SAINT OF THE MONTH
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
(1922-1962)
Born the tenth of thirteen children, Gianna
aspired to be a physician and began her study of
medicine in Milan, Italy. Receiving a medical
diploma in 1949, she became a pediatrician and
enjoyed treating children. In 1954, she married
Pietro Molla, an engineer, and with him had three
children whom they raised lovingly in the Catholic
faith.
When Gianna was pregnant with her fourth child,
Gianna developed a tumor on her uterus. She asked
that the tumor only be removed and the child's life
spared. Complications ensued and Gianna knew that
her life could be in danger. Nevertheless, she
continued the pregnancy, asking doctors to make sure
that her baby survived. Gianna died when her baby,
also named Gianna, was seven days old.
Saint Gianna, in the small trials of everyday
life, intercede for us so that we may develop the
courage to lay down our lives for others. Amen.
QUOTE FROM SCRIPTURE
"Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your
Mother." (John 19: 26-27)
Jesus spoke these words from the Cross to His
Mother and to Saint John the Evangelist. In them, He
gave the Blessed Mother to humanity to be our
Mother. Gianna Beretta Molla understood the love of
a mother who would have preferred to see herself die
rather than her child. While the Blessed Mother
could not make this substitution, Gianna did. Her
mother's love for her child, and her deep faith in
Christ, combined to make Gianna's sacrifice of her
own life not only possible but effected with
peaceful love.
QUOTE FROM A SAINT
"This time it will be a difficult delivery, and they
may have to save one or the other -- I want them to
save my baby."
Gianna Beretta Molla told this to her family
before giving birth to her fourth child. At her own
request, she laid down her life for her baby. A
mother can have no greater love.
BIRTHDAYS
A Happy Birthday to:
Mariah D 5/3
Douglas N 5/5
Bob B 5/6
Margaret E 5/11
Ameil K 5/11
Suzanne P 5/13
Mary Kathleen A 5/16
Richard C 5/19
Helmut H 5/20
Monica U 5/22
Lucy F 5/23
Brian H 5/24
Kathleen D 5/25
Brett C 5/26
Wanda O 5/28
Adrian S 5/30
FUNDS
The Confraternity
of Penitents requires no dues from its
membership. However, there are expenses to be
met (about $200 monthly) and we appreciate your
donations toward them. We also have an Alms Fund
for needy members. If you wish your contribution
to go toward the Alms Fund, please so specify.
Donations may be sent to CFP Treasurer, Robert
Boczek, 303 Town Green Way, Reisterstown MD
21136. Please make checks out to
Confraternity of Penitents.
OR
Make a secure, online donation through PayPal by
using the PayPal logo on our
Donations Link.
Your donation is tax-deductible.
May God reward you for your support!
Visitor: Father Michael Sisco
Spiritual Advisors: Fr. Martin Mary Fonte, FI; Dom
Julian Stead, OSB; Sister Eugenia Brady, SJC;
Father David Engo, FBM
Convert Contacts:
Deacon Joseph Pasquella and Karen Sadock
Please contact us if you have a question which
you feel a priest needs to answer and we will
put you in touch with one of our spiritual
advisors or with another person who can assist
you.
May God bless you
and let us pray for one another!
The Lord's Prayer
by J. J. Tissot
1899
"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: "I wish to affirm
my support of the Confraternity of Penitents (CFP),
specifically its members' commendable efforts to
live according to the First Rule of the Third Order
of Saint Francis of 1221, as outlined in the CFP's
own Constitutions."
(Bishop Thomas Tobin, Diocese of Providence RI, 11
February 2009)
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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NO GREATER LOVE
"There is no greater love than this: to lay down
one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)
Monthly Newsletter for
All Who Wish to Do Penance
(Experience Conversion) in the
CONFRATERNITY OF PENITENTS
May 2012
Have you read our other on
line, monthly publications (Monthly Letter to
All Penitents; Following Francis, Following
Christ; and Repair God's House)? Find them
by following this
link.
