October 2, 2011
News Briefs
Only a few items this week as we are awash in several days of autumn rain that might be of interest to some:
- Fr. John returned from the General Chapter on schedule Friday evening taking up the daily monastic round at Vigils Saturday morning. He gave us an interesting rundown of the meeting in this morning's community chapter. Several articles that will be of interest to the community will be read in the refectory during dinner for the next several days.
- The monthly anniversary article for October written by Fr. Marcellus is now posted. It gives an interesting account of our eldest daughter house, Awhum in Nigeria, by one who spent some time there. If you'll pardon a little boasting by a proud mother house: we're told that Awhum is now the largest house in the entire Order.
- This week our postulant, Br. Joseph, will be on retreat in preparation for entering the novitiate next Sunday. Join us in praying that he will be open and receptive to all the graces the Lord holds out for him at this important time in his life.
- Speaking of retreats we were happy to have Br. Vitorrio of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal on retreat with us this past week.
Lectio Notebook |
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Thus freedom and obedience are not opposed to each other. Freedom is genuine when it enables us to listen to God and assent to his will. Freedom is that state in which the heart is no longer attached to anything, but can follow God's will (St. Francis de Sales). Freedom is finally being able to do what we were created for, to be united with our true nature and take root there. It is a question of being or not being. "To be or not to be, that is the question". If you are created as a stream toward God, be a stream. If you are created as an ear (you have given me an open ear ps. 40:6), be an ear. Being something other than what you are naturally leads away from freedom to a kind of schizophrenia. St. Paul loves to speak about the freedom that Christ won for us, the freedom that consists in being slaves of God (Rom 6:22). Into Your Hands, Father |
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