The regular monthly morning of recollection took place on October 4, 2014 – the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.
The group assembled in St. Joseph’s Hall Chapel, for the 9:00 o’clock Community Mass, celebrated by the Marist and Stigmatine Fathers, under the leadership of the Provincial, Fr. Gregory Hoppough, one of the con-celebrants. Fr. Henchey was the main celebrant and spoke on the Lord’s Prayer – and its centerpiece, Thy will be done! He noted that as the Heavenly Father gave up His only-begotten, most beloved Son [cf. Rm 8:32; Jn 3:16] – the saint of Assisi gave up his earthly father, excessively attached to his possessions, for his espousals to Lady Poverty.
It was pointed out that this was present in the 7 day creation story [beginning liturgically in the evening, then the morning, moving through the 7 day celebration – for this Liturgy of Life], as well as in the Redemption narrative as lived by Jesus Himself, lived through His life, perfected by His ex-spiration on Calvary. Mary echoed this in her FIAT to the angel, making her the Mother of God– and confirmed this by standing next to the Cross of Christ, becoming the Mother of the Church.
The Our Father was lived in the Church’s faith as noted in DV 5 – as Mary and Joseph lived it toward each other, as noted in Pope John’s Paul’s Redemptoris Custos, emphasizing St. Joseph and his husband’s self-giving to Mary and to the Christ child. For St. Ignatius it was the FIAT of a soldier’s obedience – for St. Francis de Sales, it was the fiat of charity.
For St. Gaspar Bertoni his fiat was apostolic as well as the acceptance of life long-poor health – a fiat of hope in his life-long oblation [obsequium – cf. Rm 12:1] to God’s Mercy
In the meeting itself at 10:00, it was noted that John Marzilli was attending a funeral for a family member. The pertinent parts of a letter from Tereza and Vicente Lopes, our long distance members from Brazil, living in Plano TX. And Fr. Henchey noted a new member from Sacramento CA, John Archuleta. Those attending offered prayers for the recently concluded Council of Superiors and its decisions. Next year this annual meeting has been scheduled for this USA Stigmatine Province.
The death this week of Fr. Carlo Cappai, CSS in Italy was noted – and prayers offered for the repose of his soul.
The conference pondered on the Holy Abandonment of St. Gaspar Bertoni, flowing also from St. Ignatius’ Personal prayer, Suscipe [cf. Sp Ex # 234] and the Prayer of Abandonment of Charles de Foucauld.
The meeting ended with the Sacrament of Reconciliation being celebrated for those who requested it. The next meeting is set for Saturday, November 1, 2014.
Rev. Joseph Henchey, CSS