Dwell in His Shade

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June 11, 2012

Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle

This Week: Deadline to apply for GreenFaith Fellowship Program (see below)

Dwell in His Shade

Mustard Seed Bush with Bird

In the readings for the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus teaches us about the Kingdom of God. The Lord God taught us through Ezekiel of His power to "bring low the high tree, lift high the lowly tree, wither up the green tree, and make the withered tree bloom" (17:24). God expresses His intention to plant a "tender shoot" which will become "a majestic cedar" (17:22-23). Likewise, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, flourishing for others beyond the human assessment of its humility.

How can we grow and bloom in God's kingdom? The psalmist tells us: "The just one shall flourish like the palm tree, like a cedar of Lebanon shall he grow. They that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God" (92:13-14). Paul reminds us that Christ will judge each of us "according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil" (2 Cor 5:10).

Through the combination of these scriptures, we see that the Kingdom of God is not something but Someone. Jesus is the humble seed, the tender shoot, the just one planted in the house of the Lord who yielded the ready grain of his body to the sickle of the cross for the harvest of our salvation. When we heed Paul's inspiration to be courageous and "please him" (2 Cor 5:9), when we unite ourselves "to what he did in the body" and allow the seeds of virtue to grow within us, we can share in Christ's life, "dwell in [his] shade" (Mk 4:32), and "bear fruit even in old age" (Ps 92:15). As we desire to "go home to the Lord" (2 Cor 5:8), we rejoice to know and imitate the Lord's justice, trusting that the harvest belongs to God.

Christine Elliott

Director of Care for Creation

Praying in June: Abortion and All Acts of Violence Awareness Month

Fr. Jim Goode, OFM, founder of the National Black Catholic Apostolate for Life, invites the Franciscan Family to join in prayer during June to raise consciousness of abortion and all acts of violence within our communities.

The NBCAL has issued a press release as well as a printable prayer and reflection resource.

FAN Contributes to Congressional Climate Change Resolution

Glacier Melt and Drought

In consultation with FAN and other faith-based partners, Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia recently released House Resolution (H.Res.) 672, "Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the energy, environmental, and foreign policies of the United States should reflect appropriate understanding and sensitivity concerning issues related to climate change, as documented by credible scientific findings and as evidenced by the extreme weather events of recent years." Read the full text of H.Res. 672 online.

FAN partner the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has set up a petition in support of this resolution. Please contact your Representative to encourage him or her to co-sponsor H.Res. 672.

FAN and Other Statements on the LCWR

FAN applauds what has been called "brothers coming to the defense of th

eir sisters": the leadership of the OFM friars' powerful letter to the nuns of LCWR during their investigation by the Vatican. The friars call it "a public sign of our solidarity with you as you endure this very difficult moment." The friars argue against "excessive oversight of LCWR" while always maintaining a respectful stance open to dialogue with the Vatican.

Read the statement and commentary from America magazine.

FAN is proud of Fr. Joe Nangle, OFM, in leadership with the OFM friars and on the FAN board, for his great interview on NPR. Fr. Joe said he hopes that the respectful and strong stances of LCWR and the OFM friars have shown the Vatican that the sisters and friars are "loyal members of this church, but we are not unthinking. We have our truth to speak."

Read and listen to the NPR interview.

Last, FAN Executive Director Patrick Carolan offered a statement on LCWR's response, and previously offered a personal reflection about how nuns have shaped his life. Click here to read the response and link to the reflection on FAN's blog.

FAN Contributes to Congressional Climate Change Resolution

Glacier Melt and Drought

Congratulations to St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Triangle, Va.!

For the second year, FAN is partnering with GreenFaith to offer partial tuition scholarships for the GreenFaith Fellowship Program, a unique interfaith environmental education and training program for leaders and members of diverse religious communities nationwide.

GreenFaith has selected St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Triangle, Va. (Holy Name Province) for the Certification Program. Congratulations! FAN members look forward to learning from this parish's experience over the next two years. The next deadline for application to the Certification Program is December 2012.

Please join GreenFaith staff for a webinar on June 18 at 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET to learn more about the Certification Program and to hear from program participants. You can register for the live event or to receive a recording of the webinar if you cannot participate at the time.

Sr. Jaquie Keefe, CSSF and Dennis Testerman, OEF currently participate in the Fellowship Program. Through the FAN-GreenFaith partnership, three FAN-affiliated leaders are eligible to receive 50% tuition scholarships for the Fellowship, reducing the tuition for the program from $1,500 to $750. The application deadline for the next Fellowship class is June 15.

FAN encourages interested individuals and parishes to apply for the Programs. Learn more on the GreenFaith website, through a recorded webinar, or contact Christine.

