each published her first novel in 1847. We will read the works in order of publication: Jane Eyre, a coming-of-age story; Wuthering Heights, a gothic and psychological masterpiece; and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, the story of a woman living as a single mother of a young son in order to escape an abusive marriage. Besides considering the characters’ struggles for personal identity and meaningful relationships in a rigid caste and class system, we will consider how the critical reception of these works has changed since their publication
Instructor: Sr. Fran McManus, RSM
Feb. 23 – Apr. 13 No class Ap. 6th (Holy Thursday)
(Please Note: the starting date for this course is incorrectly listed as “Feb. 2” in the printed brochure)
Thursday 12:30-1:30
On Zoom
Fee: $60.00
Affirming the Light: The Poetry of Joy Harjo
Affirming the Light: The Poetry of Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo’s poetry is descriptive and rhythmic, drawing on her connection to the land, her Muscogee heritage, her deep listening to the voices of history, promises broken and fulfilled and the hope of forming a collective and unifying story. We will spend the first hour and a half of each class discussing Harjo’s poems. The last half hour will be spent writing a poem in light of the themes and techniques of Harjo’s poems. The last half hour is optional; all students are welcome to participate.
Required Texts: Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years. Published in hardcover in November, 2022, the collection shows the range and development of Harjo’s work and contains extensive notes on the poems. The text is available in electronic form and hard copy and can be purchased as a new or used item through Amazon.
Instructor: Sr. Fran McManus, RSM
Feb. 27 – Apr. 17 (no class April 10th)
Mondays 6-8PM
On Zoom
Fee: $60.00
The Pastor’s Corner – Sunday, January 8, 2023
Dear Community and Friends of the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, May the Lord give you peace.
Christmas continues as we tell again the story of the Magi. Matthew’s Gospel invites us to consider the wonders of the search for wisdom and enlightenment. The Magi, gentiles, traveled from distant lands following the illumination of a star in the sky. They are considered wise and seek the one who is wisdom. Our journey is much the same; we are ever seeking enlightenment from the one who is the Light of the World. Gifted with wisdom from the Spirit, we seek the font of Wisdom, the Christ.
We pray to engage the wisdom of God in our quest for a just and lasting peace. God’s wisdom leads us to offer hospitality to the stranger. The Magi must have been amazed to find the one they sought, not in a palace or a place of royalty. They found him in a humble dwelling under the care of his loving parents. They recognized him for who he was. This was their gift and their ability to see beyond the ordinary.
Like the Magi, we are called to the light. Our experiences, our prayer, and the scripture lead us to constantly reconsider our response to world events and our day-to-day encounters. The love of God, revealed in wisdom, invites us to new ways of hospitality. We prize the dignity of all. Seeing beyond the ordinary recognizes the presence of God in unusual places and circumstances. We may become uncomfortable as the Lord opens our eyes and restores our vision. The vision is seeing through the eyes of love and peering into the eyes of love.
Their visit and embrace of the gift of God was a threat to the child, his parents, and themselves. The quest for power is not always a search for wisdom. Herod desired to secure this throne and feared the “newborn king of the Jews.” The magi depart and return to their homes avoiding Herod. Joseph leads Mary and the child into Egypt, where they live as migrants/refugees until it is safe to return to their home.
Many migrants who have come to New York came because it is no longer safe for them to stay in their home country. Many long to return to the customs, language, and people they left behind. The Herods of today continue to send the poor into exile.
This is an invitation to grow in wisdom and discern ways of hospitality that will meet the needs of our latest arrivals. I thank you for your support of our Migrant Center. We are all grateful for the work of the many volunteers who assist the families that come for help. I marvel at the warm clothes that show up at our door. Fr. Julian is coordinating the effort for us. Thank you.
Blessings as we follow the light and grow in wisdom,
Thomas M. Gallagher, ofm
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