A letter to all missionaries of the Catholic Mission to the Carolina Indians
Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,
It is with great joy that I greet you in this time in which we have found ourselves, this preparation for the glorius coming of our Lord Jesus. I write to you today because I would like to reflect on this season that we find ourselves and clarify some general expectations.
This season is a time of reflection on the goodness of God and those things that he has given to us, while at the same time giving back. I do not have to speak to much about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in this season, but I would however like to reflect on these things more deeply as we begin this season. As missionaries, many of us are working full-time somewhere, spreading the Gospel where we are and also doing the work of the mission in bringing people to the faith of Jesus Christ in our communal work. However, I would like to clarify some general suggestions for this season.
Firstly, in concerns to prayer. I would like for us to begin by praying the Prayer Rule of the Mother of God every day. I believe that this prayer rule is so very important for us to draw closer to the blessed theotokos and give her honor for those things that she went through in this life and pray for our own journey, that we may have her protection. We celebrated the protection of the Mother of God on October 1st, but I would like for us to reflect more on this throughout the Phillip's fast season this year. In my own activity, I have already seen how leaning upon her and letting her guide my movements is so very important. Many times as preachers and catechists we have a tendency to worry about things, but it is important to remember that we are under her mantle and that she will never let us go. Please continue these things alongside Morning and Evening Prayer. Also please continue to try to do Night Prayer if you are able and Midnight Prayer if you cannot sleep in the middle of the night. As we grow in prayer, I hope that we may be able to cling more deeply to the helm of Christ's robe that we may be healed of our iniquities and find peace in his life poured out upon us with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, on almsgiving, I am asking that you help us in our fundraising effort for next year. As many of you know, our operation is dependent on our fundraising. We do not receive anything from the Bishop, nor any other particular Church, but rather we are entirely funded from Catholics in the Church wishing to support us and make a difference. While we have given so much already, please help us in this endeavor. Also please spread the word of our Amazonsmile account to others and let people know of our need.
Lastly, I would like to touch on fasting. Christ spoke that when the bridegroom is not with us, we must fast, and so in this time of anticipation, I pray that we heed these words. I am asking all brother and sister missionaries to accompany me in abstaining from meat save for Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Let us continue to cook our food with no oils or salts and very few herbs. Let us try to maintain our fasting on Wednesday and Fridays as the Didache has called us to and especially maintain the Friday Fast and abstintion from meat as the Bishop has called us to do. Let us refrain from alcohol save for Saturday and Sunday and as usual per our tradition it is forbidden to fast on Saturday and Sunday.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I pray that these things find you well and that with the grace of the Holy Spirit we will walk this fasting period in the joy of the Lord. Please find some spiritual reading to do this season, as always the nativity scriptures are the most preferred, or pick up Pope Benedict XVI's book on the Infancy Narratives, always a favorite. I pray and hope that as we begin this Phillip's fast, we will lean on one another and find our utter joy in Jesus Christ.