C reation, earth, sun, moon, sky, water, birds, animals, etc. have a central place in our Franciscan

spirituality and relationship to God. For Francis Creation was a reflection of the goodness and beauty of God. It formed a sort of prayer book enabling him to break into praise of God. Francis’s great insight and teaching is that creatures are fellow children of God, brothers and sisters, like Brother Sun and Sister Moon. All of creation, even its tiniest elements, need reverence and care. He would pick up a worm from a path where he was walking lest it be stepped on.

Creation in our Franciscan tradition is sacred. No, it is not part of God, but when God entered into our human world, taking on flesh in the Incarnation of Jesus, all of creation’s meaning and value was caught up in that same enfleshment. God made all of it holy in becoming a fellow creature. Just as our relationship to one another is an expression of our relationship to God, so our relationship to creatures also shows our love for God

Today Creation is in great trouble. We human beings have seriously wounded it by our carelessness and abuse. Unfortunately we have thought that the earth and its resources are things to be used and exploited as much as our power permits. We have done so without regard for other current occupants of the earth and without concern for its future inhabitants. We have tended to see ourselves as the owners with a right to total domination. We have forgotten that God owns the earth and we are merely stewards. One of our Catholic and Franciscan concerns has to be that all of us are children of God and brothers and sisters in God’s family. Even if we do not see some of these issues directly effecting us, we must still be concerned when it effects others because we are the one family. Much of the harm that we have done is already irreversible, but we can at least stop adding to the damage and in some ways may bring healing. There are many ecological concerns and it would take a week of workshops to address them properly and some of your may know these far better than I. I can only make some reference to a few of these.

One of the first concerns to come to mind is the global warming. There is more and more evidence of how this is already adversely effecting the earth. When we burn fossil fuels, carbon monoxide is poured into the air. The carbon monoxide begins to eat up the ozone layer which is a protective layer against the sun’s harmful rays which cause skin cancer. It also has the effect of reducing the heat of the sun. Several effects of this raised temperature have already been observed. One effect is that the polar ice caps begin to melt. The released water goes into the ocean and raises the level of the ocean. The increased ocean water pushes back the shore line forcing coastal inhabitants to move inland to higher ground. At least one island, previously inhabited has been totally covered over forcing its inhabitants to relocate. Just this week scientists reported that the perma-frost in Siberia has melted in an area the size of Germany and France combined. The perma-frost cannot be replaced until there is another ice age. These ice fields are the habitation of certain species. Their destruction spells the end of those species; the loss of a species effects the whole life chain.

The global warming is raising the temperatures of the ocean. This has been scientifically measured and noted. It is this warmer ocean water that spawns hurricanes. An increase of these has been noted this summer.

While we cannot undo the harm that has already been done, we can at least stop adding to it. We can help to reduce this by cutting down on our use of carbon monoxide producing motors, such as our automobiles, power mowers, boats, and the generators that produce our electricity. We can review our use of electrify in our homes to find ways to reduce it. We can look at times we might walk or use a bicycle instead of a car, or car pool, cut back on trips to the market, choose vacation spots closer to home.

Ecological responsibility also has to look to issues of waste, consumption of paper and use of toxic pesticides, fertilizers and household cleaning products which get back into the water tables and atmosphere. Forests are needed to take in the rainfall and put moisture back into the atmosphere. Deforestation leads to drought and creeping destertification. Use of paper is one of the substantial contributors to cutting down the forests. It takes something like 35 acres of a forest to produce one Sunday edition of the New York Times. Think about the combined effect of all the newspapers across the country, adding to that our use of paper for computers and household paper products. Think about ways to use less: perhaps with a little more work we can use glasses and ceramic cups or washable cloths for wiping. We can look for post-consumer-use paper products. Recycling should be taken seriously. Send plastics as much as possible to recycling. Don’t buy all the latest electronics; the old ones are probably quite good. If you must buy new ones be sure to recycle or find some poorer person who would be glad to use the old. Find environmentally friendly household cleansers, pesticides, and fertilizers.

