Brother JR

[St_Francis]

Brother JR,
It’s good to hear that you are doing well, sorta!, and are keeping busy.

I just want to say that I have learned so much from you, your graciousness and wisdom show through your writing.

Continued prayers for you and your work,
Annie

 

[kitkatty]

You are a real treasure Brother JR, bless you.

 

[TiggerS]

It is always saddening to me to see leadership squabbles in The Church. We are the Mystical Body of Christ - a Community that is the Mystical Body of Christ. Our aim ideally is to build up that Community and Mystical Body rather than to create divides and divisions, some sort of status assertion within The Church. To my way of thinking where leadership is concerned and no matter the particular vocation of the leader, the criteria is the best qualified person to do so, the one gifted by God with what is necessary. The best person qualified to lead in the circumstances and no matter their vocation.
We are not called to be leaders in a cultural and secular sense, rather we are called to be the humble servants of each other. Ideally the leader is the humble servant of those he or she is called to lead. Jesus illustrates this very vividly at the Last Supper when he washes the feet of his disciples. If I am a leader, then my call is to humble service. We see this often in the case of our saint founders of religious orders where at some point, their leadership ceases and another is elected to leadership. Certainly lay people should not interfere in the lives of our religious while religious are called to service as servants just as lay people are - as all the baptized are so called equally and to build up the community of the disciples of Jesus, The Mystical Body, rather than to assert some sort of status within The Church. We owe to each other and to all mankind the love and respect to the most abject beggar and/or sinner just as to The Holy Father.
While God calls different people to different roles or vocations in His Church, it is to God all Glory since He has provided all that is necessary to fulfill that role and thus, in honoring a person called to a higher role, we are honoring God.

 

[jwinch2]

The funniest thing is that I was assaulted on Thursday. I’m a little bruised. I went into a very poor neighborhood. I was in my habit. Three young men thought I belonged to the KKK, because I was wearing a very light grey habit with a hood, which is our summer habit. The winter habit is dark grey. I was delivering some baby items to a poor family. After I cleaned up my bloody nose and got up, I started to laugh. My habit is a mess. It has blood stains and it’s torn. I have no broken bones, just bruises. I’m spending today with a needle and thread, mending my habit. I removed as much of the blood as I could.

My physician is upset, because I’m supposed to stay in bed, sleep longer hours, eat a certain diet. The truth is that I can’t sleep as much as he wants, because there is something about the meds that makes me hyper. The diet is too expensive. I would never eat something that the other brothers cannot have, because we can’t afford it for everyone. Jesus would never do such a thing. I have passed out a few times, but I’m OK. I just get scooped up off the floor or the sidewalk, recover and laugh about it. God has a plan.

I’ll pray for you Brother. Frankly, I don’t find either one of those things funny. I find them both quite sad.

Peace,

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

I’m so upset to hear of your assault. I’m glad you didn’t suffer any broken bones, but you must still be shaken. What a terrible thing to happen to you.

I second Elizabeth’s advice regarding the cold water to remove the stains.

You are always in my prayers, dear Brother.

 

[jilly4ski]

Br, Prayers for you and your community.

I also recommend the cold water on the blood stain. (Dawn dish soap for grease, and Laundry soap like Fels-Naptha for everything else).

Also Br, as every mother knows, she must take care of herself so she can take care of her children. This includes eating a healthy diet. (In your case a special diet). You should keep this in mind.

 

[ConstantineTG]

God sustains you Brother for the work you do for Him.

 

[JReducation]

I’ll pray for you Brother. Frankly, I don’t find either one of those things funny. I find them both quite sad.

Peace,

I’m so upset to hear of your assault. I’m glad you didn’t suffer any broken bones, but you must still be shaken. What a terrible thing to happen to you.

I second Elizabeth’s advice regarding the cold water to remove the stains.

You are always in my prayers, dear Brother.

Do not be upset my dear friends. Truly, I am fine. I laugh, not because these things are a joke, but because of the irony of it all. St. Teresa of Avila once told the Lord that he needed to rethink how he treats his friends, as he seems to have less and less every day. Each time I have some minor inconvenience, I always hold on to the cross that’s on the chest of my habit and I remember Teresa’s words. I have to laugh. She was right.

I always chuckle. Love is demanding. Anyone who is married or has been a parent knows what I mean. Love is not Disney. There is no happily ever aftering in this world. Unless one faces the challenging moments with a sense of humor and a tad of mischief, it is easy to give up trying.

