Pope Saint Pius V (1504-1572)
Portrait by unknown artist
SAINT OF THE MONTH: POPE SAINT PIUS V
Born in Bosco, Italy, to a poor family, Pope Saint
Pius V began his service of others as a shepherd
before becoming a Dominican friar. Teaching
philosophy and theology for sixteen years, he held
the offices of novice master and prior of several
Dominican houses.
So capable was he in his role as Inquisitor
and defender of the Catholic faith that he rose in
rank under two popes to fill various offices
including bishop, cardinal, and Grand Inquisitor.
In 1566, he was elected Pope.
Pope St. Pius V reformed the Catholic Church,
fully implementing the decrees of the Council of
Trent. He published the Roman Catechism, Roman
Breviary, and Roman Missal and created a commission
to revise the Vulgate.
His great devotion to the Rosary prompted him
to initiate the Rosary Crusade against the invasions
of the Turks which resulted in the miraculous win
for the Church at the Battle of Lepanto.
A humble man who always wore his Dominican
habit under his Pope's robes and who continued his
fasting and abstinence until the end of his life,
Pope St. Pius V was firm in his decisions so that
the Catholic Reformation was initiated. He accepted
his offices with reluctance but with faith in God
and his characteristic humility, realizing the
responsibility he bore to those under his
jurisdiction.
QUOTE FROM SCRIPTURE:
"So give your servant a discerning heart to govern
your people and to distinguish between right and
wrong. For who is able to govern this great people
of yours?" (1 Kings 3:9)
Those elected or appointed to office do well
to make this prayer their own. All in office
need discerning hearts that follow God's Holy Will.
Government, whether it be in small or great matters
or whether it involves small or great
responsibilities, is a mandate for justice and mercy
from God. The primary qualities of all good
leaders must be wisdom, compassion, firmness,
empathy, and, above all, faith in the Lord.
QUOTE FROM A SAINT:
"Ah, so they think that I shall rule them with an
iron sway. God grant me the grace to act that
they may grieve more for my death than for my
election." (Pope St. Pius V's words upon being
elected Pope)
Pope St. Pius V was aware of his great
responsibility to the Church. Leaders must act
so that others do not regret having chosen them.
Certainly the keys to wise government are in prayer
to the Lord and counsel with wise and faithful men
and women who are also people of prayer and counsel.
The CFP Council asks your prayers so that they may
be good servants of the Lord and of the
Confraternity.
BIRTHDAYS
A Happy Birthday
to:
Virginia Hampton, 11/12
Christine Hines 11/14
Holly Bodoh 11/21
Sr. Angelina Labriola 11/24
Dan Stanley 11/24
Jonathan Laird 11/24
James Digman, 11/24
FUNDS
The Confraternity
of Penitents requires no dues from its membership.
However, there are expenses to be met (about $200
monthly) and we appreciate your donations toward
them. We also have an Alms Fund for needy members.
If you wish your contribution to go toward the Alms
Fund, please so specify.
Donations may be
sent to CFP Treasurer, Rita Farnsworth, 17 Gargon
Terrace, Southwick MA 01077. Please make checks out
to Confraternity of Penitents.
OR
Make a secure,
online donation through PayPal by using the PayPal
logo on our
Cornflakes? Link.
Your donation is
tax-deductible.
May God reward you
for your support!
Visitor: Father Jay
Finelli
Spiritual
Advisors: Father John of the Trinity, Erem. TOCarm,
Fr. Martin Mary Fonte, FI, Dom Julian Stead, OSB
Convert Contact:
Mark Gordon, Fidelity Forum.
Please contact us
if you have a question which you feel a priest needs
to answer and we will put you in touch with one of
our spiritual advisors or with another person who
can assist you.
May God bless you
and let us pray for one another!
The Lord's Prayer
by J. J. Tissot
1899
"Repent and believe the Good News!"
Penance means conversion. The Confraternity of
Penitents is a world wide private Catholic
association of the faithful, completely loyal to our
Pope and the Magisterium.
Our Rule of Life has been reviewed by our bishop and
recognized in these words: "this Rule does not
contain anything contrary to our faith; therefore it
may be safely practiced privately by you or by
anyone inclined to do so. . . . His Excellency
is appreciative of your efforts to live and promote
Franciscan spirituality and especially promote the
neglected practice of penance and he wishes you
success"
(January 30,
1998).
