J.M.J.
November 2, 2020
All Souls Day
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely, I will help you, surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NASB
Dear Friends,
Today we remember especially those we lost this past year and beyond. When Sister death draws near, a term that our founder used, St. Francis gives us a sense of hope and peace knowing that we have a God who loves us so much that he would never abandon and us in our grief. Grief is part of life and I know that each of us understands what it truly means to loses someone we love.
Even as we share in each other’s many chronic diseases in prayer and letter writing each of us experiences the gift of love and friendship that we can receive from our many acts of love in this ministry of letter writing.
I want each of you to continue to write especially to those who have lost so much over these past months due to Covin 19. We just received word today that one of our friars lost his sister to this dreadful disease.
Holy Scripture tells us so much about how to live life, today the prophet Isaiah tells us that we should “not fear, I am always with you” how many times have we heard these words? The question is do we embrace these words of God in life?
Do I believe that God is working through me in my letter writing to others who may need to hear those same encouraging words? Do not be anxious, or lay your needs before me, for I am your strength in times of trial.
Advent is right around the corner; how will you look for Jesus in your lives this year as the Church in just a few weeks will begin a new Church year. How will you, like Jesus does each day for us to uphold yourself and family and friends asking for His righteous right hand to guide you when things may become hard to do?
During this month in which we remember all those souls that cared for us in our past, parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters, many friends to continue to guide us along our life’s journey, we need to ask them to continue to walk with us and to guide us to always be open to Jesus, Mary and St. Joseph with all the saints as we travel along with our Communion of saints!
Have a blessed month of November, remembering all those who made a difference in our lives and who are now with God!
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely, I will help you, surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NASB
Peace and all good,
Brother Ed Arambasich, OFM