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SFP VOICES MAY 2009
Vol. V, No. 4 © |
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Generating Hope for the Community of Life:
The Power of a Smile
“Smiling is a sign of peace and hope.”
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My Soul Magnifies the Lord! Fr. Jim Hasse, S.J. [used with permission] |
--Who knows whether the women who went to the sepulcher on Easter morning smiled?
--And who knows whether Mary smiled at the Annunciation? She certainly laughed with joy when she encountered Elizabeth.
We all keep within us that first smile, probably that of our mother, who welcomed us into life. This is the first image of a human being that we saw: a smiling face.
Smiling is a sign of peace and hope. Smiling, in a certain sense, expresses our mood, and not only in our culture. Just consider the Buddha’s smile, representing the achievement of inner peace, or the Tao...
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I ask myself lately, How can I generate compassion and hope in the community of life? How can I generate hope on this planet, where anguish, desperation, exploitation exist along with the impoverishment of everything and everyone? If hope is a gift, it is a gift that moves me to take a chance on life. In fact, it is hope that makes me go ahead and helps me believe that there will be a future. And maybe I can live this by treasuring smiling. Smiling does not help solve conflicts or issues, but may become a kind way to sow peace and hope. |
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Francis asked for hope as a gift. Before the Crucifix of St. Damiano, Francis was seeking God. He knew what he had left, but did not know yet what God wanted from him. He felt as if he were blind: “... Enlighten the darkness of my heart” From this darkness, Francis feels the need to ask for: “a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity.” While praying in the dilapidated church, Francis encounters the eyes of the Crucifix. Did those eyes talk to him? Did Francis smile with joy after this encounter? This encounter changed his life!
“Maybe by tapping into this power, the power of life and of smiling, our own smile can generate hope.” |
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I would like to conclude this reflection with a story told by a psychotherapist who one day met a *phocomelic girl. “One day I met a beautiful little girl. She entered the room and stretched toward me her hands that were something like little balls of flesh instead of fingers. I was shocked and was unable to hide it. She gave me a big smile and, to console me, said: “But my nails do grow!”(from Silvia Vegetti Finzi: New Grandparents for New Grandchildren) Isn’t this a small sign of hope? The beauty and hope in the life that goes on, in spite of it all.
Maybe by tapping into this power, the power of life and of smiling, our own smile can generate hope. Hope for the community of life.
Sister Anna Ingoglia, sfp
Congregational Councilor
* phocomelia: congenital absence or abnormal shortening of arms or legs, often with only short, flipperlike limbs projecting from the body
Living Family and Parish Life at Mary Immaculate
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“I discovered another family, the one of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor (SFP). What a beautiful orientation to the Lord! This family helped us to concretely live the Christian life.”
Justin Senghor, SFP Associate
For Almighty God, Creator of the first family, for Christ, Founder of the Church and for the Spirit who lives in it and gives us life -- let us be the authentic witnesses of the One who gives life to the Earth, the mother of all men and women.
The Church is a family, it is my family. I don’t want to wander from this subject and lose myself in useless chat. So allow me to go directly to the point and to bear witness to my family's life, the life of my parish, which is called MIPA (Mary Immaculate of Parcelles Assainies).
Building the Church
I have been living in Parcelles since 1980 and had the chance to participate in the edification of the life of MIPA Parish at the structural, organizational and spiritual level.
- Structural: I participated in manufacturing the bricks used for the construction of the church rooms and for the church itself.
- Organizational: I was a member of the animation group in charge of the sessions about the Eucharist. I worked with Father Enzo and Father Natalino, the founder of this group.
- Spiritual: I participated in the life of the Church by catechizing children and adults of the neighborhood.
Since I went with Father Enzo to visit families, some parents nicknamed me “Father Enzo;” others called me “the lazy person” because at this time I was unemployed. Sustained by the Holy Spirit, later my social status improved. A new strength, like a flame, revived my commitments.
After my marriage, I discovered another family, the one of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor (SFP). What a beautiful orientation to the Lord! This family helped us to concretely live the Christian life.
Becoming an Associate - Spreading the Charism
This is how I became an Associate while I was discovering the charism of Mother Frances Schervier, the Foundress of the SFP Congregation. In addition to my activities at the parish, I lead some activities with other SFP Associates: visits to the patients, visits to the poor families, meetings with married couples in trouble or young people who are preparing for marriage in the Church. With my collaboration with the Sisters, I would like to help them to spread their ministry to the suffering world in order to heal the wounds of the Crucified Christ.
