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Our first reading for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time is from Deuteronomy 18: 15-20. Moses tells the Hebrews: "A prophet like me will the LORD, your God, raise up for you, from among your own kin; to him you shall listen" (18:15).
Sometimes when I am reading the books of the prophets and praying I stop and think, Who might be the prophets today? The prophets of old appear to have been simple folks inspired by God to see the divine plan. Has God sent us "prophets from among your own kin"? We are taught that through Baptism we are all Priests, Prophets and Kings. What does it mean to be a prophet? For me a prophet is a person who is moved to compassion, to stand with those who suffer and whom the world no longer cares about. I think folks like St. Francis and Mother Teresa were prophets not because of any great theological insights they offered but rather because they stood with and embraced the poor, the marginalized, the stranger and the outcasts.
The reading ends with a warning: "But if a prophet presumes to speak in my name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, he shall die" (18:20). What other gods is the author talking about? Matthew 6: 24 says, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." So we should ask ourselves, Which prophet are we following? The prophet preaching a god of money or the prophet who follows in the footsteps of St. Francis and Mother Teresa and preaches through actions the God who stands in compassion with the poor, the disenfranchised, the sick and the marginalized.
TODAY FAN staff and members participate in the March for Life. FAN proclaims that being pro-life goes way beyond opposition to abortion. Every day approximately 25,000 children die from starvation and disease. This is a pro-life issue. Every day as a result of our over consumption and lack of concern for the environment we are destroying God's beautiful and wondrous creation. In his message for the celebration of the 1990 World Day for Peace, Bl. John Paul II stated, "The most profound and serious indication of the moral implications underlying the ecological problem is the lack of RESPECT FOR LIFE evident in many patterns of environmental pollution. Often, the interests of production prevail over concern for the dignity of workers, while economic interests take priority over the good of individuals and even entire peoples. In these cases, pollution or environmental destruction is the result of an unnatural and reductionist vision which at times leads to a genuine contempt for man" (no. 7). This is a pro-life issue.
As Catholics we should defend the sanctity of human life, we should stand up for the unborn, the homeless, the inmate on death row, the environment and our neighbors living in hunger because all life expresses God. As Eduardo Galeano once said, "Perhaps one day the world, our world won't be upside down, and then any newborn human being will be welcome. Saying, 'Welcome. Come. Come in. Enter. The entire earth will be your kingdom. Your legs will be your passport, valid forever.'"
Patrick Carolan
FAN Executive Director
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TODAY: GreenFaith Certification Program Webinar
FAN member Sr. Jacquie Keefe, CSSF participates in GreenFaith's Fellowship Program. As we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., read Sr. Jacquie's reflection on a GreenFaith Environmental Justice retreat on the FAN blog.
After prayer and action to uphold human life and dignity on Jan. 23, join FAN partner GreenFaith for a webinar on the GreenFaith Certification Program. Through FAN, Franciscan parishes are eligible for a tuition discount for this nationally recognized two-year program that helps congregations 'green' their worship, education, facilities and outreach.
GreenFaith Certification Introductory Webinar
Jan. 23, 2012, 8-9 p.m. ET
Register online
The Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River, N.J., is enrolled in the Certification Program; their St. Francis Ministry contributed to the installation of solar panels. St. Mary's Parish in Pompton Lakes, N.J., (a Franciscan community) participated in a previous program
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| Pray for Christian Unity
Jan. 18-25 (the Conversion of St. Paul) is the
The theme for this week in 2012 is "We will all be changed by the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (cf. 1 Cor 15:51-58).
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| No Flow for Keystone XL Pipeline
On Jan. 18, the President accepted the State Department's recommendation to reject the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada to refineries in Texas. Congress had given the Administration a 60-day window to make a decision, which the State Department found insufficient to consider potential costs and impacts.
FAN members actively opposed the pipeline proposal. Find photos, statements, and additional resources about the pipeline in this FAN news story.
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Immigration Law Help
FAN staff member Sr. Marie Lucey, OSF, FAN Action Commissioner Kent Ferris, SFO, and FAN member Sr. Dorothy Moczygemba, OSF attended a Jan. 11-13 conference on immigration sponsored by the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services and Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. in Salt Lake City.
Read Sr. Dorothy's reflection on the FAN blog.
The Immigration Advocates Network (IAN) is excited to announce the launch of ImmigrationLawHelp.org, a new website to help low-income immigrants find free or low-cost legal help.
The website provides information about more than 900 nonprofit immigration legal services providers in all 50 states.
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Civility in Discourse
FAN staff member Christy Elliott wrote an article on "Civility in Discourse" for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Read the article in LCWR "Resolutions to Action" newsletter.
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Pray to Strengthen African American and African Families
 As Franciscans march for life and approach the national observance of black history month, Fr. James Goode, OFM and the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life invites you to join the National Day of Prayer for the African-American and African Family.
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Pray to End Trafficking
 Feb. 5 is also the date of the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis. FAN Action Commissioner Sr. Marge Wissman, OSF in Indiana is working with the Coalition of Corporate Responsibility of Indiana and Michigan to raise awareness of trafficking during the Super Bowl, as well as other large sports events.
The Coalition focuses on hotels as an area of investment and is asking 220 hotels within a 50 mile radius of Indianapolis for opportunities to train their employees to recognize signs of trafficking. FAN is a member of the Coalition of Catholic Organizations Against Human Trafficking, which promotes the prayer and encouraging special services on St. Josephine Bakhita's feast day, Feb. 8
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Creation, Humanity and Science in the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition
Br. Bill Short, OFM, Mary Beth Ingham, CSJ, and Keith Warner, OFM July 29-Aug. 12, 2012 Old Mission Santa Barbara, California Three leading Franciscan scholars address environmental concerns in this two-week summer course titled "Creation, Humanity and Science in the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition." Br. Bill is the Dean of the Franciscan School of Theology, and a top scholar in the Franciscan world. Sr. Mary Beth is internationally recognized for her pioneering work in the theology and philosophy of Bl. John Duns Scotus. Br. Keith Douglass Warner, OFM has written extensively about Franciscan environmental ethics. Join them to learn about the Franciscan tradition, stewardship, spirituality and environmental justice. Timed for working professionals, this short course allows you to study with FST scholars at our summer campus at Old Mission Santa Barbara, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. |
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Grant us, Lord our God,
that we may honor you with all our mind,
and love everyone in truth of heart.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Prayer for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
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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. |
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