Members of the Confraternity of Penitents live this
Rule in their own homes, devoted to prayer, penance,
fasting, conversion, and works of mercy modeled on
Jesus Christ and inspired by the lives and teachings
of
St. Francis,
St. Dominic,
St. Therese,
St. Benedict,
St. Augustine,
St. Ignatius,
and all the saints, most especially Mary, the Mother
of God, who lived a life of true penance
(conversion) in perfect union with our Lord.
May Our Lady and all the saints intercede for all
who wish to embrace a life of penance, anywhere in
the world, so that the grace of God will assist them
to obtain every virtue necessary for a life of
holiness and surrender to the Will of God! Amen.
PRAYER OF PENITENTS
"Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness
of my mind, give me right faith, a firm hope and
perfect charity, so that I may always and in all
things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen."
(Saint Francis's prayer before the San Damiano
Crucifix)
MISSION OF PENITENTS
"Go and repair My House
which, as you can see, is falling into ruin." (The
message given to St. Francis in a voice from the San
Damiano Crucifix.)
ACTION OF PENITENTS
To pray for God's
specific direction in one's life so that, through
humbly living our Rule of Life, each penitent may
help to rebuild the house of God by bringing love of
God and neighbor to his or her own corner of the
world.
|
NO GREATER LOVE
"There is no greater love than this: to lay
down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13)
Monthly
Newsletter for
All Who Wish to
Do Penance (Experience Conversion) in the
CONFRATERNITY
OF PENITENTS
November, 2004
Reminder: The
Fast of
Saint Martin begins November 12.
See this
link
for details.
LETTER FROM THE MINISTER
(PRESIDENT)
Dear holy people of penance,
Greetings and many blessings to you and yours!
November came fast, and you sure can feel the
cold setting in, here in Michigan. Fall is
beautiful and one of my favorite times. All the
decorated leaves that God has given us are
wonderful to see, and fall is also a good time
to meditate and take time to simply enjoy all
the beauty that surrounds us in nature.
November also reminds me of the
Poor Souls in Purgatory, sometimes called
the Holy Souls or Rich Souls, "Rich" because
these souls know that, some time, they will be
totally cleansed and allowed into Heaven. They
know that they have run the race, and, no matter
how long they have to spend time in this
mysterious place, they have the certitude of
knowing that have "made it" and will be taken to
Paradise with God in His time.
Sadly, many Catholic Christians
have forgotten the Poor Souls . We have all
heard it said, when someone dies, "Oh this
person was so good that he (or she) surely went
to Heaven and is at peace". This may be true for
some, but we all must be free from sin and its
attachments before entering into that heavenly
paradise. We must pray for these souls and
remember, too, that some day we may be in this
mysterious place, desperately waiting for
someone to help us and to pray for our release,
desperately waiting to be cleansed of all sin
and its remnants.
On November 2nd, Tuesday, we
will celebrate All Souls Day. Since the time of
St. Pius X, all priests have been granted the
privilege of saying three Masses that day for
the Poor Souls. This privilege was once only
granted to the Spanish Dominicans. It has
been clearly stated by Pope Paul Vl that every
Mass, not only stipend Masses, helps the Poor
Souls, but to what an extent and in what way
remain mysteries. Thus, it is so important that
we remember the dead as well as the living with
the gift of Masses. Masses for the deceased do
help them since they can no longer help
themselves. Our duty is to come to their
aid. Who knows when we will be desperately
waiting out our time and hoping that someone
will pray for us and offer Masses.
Doing simple penances everyday
and offering them up to the Lord for our loved
ones who have gone before us is also a way of
helping and assisting the Poor Souls. We all
must make atonement for our sins; I think it is
better to do it now while we have the time to
make amends rather than when it is too late. I
know a woman at church who always voices the
intention to pray for the Poor Holy Souls,
adding "especially those who have no one to pray
for them". This lovely gesture reminds us all to
remember the Poor Souls every day of the year,
not only during the month of November.
