BLOG

Goal for St. Francis Church: $113,500

Amount pledged to date: $38,971 (last report: $29,221)

Number of Gifts: 58 (last report: 51)

Number of Potential Givers: 1,665

Since the last report, 7 people have contributed gifts totalling nearly $10,000 to make a significant movement toward our goal. If you were not able to give to Renew and Rebuild, this is an opportunity to help support the various services which come from the Archdiocese to help parishes run smoothly, as well as Catholic education, priestly formation and emergency aid for poor parishes for capital improvements such as roof and boiler repairs.

You can make your gift online today here.

Please designate your gift for “St. Francis of Assisi, New York” where it says “parish.”

Thank you.

We have been hearing sections of the Book of Revelation for several Sundays and today we hear this beautiful passage: “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes…” Reading this over and over, allowing it to sink into our minds and hearts has a very calming and reassuring effect on us. This is where and what God chooses to be, and this is the relationship that God chooses to have with us. The reading also says, “Behold, I make all things new.”

Our celebration of this Easter season and what we are offered is what we need during these unsettling times. When we are more attentive to this, we are different and if the world were more attentive, many things would be different.

I hope to see you at the Korean Bazaar this Sunday afternoon. It is held on Broadway between 31st and 32nd Street just a short walk from the church. You will find many wonderful Korean food specialties, drinks, tents filled with items to buy, and a raffle.

The Korean drum group will lead a short parade to Broadway and perform for everyone. It is only one day, so don’t miss it. The Bazaar takes much planning and many people to set it up and take it down and work throughout the day. See you there!

-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.

We wish all mothers a very happy Mother’s Day!

From Sunday, May 12, through Monday, May 20, we will remember at daily Mass all mothers, living and deceased, in our Mother’s Day Novena.

We take this special occasion to say “thank you” and pray that God will always cherish those who gave us life.

Chapter 4: Signs of Holiness in Today’s World

Humility can only take root in the heart through humiliations. Without them, there is no humility or holiness. If you are unable to suffer and offer up a few humiliations, you are not humble and you are not on the path to holiness. The holiness that God bestows on his church comes through the humiliation of his Son. He is the way.

Humiliation makes you resemble Jesus; it is an unavoidable aspect of the imitation of Christ. For “Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” In turn, he reveals the humility of the Father, who condescends to journey with his people, enduring their infidelities and com- plaints. For this reason, the apostles, after suffering humiliation, rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for [Jesus’] name.”

Here, I am… speaking…about the daily humiliations of those who keep silent to save their families, who prefer to praise others rather than boast about themselves or who choose the less welcome tasks, at times even choosing to bear injustice… ” If when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval.”

“We should glory in the Cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection,
through whom we are saved and delivered.”

HOLY THURSDAY

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

A Very Happy Mother’s Day! The Friars and Staff send prayers and blessings to all Mothers and the Motherly on this annual celebration. Our lives are enriched by your care and dedication.

Today’s short Gospel focuses on Jesus, the good shepherd. He says, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” This sentence tells us many things: Jesus knows us and we are meant to be his followers. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our thoughts, our words, our desires, our hidden thoughts, the various aspects of our personalities; what we do and what we don’t do. Yes, he knows us and yet, he calls us to follow him. Some days we are good at following Jesus, but on other days we prefer to do it “our way” and it may not end of all that good and yet Jesus continues to call us to follow him. This is amazing and it is also humbling that someone thinks so much of us to stick with us in good times and bad.

Because of the money that we have received from Renew and Rebuild, we have been able to do these projects; some were in the Renew and Rebuild Plan and others were emergencies:

• Preliminary work on the organ
• New telephone system
• Technology upgrade
• Roof repair and duct replacement near the elevator (not the church roof)
• Heating valve replacement
• Repair of broken pipes in the walls of the upper and lower sacristies and replacement of walls

I am grateful for the generosity of those who gave to Renew and Rebuild that covered the expense of these projects. We are currently looking at replacing some of the sidewalks on 31st Street because they are causing leaks in the basement.

We can still use your help for these and other capital projects.  If you would like to make a special donation  toward these and other maintenance projects please email me at areitz@stfrancisnyc.org or call me at 212-736-8500 x232.  Thank you.

-Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.

Chapter 4: Signs of Holiness in Today’s World

Christians too can be caught up in networks of verbal violence through the internet and the various forms of digital communication… limits can be over-stepped, defamation and slander can become commonplace and all ethical standards and respect for the common name of others can be abandoned.

Inner strength, as the work of grace, prevents us from becoming carried away by the violence that is so much a part of life today, because grace defuses vanity and makes possible meekness of heart. The saints do not waste energy complaining about the failings of others; they can hold their tongue before the faults of their brothers and sisters, and avoid the verbal violence that demeans and mistreats others. Saints hesitate to treat others harshly; they consider others better than themselves.

It is not good when we look down on others like heartless judges, lording it over them and always trying to teach them lessons. That is itself a subtle form of violence.