St. Katherine Drexel Regional Fraternity
Regional Spiritual Assistant
St. Francis Renewal Center
1901 Prior Road
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
tel: (302) 798-1454 fax: (302)
798-3360
email: fr.francis_sariego_ofmcap@juno.com
November, 2009
Dear
Sisters and Brothers,
The Lord give you his peace!
There
is a rather interesting inscription at a bridge near the city of Naples in Italy. The
inscription reads: In Pordenone you feast - in Naples
you die - I am going to Naples. I have absolutely no idea who or why this was placed there; nor do I have
any idea what meaning the inscription was meant to convey. However, remembering this unusual site, and thinking about it the
other day, a thought did come that I would like to share with you, as we celebrate this month the feast of our Patron, Saint
Elizabeth of Hungary.
No
one seems to have lost any sleep over those words, yet, when we reflect upon them in light of the Gospel we have accepted
to follow, they “pack a wallop!” Why the cities of Pordenone and
Naples were singled out, is irrelevant. What really matters is the contrast between “feast” and “death”
and the choice made “to die”, in Naples. The traditionally happy-go-lucky
character always attributed to the Neapolitan people in the past, baffles why someone would attribute “death”
to a place that has always been so “lively”. The words begin to take
on a meaning when we remember that there is a big difference between life and Life, and how we advance and/or are led from
one to the Other.
Imagine
these words were written by someone who decided to leave the “partying” of an easy, comfortable, and pleasing
lifestyle, and whose ultimate choice was commitment, surrender, sacrifice, challenges that eventually lead to “death”
... “death” of all that would control and overpower, especially the “ego”. While the assumption is
far-fetched, the reflection is very “theo”-logical. The decision most obviously leads to a more elevated and profoundly
meaningful life “dying” for the sake of Life. The Church offers us various ways of reflecting on this truth of
our faith, less sought out by many but still an ever-present and essential companion on our journey.
The
month of November traditionally commemorates those who have gone before us; those who have experienced the ultimate moment
in the journey of human life; those whose masks are taken off, to whom the “mysteries of faith” are revealed,
and for whom eternity envelopes time “forever”. We remember them. They journeyed life with us and before us and have now entered the timeless realm
of eternity. They were where we are; we shall be where they are! This
sobering thought encourages us to offer prayers for them, as well as prayers to them.
The celebration of their lives helps us to focus on a reality that many try not to think about, but that no human being
can avoid, our own mortality, that should place all things in perspective. Our
own Seraphic Father, St. Francis of Assisi, approaching death, asked that these words be added to his Canticle of the
Creatures: Praised be you, my Lord, for Sister Bodily Death, from whom no
living person can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin. Blessed are those
whom death will find in your most holy will, for the second death shall do them no harm.
As strange as it can seem at first sight, November is not a month of macabre thoughts on death - all the contrary! November celebrates the three levels of life from its beginning at conception to its
destiny fulfilled in Heaven. With All Saints, All Souls, and we the Faithful who commemorate and celebrate them, the truth
of the Communion of Saints becomes more vivid, and the relationship in grace that exists among all God’s children becomes
more apparent and reassuring.
The
Church in Heaven, the Church Triumphant, reaps the fruits of lives lived ultimately in God’s will and grace: Since
you were dependable in a small matter ... Come, share your master’s joy! (cfr. Matthew 25: 14-30) Come, you have
my Father’s blessing! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. (cfr. Matthew 25: 31-46)
The Church in Purgatory, the Church Suffering, lives in the Eternal Mercy and Compassion of God , awaiting there acceptance
to the fullness of life: It was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement
for the dead that they might be free from this sin. (cfr. 2 Maccabees 12: 43-46) The fire itself will test the quality
of each one’s work...The person will be saved, but only through fire. (1 Corinthians 3: 13-15) The Church
on Earth, the Church Militant, lives in the Providence of God’s Love that guides and guards us as we journey seeking
to fulfill the purpose for our existence as we advance from life to Life. O Father most holy, protect them with your name
which you have given me...I guarded them with your name. (cfr. John 17: 11-19) Do not worry about your life ... Can
any of you by worrying add a moment to your life-span? ... If God so clothes the grass in the field that grows today and is
thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you? (cfr. Luke: 12: 22-34)
In
light of this, the inscription finds credibility that makes sense in this often chaotic world in which we live. Who wants “death”! No one! So, Who can give a
positive meaning to such a negative expression? There is only One! He goes so
far as to encourage people to follow a “death defying” choice and confront that “demon” face-to-face. The Author of “Project Die to Live” is none other than Jesus Himself. Jesus offers powerful and incisive judgments on those who see only this life and its
amenities as their goal: Woe to you rich ... Woe to you who are satisfied ... Woe to you who now laugh ... Woe to you when
everyone speaks well of you ... (Luke 6:24). He praises those who willingly
detach themselves from the accolades and applause of society, and are able to avoid the pitfalls of being brought down by
those who create false securities and ineffective protective barriers of self-centeredness and self-sufficiency, without the
One Who is the Source of all good. Jesus proclaims: Blessed are you when they insult you, when they persecute you, and
falsely say every sort of thing against you because of me ... (Matthew 5:11). Jesus
completes his words saying to His followers: No one has greater love than the one who gives his life ... (John 15:
13) The integrity of the Person of Christ and the credibility of His words is eventually manifested to all when He Himself
accepts to die an ignominious death on the cross, pardoning, encouraging, loving, surrendering Himself totally to the Will
of the Father.