It is impossible for me to adequately treat this topic in this short of space. I simply would like to point to and emphasize a Franciscan point of view. The earth in all its aspects is a brother or sister to us. We would no more harm it for our own comfort and convenience than we would to a brother or sister. Caring for the earth and not selfishly consuming its limited resources can be a part of the simplicity of life required by a Franciscan spirituality. We are looking to participate in a sustainable way of life, so that the earth can sustain a decent level of existence for all of God’s creatures, human, animate, and inanimate today and into the future. This calls for some constant review of life, and, at times, conversion of thinking and behavior, and an evangelical spirit by which we seek to help other become more aware, reflective and environmentally responsible. Ecology and a Franciscan response would make a good topic for a series of fraternity meetings.

Ecology by Fr. Colman Nolan, ST

W hen you come to think about it, the universe in which we live is a magnificent gift that’s worked its way into our vocabulary and everyday language.

For example: We say:"The idea struck me like a bolt of lightning!" Or: "Joe got into a fight, and he realized that he had a tiger by the tail! And that was just the tip of the iceberg! When Joe tried to explain to the boss what happened , the boss said to himself, ‘There’s something fishy here; I smell a rat!’ And here Joe had been thinking he had something to crow about! Instead, he knew he’d stepped into quicksand. So he stopped pussy-footing around. He cut the monkey business and he took the bull by the horns ...Finally, he let the cat out of the bag!"

There are many more examples of how the natural world has impressed us too. We’ve formalized it in naming some of our professional sports teams: The Atlanta Falcons, the Baltimore Orioles, and Miami Dolphins ….

What does this indicate? It’s evidence that we’re impressed by the good characteristics and features within nature and adopted them as reference points for learning about human life, activity, and evaluation. And it́s right in harmony with human nature, with our ability to extract lessons not only from human conduct but also from the world around us. This dynamic is deep enough that you can conclude that God, our Father-Creator, made us this way and created the universe this way for our salvation as well as for his own honor and glory.

So: we’d better respect the majestic universe that surrounds us. Keep it the way the all-wise Creator fashioned it, as the stage for our road to eternity.

Now, we could get dog tired of trying to be absolutely purrfect in appreciating and preserving the balance in this natural house of ours, its animals, vegetables, and minerals. Our Christian faith tells us we want them not only to look good but also serve humanity for the long run. That would mean our responsibility in the use of resources and the preservation of resources. We have help too! Seeing God’s hand in all of creation, we all can be inspired to care for the quality of human life, so that we -- and those folks in the future too -- can serve God in dignity and go on, in turn, discovering his divine wisdom and providence. Isn’t that part of the flow of Divine Revelation?

Saint Francis is a great model in appreciating creation and the human values connected with it.

This would be a good attitude to develop: the habit of gracefully and happily sensing God’s balancing, merciful hand in the details of life around us. Then with confidence we can say, "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" And: "Every cloud has a silver lining."

When you come to think about ecology, it doesn’t make sense for us to bury our heads in the sand, or act like bird brains, or be stubborn as mules, or let careless people get our goats. Nor should we wait till the cows come home.

Better, we should humbly keep trying to lead the horses to water! And keep trying to be wise old owls ourselves!

Connect, Disconnect

by Wayne Woodward

A pristine mountain stream, a high alpine meadow, filled with flowers and birdsong. Sky. Earth, air,. Water, sunlight.......

A quiet church, a tabernacle containing the body of Jesus, a hard wooden pew and kneeler, a confessional, the examination of conscience.

Connect, disconnect, ...connect- penance and ecology- where are the connections?

Like a Ven diagram with overlapping circles, our common areas must begin with our perception of who we are inside, and how we relate to whatever is outside- --where does one end, and the other begin? As two year olds, our image of self includes that which is inside as well as whatever is immediately outside, and is desirable, is mine. Mine, mine, mine!

Theoretically, at least, as we mature, we learn to share with those around us and to distinguish between mine, ours, their’s. My driver’s license, our car, their Brussels sprouts. We respect no trespassing signs, we drive on “our” side of the road, and we don’t take the last piece of toast on the plate. We become aware of the notion of community, and of the needs and rights of others. Other people. As we continue to mature, our boundaries continue to expand. Past our noses, past our skin, in the world out there; what is mine, what is ours, what is theirs.. And who is “theirs” anyway? With what am I connected, how am I connected, and who else is connected?