Summer on the Farm: Farm Bill 2012

During summer cultivation, Senators may consider the Farm Bill. The USCCB urges Senators to "oppose cuts to effective and efficient anti-hunger programs that help people live in dignity." You can read a bishops' letter about the proposed cuts and find other USCCB resources related to hunger, food, and nutrition online.

You can also find analysis of the Farm Bill timeline on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition website.

For World Food Day in October 2011, Benedict XVI stated that "liberation from the yoke of hunger is the first concrete expression of the right to life."

Education for Francis Week

As a member of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, FAN invites all Franciscan colleges and universities, as well as campus ministries, to host a screening of Sun Come Up during the week of the Feast of St. Francis this October. This film depicts some of the world's first "climate refugees," inhabitants of the Carteret Islands just north of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.

Learn more and register your campus for this national event through an online flyer, or email info@catholicsandclimatechange.org.

Keeping the DREAM Act Alive

As part of the "Right to Dream Campaign," a number of events were held on May 17th, organized by Dreamers themselves. Events were held in Arkansas, California, Florida, Mississippi,Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. Information about the campaign can be found on

www.unitedwedream.org/right-to-dream.

Also, the Justice for Immigrants Campaign of the USCCB has produced a parish outreach, education and organizing manual titled "Enriching Our Diverstiy." The manual contains ten sessions which include information, Catholic Social Teaching (in English and Spanish), organizing principles, training, and suggestions for prayer. For more information about the 223 page manual, contact Tony Cube at ACube@usccb.org.

Friars Respond to Climate Change

The Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province issued a statement on climate change which recognizes that "[t]he poor, the most vulnerable and future generations will pay the heaviest price for the harm that has already been done to our environment."

In light of this challenge, the Friars declare: "As men and women inspired by St. Francis, the patron saint of ecology, we must be proactive in our response to this spiritual and moral crisis. Challenged by the words of Pope Benedict XVI, who said "our earth is speaking to us and we must listen and decipher its message, if we want to survive," the time to act is now."

Learn more about the Province's efforts to care for God's Creation on the province website.

In God We Trust

In New York, Franciscans are mobilizing for public financing of elections through the Fair Elections for New York bill. They have begun organizing in Long Island, Albany, Rochester, New Paltz, Cortland and Buffalo. Campaign finance reform could become law soon. The Franciscans join many organizations in a strong coalition working on the issue.

Franciscan sisters, friars and seculars in Milwaukee marched a golden calf from the cathedral to the financial district May 10. They highlighted that we cannot serve two masters, God and wealth, and warned of the idolatry of profit-making, epitomized by the corporate "person." The group posted a video of the event and received news coverage, such as this local CBS story.

Franciscans as Consumers?

Fr. David B. Couturier, OFM Cap. is the research analyst on economic issues for FAN and has published a new paper on "Franciscans as Consumers: Ethical Responsibilities." He has authored two books, The Fraternal Economy: A Pastoral Psychology of Franciscan Economics and The Four Conversions: A Spirituality of Transformation, as well as more than 50 articles on the psychology of justice, organizational development and religious leadership. Fr. David teaches at St. Bonaventure University in New York and at the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome.

Thank you, Fr. David, for sharing your insights through FAN!

Celebration Without Exploitation: Prevent Human Trafficking at the London Olympics

Many Franciscan communities are members of the Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR). Along with the Christian Brothers Investment Services (CBIS), the ICCR joined with investors and organizations in the U.S. and U.K. to sent a letter to 32 companies to call on corporations to strengthen their focus against human trafficking and modern slavery in advance of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games taking place in London from July 27 to August 12.

CBIS and ICCR also sent a letter urging the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to require that all Olympic corporate sponsors, suppliers, contractors and host cities take concrete steps to eliminate commercial sexual exploitation of children and labor trafficking.

FAN members can also visit the Celebration Without Exploitation campaign website with links to fact sheets, anti-trafficking materials to download and bring to hotels, and letter-writing campaigns, as well as tools for investors and companies working to end these human rights abuses.

Push for Keystone XL Pipeline Still Flows

FAN member Rod Clifton, Director of the U.S. Veterans Clean Energy CoOperative in the Houston area, alerted FAN to the plight of east Texas landowner Julia Trigg Crawford. TransCanada, the company that aims to build the Keystone XL pipeline through east Texas, has invoked Eminent Domain to seize Julia's farmland. In this short video, Julia defends the clean water source and Caddo Indian burial grounds on her farmland. Julia will appeal the ruling against her farm in court on June 13. Please pray for Julia and her family and legal team as they prepare. You can learn more on her website.

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.

O God, strength of those who hope in you,

graciously hear our pleas,

and, since without you mortal frailty can do nothing,

grant us always the help of your grace,

that in following your commands

we may please you by our resolve and our deeds.

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 Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time)

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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