St. Thomas Aquinas
artist unknown
Take away all evil, and much good would go with it.
God's care is to bring good out of the evils that
happen, not to abolish them.
--St. Thomas Aquinas
It is because of faith that we exchange the present
for the future.
--St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
Only a person of very small faith could believe that
so great a God doesn't have the power to give food
to those who serve Him.
--St. Teresa of Avila
God has deemed it better to bring good out of evil
than not to permit evil at all.
--St. Augustine of Hippo
Saint Michael Battling Satan
by Guido Reni
1575-1642
"Repent and believe the Good News!"
Penance means conversion. The Confraternity of
Penitents is a world wide private Catholic
association of the faithful, completely loyal to our
Pope and the Magisterium.
Our Rule of Life has been reviewed by our bishop and
recognized in these words: "this Rule does not
contain anything contrary to our faith; therefore it
may be safely practiced privately by you or by
anyone inclined to do so. . . . His Excellency
is appreciative of your efforts to live and promote
Franciscan spirituality and especially promote the
neglected practice of penance and he wishes you
success" (January 30, 1998).
Members of the Confraternity of Penitents live this
Rule in their own homes, devoted to prayer, penance,
fasting, conversion, and works of mercy modeled on
Jesus Christ and inspired by the lives and teachings
of
St. Francis,
St. Dominic,
St. Therese,
St. Benedict,
St. Augustine,
St. Ignatius,
and all the saints, most especially Mary, the Mother
of God, who lived a life of true penance
(conversion) in perfect union with our Lord.
May Our Lady and all the saints intercede for all
who wish to embrace a life of penance, anywhere in
the world, so that the grace of God will assist them
to obtain every virtue necessary for a life of
holiness and surrender to the Will of God! Amen.
PRAYER OF PENITENTS
"Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness
of my mind, give me right faith, a firm hope and
perfect charity, so that I may always and in all
things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen."
(Saint Francis's prayer before the San Damiano
Crucifix)
MISSION OF PENITENTS
"Go and repair My House
which, as you can see, is falling into ruin." (The
message given to St. Francis in a voice from the San
Damiano Crucifix.)
ACTION OF PENITENTS
To pray for God's
specific direction in one's life so that, through
humbly living our Rule of Life, each penitent may
help to rebuild the house of God by bringing love of
God and neighbor to his or her own corner of the
world.
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TO LAY DOWN ONE'S LIFE:
MONTHLY LETTER
TO ALL
WHO ARE DOING PENANCE
IN THE
CONFRATERNITY OF PENITENTS
May 2012
How God Carries
the Saints
This past month,
I spent five days teaching about thirty-five
Franciscan friars, nuns, and Confraternity of
Penitents members about the history of the Third
Order. On my flight home, I was reading in the
airport when I noticed a man with a little girl
perched on his shoulders, briskly walking
through the terminal. The child was holding onto
this man's straw colored hair and the man, who I
assumed was her father, was firmly grasping each
of the child's legs dangling on either side of
his neck. Abruptly he broke stride and walked
right in front of me over to the large windows
overlooking the runway. Then he began to speak
to the child in an animated and enthusiastic
voice. She could understand him and made some
quiet replies. But I could not understand him,
as the man was speaking a language other than
English, the only language that I can
understand.
Once the man
determined that whatever he wanted to point out
to the child, or explain to her, was complete,
he strode back into the main walkway of the
terminal and continued on his way. Neither he
nor the child had noticed me, I am sure. But as
they disappeared from sight, I spontaneously
understood what I had just witnessed and my eyes
misted over.
That is how God
carries the saints.
In the security
of His grasp, God carries the saints high above
the milling throng, through the dangers of life
while, like trusting children, the saints cling
to Him and peacefully view the passing world.
Upon His own volition, He sometimes brings the
saints aside and, in words spoken only to them
and which only they can understand, He instructs
them and shares with them the knowledge and
insights He wants them to have. Then, still
carrying them, with the saints still clinging to
Him, the Lord brings the saints back into life's
passing stream and takes them where He wants
them to go. They need not know where He is
taking them or why. They go along for the ride
in trust, joy, and wonder. For the saints, it is
enough to know that their strong Father is
holding them, that the pace that they keep is
His, and that He knows the destination and will
get them there.
May we allow God
to treat us like saints.
Let us pray for
one another and for all doing penance worldwide.
Madeline Pecora
Nugent
 Confraternity of Penitents
520 Oliphant Lane
Middletown RI USA
02842-4600
401/849-5421
bspenance@hotmail.com
copenitents@yahoo.com
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