A FRIAR LIFE

12 - 012 We need to change our eyes

2012-02-01T09:27:00.002+01:00

Most of the things we look at, are really as we see them? Do we have any power to go beyond appearance?

Some of us do not even question themselves about this matter, others learn it and others seems to have this natural/divine capacity.

The video linked below, might seem to be about deformity, about handicaps, and it shows an astonishing and disgraceful race of cynical people who kill anyone who does not fit into their own parameters.

I think to the Gospel (Mk 6, 1-6) where we find Jesus who cannot do many miracles in Nazareth, his own home town. He couldn’t do much because people did not (or could not?) believe him. He was the son of the carpenter, the son of Mary, He was one of them, how could he possibly do anything special? He did not fit into their scheme of how a person should be, has to be! He did not fit into their strict mind; but we know He did fit into this wonderful world of ours. A gift from Him, where He does love anything normal and anything special; in fact He knows that variety (difference) brings us richness and, most of the time, only special people bring us unexpected gifts; they are able to open our eyes and believe in all the good that surrounds us, in all the good that, too much often, is hidden within ourselves.

It is the difference that makes the difference.

And this is why, the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. Indifference is not only ignoring someone else, but ignoring their hidden beauty, and their love.

Shalom

God bless you

br. Freddy

11 - 012 The same procedure as every year...

2012-01-28T16:03:00.000+01:00

I remember I saw this video many years ago, I think I wasn't even 10 y.o., but I remember I laughed a lot just watching it and without understanding a single word, I could not speak English at that time.

Anyway, enjoy it and have a nice life.

10 - 012 It all started from here...

2012-01-26T14:12:00.001+01:00

9 - 012 A short pilgrimage by night

2012-01-25T07:35:00.000+01:00

I usually wake up early and, after a necessary Italian coffee, I go to the little chapple. Today I changed. I woke up even earlier and walked toward Assisi, like a short pilgrimage.

8/012 sometimes we have to attend meetings...

2012-01-24T16:15:00.001+01:00

I'd rather work in the fields, yet sometimes I'm asked to some more formation. We are based in Assisi and this is a fortune. I hope to post some pictures of the wonderful basilica and of the little Porziuncola.
Shalom br. Freddy

7/012 - A present from a brother and a friend

2012-01-22T22:38:00.000+01:00

A Tuscan sunset

This picture was taken from our monastery in Tuscany, in Cortona.

6/012 Taking the risk of trusting people

2012-01-17T22:41:00.000+01:00

In the first book of Samuel, chapter ninne, it is written: God spoke to Samuel and said: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me”. When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

and again in chapter 13:
[the profet Samuel said to the king Saul:] “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.

and again in chapter 15: Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions”.

I wonder: can God make a mistake in choosing people? He already knows the paths he's planned for us and for our own good; but He also knows the paths which we'll take; sometimes it's His own, whilst others it is not... yet He seems to choose people that once in a while betray Him; why that?
I think we only have to say it is a mystery, yet it’s one very useful to us… It is only in this way that if we have to complain about “our the king”, God might say “do not worry my child, for I wanted this king, and any evil thing he will do to you will follow on me”.

In John 19,11a it is written: Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above”.
In anything we are called to do we shall not forget there’s Someone who’s called us to do it and good or bad as we might be, He knows it and He thinks of Himself as responsible for it.

We simply need to pray as if everything depends on God and act as if everything depends on us.

If God, who knows where we’ll walk, puts his trust on us; puts Himself on our hands as a small piece of broken bread, why shall we not trust people? What are we afraid of? That they cheat us? That they hurt us? Charity is always good for the ones who make it and not for who receive it.

For few hours today I have listened to a 54 year old man who lost his job a couple of months ago; he cried most of the time and he was not eating since yesterday morning; he keeps begging here and there and he knocks at the Churches’ doors, but he cannot eat everyday… he said he wanted to suicide few days ago… I felt so touched, I managed to host him in our monastery, to feed him, to listen to him again tonight and we’ve given him some money in order to go back to his family in the north of Italy. Another monk said he’s a liar… he says it’s true he’s poor, but the whole story is simply made up… now I do not know what to think and I feel I’d better not to think too much of it.
I’ll greet him tomorrow morning as a brother, we’ll have breakfast together before he leaves and before my morning prayers and then I will begin a new day, happy and serene and not ashamed to have welcomed, fed and listened to my Lord who’d visited us even in the shoes of a probable liar.

Shalom

5/012 A time of quietness

2012-01-14T16:43:00.008+01:00

Our life, inside a monastery, might become really hectic. We are not many friars and people ask for the same kind of service we ought to provide; yet I believe we shall learn to say "no".

They keep saying that St.Francis lived always among people, who always was with the poor ones and those who were marginalized by the majority of the society. The reality was a bit different.

Francis was used to spend 200 days per year in retreat which makes only 165 days "for" the others. It means that he wanted to offer, not too much time, but a time that was of quality.

What can we offer to others if we spend less and less time with the One Who is the "quality" of our life? We need to receive in order to give.

The monastery where I live now is very big and we are only six friars; we host all different kind of people who want to spend some time in silence and living our life; we have lands to look after; I personally teach in some public schools and I am also in charge of the Franciscan Youth in our region. They are all necessaries commitments, yet our life should, well... must, not run like the world runs; we have different priorities and we do not calculate the benefits as the world does.

Consequently we have decided that, whatever work we are doing, we stop at five p.m. and everyone dedicates to personal prayer, reading or anything which create silence within ourselves.

I have my own hobby; I make candles. I make them in silence, alone in a workshop of the monastery, far from the telephone, from the door and I usually switch off the cell phone too.