The Poor Souls have am
overwhelming desire to be dissolved in the
Triune God. Father Cole , O.P., tells us
that "these souls that we pray for will have a
deep gratitude to us for our prayers and
sacrifices that we make on their behalf." The
Catechism tells us, " In full Consciousness of
this communion of the whole Mystical Body of
Jesus Christ, the Church, in its pilgrim
members, from the very earliest days of the
Christian religion, has honored with great
respect the memory of the dead; and because it
is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for
the dead that they may be loosed from their
sins' she offers her suffrages for them.
Our prayer for them is capable of not only
helping them; but also of making their
intercession for us effective." (Section 958)
Recently a priest told this story at Sunday
Mass. The devil wanted to devise a scheme
to would get more people to follow him instead
of Jesus Christ. So he told his followers to
think of ways that would make this happen.
One follower said, "I know. Tell them that there
is no Hell. They surely will pull away
from God then."
The devil said, "Oh, that will
never work. Everyone knows that there is
definitely a Hell."
Another follower of the devil
said, "Be sure to tell them there is no God and
that He doesn't exist, and that faith is all
make believe."
The devil protested, "Surely
they will never believe this as we all know
there is a God and that He truly does exist."
Then the third follower of the
devil piped up and said, "Tell them that there
is 'NO HURRY.' This will surely get them
to follow you."
The devil liked this idea and
said "VERY WELL, THIS WILL SURELY WORK."
So the devil proceeded to tell the followers of
Jesus that they had no need to hurry since God
is always around and will always be there.
Think about this for awhile.
Don't we all, at some time, think that we have
all the time in the world and that there is no
hurry.
This reminds me of another story
that you may have already heard, but it is worth
hearing again. The story goes like this:
Satan called a world wide convention. In his
opening address to his evil angels, he said,"We
can't keep the Christians from going to Church.
We can't keep them from reading their holy
Bibles, religious books, and knowing the truth.
What then are we going to do about this problem?
We can't even keep them from conservative
values. But we can and will do something else.
We can keep them from forming an intimate
abiding experience in Christ, for if they gain
connection with Jesus, our power over them is
broken.
So let them go to Church, let them have their
conservative lifestyle, but STEAL their time."
"How shall we do this?", said the other angels.
"Keep them BUSY in the
non-essentials of life and invent unnumbered
schemes to occupy their minds," he answered!
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow
, borrow, borrow. Convince them all to work,
work, work, and the husbands and wives to work
seven days a week and not have any time for the
children or for God. Keep them from spending
time reading the Holy Book, and, as their family
fragments, soon, their homes will offer no
escape from the pressures of work, work, and
more work.
Over stimulate their minds so that they cannot
hear that still small voice. Entice them to play
the radio and CD players even when they drive
their cars. Keep the T.V. going day and night,
the VCR's, DVD's and CD's going constantly in
their homes. And see to it that every store and
restaurant in the world plays music or the T.V.
constantly. This will definitely jam their minds
and break any union with Christ as their minds
will be filled with NOISE! Fill their coffee
tables with magazines and newspapers of every
sort. Pound their minds with the NEWS 24/7.
Invade all their driving moments with
billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk
mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogs, and
every kind of newsletter and promotion offering,
free products, services, and false hopes of
every kind. Even in the recreational time,
let them be excessive. Have them return from
their recreation exhausted, disquieted and
unprepared to face the coming week. Don't let
them, what ever you do, go out into NATURE! Send
them instead to the amusement parks, sporting
events, concerts, and movies of every kind
instead. You see, this will fill their minds and
they will have no time whatsoever for God! They
will not even have time for relaxation with
their spouses, families, or friends least of
all, God, to just SIT IN SILENCE. They will be
BUSY, BUSY, BUSY! They will not have time to
talk or even have small talk with neighbors.
When they meet for spiritual fellowship, they
will only know how to gossip about their fellow
man, and it will leave their hearts so troubled
and their emotions unsettled. Let them be
involved in soul winning, but crown their lives
with so many good causes, that they will have NO
TIME for GOD or to seek the power of GOD! Soon
they will forget Him and be working with their
own strength, sacrificing even their health and
family unity for the the good of the CAUSE!"