For security reasons, penitents have requested
that we no longer publish their last names on
the internet.
Letter from One Who Serves the CFP
The
“Third Secret of Fatima”
I
will be focusing on the first paragraph
pertaining to the Angel of God:
"The third part of the secret revealed at the
Cova da Iria-Fatima, on 13 July 1917.” I write
in obedience to you, my God, who commanded me to
do so through his Excellency the Bishop of
Leiria and through your most Holy Mother and
mine. After the two parts which I have already
explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little
above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in
his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that
looked as though they would set the world on
fire; but they died out in contact with the
splendor that Our Lady radiated towards him from
her right hand. Pointing to the earth with his
right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice:
‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’
As
I reflect first on the Angel, I come to the
understanding that God has sent a divine
ambassador to declare a message to humanity.
Therefore, to what the Angel has to say, we must
be very attentive and responsive. Jesus
repeatedly stated in the Gospels “Amen, Amen I
say to you, He who have ears to hear let him
hear” that we may be prepared to receive a
particular message with great understanding. Let
us be attentive and responsive to the Angel's
message in its entirety.
The
next thing I reflected on is the Angel’s flaming
sword at his left hand. In Scripture, the left
hand typically represents judgment or punishment
as in the flaming sword at the Angel's left
hand, while the right hand represents
righteousness or blessing as in the splendor
that radiated from Our Lady's right hand. The
flame represents the work of the Holy Spirit
which is purification and the sword represents
the Word of God. ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’ is
what God is declaring to humanity. Humanity has
sinned gravely against heaven and against God.
Our initial reaction to this declaration may be
of fear and rightly so because of the gravity of
sin committed by humanity – abortion,
euthanasia, greed, exploitation of the weak,
passiveness and so on. The darkness of man’s
heart is being revealed in the light of God’s
judgment. I believe that the message and Our
Lady’s intervention is an act of Mercy on God’s
part. We must attend to and respond to this
message of ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’ as an
act of obedience to a merciful God.
Our
late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II (JPII) in
his document “Reconciliation and Penance”
expounds much on sin and its effects on the
human soul and the need for reconciliation and
penance. ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’ such
a profound word and yet elusive to the majority
for as our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II
has stated, "the concept of penance is very
complex".
In my understanding, as I have reflected on this
document, penance are the acts that bring about
conversion. These acts are confession as in the
Sacrament, prayer, fasting, acts that mortify
the flesh and bring it in line with Divine Will.
Penance should lead one to conversion, beginning
the process of restoration or reconciling us to
God. Because of sin, we have caused division
with God, self, man and the created world.
Again, penance begins that process of
reconciliation. To look at the fruit of
reconciliation we may now say that we have
obtained that promise of God, namely salvation,
the beatific vision.
As you can see, penance begins the work of
salvation. Yes, salvation is a gift from God
which no man merits but by the shed blood of
Christ on the cross. However, Saint Paul states
that we must work out our salvation. When we
contemplate Christ crucified, we come to the
understanding that love calls unto love that is
to follow the Beloved. Penance permits us to be
crucified with Christ in order to die to the old
self and be resurrected with Christ as a new
creature radiating the Beloved. To sum this up,
penance leads to conversion, and conversion to
reconciliation, and reconciliation to salvation,
our end goal, life eternal.
One thing is yet missing.
“Contrition”. According to the late Holy Father,
Pope John Paul II, the essential act of penance,
on the part of the penitent, is contrition, a
clear and decisive rejection of sin committed,
together with resolution not to commit it again.
Contrition is therefore the beginning and the
heart of conversion or penance. Hence, “upon
this contrition of heart depends the truth of
penance”. Without contrition, there cannot be
true penance or, in our vocation as penitents,
true conversion!
