As this country was forming, Africans were bought and sold as mere property, often beaten, raped, and literally worked to death. This form of slavery, known as chattel slavery, was different from and far more brutal than the slavery known in ancient times. Racial categories, which classified different ethnic communities as different races, some even as subhuman, were used to justify this new form of slavery. The injustices of chattel slavery were horrifying and lasted for generations. Families were separated, marriages were forbidden or dishonored, and children were maltreated and forced to work. After slavery ended, many former slaves faced continued servitude in the evolving economies that once relied upon their labor, and blacks encountered new forms of resentment and violence… Consistently, African Americans have been branded, by individuals, by society and even at times, by members of the church, with the message that they are inferior. Likewise, this message has been imprinted into the U.S. social subconscious. African Americans continue to struggle against perceptions that they do not fully bear the image of God, that they embody less intelligence, beauty and goodness.

(to be continued)

The Gospel for this First Sunday of Advent says: “At an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come… so, stay awake.” Although this is primarily meant when Jesus comes at the end of time, it is also some- thing to keep in mind for our daily lives… now. Jesus comes to us everyday and we are those people that make time for him to be a strong part of our lives: our thoughts, our words, our actions. When we concentrate on the “now” of our lives, we become transformed into Jesus so that he is not a stranger to us, but someone whom we have gotten to know over the course of time. It is important to “stay awake,” otherwise we take Jesus for granted and miss out on opportunities to grow in his likeness.

While Advent is a special time of the year, it isn’t an easy time of the year. There is a uniqueness about it with the daily readings, the lighting of the Advent wreath, and the peacefulness of the liturgies. But, for many people there is much to be done, especially within families. Shopping is always a challenge. For many others, Advent is not easy because they may have lost a loved one or may not have a large family. In the midst of all this is our availability of moments to allow God to touch us and to experience the presence of the Lord in all that we do. If possible, try to take a few moments each day to remember what this season means.

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

Thursday, November 28 & Friday, November 29:

Mass at 11:30 AM only

There will be no Confessions,
and the Church Offices will be closed both days.

The friars and staff at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi would like to wish all of our parishioners, visitors, friends and families a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

It is right to give thanks to God for all of the blessings we receive each and every day: for the gift of creation in all its wonder, the gifts of the fruits of the earth that sustain us, the gift of all of the animals, wild and domestic, that share this world with us, and for the gifts of our family and friends.

At St. Francis we are especially grateful for all of the wonderful people who make up our community here on 31st street.

And of course, it is always right and just that we give thanks to the Father for the gift of Christ Himself, the good shepherd who loves us all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 118:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.”

When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
he brought me into a spacious place.
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemies.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
They swarmed around me like bees,
but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my defense;
he has become my salvation.

Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!
The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

The Lord has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.

The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.

Lord, save us!
Lord, grant us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
From the house of the Lord we bless you.
The Lord is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will praise you;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

The St. Francis Knitters are accepting new handmade or purchased hats. They are also accepting donations of yarn (dark colors are preferred). All donations can be dropped off at the reception desk in the lobby of the Parish House. Would you like to join them?

New members are always welcome.

Just send an email to Nancy Zavoluk at nanzavoluk@aol.com

Below is a table comparing October 2018 collections to our current October 2019 collections.

As you can see our collections have gone down and we are not making our budget.

We need everyone to do their part to keep St. Francis on firm financial ground.  The best way to use this is to make your offering using our online giving system.

You can sign up for online giving HERE.

We ask all of our members and visitors to offer the equivalent of ONE HOUR of their weekly salary per week to support the mission of the church.  This comes to a tithe of 2.5%

Collections for October 2018 and 2019

October 2018 (There were 4 Sundays in 2018)

Offertory Collections in Church:  36, 817

Online Sunday Collections:  15,600

Total Sunday Collections for October 2018: 52,417

Total Weekday Collections for October 2018: 20,646

Total Sunday and Weekdays for 2018: 73,063

Budgeted for October 2018: 90,000

($16,937 under budget)

The Church’s Fiscal Year: September 1 to August 31.