It was quite a convention the devil had in the
end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their
assignments, causing Christians everywhere to
get BUSY, BUSY, BUSY and to RUSH here and there
and no where! This, of course, is only a story;
but is it? Look at your life and make sure you
find the time for God and prayer. Enjoy
nature and the lovely gifts God has granted us.
Be sure to remember the Poor, Holy, Rich Souls
during this month and pray for them.
May God bless you always.
Mary McGarry, Minister (President)
A
special note from the treasurer
At our annual CFP retreat in July, it was my
responsibility to report to all of you on the
financial status of the Confraternity. At that
time, you were informed of our need for everyone
to come forward to share in the financial burden
of our Confraternity so that we are able to meet
our monthly financial responsibilities and
hopefully build up our cash reserve. This report
was then carried out to all members unable to be
at the retreat via our on line news letter as
well as those mailed to members who are not on
line and also on the retreat summary site on the
internet.
I am so gratified by your generous response to
that call. A special thank you to all of you who
have come forward with a pledge to support the
Confraternity on a monthly basis and also to
those of you who were first time givers. Please
remember that you will all share in the grace of
a monthly Mass said for our benefactors by Fr.
John of the Trinity, TOC.
It is my humble pleasure to report to you that
God has risen up a benefactor who in an act of
great generosity has paid the entire debt of our
start up loans for both the general fund and the
gift shop. This person has requested to remain
anonymous, and I have agreed to this request.
Please join us, on the CFP Council, in offering
God praise and thanks for this generous soul.
We will continue to need the monthly support to
meet our monthly expenses as the benefactor is
paying for the loans we had which have to be
repaid. However, our bills are on going.
Please continue your support toward the payment
of our ongoing monthly bills and other expenses.
May God reward you.
Rita Farnsworth,
CFP Treasurer
"NO GREATER LOVE"
Peace and all good, and may He
be praised for His Goodness to all people! I
just had to relate my recent conversion to all
of you, which the Merciful Lord wrought in me
when I was intellectually despairing of my faith
in Him, others, and myself.
The Lord gifted me tonight at Eucharistic
Adoration with His Grace to a degree that up to
now I had never experienced. I had always
experienced a lot of hurt from family—especially
my younger sister who is an attorney and who
reminds me of my father, who was very
emotionally and physically abusive to my
siblings and me when we were teens. She is very
interrogative and abrupt and angry most of the
time, and when that anger is directed to me—I
couldn’t bear the acute discord due to my past
and nearly hated her for it. Father Miguel, my
priest-counselor-confessor, told me that if I
truly wanted to become a saint, I would accept
my sister for who she was. I told him that I
thought that was an impossibility since I had
been emotionally maimed by my father when I was
a child.
I began to despair of my
inadequacies and those of my sister to the
extent that I was intellectually doubting
certain tenets of our faith regarding the innate
goodness of humankind. I was even beginning to
doubt the efficacy and desirability of virtue
itself, since I fell so short of it in my
dealings with her. I told Father Miguel, that
aside from an infusion of grace, I would never
get out of this pit with my sister. All I asked
the Lord tonight at Eucharistic Adoration was
“Lord, help my unbelief.” And He acted upon my
heart.
Not only was I able to accept my
sister completely for who she was even in her
most abusive moments, but I began accepting my
own humanity and that of the other people in my
life who had deeply hurt me—especially my
father. I realized that I didn’t have to condone
their or my own sinful behavior, but had to
accept the REALITY of who we were—sinners in
need of His Mercy. And now I can love more
deeply as Jesus loved Who accepted abuse, but
Who nonetheless accepted sinners without
condoning the sinful behavior. From that moment,
I began to love unconditionally all those people
who had hurt me most in my life. And I praise
Him for this abundant gift and for restoring my
faith in others and myself and the Church’s
dogma-- for giving me a tool for being better
able to love and serve Him now.
May we always be ever open to
His Grace in our lives and may He continue to
bless us with this Grace without which we can do
nothing, so that we may grow to be more like
Jesus Himself. Thank you, Lord! Amen.
By a CFP member who asked to
remain anonymous.
--------------------------------
THANSKGIVING LITANY
Let us give thanks to God our father, always and
for everything, saying, "We thank you, Lord."
For the beauty and wonder of creation.