Reflecting back on the Angel of Fatima, I see
that God is not willing His judgment on humanity
but His mercy! He glorifies Himself in this life
with His mercy, He will glorify Himself in the
next with His judgment. How great is His
attribute of patience, patience with a stiff
necked people, his very own children. In His
mercy He is calling us to reconciliation by way
of “Contrition and Penance”. The Angel at Fatima
is declaring God’s merciful love to humanity by
revealing to us what is required to be saved as
a human race -‘Penance, Penance, Penance!’ At
some point God will have to act according to His
justice. Let us be the remnant that responds in
faith, love and obedience. Let us reflect on the
gift of contrition and ask our Lord in His mercy
to grant us this gift of contrition that we may
be true to God and true to our call as
Penitents.
“Eternal Father, through the Sacred Heart of
Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, grant to
us in accord with the riches of your glory
contrition
of heart
that we may be true to
you our God and our vocation as penitents.
Mercy, Lord, Mercy. Amen”
God Bless. José G (Jose is a First Year Novice with the
Confraternity of Penitents)
NO
GREATER LOVE
As Good as New
I am sure all of us have seen a car that has
been in an accident. Its body is dented all
over, the windscreen smashed in, the tires
punctured, the upholstered seats ripped apart in
various places, the steering wheel and gears
completely bent out of shape, and in a word,
suitable only for metal scrap or the garbage
dump. However, under the hand of a skilled motor
mechanic, it becomes as good as new, leaving not
a scratch, scar or mark to remind its owner of
the horrible escapade it had been through.
We have recently commemorated the resurrection
of our Lord Jesus Christ on Easter and are still
in the Easter season. When we had begun the holy
season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, all of us had
come before the Lord in a sorry state, maybe
like that car that had been in an accident or
even worse. During the forty days of Lent and
Holy Week, we placed ourselves under the care of
Jesus, our Divine Physician, our Glorious
Surgeon. Under His gentle touch, healing
presence and compassionate gaze, we underwent a
rebirth, a regeneration, a transformation. We
died with Him and by His resurrection He has
given us a new lease of life. No mark, scar or
scratch blemishes us to remind us of what we
were before. We have become as good as new. To
maintain this new lease of life which we have
been given, there are a number of things we need
to do every day so that we may remain in the
beautiful state in which we have been recreated.
What are these?
Jesus promised, "And these signs will accompany
those who believe; in my name they will cast out
demons; they will speak in new tongues" (Mk 16:
17). We then firstly have to believe in the
power of the Risen Christ and that He has truly
given us new life by His resurrection from the
dead. Just as we try to prevent mud from
splashing on our cars by avoiding puddles on the
road, we need to drive out the demons who taunt
us with flashbacks of our former sinful lives
and the pleasures attached to them in a bid to
make us indulge in them once again. Let us not
be like "the dog that turns back to its own
vomit and the sow that is washed only to wallow
in mud" (2 Pet 2: 22b). With the power of the
Lord, we need to conscientiously steer clear of
the puddles (occasions) that lead us into sin
and away from the presence of God. We also need
to speak in "new tongues," which does not
necessarily mean only different languages, but a
different type of language. Where we may have
been accustomed to cursing, swearing, abusing
and using slang, we would now speak the language
of love, mercy and compassion.
The words of Paul should ring in our ears,
encouraging us to strive towards greater heights
of perfection, raise our weary hearts and
drooping spirits: "Therefore if anyone is in
Christ he/she is a new creation; the old has
passed away, the new has come" (2 Cor 5: 17).
Regular washing, cleaning, scrubbing and
polishing of our car helps maintain its new
condition. So also, regular and intimate contact
and dialogue with Jesus keeps our relationship
alive. Frequent reception of the sacraments,
especially those of Reconciliation and the Holy
Eucharist, strengthen us in living our new lives
to the fullest.