Awareness causes us to look at notions of exploitation and selfishness, exploitation and greed, exploitation and a general disrespect for the needs of others around me. In our country, in today’s culture, if I buy this land, I can do what I want with it---mine. Put up a fence, collect old cars, make an amphitheater or a new housing development.

What is not so clear, or at least, what can’t seem to be agreed upon, are those things in creation which are commonly shared: the air we breathe, the water we drink, our “public”lands, it’s wildlife, flora and fauna. Some, like the prodigal son, reason that if a small part of this is mine, I want my part now--- I’ll take it and get out of here. “Earth First- we’ll log the other planets later” the sticker says.

Others see a bigger piece of the puzzle: what is here now and belongs to us all, should be here later, and still belong to us all, but now “us” is our kids and their kids, and the kids across the ocean and there would be something unfair about having no passenger pigeons, ivory billed woodpeckers, old growth forests, wilderness areas, or clean air and water in their world.. We come to penance when we realize there is something wrong with our relationships: with God, with the church, with our brothers and sisters, and, hopefully, given time and open dialog, with our environment.

As we reflect on our relationship with our own environment, and our common practices, should we not be truly called brothers and sisters of penance?

Mary, Queen of Angels...

by Wayne Woodward

O n August 22^nd, we celebrated the feast day of The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In his homily that day, Father Bill shared an insight that helped me better appreciate the role of Mary in our spiritual journey. Being a convert to Catholicism, I‘m still filling in gaps most folks don’t have.

In our culture and time, we think of queen as the wife of the king. In Jesus’ day, and back in Hebrew history, the king often had multiple wives, but none of them was his queen. His queen was his mom, the queen mother. While a good king provided for the needs of his people and kingdom, he was often preoccupied with the mechanics- making rules, maintaining order and discipline, internal and external politics, so...he often did not have the ear of the common citizen.

On the other hand, the queen mother, who didn’t have the weighty responsibilities of state, did have the time and the inclination to listen to the little people around her. And... she did have the ear of her son. It was common practice in those days to go to the queen mother and enlist her support;. Even ask her to intercede on your behalf.

Father said, and I think rightly so, that unless we have this little piece of the puzzle, we often miss the intent and concept of intercessory prayer, and the natural role Marry plays in our prayerful relationship with her son, Jesus. Of course, the analogy isn’t perfect, we don’t believe Jesus is “too busy” with bigger things to hear and help his people, but it does help to understand our doctrine of Mary’s assumption, her being seated at Jesus’ right hand, and the value we place on her intercession on our behalf.

Birthdays

September

10 Marie Nordin

29 George Loftus

May you discover kernels of wisdom hidden in unwanted experiences. May you know the freedom from attachment on the wings of God’s will. May you be blessed with the beauty of sunrise deep within your being.

Pilgrims Reflections

For all men were by nature foolish who were in ignorance of God, and who from the good things seen did not succeed in knowing HIM who is, and from studying the works did not discern the artisan. (Wisdom 13:1)

The intricacy of a butterfly’s wing. The intimacy of a wedding night. The majesty of a towering, jagged, snow-covered mountain. The fragility and strength of a spider’s web. The crash of the tide. The splash of the rain. A crash from the sky. The ash from a fire.

The thunder of Beethoven’s Ninth. The whisper of a child’s song. The strum of a guitar on a quiet Mexican night. The bashing of drums ‘round the tribal fire. The cry of a sax. The sigh of a cello. The reply of an echo. The flight of the voice.

The colors of Van Gogh at Aries. The precision of Leonardo da Vinci. The stroke of a genius on a massive blank canvas. The finger painting of a child on a refrigerator door. The cool of marble. The spool of a seamstress. The tool of the craftsman.

In all these and many more we who believe in God discern the firm, gentle hand of the Artisan of all, the ultimate Creator of our world and all our masterpieces.

Lord, may I always see you in the wonders I behold. - by Steve Givens, from Living Faith

submitted by Marie Nordin

If your heart were right, then every created thing would be a mirror of life for you and a book of holy teaching, for there is no creature so small and worthless that it does not show forth the goodness of God. -Fr. Thomas A Kempis

BJORN LOMBORG: "I have not heard of any problems with the ordinary plastics we use for food."
GP RESPONSE: Bis-phenol-A, a common component in plastics, including those used to wrap food, is now suspected to be a major endocrine disruption. Endocrine disruptors will likely be one of the major emerging health findings of the 21st century. - from the Grinning Planet, saving the planet one joke at a time.