We thank you, Lord
For all that is gracious in the lives of men and
women, revealing the image of Christ, We...
For our daily food, for our homes and families
and friends, We...
For minds to think and hearts to love, We...
For health, strength, and skill to work, and for
leisure to rest and play, We...
For those who are brave and courageous, patient
in suffering, and faithful in
adversity, We...
For all who pursue peace, justice, and truth,
We...
[Today we give thanks especially for.........
We....]
For (...and) all the saints whose lives have
reflected the light of Christ, We thank you
Lord.
-----------------------------
A PILGRIM CUSTOM OF FIVE KERNELS OF CORN
The Pilgrims had a custom of putting five
kernels of corn on each empty plate before a
dinner of thanksgiving was served. In many old
Plymouth families the custom is still followed
today. It is done on Thanksgiving Day, or on
December 21 (the anniversary of the Pilgrim's
landing.)
The five kernels were chosen because, prior to
the first harvest, life was so hard that the
daily ration was five kernels of corn per
person. Before you eat your Thanksgiving meal,
think of the Pilgrims and their custom; reflect
on the things you have to give thanks for, and
do so!
Five Kernel Prayer
Five kernels of corn on an empty plate
reminding us of our Pilgrim kin,
whose hunger was so very great
that death might have become a friend.
O great Creator of the earth itself,
you who give bounteous harvest from seed,
grant that we not so much stock our shelf,
as share Your abundance with those in need.
When we sit down to tables stacked
with food of every sort and name,
before mouth and stomach are packed,
may we remember from whence it came.
Amen.
Author unknown
NOTE: The CFP Cornflakes idea, our CFP on
going fundraiser, fits in nicely with the Five
Kernels of Corn idea. Check it out on this
link.
REFLECTIONS ON
THE SAN DAMIANO CRUCIFIX: THE CROSS TOPPED STAFF
At the top of the San Damiano Crucifix, an
ascended Christ is welcomed into glory. The Hand
of God is blessing Him while ten angels welcome
Him. As He steps triumphantly into Glory, Christ
is clothed in a white tunic and wind blown ochre
colored stole. All of these details, rich in
meaning, will be discussed in future
newsletters, God willing, of course.
For this month, consider the blood red staff,
topped with a white cross, which Christ bears in
His right hand as He enters glory. Immediately
we catch the symbolism. Christ holds the cross
topped staff in His right hand as a king would
hold a scepter. The cross is the symbol of
Christ's rule over us, the authority of a
Shepherd King.
Shepherds used a staff to ward off predators, to
give balance as they climbed rugged terrain, and
to control a wayward sheep or save an endangered
one by catching its leg in the crook at the top
of the staff. The staff Christ bears in this
icon is topped, not with a candy cane curve, but
with a white cross. The love of Christ is both
pure (white) and sacrificial (red). The staff
indicates Christ's authority over us, the sheep
of His flock. It also shows His deep love and
compassion since the shepherd's staff is used
for the good of the sheep. By the power of
Christ's death on the cross, satan is kept at
bay. Graces, which Christ gained from the cross,
support us spiritually as we travel life's
rugged terrain. The One Who died upon that cross
snared us and pulled us from spiritual danger.
He laid us on His shoulder to bring us home,
rejoicing. The cross is the perfect emblem for
Christ our King. May we trust Him Who loves us
so much that He embraced the cross for our sake.
OUR RULE OF LIFE AND
REFLECTION
RULE: ARTICLE 28
28. Let each member accept and faithfully
exercise the ministry of other offices imposed
on him, although anyone may retire from office
after a year.
STATUTES: ARTICLE 28
a. Let each member accept and faithfully
exercise the ministry of other offices imposed
on him or her, although anyone may retire from
office after a year.
b. The penitent should follow the consensus of
the electing group in determining whether or not
to accept an office. If nominated for a position
it is prudent to consider if the nomination be
the will of God. This holds true for the
election as well.
c. All nominations and elections must be
conducted in absolute charity and honesty.