Yes, dear Sisters and Associates, the world goes through a deep crisis. We may be motivated by fear because everything seems to work against consecrated life.
If faith loses its place in society, the natural and the spiritual family will collapse. To have a better life on this earth, every man and woman, son and daughter of God and brother/sister of Christ, must show compassion for his neighbor and never lose hope in God, the Creator.
Generating in Wounded Humanity the Capacity to Look Beyond
“. . . finding in the Risen Lord that light that gives meaning to every darkness.”
Sr. Vincenzina Raimondo, sfp
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As we try to explore in depth our Chapter Direction, “Generating compassion and hope in the Community of Life,” I am becoming aware of how much the gift of the charism we have received makes each one of us able to generate compassion and be concretely a sign of hope.
For some time God’s Providence has allowed me to encounter on my journey individuals with failed marriages who need to be listened to. These include both spouses who were separated from each other. In spite of suffering they have remained faithful to their vows. I also meet and talk with others who have started new relationships in the attempt to build a new life.
I encountered many faces and stories of loneliness and pain. How deep are their wounds! I wondered why these people felt the need to share their stories with me and what could be done to answer the questions they carried with them.
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| Sr. Vincenzina with a group of participants at the national gathering for families |
The inspiration came as I listened to Rita: “I could not accept the fact that in front of a judge I had to end a marriage that had lasted twenty-three years. I felt that, before becoming separated, we needed to ask for help from someone who would talk to me about mercy, and would show me the way of forgiveness. I wanted to listen, to question myself, and to understand why our relationship had become imbued with long silences and misunderstandings. I began wandering from one Church to another, trying to find moments of intimacy with God and looking for someone who would listen and talk to me with love without judging me. This is how I found the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor.”
With her asking for help, Rita had already begun her journey toward hope. During this journey she gave voice to others who, just like her, felt the need to be listened to, but also to be helped to live this painful experience with dignity. I invited Rita to speak with the Bishop. We began a discernment with him about possibly initiating in our Diocese a specific program of spiritual support for individuals who are separated and live with a partner who is not their spouse.
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“I began wandering from one Church to another, trying to find moments of intimacy with God and looking for someone who would listen and talk to me with love without judging me. This is how I found the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor.” – Rita
The monthly meetings are centered on deepening Gospel themes that can help their suffering and give individuals who feel isolated or alienated the warmth of friendship. These meetings give the opportunity for the group to feel like a family within a larger family: the Church, as children of the same Father and brothers and sisters of Christ.
Rita’s courage made possible a reality that is becoming a visible sign of God’s mercy, while giving Mother Frances the great opportunity to become part of families and heal their wounds.
Thus I found myself living, almost spontaneously, our Chapter Direction -- welcoming separation with compassion, generating in the wounded individuals the ability to look beyond, finding in the Risen Lord that light that gives meaning to every darkness.
Parish and Family Life: Deeply Intertwined
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“Becoming an SFP Associate has deepened my understanding of community by strengthening my commitment to the Franciscan spirituality of compassion and hope.” |
Joan Mills, Associate
[Joan serves as a Pastoral Associate at St. Aloysius Parish in Shandon, Ohio.]
I have fond memories of growing up in a small community: our family, church, and community were totally integrated, thanks in large part to the leadership and inspiration brought by the Franciscan Friars and Sisters. The Franciscan Sisters taught us not only that we are we connected to our families, but we are also connected to the members in our parish community. The two, parish life and family life, are deeply intertwined.
Today, however, I think that our culture is blurring this connection. We live in a society where families are ruled by busy schedules: work, school, practice for sports or music, meetings, and much more. With family members running in every direction, they rarely make time to celebrate together even Eucharist on Sundays…and faith formation is often put on the back burner. To my mind, 'faith formation' is ecclesial. That is, faith formation is directed by the church for the purpose of building up the church as a community of faithful followers of Jesus.
“The church of the home and the church of the parish are bound together in a perpetual cycle of formation and affirmation." |
Although faith formation is ecclesial, home is the center of a child’s universe. It is where they learn about human love, care and concern for others, and how to live in community. Homes are sacred places where we are offered the opportunity daily to witness to Christ’s love. It is an often 'unrecognized' privilege, and a challenge! Yet, all that we do flows from our mutual and personal Eucharistic celebration.
