you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me

ROME Matthew 25:31-46

Does the love of God rule in your heart and thoughts and in all of your relationships? Jeremiah announced a new covenant of grace in which God would put his law upon our mind and write it upon our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31,33). Jesus came not only to fulfil the law, but to transform it through the gift of the Holy Spirit who fills our heart with the love of God (Romans 5:5).
God is gracious and merciful; his love compels us to treat others with mercy and kindness. When we do something for one of Christ's little ones, we do it for Christ himself. Do you treat your neighbour with mercy and love as Christ has treated you? Mercy of God is more powerful than our weakness.

You could give all your goods to feed the poor and your body to be burned and not have love at all. Keep your goods and abandon the “I” Don’t burn your body; burn the ego. Love will automatically follow.

Lord Jesus, be the Master and Ruler of my heart. May your love rule in my heart that I may only think and act with charity towards all.

Today we 3 spiritual assistants(Ivan, Martin and Samy Irudaya) go to Croatia to conduct seminar for the spiritual assistants of SFO.

Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights and was tempted by the devil

ROME How can we overcome sin and oppression in our personal lives? The Lord Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness (Romans 8:26) and to be our guide and consoler in temptation and testing (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Lord gives grace to the humble who acknowledge their dependence on him (James 4:6) The Lord Jesus is ever ready to pour out his Spirit upon us that we may have the strength and courage we need to resist sin and to reject the lies and deceits of Satan. God wants us to “fight the good fight of the faith” (1 Timothy 6:12) with the power and strength which comes from the Holy Spirit. Do you rely on the Lord for your strength and help?
“Lord, your word is life and joy for me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may have the strength and courage to embrace your will in all things ."

"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance"

ROME

Gospel Reading: Luke 5:27-32 When your neighbor stumbles through sin or ignorance, do you point the finger to criticize or do you lend a helping hand to lift him up?

The orthodox were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed the greatest careTheir religion was selfish because they didn't want to have anything to do with people not like themselves. Jesus stated his mission in unequivocal terms: I came not to call the righteous, but to call sinners

Do you thank the Lord for the great mercy he has shown to you? And do you seek the good of all your neighbours and show them mercy , kindness and LOVE?
Every person has his own colour from which country he hails, it is natural and normal, but selfishness is not normal. It is harming the human person.
"Lord please; take care of the person who is reading this message, ! their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much"

Fasting for the kingdom of God

ROME

Gospel Reading: Matthew 9:14-15 When asked why he and his disciples did not fast Jesus used the vivid picture of a wedding celebration. In Jesus' time the newly wed celebrated their honeymoon at home for a whole week with all the guests! This was a time of great feasting and celebrating.

But Jesus also reminds his followers that there is a time for fasting and for humbling oneself in preparation for the coming of God's kingdom and for the return of the Messianic King.

"Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it"

ROME

Gospel Reading: Luke 9:22-25 Do you know the healing and transforming power of the cross? When Jesus predicted his passion his disciples were dismayed. Rejection and crucifixion meant defeat and condemnation, not victory and freedom. How could Jesus' self-denial, suffering and death lead to victory and life?

The cross of Jesus Christ leads to freedom and victory over sin and death.

The Cross is the definitive revelation of love and divine mercy.To enter into this mystery of love there is no other way than that of losing ourselves, giving ourselves to God and to our brothers and sisters.

When you pray, fast, and give alms

ROME Ash Wednesday

Rend your hearts,
not your garments,
and return to the Lord, your God.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 The forty days of Lent is the annual retreat of the people of God in imitation of Jesus' forty days in the wilderness . As we begin this holy season of testing and preparation, let's ask the Lord for a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit that we may grow in faith, hope, and love and embrace his will more fully in our lives. Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God.

They had discussed with one another who was the greatest

Today the inauguration of the secretariat CIOFS



ROME:Scripture: Mark 9:30-37

Whose glory do you seek? There can be no share in God's glory without the cross. When Jesus prophesied his own betrayal and crucifixion, it did not make any sense to his disciples because it did not fit their understanding of what the Messiah came to do.

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). God wants empty vessels so he can fill them with his own glory, power, and love (2 Cor. 4:7). Are you ready to humble yourself and to serve as Jesus did?

All things are possible to him who believes

Scripture: Mark 9:14-29

What kind of faith does the Lord expect of us, especially when we meet challenges and difficulties? Inevitably there will be times when each of us cause disappointment to others. We see at once both Jesus' dismay with the disciples' lack of faith and his concern to meet the need of this troubled boy and his anguished father. Jesus recognized the weakness of the father’s faith and at the same time challenged him to pray boldly with expectant faith: “All things are possible to him who believeses"

A miracle is not the suspension of natural
law, but the operation of a higher law.

Do good to those who hate you, pray for those who abuse you

ROME:Scripture: Luke 6:27-38 What makes Christians different and what makes Christianity distinct from any other religion? God is good to the unjust as well as the just. His love embraces saint and sinner alike.

How can we possibly love those who cause us harm and ill-will? With God all things are possible. He gives power and grace to those who believe and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. Do you know the power of Christ's redeeming love and mercy?

Today Presidency of CIOFS have their meeting in Rome. It is from 18 - 24 Feb.2007

This is my beloved Son; listen to him

ROME: Scripture: Mark 9:2-13

God wants to share his glory with us! We get a glimpse of this when the disciples see Jesus transfigured in glory on the mountain

Peter, James, and John were privileged witnesses of the glory of Christ. We, too, as disciples of Christ are called to be witnesses of his glory.

"Lord, draw me near to you and let me see your glory. May I never doubt your love and saving help."