Secret ballot elections are the proper way to
elect someone from among those nominated. The
person getting the most votes is the one
elected. Terms of office are one year, unless
otherwise agreed to by a majority of those
affected.
d. If a penitent who is nominated for, or
elected to, office feels stress over this
service, the penitent should prayerfully examine
the causes of this stress and discuss these with
a spiritual director, the Chapter or Circle
minister, and the Chapter or Circle’s spiritual
assistant.
e. In elections, only pledged members shall be
eligible to nominate and vote and also eligible
for office. If an insufficient number of members
are pledged, officers shall be appointed by the
Confraternity.
REFLECTION
Article and Statutes 28 are companions to
Article and Statute 38. Taken together the two
Articles and their accompanying statutes discuss
governance of the Confraternity, both for the
entire Confraternity and for its individual
chapters and circles. The CFP is not just a
group of folks living a Rule of Life. It's a
group of folks living a Rule of Life in a
community that is governed by elected and
appointed officers. The offices are not offices
of authority but rather of ministry. We are to
be of service to one another and to God, and to
offer such service in love.
Service never comes without a price. Since all
in the CFP are laity, all have primary
obligations to work, family, and others outside
of the CFP. The Rule recognizes these
obligations and admits that members nominated
for or elected or appointed to office may feel
stress over the assignment. Members are to admit
and evaluate this stress and see if they can
still hold the office. They are to seek counsel
as they determine what God's Will may be. God
has His ways of giving graces to those who need
them in order to do the jobs they are called to
do.
Article 28 admonishes those who hold office to
do so "faithfully." Faithfully means with faith
in God's guidance and support. It means to seek
God's guidance and that of the Church.
Faithfully means to act consistently, to work
hard, and to be trustworthy. God has blessed the
CFP with excellent officers. Thank You, dear
Lord. May all future officers be always in Your
Holy Will.
CONFRATERNITY PHOTO ALBUM
 Photo:
Ray and Barbara McGrath. Barbara is a Postulant
in the CFP.
My name is Barbara McGrath. I
have been married to Ray for 45 years. We have
three sons, 8 grandchildren and one great
grandson.
I have been in church all my life, but I have
been Catholic only since 2003. I believe my life
has been a journey to the Catholic Church. As
they say, "I feel like I have come home." I
couldn't have done it without Mother Mary's
help. I felt her presence "pushing" me for
several years to take that final step. I wanted
something more, and I have certainly found it
within the Church.
I had been praying for help to surrender my life
more fully to the Lord. I wanted to give Him
more of me, but didn't know how. It was then God
led me to the CFP website on the Internet. I
consider that an answer to prayer. Surrender is
what CFP is all about, and it is all laid out
for me. It took me a couple of months before I
sent my first e-mail for more information. I am
a very cautious person. I soon found out this is
exactly what I wanted and needed.
The flesh dies hard as I am
finding out. I understand why they call it
"formation." I am reforming my life. This is not
a program you can rush to finish. However,
everyone has been so kind to give assistance
with words of assurance and love. With God's
help, slowly my will is being conformed to His
will. God is good!
Thank you for asking me to do this. I love the
program and am so glad to be a part of CFP.
Blessings,
Barbara McGrath
---------------------------
Richard Hubbell Richard is a Friend of the CFP
who
developed our CFP mailing list program. He also
has created and manages the Purgatory Project at
http://www.holysouls.com
The greatest thing that ever happened to me was
becoming a Catholic. I am a 54 year old convert
who was raised a Southern Baptist and then
became a Holy Spirit filled Pentecostal after
college in the early 1970's. Over time, on a
personal level, I grew to feel that there was
more available to me in the Christian experience
than what I had. I found it all - all the
missing pieces - and far more than I could have
ever imagined or dared to dream - in the Roman
Catholic Church.
Jesus Christ is still the one that I exclusively
worship as a Catholic. This is obvious to any
Catholic, but I am saying this because of the
misconceptions that I had prior to my
conversion, and I know that there are many who
do not realize that Catholics *only* worship the
Triune God. To do anything else as a Catholic is
strictly forbidden and is considered a very
grave sin, as it should be - since *only* God is
worthy of worship.
I am a seeker of truth. In academics I labored
long and hard and with some success, having been
awarded a Masters in Mathematics as well as a
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering. For many years
now I have been a professor of engineering in an
Ivy League University, while simultaneously
enjoying a very successful career as a research
scientist in a very large US Navy laboratory,
with many patents and articles under my belt.
