Please do not forward this email using your email program's forward feature.
If you do, you risk being inadvertently unsubscribed from our mailing list. Instead, use this link:
Forward to a Friend
|
|
|
|
|
You Did For Me
 "Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of mine you did for me" (Mt 25:40). Today's Gospel contains one of the best-known verses in one of the best known passages in Scripture, the Judgment of the Nations. Intentionally, it is read on the last Sunday in the liturgical year, the feast of Christ the King.
Human kingship is associated with power, pomp and glory. In today's reading from Ezekiel, the Lord God is portrayed as a shepherd who looks after his sheep, seeks the lost, brings back strays, binds up the injured (cf. 34:11-12, 15-17). Jesus begins his lesson on the final judgment in terms that his disciples no doubt welcomed: the Son of Man "comes in glory with all his angels and sits upon a glorious throne" (Mt 25:31). Music to his listeners' ears! But then the reversal: judgment is based not on knowledge, or prestige, or strict observance, or wealth, but on whether or not we fed him, the king, when he was hungry or thirsty, welcomed him as stranger, cared for him in sickness, visited him in prison. Then the bigger surprise: "whatever you did (or did not) for the least of mine, you did (or did not) for me" (25:40, 45). Here Jesus further delineates "neighbor" in the second commandment to name especially his least brothers and sisters-the hungry poor, the stranger, the prisoner, with whom he identifies.
In our 21st century culture, especially here in the United States, sheep and goats do not have much relevance for most of us, but we get the point. We may not relate to "kingship," having fought a revolution to get out from under a monarch and establish a democratic republic. Yet, today, we are in danger of being ruled, in fact if not intention, by an oligarchy, by the wealthy few who hold the power.
As we reflect on the kingship of Christ, the caring shepherd, the ruler who identifies with the least among us, may we be motivated to challenge the wealth gap, to advocate for the working middle class and for a federal budget that protects the neediest among us, provides humanitarian assistance to other nations, and defends the integrity of all creation.
In his book, Turned to the Lord, Thaddeus Horgan, SA wrote, "He (Jesus) identified with them (the least). He called them heirs of the kingdom (Mt 25:34ff). This is why Francis wanted his followers to be and to live among the world's minores. He wanted all to be heirs of the kingdom." Francis identified with lepers and poor people, but he did not live in a time that enabled him to challenge structures that kept people poor. We do, so this Gospel and this feast call us to do what is ours to do.
Sr. Marie Lucey, OSF
FAN Director of Advocacy and Member Relations
|
PRAY AND ACT FOR A FAITHFUL FEDERAL BUDGET
1) On Tuesdays, wherever you are, join religious leaders in Washington, D.C. who gather at 12:30 p.m. for an interfaith prayer service. Learn more on the Faith Budget website. 2) Please send a USCCB e-mail to House Members of the Deficit "Super Committee" to urge them to protect the poor and vulnerable in their budget considerations.
 Religious coalitions of Christians, Muslims, and Jews are planning a prayer vigil on November 20 at 3 p.m. in Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C., as well as vigils outside the district office of their members of Congress, in public squares, and at houses of worship throughout the country to ask God to move the hearts of policy makers and encourage the U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration to draft a fair federal budget that does not place an undue burden on the poor. Anyone interested in participating in a local vigil is welcome to join weekly planning calls on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. EDT by calling (308) 344-6400 (Access Code: 260501). Learn more about the Campaign for a Faithful Federal Budget online. 3) At a November  2 press meeting which FAN staff Sr. Marie Lucey, OSF attended, Bishop Denis Madden, Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore and board member of CRS stated, "Catholic Relief Services and other faith-based groups extend the reach of US poverty-focused international assistance to the poorest people in the poorest countries. We must not balance our broken budget on the backs of these people." Please use this CRS resource to call or e-mail your Senators urging them to support the Senate Appropriations Committee bill and to vote against any damaging amendments which would cut funding from U.S. foreign assistance, which is already less than 1% of the federal budget. |
| Proclaiming Good News: State Department Delays Keystone XL Pipeline Decision!