In fact, what we should never forget, but keep
at the backs of our minds and in the innermost
recesses of our hearts, is that we have been
created in the image and likeness of God. We
should strive to maintain this image and reflect
it to all those whom we come across in our day
to day activities. Here Paul's letter to the
Ephesians strikes the nail on the head when he
asks us to "put on the new man/woman, created
after the likeness of God in true righteousness
and holiness" (Eph 4: 24).
It would, at the same time, be wise to also have
a realistic picture of ourselves and not be
deluded by building castles in the air or
daydreaming. We are human, not angels, made up
of flesh and bones, not spirit alone. Due to
this, we will always be frail and weak as long
as we live on this earth. In spite of our best
efforts we are bound to fall from time to time.
Just as we give our cars for weekly or monthly
servicing, we too need to be serviced by
frequenting the sacrament of Reconciliation. The
modern trend seems to be not to go for
confession to another human being, even though
when the priest sits in the confessional, he
takes the place of God. However, if we value the
immortality of our souls and our relationship
with Jesus Christ, we will never let such a
trend, and all like it, affect us. Instead we
will go for confession at least once a month, if
not every week, in order that we may be filled
with new life, grace and strength. If we take
pains to fulfill regularly all these things
necessary for maintaining the new life that
Jesus has given us, as I have tried to explain
as best I can from my own experience, I am sure
we will always remain as good as new.
Patrick John Ashing, OSB Cam, CFP Affiliate
REFLECTION ON OUR RULE OF LIFE
Constitutions:
XX. APPLICATIONS OF THE RULE OF 1221
PREAMBLE
In
keeping with the Preamble of the Rule, here begin
the Constitutions of the Continent (those who give
up things) Confraternity of Penitents. In the Name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
REFLECTION:
The Preamble of the Rule of
1221 reads:
Here begins the Rule of the
Continent Brothers and Sisters: In the Name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
The memorial of
what is proposed for the Brothers and Sisters of
Penance, living in their own homes, begun in the
year of our Lord 1221, is as follows.
The penitents in 1221
practiced periods of abstinence from conjugal
relations, as do those today who are practicing
natural family planning and other natural
methods of fertility regulation. Hence, the word
"continent" in the original rule referred to
this practice. Today the word refers to anyone
who gives up any good for the sake of a greater
good.
Notice how the Trinity is
invoked through the Sign of the Cross right at
the beginning of the original Rule of 1221. This
was an indication that the penitents were
following the Catholic doctrine regarding the
Trinity, a doctrine which several groups of
heretics called into question. The CFP begins
its Constitutions in the same way.
The 1221 Rule then goes on
to say that the Rule is what is proposed for the
Brothers and Sisters of Penance who are living
in their own homes. The Confraternity of
Penitents had originally been incorporated as
the Brothers and Sisters of Penance but had to
legally change the name upon its refounding in
2003. The penitents in 1221 lived in their own
homes, as do most penitents in the CFP, but
single CFP penitents who qualify may also live
in a CFP Community House.
AFFILIATE
ACTION
Affiliates can
follow the spirit of the Preamble by voluntarily
giving up some good for the sake of a greater
one. Therefore, while not bound to fast or
abstain beyond what the Church requires,
Affiliates may wish to incorporate some periods
of fast and abstinence into their lives, or
adopt other sacrifices, in unity with CFP
members and associates, who, by virtue of their
living the Rule and Constitutions, are required
to make those sacrifices.
REFLECTIONS ON THE SAN DAMIANO CRUCIFIX
FINGERS
Christ on the San
Damiano Crucifix has long, slender fingers, the
sensitive fingers of an artist. For surely
Christ, in His creative work, is the Master
Artist, painting creation's beauty and color.
"All things were made by Him, and without Him
nothing has been made," wrote Saint John the
Evangelist. From those relaxed and beautiful
fingers came molecules and suns, elephants and
eagles, earth browns and floral pinks. We look
at the San Damiano Crucifix and grieve that our
sins have pinned to the cross the Hands that
made us. And we are grateful that God's love and
mercy surpasses His justice, for the fingers
that could have pointed at us in judgment
instead beckon us to come close in our
repentance. Jesus, we praise You for all You are
and all doing in our lives.