What got me to convert? It was a long road of
study and prayer. It began with researching
various topics of interest, such as abortion,
then divorce, sin. I studied the Catholic faith
scientifically. I took it apart - totally - and
examined it in excruciating detail - but as I
did this to my absolute horror I could find no
fatal flaw anywhere. Believe me I was searching
for that fatal flaw!!
This whole process took over four long years and
was accompanied by intense prayer. The outcome
meant my eternal salvation and so I was very
focused and careful. But as I said before - I am
a seeker of truth - this is what kept me going
and persevering. I would not let go of this
pursuit until I had the answer - and I was
determined to see it through until that answer
was absolutely clear in my mind and spirit. The
day arrived though when I got a big boost which
I am very sure came from God stepping in to help
me - and to challenge me !! I was praying about
it and was suddenly very challenged by a
prompting in my spirit - which was very clear -
almost audible - "Are you really seeking the
truth?" Startled by this, I replied as best I
could, "Yes to the best of my ability." There
was a clear response "If you become convinced
that the Catholic faith is from God will you
then convert to being a Catholic?" ...OMY what
personal agony that question caused me!!...
actually trembling I responded "I will need help
- and much courage to do so - but yes I am
willing. As long as it is the absolute truth."
Now in retrospect, from that point on, my sense
of 'this is true - and from God' grew by leaps
and bounds. It was still a while before I
actually converted - and I actively prayed and
studied the whole time. Truthfully, I was
looking for the slightest flaw as an excuse not
to convert. I dragged out the process - just
sure that the flaw would make itself known.
But there was no flaw. So I converted. For me
the issue is eternally settled. I am 100%
Catholic. I have never been so happy and
satisfied with my life, not even close.
Looking back at the years I spent as a
Protestant, I thank God for all the study of
holy scripture that I had done as a Protestant
because this detailed knowledge of the Bible
helps me truly appreciate the depth and richness
of my precious Catholic faith.
May God richly bless you for reading my
testimony and may He give your soul many graces
to assist you in your faith journey.
Richard Hubbell
------------------------------------------
ORDERS FOR 2005 GUIDES TO CHRISTIAN PRAYER AND
LITURGY OF THE HOURS
We are now taking orders for the
2005 Guides to the One Volume Christian Prayer
and to the Four Volume Liturgy of the Hours. If
you want one of these guides, please let us know
as soon as possible so that we can order one for
you. Please specify if you want the guide
for the one or four volume Divine Office. If you
have a Franciscan Supplement, please let us know
that as well. In this way, we can order
the proper guide for you. The cost will be
approximately $3 including the postage.
The guides will be available in December. Please
email
copenitents@yahoo.com
or
bspenance@hotmail.com
or phone 401/849-5421 with your order.
-------------------------------
CATHOLIC HUMOR
An elderly woman and her little
grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright
freckles, spent the day at the zoo. Lots of
children were waiting in line to get their
cheeks painted by a local artist who was
decorating them with tiger paws. "You've got so
many freckles, there's no place to paint!" a
girl in the line said to the little fella.
Embarrassed, the little boy dropped his head.
His grandmother knelt down next to him. "I love
your freckles. When I was a little girl I always
wanted freckles, she said, while tracing her
finger across the child's cheek. "Freckles are
beautiful!" The boy looked up, "Really?" "Of
course," said the grandmother. "Why, just name
me one thing that's prettier than freckles." The
little boy thought for a moment, peered
intensely into his grandma's face, and softly
whispered, "Wrinkles."
CONFRATERNITY COOKBOOK
Three penitents are
compiling recipes for a Confraternity Cookbook.
How about sharing your favorite recipes with:
Rita Farnsworth,
RitaFarns@aol.com
Karen Sadock,
karen.sadock@saintbruno.org
Or else postal mail
them to the Confraternity at 520 Oliphant Lane,
Middletown RI 02842-4600
"You shall
love the Lord your God with your whole heart,
with your whole soul, and with all your mind,
(and) you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
(Matthew 22:37-38)
Confraternity of Penitents
520 Oliphant Lane
Middletown RI USA
02842-4600
401/849-5421
bspenance@hotmail.com
copenitents@yahoo.com
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