Moving right along, this is a quiet week. The two brothers in my community house are on leave. I don’t get leave for five more years. I’m alone for a few days. I’m catching up on some reading and writing. I’m also doing a little more praying and hoping that we will have a good year for vocations. We have a few men entering postulancy this summer and we have a few in the novitiate. The novices have another year of novitiate. There will be no simple professions this year. There will be three solemn professions in August. Four brothers will have completed their trienniel (3 years of temporary vows). Three will make solemn vows and one will be returning to your world. He will be missed. In all, he’s been with us the eight years of formation that it takes to become a solemnly professed brother. However, God always has a plan. He guides us to our final destiny along diverse paths, like a gentle summer breeze moving a lazy leaf.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

 

[codefro]

Do not be upset my dear friends. Truly, I am fine. I laugh, not because these things are a joke, but because of the irony of it all. St. Teresa of Avila once told the Lord that he needed to rethink how he treats his friends, as he seems to have less and less every day. Each time I have some minor inconvenience, I always hold on to the cross that’s on the chest of my habit and I remember Teresa’s words. I have to laugh. She was right.

I always chuckle. Love is demanding. Anyone who is married or has been a parent knows what I mean. Love is not Disney. There is no happily ever aftering in this world. Unless one faces the challenging moments with a sense of humor and a tad of mischief, it is easy to give up trying.

Moving right along, this is a quiet week. The two brothers in my community house are on leave. I don’t get leave for five more years. I’m alone for a few days. I’m catching up on some reading and writing. I’m also doing a little more praying and hoping that we will have a good year for vocations. We have a few men entering postulancy this summer and we have a few in the novitiate. The novices have another year of novitiate. There will be no simple professions this year. There will be three solemn professions in August. Four brothers will have completed their trienniel (3 years of temporary vows). Three will make solemn vows and one will be returning to your world. He will be missed. In all, he’s been with us the eight years of formation that it takes to become a solemnly professed brother. However, God always has a plan. He guides us to our final destiny along diverse paths, like a gentle summer breeze moving a lazy leaf.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

Glad you are doing well Brother JR.

 

[SRNDRALL]

Brother JR - I am newer to this forum and don’t know you, but in reading this thread have instantly come to respect you and what you do. I also checked out your Web site and it is tremendous. I recently finished reading The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi and, as a result, have a new found love and respect for Franciscans and all religious. So, Thank You for all you do! God bless you!!!

Your brother in Jesus Christ our Lord
SRNDRALL

 

[JReducation]

Brother JR - I am newer to this forum and don’t know you, but in reading this thread have instantly come to respect you and what you do.

Thank you for the kind words. I had a meeting with a possible vocation today. I was saying something like this. “The Franciscans of Life are like every other Franciscan. We dearly love God, the Church and our Seraphic Father Francis. What makes each of us different and lovable in our own strange way is how we respond to Francis’ command, ‘Go and live the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in absolute obedience among the poor’.”

I also checked out your Web site and it is tremendous.

Thanks for that too. We’re in the process of changing doing a complete overhaul. We want to put pictures of our work, but we have a slight legal problem. We work a great deal with the dying, chronically ill, immigrants, unwed men and women who are expecting and children. Their privacy has to be protected. I’m waiting for God to decide how he wants this thing to look.

I recently finished reading The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi and, as a result, have a new found love and respect for Franciscans and all religious.

If I may, I would like to suggest the book that brought me into the Catholic Church. It’s called The Perfect Joy of St. Francis, by Timmermans. You can find it on www.amazon.com

So, Thank You for all you do! God bless you!!!

Your brother in Jesus Christ our Lord
SRNDRALL

Thank you and please pray for the voiceless of this world that they will always now that Jesus hears their silent cry for him and loves them.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

 

[The_Scott]

Brother, from your intelligence to your piety, from your charity to your humility, I truly believe you are a saint. God bless you, forever.

 

[Melchior_1]

Good to see you up and about, Brother! As always, if you need help on the IT side of things, I’m just a PM away

 

[SRNDRALL]

If I may, I would like to suggest the book that brought me into the Catholic Church. It’s called The Perfect Joy of St. Francis, by Timmermans. You can find it on www.amazon.com

Thank you for the recommendation! I will definitely add it to my must read list:coffeeread:.

God Bless You!!!