Parishes form people in the faith by the way they celebrate sacraments and cycle through the liturgical year. To do this successfully, parishes must also cultivate a sense of community through social events, and warm, inclusive, welcoming hospitality. Parishes must help families understand that faith formation is an ongoing and lifelong process, not simply something you 'learn' in a Catholic grade school. If families are not immersed in the liturgical life of the Church I believe that our world will continue to be broken.
We live in a culture that almost slavishly reveres individualism. A parish celebrates 'community' in community! The parish is a community where people come together to share their faith, to celebrate the liturgy together, and to partake of the Eucharist. Community is integral to our faith. The roots of a community must run deep because it is the community that strengthens, encourages, and brings hope to each member - and at some time in his or her life, each member needs this support.
“For the SFP, hope means being faithful to God’s way no matter where it leads. …It means claiming God’s Spirit within us, especially the spirit of Joy." |
The church of the home and the church of the parish are bound together in a perpetual cycle of formation and affirmation. What happens in the parish church – the ritual life of the people of God –makes sense only when we see how it uplifts and gives meaning to our everyday lives. By the same token, parish communities are vibrant only when they seek to serve the domestic church (family life), for it is there that God is first experienced. Parish life and family life, it’s all connected.
Becoming an SFP Associate has deepened my understanding of community by strengthening my commitment to the Franciscan spirituality of compassion and hope. It has given me a greater awareness of our connectedness, and of our connection to a much larger community. For the SFP, hope means being faithful to God’s way no matter where it leads. It means putting our wholehearted effort and enthusiasm into building up the kingdom of God on earth. It means never giving in to cynicism, never giving up when faced with what seems to be impossible. It means claiming God’s Spirit within us, especially the spirit of Joy. For me, hope is a steadfast anchor of my soul, resting firmly on the bedrock of parish, family and Franciscan life!
Life at St. Jude’s Parish in Jataí:
Meeting the Risen Christ and Building God’s Church at Home
“There is a growing desire to attain full communion and fulfillment in the life of the family and community...”
Sister Helena Paula Carvalho, SFP
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| Couples’ Encounter with Christ |
The Jataí families who participate in the activities of St. Jude Thaddeus Parish are reliable, generous and creative. Most couples are involved in several ministries and also belong to Couples’ Encounter with Christ. They also manage many internal and external activities with newcomers. These couples help the new parishioners meet the Risen Christ and to build his Church at home, as God’s family, grounded in grace, forgiveness, communion and fraternal charity.
In light of our Charism and witness -- and as a member of this Couples’ Encounter with Christ Movement, I have been wanting to kindle in the life of these families the desire to “generate compassion and hope in the community of life.” My experience of inviting the families to this calling that we received as SFP’s is shown in the practice of the works of mercy as described in Matthew 25: 31-46: a concrete life experience with the person of Jesus.
This work with families is interconnected with parish activities. In light of our Chapter Direction, this challenges us to build communion among all creatures and us as brothers and sisters. This constant search for global harmony implies care, zeal, discipline, abnegation, service, commitment, perseverance, availability, love and faith. It means constant care for all dimensions of life since God has given us the means to fulfill this mission.
While living side by side as families who share in each other's struggles, sufferings, losses and joys, we perceive a constant thirst for the continual search for God. There is a growing desire to attain full communion and fulfillment in the life of the family and community, a call to conversion, a change both of attitude and heart in the sharing of goods and services.
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| “We perceive a constant thirst for the continual search for God.” |
These are ways of witnessing that show the path toward true conversion, sanctification and renunciation of earthly goods. These are examples that impel others to change their lives while exercising a way to “generate compassion and hope,” unity and peace in the parish community where all gather together to share the same Bread and the same Chalice. It is here where all are brothers and sisters, members of one and the same family.
May God continue to be present in our lives with his grace and give us physical, mental and spiritual health so that we may be light, salt and yeast in the community of life. May we contemplate all creatures with reverence to generate compassion and hope within our hearts. May we side with the needy, the outcast, those who are discriminated against and follow the example of Mother Frances, who felt a fire of holy love for her neighbor burning within her heart as she embraced God’s project to serve the poor.
Copyright 2009 Franciscan Sisters of the Poor