The Canticle
September, 2003
Divine Mercy Secular Franciscan Fraternity
Vero Beach, Florida
 www.franciscan-sfo.org

 Meetings 

   Regular: Sunday Sep. 14, 2003 - 2:00 pm, South Room,
        St. Helen Christian Living Center
   Council:  Saturday Sep. 20, 2003 - 9:15 am, Hibiscus
        Cafe, Vero beach

Agenda: NOTE-Initial Formation (Inquirers/Candidates)

                           returns to the usual time of 1:30 pm
  
1:30 - Initial formation for Inquirers and Candidates and the
          Formation Team members - Please be on time!
2:00 - Regular Meeting begins with our opening prayer
2:05 - Sec'y/Treas./Commission Reports, if any. Old and new
          Business.
2:35 - Ongoing formation: Meditation and Discussion based
          on the Communion of Saints and SFO Rule 24. Pre-

          pare for this formation by reading SFO Rule 24; Acts
          2:42-47; 1 Cor. 12:13-26; CCC #954, 955, 956.
          Please bring your Bible (NT) and your Catechism (CCC) to the meeting.  
3:15 - Mid-meeting break/ Refreshments / Library Time
3:35 - Liturgy of the Hours (in chapel if possible)
4:00 - Dismissal

Please Note:
▪ Refreshment Committee for July: Snacks - Marcella Richard, Pat Riordan
                                               Soda or fruit drinks - Peggy Rysdyck
▪ Remember our fraternity apostolate, St. Helen's Food Pantry. Many thanks to Kathleen Van Buskirk for
  donating lots of those small "hotel soap" bars. The Food Pantry was happy to accept them on behalf of
  their clients. If you have any you'd like to donate, please bring them with your food donations.

Remember to include in your prayers:
▪ Our Inquirers and Candidates: Ed, Pauline, Kathleen, Julie, and Peter.
 

From the Minister's Desk:
▪ For Ongoing Formation, we will be trying something a little different at our September meeting. Based, at
least partially, on the format used by the Oratory of Divine Love (begun by Fr. Benedict Groeschel CFR),
we ask you to prepare at home by reading the passages in the NT, the SFO Rule and the CCC listed in
the agenda section. At the meeting we will begin with an invocation to the Holy Spirit followed by reading
a meditation on the Communion of Saints written by Fr. Groeschel and pertinent material in the Catechism. After a short quiet period, we will discuss the readings and meditation focusing on how they can help us
to grow in love of God and neighbor.
▪ ST. PETER AND THE VATICAN: A once-in-a-lifetime exhibition opened on August 23 at the Museum of Art in Ft. Lauderdale. It traces the Church's influence on history and culture, the 'Legacy of the Popes", through treasures from the Vatican's vast collection of art and historical documents. A $2 discount is available if you mention your parish AND your parish will receive a $2 gift for each parishioner who buys a ticket. The exhibit will be in Fort Lauderdale until November 23rd. and is one of only four US Museums to host this display of Vatican treasures many of which have never before been shown even at the Vatican. Go see it!!
 

Page 2

The Communion of Saints

Readings: Acts 2:42-47; 1 Cor. 12:13-26.

Perhaps no words in the Creed mean less to the average Catholic than "I believe in the communion of saints." But when you understand these words, you see that they can mean much for your spiritual life. Communion first of all means sharing good things, especially nourishment and other things necessary for life. Christ is the Head of this spiritual communion of His grace and blessings for salvation. He shares the riches of His grace through the sacraments. The Holy Spirit also governs and guides the whole Church as well as its individual members. These divine gifts and the good things they engender-like charity, the teaching of faith, the example of hope-are the blessings we receive and share with other members of the Church and with people of good will, especially other Christians who are closely related to the Church by grace in their souls.

This communion has three states of being: the heavenly Church, the Church of the holy souls on their way to the heavenly Church (or the Church being purified), and the Church on earth. The Church on earth is often called the Church militant because we are engaged in the struggle against sin and evil. Today we will consider the heavenly Church, where we all seek to go. This is a reality which "eye has not seen, nor ear heard," nor can we think of it in adequate terms. The best description comes from Christ's beautiful but simple expression: "My Father's house." There is also the fascinating and mysterious description in the Book of Revelation, chapters 19 through 22. Perhaps the most important thing for us to remember about the heavenly Church is that the saints are our brothers and sisters and that by their prayers they assist us in our spiritual and material needs. Our Blessed Mother, Queen of all Saints, leads the intercession for us. We also learn from the saints that if they are friends to us, who are struggling souls on earth, we should be friends to one another.

Rule 24 of the Secular Franciscan Order: To foster communion among members, the council should organize regular and frequent meetings of the community as well as meeting with other Franciscan groups, especially with youth groups. It should adopt appropriate means for growth in Franciscan and ecclesial life and encourage everyone to a life of fraternity. This communion continues with deceased brothers and sisters through prayer for them.

Questions for Meditation

1. Do you think occasionally of the saints in heaven and the help they have given us?

2. Do you ever study the lives of the saints to learn from them?

3. Are there any saintly souls around us in this life?

Prayer

0 Lord Jesus Christ, You are the King of all Saints, of heaven and of earth. Through Your Mystical Body, the Church, we share in Your grace and glory. Help us to be Your instruments to bring Your salvation to others and to live by Your holy words. Amen.

Franciscan Saints and Blesseds in September

 1   Blessed Beatrice of Silva, virgin of II Order, founder.
2   Bl. John Francis Burté, Bl. Severin Girault, and Companions, martyrs of I and III Ord.
3   Bl. Claudio Granzotto, I Order.
4   Saint Rose of Viterbo, virgin of III Order.
9  Pedro de Corpa and Companions (I Order). This group of five friars is well known to us as "The Five Franciscan Martyrs" of Florida/Georgia. The source does not indicate if these friars are beatified or canonized.
17 Stigmata of our holy Father Francis.
18   Saint Joseph of Cupertino, priest of I Order.
20  Saint Francis Mary of Camporosso, religious of I Order.
23  Saint Padre Pio of Piatrelcina, I Order. 1887-1968.   
24  Saint Pacifico of San Severino (I Order).
26  Saint Elzear of Sabran & Bl. Delphina of Glandenes, husband and wife of III Order.
Sources: "Day by Day with followers of Francis and Clare" Pat McCloskey, OFM