IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT Dearest Friends in Christ, On Friday October 3rd at 7pm, our Parish Community of Santa Maria del Mar will be remembering the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi, his earthly death and his birth into Eternal Life. The Transitus is a Franciscan devotion that helps us remember ritually the passing of Saint Francis from this life into the Great Mystery of Gods Love. (We also will be having our 24 hours of Eucharistic Adoration, as we pray for peace in the Middle East.) I would like to share with you some reflections about the Transitus that I found on the Franciscan Spiritual Center Website, fscaston.org. I couldnt help but add a few notes along the way! Also, please take a few moments to watch the inspirational video I found on Youtube. (See below) *** The Transitus of Saint Francis is similar to what you might do on the anniversary of the death of a family member or very dear friend. You sit around and remember their lives, recall the day they died and what occurred. You share your memories and talk about how much they meant to you. *** At the Transitus, we will listen to the stories Francis’ early brothers and Clare of Assisi shared about the night Francis died. They tell that, despite the pain he was enduring, there was a deep joy and peace in him. He wanted the Gospel read to him and he wanted all his followers there so that he could give them a blessing: The Lord bless you and keep you. May He show His face to you and have mercy. May He turn His countenance to you and give you peace. The Lord bless you! (The Blessing of Saint Francis to Brother Leo) *** And, of course, Francis wanted all around him as he welcomed Sister Death: Praise be You, my Lord, through our Sister Bodily Death...Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility. (From The Canticle of Brother Sun) *** St. Francis tells us “it is not fitting, when in God’s service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look” and so, we will have some delightful refreshments after the transitus in order to make tangible our Christian joy. Almond cookies and hot chocolate will be served in the Gathering Area after we pray. All are invited to this very special moment in the life of the Church. At the end of the ritual, all will be invited to kiss our first class relic of Saint Francis of Assisi. If you wish, you can bring some freshly baked homemade bread to the service. It will be blessed and distributed before the Liturgy of the Word, according to Franciscan tradition. For more information, please contact me at [email protected] Love and Prayers, Father Al Esposito
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 23:50:32 +0000
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