Franciscan Brotherhood

ROME: The first theme of Gospel living is Brotherhood. It is clear that Franciscan living, like Gospel living , is Communal.
St.Francis like Christ, was a Community builder.
Some times we see in our religious life:
We come to religious life without knowing each other
Live without loving each other , and
Die without weeping for each other.

Self - giving is really the gauge of our progress. It is to God that we must make the first gift of ourselves. But this gift of ourselves to God is not complete unless it is accompanied by and expressed in the gift of ourselves to the community to which we belong.
Coming together is the Beginning
Sharing together is the Progress
Working together is Success.

Whoever loses his life for Gospel will save it

ROME : Scripture: Mark 8:34 - 9:1

A true disciple gladly gives up all that he has in exchange for an unending life of joy and happiness with God. God gives without measure. Are you ready to lose all for Jesus Christ in order to gain all with Jesus Christ?

Daily life offers us numerous opportunities of forgetting ourselves for others and "losing our life"(dying), and thus living a happy meaningful life and "saving it"(rising).

A VERY HAPPY BIRTH DAY Bro.. John Antony. GOD BLESS YOU.

Christ, the Son of the living God

ROME "But who do you say that I am?" Scripture: Mark 8:27-33 Through humiliation, suffering, and death on the cross Jesus broke the powers of sin and death and won for us our salvation. The Lord Jesus tests each of us personally with the same question: Who do you say that I am?


GENERAL SPIRITUAL ASSISTANTS of SFO

DETAILS OF GENERAL CONSTITUTIONS OF THE SFO


Approved: The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life

Date: 8.12.2000

Revised: At the General Chapter of the SFO at Madrid in October 1999.

Submitted: By the President of Conference of General Ministers of the First Order and the TOR

President of the Conference of General Ministers: Giacomo Bini. OFM

Minister General of the SFO: EMANUELA DE NUNZIO

There are 3 Chapters.( 103 Articles)


1. THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER. Relating Within and Without
7 articles from 1--7


II. FORM OF LIFE AND APOSTOLIC ACTIVITY.

Titles: 2,
Articles: 20, from 8--27

1) The Form of Life (9 articles, from 8—16)
2) Active Presence In the Church and in the World (11 articles, from 17—27)


III. LIFE IN FRATERNITY

Titles: 8
Articles 76, from 28—103

1. General Orientations (9 articles, from 28—36)

2. Entrance into The Order and Formation (9 articles, from 37—45)

3. The Fraternity at the Various Levels (30 articles, from 46—75)

4. Election to and Termination of Offices (9 articles, from 76—84)

5. Spiritual and Pastoral Assistance of the SFO (7 articles, from 85—91)

6. The Fraternal and the Pastoral Visit (4 articles, from 92—95)

7. The Franciscan Youth (2 articles, from 96—97)

8. In Communion With the Franciscan Family and The Church (6 articles, from 98-103)




RULE OF SFO



POPE LEO XIII approves the first Rule. After it is abrogated.






APPROVED NEW RULE ON 24 JUNE, 1978, BY POPE PAUL VI


RULES are almost as old as the Church itself. There were always people who wanted the Gospel to mould and shape their lives in a well-defined manner. The Gospel was a new spirit and an entirely new way of believing and living: yet a Rule was a method of encapsulating all its profundity in the Christian life of a particular group.St.Francis of Assisi had called his Rule “the marrow of the Gospel.”(Soft fatty substance that fills the hollow parts of human and animal bones, essential part)
The Rule became a means of holiness for those who professed it and a spiritual instrument with which they reached out to all others.

Three Chapters clarify the identity of the members and their mission in the world today. 3 chapters and 26 articles.

CHAPTER I THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER (3 articles, from 1 to 3)

CHAPTER II THE WAY OF LIFE (16 articles, from 4 to 19)

CHAPTER III LIFE IN FRATERNITY(7 articles, from 20 to 26)



The first chapter of the new Rule emphasises their “special secular condition” as a distinguishing mark of the members among other Franciscans; yet it clearly points out the place of the Order within the Franciscan family as whole.

The second chapter, the longest of the three, out lines the pattern of secular Franciscan living.

The secular Franciscan is one who is bound closely to the Church through profession of the Rule. He is one who is dedicated to prayer and praise and the celebration of the sacraments. The Rule is a fundamental plan for living in the Secular Franciscan Order.Precripations of a more precise nature are made by what are called Constitutions (practical applications of the Rule). The importance of frequently meditating on the text and making it the subject of prayerful study is very important.. It is meant to take root in the minds and hearts of the men and women who profess it, so that it truly becomes their guide to Gospel perfection.


Secular Franciscan looks on his own existence in the world as a service of others and his constant task as the promotion of justice and peace----often perhaps as a long-term project, but sometimes in the form of immediate personal commitment to particular undertakings in public life. Work is seen as a grace; marriage and the family as powerful witnessing grounds to the best values in Christian life. Throughout all this, he carries the classical Franciscan traits of peacefulness, joy, the will to create brotherhood, and the vision that sees all creation showing forth and held together by divine love.


The Rule and the Constitutions of the SFO frequently confirm the principle of belonging to the same spiritual family. They refer to the vital--reciprocal communion and to the duty of the First Order (OFM, OFMConv, OFMCap) and Third Order Regular (TOR) to provide pastoral care and spiritual assistance. There is, in fact, a double substantial relationship between the SFO and the First Order and TOR.

My first time

ROMA Peace and Goodness to All. God loves you all. Today I have cooked Indian food and many brothers enjoyed it and I was very glad. The life of God sings in His creation and in the depths of our souls. Wish you all happy Valentine's day.