How
do we respond to this powerful challenge to choose “the road less traveled”?
Do we have the courage to choose? And it does take courage! We Gospel-charged-Christians,
followers of Christ, sisters and brothers of the Poverello of Assisi, often seek comfort rather than concern, compromise rather
than commitment. At times we even walk the delicate line between sin or virtue, indifference or passion, rather than a life
of total surrender and abandonment “without gloss” to the Will of the Father.
As beautiful as Creation is because it comes from God, we have allowed it to become a place that speaks of the “death”
of ideals, an avoiding of sacrifice, a refusal to decisively commit oneself to a life of faithful and moral integrity. We Franciscans have pledged not to allow the “spirit of the world” to
erode our hearts and confuse our minds with thoughts that deny the power of God’s effective grace. What the world calls absurd, we say makes sense. What the
world sees as futile, we see as possible. What the world sees as useless, we see as purposeful. What the world sees as “death”,
we see as the portal to Life, when we allow all things to work together for the good: We do not get angry about the past,
when we learn from the experience; we do not fear the future, when we believe, trust, and love an all-providing God;
we look around in awareness, in order to see the wonder, goodness, glory, majesty of God ... to see God calling us
to live in His Presence.
St
Elizabeth of Hungary faced many incisive choices that would have a powerful impact on her brief life. Her own parents, the regents of Hungary, according to the customs of the times for those in positions of
authority, would betroth her while she was still a child (4 years old) to the son of the landgrave of Thuringia. This choice, made for her, would deprive her of the loving presence of her biological family. She becomes
a pilgrim and a stranger from the cradle. The son she was betrothed to
marry, according to historians, died and so, in order to keep faith to the contract of betrothal, she was immediately betrothed
to the second son, Ludwig, who would prove to be a blessed choice; he too is considered a saint in the Church. A storybook,
“live happy ever after marriage” came to an abrupt end when Elizabeth was pregnant with their third child, Gertrude,
and her husband, Ludwig, died. Elizabeth was “deposed” and evicted from the castle and sent to beg from the very
poor she had so lovingly assisted. Even the poor whom she encountered treated her with contempt, one to the point of pushing
her into a puddle of muddy water.
While
all this seems like so much “doom and gloom”, it is not so. Yes,
Elizabeth had a terrible time and was deprived of much. Choices were made for her, choices she most definitely would not have
made. The “feasting”, that lasted so briefly, had stopped. The “dying”
that began when she left her parental home in Hungary, would now be her companion the rest of her life. There were “bright
moments”. But, they were few. She became the target of court intrigue and
family rivalry. Her response to all this was tears and heartache for the plight of her children, but an open and forgiving
heart for those who hurt her.
Becoming
a Secular Franciscan, she accepted to live the Gospel life in simplicity and submitted herself to the spiritual direction
of a priest of rather strong and imposing character. Eventually her children,
now under the care of the family of Ludwig, were given their rightful succession. Elizabeth chose
to remain in a castle provided for her that she had transformed into a hospital
where she cared for the poor, sick, and infirm. Her response to the “choices”
made for her during her life, that most people would have run away from as soon as there were able, was to make her own choice
and say, “your will and not mine be done, Lord”. To the proud rowdy
eyes of the world, resigned to the values of today’s society, consecrating oneself to the Lord is equal to failure. To the eyes of Christ Who died on the cross for love of us this means becoming the
perfect person and to walk the road of heroism and blessedness.
Who
knows if the anonymous author of that statement on the milestone ever thought of the profound meditation people would be able
to make when they read those words. Life is a journey and a mission. Life is a gift to offer in faith and love. Life is a daily
dying in order to have and give Life. St. Elizabeth’s response even from those she benefited, was derision, rejection and even persecution - Unless one dies,
he/she cannot hope to find Life. Elizabeth gave of herself totally for the sake of those less fortunate than she until, again,
a choice was made for her by the One in Whose Love she had always sought to live, when He called her to Himself from her time
to His Eternal Love. The paradox of the Gospel Message is so often difficult
to hear but eternally rewarding for those who accept the challenge.
As
a true daughter of St. Francis of Assisi, undeniably St. Elizabeth learned how to disarm her heart to others. She discovered
her “vocation” and would accept it with all her heart. It is indispensable to have clear ideals and values, dreams
and visions to enflesh in our life. To discover, direct and follow our vocation
we have to be open to the circumstances of life and accept what the Lord permits to challenge our decisions and actions. St. Elizabeth, rooted in her love for the Suffering Christ, Crucified poor and stripped
of all dignity, found the fullness of Life when she chose “to die” for love of Him Who died and rose for us.
St.
Elizabeth of Hungary, pray for us. Help us to take “the road less traveled” of joyful
detachment from all that would possess us. May we, your spiritual sisters and
brothers in the Secular Seraphic Family, share with you in the royal feast prepared eternally for all who were called and
accepted to be “Heralds of the Great King”.
May God bless you; Our Lady guide, guard, and protect you; may our Seraphic Father St.
Francis of Assisi watch over each one of you, his Spiritual Children, with loving care... and may our holy patron, St. Elizabeth
of Hungary pray for us, as we seek to live the Gospel each day.
Peace
and Blessings
Fr.
Francis A. Sariego, O.F.M. Cap.
Regional
Spiritual Assistant
