Chapter 4: Signs of Holiness in Today’s World

Holiness is also… boldness (parrhesia in Greek), an impulse to evangelize and to leave a mark in this world. To allow us to do this, Jesus himself comes and tells us once more, serenely yet firmly, “Do not be afraid.”“I am with you always, to the end of the world.” These words enable us to go forth and serve with the same courage that the Holy Spirit stirred up in the apostles, impelling them to proclaim Jesus Christ.

Boldness, enthusiasm, the freedom to speak out, apostolic fervor, all these are included in the word boldness (parrhesia).” The Bible uses this word (parrhesia) to describe the freedom of a life open to God and to others.

Saint Paul VI… spoke of a lack of fervor… Yet the Lord calls us to put out into the deep and let down our nets. He bids us spend our lives in his service. Clinging to him, we are inspired to put all our charisms at the service of others. May we always feel compelled by his love…

We have just celebrated the Ascension of Jesus this past week, and we heard him say that he would not leave his followers orphaned. Jesus was aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his original band of followers, and knew that they would need a strong dedication if his “good news†were to go out to all the nations. He prays in today’s Gospel that “all may be one.†They were not orphaned, but had an abiding connection with Him and the Father, and as the Father and Jesus were one, his followers were invited to be part of that Oneness. This would be the source of their strength and dedication wherever they went and in whatever circumstances they found themselves. We know, indeed, that the message reached the corners of the earth. This isn’t just a message about the past, but we have been invited to be part of that union between Jesus and the Father. Us, you and me!

Congratulations to Br. Abraham Joseph, O.F.M., who was recently ordained to the diaconate in Chicago. Abraham is one of our parishioners who joined the Franciscans several years ago, made his solemn vows last summer, and is moving along toward priestly ordination. Best wishes and prayers, Abraham!

Many have asked if the Pilgrimage to France this November and the Pilgrimage to the Passion Play and Alpine Europe in May 2020 still have openings. The Pilgrimage to France has ten openings and the Passion Play Pilgrimage has five. Brochures and registration forms for each Pilgrimage are available at the Reception Desk, so don’t wait to sign up.

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

Chapter 4: Signs of Holiness in Today’s World

Look at Jesus. His deep compassion reached out to others. It did not make him hesitant, timid, or self-conscious as often happens with us. Quite the opposite. His compassion made him go out actively to
preach and to send others on a mission of healing and liberation. Let us acknowledge our weakness but allow Jesus to lay hold of it and send us too on mission. We are weak, yet we hold a treasure that can enlarge us and make those who receive it better and happier. Boldness and apostolic courage are an essential part of mission.

God is eternal newness. He impels us constantly to set out anew, to pass beyond what is familiar, to the fringes and beyond. He takes us to where humanity is wounded, where men and women… continue to seek an answer to the question of life’s meaning. God is not afraid. He is fearless. He is always greater than our plans and schemes.

So if we dare go to the fringes, we will find him there; indeed, he is already there. Jesus is already there in the hearts of our brothers and sisters, in their wounded flesh, in their troubles and in their profound desolation. He is already there.

In today’s Gospel of John we hear: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.†The peace that Jesus offers is different from the peace that we want in the world where divisions, prejudice and animosity cause hatred among nations and people. The world wants these to cease and for harmony to be established. Jesus offers us something deeper and lasting. Fear and anxiety no longer control us, and even though there may still be reasons to be afraid and troubled, Jesus offers us his life giving presence in our lives. He will come and “make his home in us.†He will help us move beyond and let go of what prevents us from having that peace that the world cannot give. We have to allow Jesus to have a key place in our lives.

Monday, May 27, is Memorial Day, a day to remember the many men and women who laid down their lives for our country and what we stand for: freedom, equality, the dignity of each person, and the fact that we are all brothers and sisters. When I was growing up, Memorial Day was called Decoration Day because the graves of our loved ones were planted with flowers and flags were put on veterans’ graves. There were Masses at the cemetery and parades, all to honor those who had given their lives. I like to also add a remembrance for their families who had their own struggle at these times, both in the past and now. Take some time over the weekend to say a prayer for these heroes.

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

After a few years of having problems with our previous phone service provider, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi has upgraded and modernized our phone system. The new phone system was launched just a few weeks ago and while we are getting a few of the kinks out, so far we believe that the new system is more reliable, easy to navigate, flexible and the new system is saving our community about $1,000 per month!

We are always looking for ways to save money in our budget to respect the donations that our members make to keep our church running.

We hope you will find the new system easy to navigate and we appreciate your patience in the transition.

Here are some of the new features:

When you dial our main number 212-736-8500 you will be greeted by a message with the voice of our very own Director of Music Ministries, Meredith Augustin.

She directs callers to the options that have available to get quickly to the person or office you are trying to reach.

For example, you can:

→ dial 1
and type in the first few letters of any staff members first or last name to get their extension.  If you know the extension you are trying to reach you can dial it at any time.  Our phone number and extension numbers have all remained the same.

→ dial 2
and listen to our regular Mass and Confession schedule or…

→ dial 9
to listen to the holiday schedule for the next upcoming holiday

Please listen to the message for the Migrant Center, the Counseling Center, Baptism, Confirmation, Weddings, etc., and of course you can always dial 0 during business hours to be connected to someone at the main desk.

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

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%

Thank you to all of you who are already doing your part.

“Lord… help me to know that I am following in your footsteps.”To act in this way presumes a heart set at peace by Christ, freed from the aggressiveness born of overweening egotism. That same peacefulness, the fruit of grace, makes it possible to preserve our inner trust and persevere in goodness, “though I walk  through the valley of the shadow of death”… Standing firm in the Lord, the Rock, we can sing: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Christ, in a word, “is our peace”; he came “to guide our feet into the way of peace.” As he told St. Faustina Kowalska, “Man- kind will not have peace until it turns with trust to my mercy.” So let us not fall into the temptation of looking for security in success, vain pleasures, possessions, power over others or social status. Jesus says, “My peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world gives peace.”

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.â€

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.