On November 10, the State Department issued a press release deferring a decision on the Keystone XL Pipeline until 2013 to allow for further study of alternative routes which would avoid the Sand Hills in Nebraska, an area of environmental concern.
FAN members participated in a November 6 rally and circle around the White House to demonstrate opposition to the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, which would run from the tar sands of Canada to refineries in Texas.
- View photos from a meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones.
- Read Fr. Jacek Orzechowski's statement at the public hearing.
- Read blog posts about the Keystone XL Pipeline from Catholic News Service and from Cap Corps Co-Director Shelly Roder and Capuchin Provinice of St. Joseph Provincial Minister Fr. John Celichowski, OFM Cap.
- Find other resources on FAN's homepage.
|
| REGISTER FOR A FAN WEBINAR!
Spirituality + Science = Care for Creation
Retrieving a Franciscan Cosmology for Climate Conservation
Keith Douglass Warner, OFM
Santa Clara University
Thursday, November 17, 8 p.m. EDT
Franciscan care for creation emerges from the spirituality of St. Francis but also draws on the Franciscan intellectual tradition, which includes the natural sciences. Fostering ecological literacy should be an important goal for Franciscans in the 21st century.
|
Human Trafficking Conference Educates Advocates
 The Franciscan Action Network cosponsored a conference on Human Trafficking: Epidemic Contemporary Slavery which was held at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. on October 26. The conference was also cosponsored by Franciscans International, the Franciscan Federation, and the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies at Catholic University. The keynote speaker, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, is the Director of the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Human Persons. Also featured at the conference were a panel of survivors of human trafficking who presented testimonials regarding their journeys from Ethiopia to the United States, and a panel of advocacy and policy experts.
|
Celebrating Instruments of Peace During an October 27 evening of prayer and reflection at St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring, Md., FAN staff Sister Marie Lucey, OSF offered a short reflection about St. Francis, followed by reflections by Rabbi Fred Scherliner Dobb, Rizwaan Akhtar and Fr. Jacek Orzechowski, OFM. The theme, "Jews, Christians, Muslims: Praising the One God, Co-creating a Peaceful, Sustainable Future," unfolded in discussion and commitment to action in small groups before the closing prayer and hymn.
The same day, FAN Executive Director Patrick Carolan and staff member Christy Elliott joined the National Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order and other guests and observers to observe the World Day of Prayer for Peace: Spirit of Assisi.
 The Secular Franciscans presented their JPIC Award to Fr. Louie Vitale, OFM. Ed Shirley, SFO posted a reflection on his Facebook account. FAN Action Commissioner and SFO National JPIC Commission Chair Kent Ferris, SFO presented on JPIC and the SFO relation to FAN. SFOs also reported their use of the F.R.A.N.C.I.S. Commitment to Civility in Discourse Resources as bookmarks for fraternity members and as a peronsal reminder on a binder. In this election season, let us renew our commitment to peacemaking through civility.
|
|
FAN Action Commission in Action
 During the FAN Action Commission gathering in October, FAN staff and participating Action Commissioners visited an Occupy D.C. site to learn more about this movement.
Read guest Rhett Engelking, SFO's reflection on FAN's blog, and see photos on the FAN Flickr page. |
|
Almighty and merciful God,
you break the power of evil
and make all things new
in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe.
May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Prayer for the Feast of Christ the King)
|
|
Mission Statement
Inspired by the Gospel of Jesus, and the example of saints Francis and Clare, the Franciscan Action Network (FAN) is a collective Franciscan voice seeking to transform U.S. public policy related to peacemaking, care for creation, poverty, and human rights. |
Did someone forward this message to you? if you like what you see, click below to join our mailing list and have our updates delivered directly to your inbox.
|
|
SHARE FAN ON YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES!
      |
|
|
