God expects us to carry our cross-Bishop John H. Ricard (2008 Palm Sunday)

“We may not feel compelled to literally carry a cross along a busy highway, but God expects us to carry our crosses upon the highways of our lives. The Christian is one who embraces the cross, knowing God will ultimately deliver us from suffering and death.” (A quote from Bishop John H. Ricard’s 2008 Palm Sunday Homily)

Palm Sunday procession leads Christ to his passion, and to eternal life for us

A major Franciscan devotion is the Passion of Christ. Check out this powerful reflection by Msgr. Reed, who is chancellor of the Pensacola-Tallahassee Diocese: palm-sunday-procession-leads-christ-to-his-passion-and-to-eternal-life-for-us.pdf.

SFO Bulletin Ad

The first thing Secular Franciscans must remember when recruiting members to the Order, is that this recruitment must not be done only because we want to grow, but because we want to share our Franciscan vocation with other Catholics, and help them see if they have a calling from God to join the SFO.

Here is a sample bulletin ad you can use at your parish for Franciscan recruitment:

 

Are you an 18 or older Catholic, single or married, who feels a desire for living a life of simplicity? Have you ever felt a desire to join a fraternal society in the Church? Do you have a special love for nature, the Eucharist, Mary, and for helping out the poor? If you answered yes to any one of these questions, our Lord Jesus Christ might be calling you to live the Gospel in the spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi, and to become a Secular Franciscan (Third Order Franciscan). The [State the name of your fraternity, the city and the state your fraternity is located], is always welcoming new members to their fraternity. To learn more about the Secular Franciscan Order, and in particular about the [State the name of your fraternity], visit their web site: [State the web address of your fraternity] If you have any more questions about the Secular Franciscan Order, you can contact [State the name of your fraternity's minister and his/her email address] and [State your name and your email address].

Pro-Life YouTube

A major element of Franciscan spirituality is living the Gospel of Life. Here is powerful Pro-Life videos by Fr. Pavone:

http://www.youtube.com/frfrankpavone

Francis As the Model of Authentic Church Reform by Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput

Read “Francis As the Model of Authentic Church Reform” by Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput at:

http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?id=4652