POETRY
My Garden
Prayer
While a
patient - in a Health Rehab Center, July 25,2007
Sitting
quietly, motionless in a quaint,
shady
court yard place,
Under
overhanging trees, with bushes
and
flowers slows down life’s fast pace.
Black
birds, sparrows, flying from one spot
to another
were seeking food.
In the
breeze and stillness I was witnessing
a relaxing
calm mood.
A hanging
bird feeder is visited
by each
species of birds,
landing on
its perches,
Nibbling,
peeking, fluttering, seeking,
Then they
fly away when an intruder,
suspended
in the sky,
Wants
their turn to eat,
away the
bird will fly.
The
majestic Cardinal, rich red,
with black
face, and yellow beak,
Sits on
the perch alone,
his safety
he will seek.
Splish
splash, in the birdbath,
a sparrow
flutters and
shakes his
head, back, and tail.
Cleaned
and refreshed
with the
water,
into the
sky he will sail.
Two
squirrels, in the distant yard,
interact
with all the birds without fear,
Nibbling,
peering,
fluttering
his tail, seeking.
Finally,
one squirrel climbs a tall tree
munching
on his food aloof.
In a
distance, another is seen
running
along the edge of a roof.
Sitting
quietly, motionless,
in a
quaint, shady, courtyard place.
Under
shading trees, bushes, and flowers,
a smile
comes to my face.
As if I
was being fed with a spiritual food.
In the
breeze and stillness,
while I
was witnessing
in a
relaxing calm mood.
I forget
for a moment, my pains,
struggles
to heal, and loneliness,
Seeing the
animals,
sharing
this beautiful place there.
I am
lifted, in Spirit, and my soul,
Nibbles,
peeks, flutters, seeks,
and flies
to
God’s love
of life, and His comfort inside,
for this
is my garden prayer.
By
Paul
Michael P
Paul is
a Second Year Novice with the Confraternity of
Penitents and has a ministry in the CFP of
corresponding with inmates. He is also a
formator and is beginning a CFP Circle in
Bridgewater, Virginia.
CONFRATERNITY PHOTO ALBUM
First, Second, and Third
Order Franciscans in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Pictured above for a special pot luck dinner
involving all three Orders are Our Lady, Cause
of Our Joy Confraternity of Penitents Chapter
(left and center, front), the Poor Sisters of
Saint Clare (left rear), and the Franciscan
Brothers Minor (rear center and right). Tomara
Kern, president of the Fort Wayne penitents, is
standing in the very center of the photo.
Father David Mary Engo (center), founder of the
Franciscan Brothers Minor, stands with Brother
Fidelis Mary (Patrick Hamor), Novice (left), and
Brother Anthony Cain, Postulant (right). Both
Brother Fidelis and Brother Anthony had lived at
the Confraternity of Penitents' Men's Community
House for several months before discerning a
vocation to the friars. Brother Fidelis, along
with four other friars of his Order, will be
entering the seminary to study for the
priesthood in May. Please pray for these
fine men.
HUMOR
Love is . . .
'Love is when your puppy licks your face even
after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4
'I
know my older sister loves me because she gives
me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy
new ones.'
Lauren - age 4
'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up
and down and little stars come out of you.'
Karen - age 7
You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you
mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a
lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8
CFP HOLY ANGELS GIFT SHOP
To see all the offerings in the CFP Holy Angels
Gift Shop, click on this
link.
"You shall love
the Lord your God with your whole heart, with
your whole soul, and with all your mind, (and)
you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
(Matthew 22:37-38)
Confraternity of Penitents
520 Oliphant Lane
Middletown RI USA
02842-4600
401/849-5421
bspenance@hotmail.com
copenitents@yahoo.com
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