In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We only love what we understand. We only understand what we are taught." -Babia Dioum Senegalese Ecologist

Catholics believe that all creation is good and that evil is the wrong use of good and that without grace we use it wrong most of the time. -Flannery O’Connor

Rule, Constitution, Reflection...

Rule: Article 18– Moreover they should respect all creatures, animate and inanimate, which “bear the imprint of the Most High,” and they should strive to move from the temptation of exploiting creation to the Franciscan concept of universal kinship. (See also Catholic Catechism #’s: 307, 339, 340,344, 373,2415, 2416 and Dan 3:61-81; Math 6:26)

Constitution: Article 12-#1: They should bear witness to this faith (the revelation of the Father) before all...in their fraternal relationships with all creatures. #3...They should seek to discover the presence of the Father in their own heart, in nature, and in the history of humanity in which His plan of salvation is fulfilled. The contemplation of this mystery will dispose them to collaborate in this loving plan.

Reflection: -by Pope John Paul 11, 2002

At the beginning of history, man and woman sinned by disobeying God and rejecting His design for creation. Among the results of this first sin was the destruction of the original harmony of creation. If we examine carefully the social and environmental crisis which the world community is facing, we must conclude that we are still betraying the mandate God has given us: to be stewards called to collaborate with God in watching over creation in holiness and wisdom.
God has not abandoned the world. It is His will that His design and our hope for it will be realized through our cooperation in restoring its original harmony. In our own time we are witnessing a growth of an ecological awareness which needs to be encouraged, so that it will lead to practical programs and initiatives. An awareness of the relationship between God and humankind brings a fuller sense of the importance of the relationship between human beings and the natural environment, which is God's creation and which God entrusted to us to guard with wisdom and love (cf. Gen 1:28).
Respect for creation stems from respect for human life and dignity. It is on the basis of our recognition that the world is created by God that we can discern an objective moral order within which to articulate a code of environmental ethics. In this perspective, Christians and all other believers have a specific role to play in proclaiming moral values and in educating people in ecological awareness, which is none other than responsibility towards self, towards others, towards creation.
What is required is an act of repentance on our part and a renewed attempt to view ourselves, one another, and the world around us within the perspective of the divine design for creation. The problem is not simply economic and technological; it is moral and spiritual. A solution at the economic and technological level can be found only if we undergo, in the most radical way, an inner change of heart, which can lead to a change in lifestyle and of unsustainable patterns of consumption and production. A genuine conversion in Christ will enable us to change the way we think and act.

Formation Thoughts By Marci Woodward

In preparing this issue of MQoA, my environmental concious level has been raised. I’m thinking that I won’t be sharing walks with my grandchildren past the beautiful wheatfields around our neighborhood. One such area has already been filled in with houses. According to what I read in the Press, it won’t be long before the rest of the prairie follows suit.

From the radio I hear that Spokane air quality finally meets Federal levels of safety. Still our area in on the bottom of the rung for air health. Air quality if I understand correctly was not a factor of grass burning but emissions of one sort and another. While I smirk to myself about those who find the burning so obnoxious---wondering if they care about covering up a prairie and how one developer wants to cram in more houses---, I learn about the lethal nature of chlorine or sodium hypochloites I use all through my house in laundry and dish soaps and just about every container I pick up. And then there are the mornings I get up wondering why I feel like a hangover hit...knowing full well that the junk foods I allow in the delicate environment I call my body are extracting a price. I can’t help thinking God must be shaking his head. Speaking of shaky heads...perhaps you’ve noticed a fair number of them in this area. I do because I’ve got one. It’s labeled benign essential tremor. I’ve noticed incredibly more in this area than any other state I’ve lived . One of the possible causes is toxcicity. All the metal/mining around here?

Nature, like its Creator, can forgive a great deal. I for one need to get reconciled with it. As the seasons begin changing, this might be a good time for all of us to take a second look at our relationship with creation. Here is an examination by Keith Warner, OFM whch might help us get back on track:.

