Easter Greetings of peace, dear National Family!
He is Risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! How great is our God in this blessed season of Easter! I pray this finds you all well and filled with the peace of our Risen Lord!
In his Easter message, Pope Francis states: “Faith always needs to go back to Galilee, to reawaken its first love for Jesus and his call: to remember him, to turn back to him with all our mind and all our heart. To return to a lively love of the Lord is essential. Otherwise, ours is a ‘museum’ faith, not an Easter faith…. Let us ask ourselves: In my life, where am I looking? Am I gazing at graveyards, or looking for the Living One?”
We tend to look at whatever is beautiful to the senses. Wherever there is the lack of clean, drinkable water is a graveyard; because clean water brings life. With that in mind, it is never too late to contribute to the H2O Project. Yes, Lent may be over, but the need for clean, drinkable water will always be with us. Consider donating to the H2O Project individually or collectively with your family or fraternity. Donations can be sent to our National Treasurer, Claudia Kauzlarich, 2007 Maverick Trail, Harrisonville, MO 64701-1545. Make the check payable to OFS-USA – with H20 Project in the memo line. Thank you for your generosity.
“In my life, where am I looking? Am I gazing at graveyards, or looking for the Living One?” Are you gazing at graveyards or, as our Holy Mother Clare, gazing upon the face of our Risen Lord? To gaze upon the face of the Lord is to see what is right in front of you; to see not only the beauty, but also the injustices, those things that are not so beautiful. To not only see those injustices, but to get busy righting the wrongs of injustice. Our Holy Rule states that we must be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of our human lives and by our courageous initiatives. As we are Easter people, people of faith and people called and committed to acting and working for peace and justice, we also recognize that same call in one another.
So, it is that time again when we as a Franciscan community nominate those individuals who are doing exemplary work in the areas of peace, social justice, and the care of God’s creation. Please prayerfully consider nominating that ordinary Franciscan who steps out into the extraordinary.
Attached is the nomination form. Only nomination forms will be accepted.
Nominations are only open to members of the worldwide Franciscans Family – Friar or Brother; Poor Clare; 3rd Order Regular Sister; 3rd Order Secular, Ecumenical Franciscan – Clergy or Lay member.
Please email the forms back to me at ctownes26 @gmail.com.
PLEASE DO NOT HIT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Please put JPIC AWARD in the Subject line as some emails mysteriously take a walk on the Spam side.
I will email you an acknowledgement of receipt of your form.
DEADLINE FOR ALL NOMINATIONS IS MONDAY, JULY 15, 2019. This is the first call for nominations.
Any questions, please feel free to contact me or your National JPIC Commission representative.