October 2019 (4 Sundays)

Offertory Collections in Church: 36,100

Online Sunday Collections: 12,350

Total Sunday Collections for October 2019: 48,450

Total Weekday Collections for October 2019: 27,538

Total Sunday and Weekdays for October 2019: 75,988

Budgeted for October 2019: 90,000

Open Wide Our Hearts, A Pastoral Letter on Racism from the United States Catholic Bishops
As Christians we are called to listen and know the stories of our brothers and sisters. We must create opportunities to hear, with open hearts, the tragic stories that are deeply imprinted
on the lives of our brothers and sisters, if we are to be moved with empathy to promote justice.

Many groups, such as the Irish, Italians, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Poles, Jews, Chinese,
and Japanese, can attest to having been the target of racial and ethnic prejudice in this country. It is also true that many groups are still experiencing prejudice, including rising anti-Semitism, the discrimination many Hispanics face today, and anti-Muslim sentiment. Especially instructive at this moment, however, are the historical and contemporary experiences of Native and African Americans.

(to be continued)

A Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving!

On this Solemnity of Christ the King we hear the Gospel of St. Luke which tells of Jesus and the criminals on the cross. The rulers mock Jesus and one of the criminals does the same, saying “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.” The other criminal says, “…this man has done nothing criminal.” Jesus responds: “…today you will be with me in paradise.” Even in these last moments of Jesus’ life, he shows compassion to this criminal. We celebrate this Solemnity of Christ the King to affirm that among the leaders in this world, Christ continues to be the most important one through the way that he shows his power and authority through service to humanity. This is something to celebrate.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, remember to pause and give thanks for God’s presence in your life and for the blessings that we have all received. If you are traveling, have a safe journey. Daily life has its challenges, but it also has its blessings!

Advent begins next weekend. A booklet of Advent reflections will be given out at Mass, and there are many other books and Advent wreaths available in the Lobby of the Parish House.

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

Although our nation has moved forward in a number of ways against racial discrimination, we have lost ground in others. Despite significant progress in civil law with regard to racism, social realities indicate a need for further catechesis to facilitate conversion of hearts. Too many good and faithful Catholics remain unaware of the connection between institutional racism and the continued erosion of the sanctity of life.

We are not finished with the work. The evil of racism festers in part because, as a nation, there has been very limited formal acknowledgement of the harm done to so many, no moment of atonement, no national process of reconciliation and, all too often a neglect of our history. Many of our institutions still harbor, and too many of our laws still sanction, practices that deny justice and equal access to certain groups of people. God demands more from us. We cannot, therefore, look upon the progress against racism in recent decades and conclude that our current situation meets the standard of justice. In fact, God demands what is right and just. (to be continued)

As we approach the end of the church’s year, we hear Scripture readings about the end of time and how it will happen. The Gospel is particularly frightening: “Nation will rise against nation… There will be powerful earthquakes, famines and plagues… ”

As we look around at our world situation, we see many of these very things happening now. How should we react? The last sentence in the Gospel is helpful: “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”Yes, perseverance is what is called for during these times. We are called to deepen our faith, become a steadfast disciple, and resist reacting to day to day events with fear. St. Paul tells us to stay busy and avoid “minding the business of others.”

Our St. Francis Pilgrimage to France concluded Saturday as we boarded our plane at the Charles de Gaulle Airport. The day before, on our last day in Paris, we had a full day to visit the sights: the art galleries, the churches and even Notre-Dame Cathedral from the outside. Our final Mass was at Medaille Miraculeuse, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. Earlier in the week we celebrated Mass at the American Cemetery at the Normandy Beaches, at the Basilica of St. Therese in Lisieux, and at the Basilica of Sacré Coeur in Paris. All beautiful and inspiring churches. We thank God for the blessings we received on this pilgrimage. It is good to be home.

–Fr. Andrew Reitz, O.F.M.

For a nation to be just, it must be a society that recognizes and respects the legitimate rights of individuals and peoples. These rights precede any society because they flow from the dignity granted each person created by God. We are reminded of this fundamental truth in the earliest passages of the book of Genesis: “God created mankind in his image; In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Pope Benedict XVI noted: “As a spiritual being, the human creature is defined through interpersonal relations. The more authentically he or she lives these relations, the more his or her own personal identity matures. It is not by isolation that (a person) establishes his/her worth, but by placing her/himself in relations with others and with God.” We are meant to love God with our whole being, which then overflows into love for our neighbor, “Whoever loves God must love his/her brother/sister.”

(to be continued)