Whenever the New Testament authors want to present the heart of the Christian moral message, they present the essential requirement of love for one’s neighbor: “The one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the whole law…therefore love of neighbor is the fulfilling of the law.”These are the words of St. Paul, for whom the commandment of love not only sums up the law but also constitutes its very heart and purpose: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” To his communities Paul presents the Christian life as a journey of growth in love: “May the Lord increase and abound in love for one another and for all.” Saint James likewise exhorts Christians to fulfill “the royal law according to the Scripture: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself ’, in order not to fall short of my commandment.”

Today’s Gospel presents us with the teaching about using the “talents” that God has given each of us: “Well done, my good and faith- ful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.” God has given us many gifts: time, talents and abilities, attitude, graces and blessings. For these gifts, we should always be eternally grateful. We need to remember that these were not given to us just for our happiness, but to share them and give them to build up others who may be in need in any way. As the Peace Prayer of St. Francis says: “It is in giving that we receive.” Many do not see the value of this, but it lies at the heart of the Christian message and the Christian ways of life. And…we know that it is true!

This Thursday we celebrate Thanksgiving, an important tradition here in the United States. Abraham Lincoln in 1863 declared that this day would be set aside each year as a national day to give thanks. For us as Christians, it reminds us that giving thanks and especially the virtue of gratitude are important qualities that we have as believers. Gratitude enables us to give thanks to God every day of our lives for ordinary blessings and for special blessings that we receive. Cultivating the virtue opens us up to be sensitive to the positive and life giving moments and happenings in our lives rather than focusing on the negative and evil happenings that occur daily. Know that we, the Friars and Sta here at St. Francis, wish you a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving. Know that you will be remembered in our prayers for the blessing that you are to us!

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

The Lord’s missionary mandate includes a call to growth in faith:

“Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Hence it is clear that the first proclamation also calls for ongoing formation and maturation. Evangelization aims at a process of growth which entails taking seriously each person and God’s plan for his or her life. All of us need to grow in Christ. Evangelization should stimulate a desire for growth, so that each of us can say wholeheartedly: ‘”It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

Along with the virtues, this means above all the new commandment, the first and the greatest of the commandments, and the one that best identifies us as Christ’s disciples: “This is my commandment , that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Fr. Michael McDonnell, who ministered at St. Francis of Assisi for 20 years, from 1987 to 2007, died on Friday, November 3, in Saint Petersburg, FL where he had recently retired.

Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1938, Fr. Michael lived for most of his life in the United States. He entered the Franciscan Order in 1958 and was ordained a priest on March 13, 1965 in Washington, DC. Much of his priestly ministry was dedicated to Spanish-speaking people. He served in parishes in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Lima Peru, as well as the Bronx and Silver Spring, MD. After Fr. Michael completed his ministry at St. Francis of Assisi, he moved to Holy Name of Jesus Church on the Upper West Side, but continued to hear confessions in Spanish here at St. Francis.

Fr. Michael enjoyed a wide range of interests, including a deep fascination with various forms of transportation, from subways to jetliners. He was an avid walker and swimmer as well. He will be fondly missed at St. Francis for his gentle humor and shy smile.

Five foolish and ve wise virgins are featured in today’s Gospel from Matthew. They may capture your attention at the beginning, but the last sentence puts the parable in perspective: “Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”That statement is enough to keep you awake because it can appear to refer to the time when our death might be. Yet, another way of looking at it is that it is a call to be alert to how the Lord is breaking into our world and what is expected from us now. The Lord breaks into our world all the time. Are we awake enough to recognize this when it happens, especially if it happens quietly and peacefully.

We 55 pilgrims arrived back here in the USA yesterday, so now we have jet lag. Our  final days on the pilgrimage took us through the northeast countryside of Spain and across the border into Lourdes, France. Here in 1858, the Blessed Mother appeared to a poor shepherd girl, Bernadette, 18 times. We visited the famous Grotto, the Rosary Basilica and the Basilica of Pius X. We joined
in the evening torchlight procession. Throughout the pilgrimage I had Mass for our group in some very beautiful places…and of course, we prayed for you. There is much for us to remember and to be grateful for…and we are happy to be home!

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