An Ecological Examination of Conscience

+Have I been aware of the handiwork of God in all things? +Have I been quick to dispose of resources rather than take the time to reuse, or recycle them? +Have I genuinely tried to reduce my consumption of material goods so that I may tread less heavily on the earth? +Have I been conscious of buying with the goal of reduced packaging? +Have I been giving proper respect to all living things, which have the breath of the Holy Spirit within them? +Have I tried to find natural alternatives to the harmful chemicals I use in my life? +Have I tried to conserve our fossil fuels by reducing driving, by insulating, by lowering my thermostat, by maximizing the warmth of the sun? +When was the last time I enjoyed a walk in nature? +Do I thank God for the wondrous way He provides for our bodily needs? +Have I tried to conserve our precious water resources? +Have I been thoughtful of those who have little when I have much? +Have I evaluated my home or office for energy efficiency? +Have I tried to preserve nature for our children, grandchildren, and beyond? +have I written to companies with poor environmental records to boycott their products? +Have I spent time in prayer in nature? +Do I use disposable items often, or try to use durable items? +Am I aware of how my presence impacts the world, in positive ways - in negative ways? +Do I ask for forgiveness when I have used my power as a human inappropriately? +Do I treat the earth and the creatures as I would want them to treat me? +Do I thank God for the fresh air, water, and clean soil? +In what ways have I failed to act to protect the earth from desecration?

The Two Shall Become One

Excepts from “The Two Shall Become One Flesh” by Fr. Raniero Cantalamess, OFM Cap., preacher to the papal household.

Jesus loves and admires the Father with boundless love. Every day, in the Mass, he wants to offer him the most precious gift imaginable - the gift of his very own life. In the Mass he invites all of his brothers and sisters to put their own signature on the gift, and in that way the gift comes to God the Father as a gift from all his children...but we know that in reality there is only one who paid the price...

Our signatures on the gift are the little drops of water that are mixed into the wine in the chalice... Above all, our signatures are given in the solemn Amen...Now we know that a person who signs an undertaking takes on the responsibility of honoring his signature. This means that we too, just as Jesus has done, ought to make of our own life a gift of love to the Father...that is, of the whole of your life, a living ‘Eucharist.’...to be a Eucharist. St. Francis of Assisi showed that he grasped this very clearly when he wrote to his brothers: “Keep nothing for yourselves, so that he who has given himself wholly to you may receive you wholly”...

The letter to the Ephesians says that human marriage is a symbol of the union of Christ and the Church....a man shall leave...and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh...Applied to the Eucharist, this means that the incorruptible and life-giving flesh of the Incarnate Word becomes mine, and also that my flesh, my whole human reality, becomes Christ’s, truly his very own...

No one can now say: “Ah, Jesus doesn’t know what it is to be married, to be a woman, to have lost a child, to be ill, to grow old...If you know what any of those things mean, he knows too, thanks to you, because you belong to him. Christ’s human experience, during his existence on earth, was limited just as that of every human being...All that was “wanting” to the fullness of the “incarnation” of the Word is “made up” in the Eucharist...Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity shows that she understood well what Christ wanted...”The betrothed belongs to her spouse. He who is mine has taken me. He wants me to be a kind of addition to his humanity”...How inexhaustibly we can be moved, filled with awe and consolation, as we approach communion in the Eucharist!

Prayer Needs

• for the victims of hurricane and natural disasters

• for continued health of Sally

• safe delivery of Woodward’s grandson

• the Pope’s intentions

• NAFRA meetings 9/20-25

Calendar

September

3 Council Meeting ??

8 Birth of Mary

10 Franciscan booth at St. George’s

14 Triumph of the Cross

11 SFO gathering 1pm

Paul - ongoing formation on Work

17 Stigmata of St. Francis

26 Elzear and Delphina, OFS’s

29 Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael

Bill Ballinger, minister 208-623-3435

Wayne Woodward, vice minister

Paul Franz, secretary

George Loftus, treasurer

Marci Woodward, formation guide

Sue Ballinger, councilor & commissions chair

Marci, newsletter 457-8807

Please contribute an article, joke, art, etc. Deadline each month is the 20^th. October’s theme is JOY. God bless you! Your patience is appreciated as we try getting this on our web site at www.maryqueenofangelssfo.org

Mary, Queen of Angels
Secular Franciscan Fraternity of Northern Idaho	September 2005