So many events are unfolding this month
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS
Charlie Kirk’s funeral on September 21: I seldom listen to the news, as much of it is profoundly disconcerting; a friend, in fact, informed me about Mr. Kirk. It is truly lamentable that a young man was tragically gunned down while articulating profound truths from the Bible. I am sorry for his surviving wife and children; let us pray for them.
On Sep. 14, the Catholic world celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. This is where we commemorate the discovery of the Cross by Saint Helen in Jerusalem in the fourth century and the return of the precious relic to the Holy City by Emperor Heraclius. My home parish is named after Saint Helen, so the priest preached on that subject, and also since the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross fell on a Sunday this year.
The Secular Franciscan Fraternity, of which I am a member, is currently facing a significant decline in membership. We find ourselves lacking the requisite number of individuals to sustain our community. For several months, we have been diligently seeking a new fraternity to adopt as our home. At long last, we are scheduled to meet with another group this Saturday. I am optimistic that this encounter will prove fruitful.
Spiritually, I have never felt so “listless” (not the right word), unmotivated. Fraternity membership is wonderful when it works, when it is right. When it doesn’t (for whatever reason), it negatively affects one’s spiritual life.
Please pray for us, as we pray for you
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
9/15/25