I love this silent place; I love to hear my breathing, I love the smell of the melting wax; I like the slowness of my movements, I like to see things taking shapes. I like adding colours and always try different tonalities. I love to know that each candle is different from the others, unique. I like to know that candles need to be lighted and that they will melt again, I love to know my work is destinated to disappear again.

The candles I do there, in silence, in order to fullfill their meaning, pass by, they are against a world where everything is made to last as much as possible, a world where, ourselves too, want to live forever. Yet in order to fullfill our meaning, to give a sense to our lives, in order to really live forever, we do need to be like candles. There is Someone else who gives us our shape, we do not decide in which mold we are going to be forged, we do not decide our colour, we do not decide how long our wick will last. And everything we leave behind, when our wick is turned off, is something we leave for new candles to live their own life.

Shalom
br. Freddie

4/012 why why why

2012-01-13T21:09:00.003+01:00

I do wonder why:

Why when you are in a hurry the computer is slower than usual, the cartridge runs out of ink, the stapler breaks down and people are on time when they are always late?

gotta go!!

bye bye

3/2012 Spot where I live

2012-01-12T09:22:00.006+01:00

Can you see the monastery?

and pictures of the garden, but not all of it

and a bit of landscape

and here the stars amongst us

they are named Lunedì (which means Monday) and Pecora (that is Sheep), try to guess who is who...

2 / 2012 STALE BREAD SOUP RECIPE

2012-01-11T15:45:00.003+01:00

As friars we do rely on Providence and now Providence seems to rely on us in terms of being able to keep up at her pace...

People keep giving us lots of food which we usually are able to share with the poors who knock at our door. Yet, in the last few days we've been given lots and lots of bread which is now a bit stale. I wonder whether the poors are on strike those days...

Anyway, we do not really want to through bread away so that I remembered (ok I did spy on the web, but just a bit...) an old recipe based on stale bread; and it's a very easy one.

HERE WE GO

ingridients:
stale bread, provided by Divine Providence
tomato sauce, obviously Italian sauce
a big onion (I will use more than one as we all love onions)
salt
time
fantasy (necessary when all the stuff in the pot does not look too right...)
and good mood (this is essential when cooking)

PROCESS

first of all ask everyone if they trust you as a cook, if the answer is negative then you need to add some prayers to your ingredients.
Secondly you have to cut the onion without crying and there are a couple of tricks; the first one is to ask someone else to cut it, or the more charitable one is very easy. Before cutting the onion fill your mouth of cold water and miraculously you won't cry. Don't ask me how it works, I only know it does. I've known this trick since I was fourteen y.o. and I worked in a PIZZERIA; As being the youngest employee I had to cut a full bucket of onions every afternoon. Do not forget to spit the water once in a while as it would be very disgusting to swallow it.

ok, I have to say that from now on it's a down hill recipe.
Simply brown the onion in a pot with some good Italian Olive oil, when it turns into a golden colour add the tomato sauce, you can also add some capers or a some leaves of laurel.
After that you need to pour hot boling water for as many people as you have to feed and if you are not fainted thanks to the good smell add the stale bread.

This soup shouldn't be too watery neither too dry, if you have put too much bread then easly add some water and if there's too much water just add some more bread and so on... until you're able to feed all your neighborhood, because if you do that, then the Divine Providence will knock at your door too!!

Have a nice meal
Pace e Bene
br. Freddie

1/2012 it's been a while

2012-01-10T09:19:00.004+01:00

yes, it's been a while since I'd written here last time. And it's totally been my fault; but I was kidnapped... kidnapped by Facebook... I know... FB is not bad in itself but it does require time to spend with "him"... "He" tells you everything about your friends... friends??? mmmh... "he" shows you so many pictures and it can give you so many news, good and bad ones. And slowly, very slowly it begins to run your life. I do not deny it's been such an interesting tool and a useful one too, especially in keeping in touch with the young people I work with, but yet if on one side it gives you a lot, on the other hand “he” does demand!!

Anyway, I’m back here now, on my old friend “blog” with the hope to post something interesting every now and then.

And to start with something very cool, at least I think it’s cool, I would recommend you to have a look at postcrossing; it’s site through which you can send and receive postcard, not e-postcard…. You remember them? They are little piece of cardboard with images or pictures on one side and on the other side you can write, with a normal pen… can you still hold one? Whatever you like. You simply need to send postcards all over the world to people you will probably never meet, but to whom you’ll give a little time of happiness with your postcards, and words and time you’ve spent for them. I love receiving postcards from countries I think I won’t ever visit, I like reading what people from different countries write to unknown recipients, I like to see what people of different countries tend to post and so on.

Well that’s it for now, I hope to post very soon some picture of the monastery where I live now.
Take care everyone and
God bless you all
Br.Freddie

Freddie in wonderland...

2010-11-07T09:33:00.009+01:00

Hi everyone,
some of you might wonder where I’ve been hiding myself… well, almost in the middle of nowhere… but it’s like a wonderland. The internet connection still runs on the telephone line, which means a 64kb speed… mobile phones are almost useless and life is so much slower…

I spent my last year writing my final dissertation at the University and I lived in the city centre of Rome, now I am here

Life here is very very simple, let’s say BASIC!! And you cannot imagine how much I enjoy it; I reckon some people might be scared, but I’m definitively not!

There is an intensive prayer-life and we work a lot in the fields. We have three pigs, at least up to now… and four sheep, two of them are pregnant and I cannot wait to see the newborn lambs. I also make fresh yougurt every morning for the whole community.

Yesterday I spent the whole day picking olives… it’s a very heavy work, but we had so much fun. We work together with some lay people and there’s a very lively community close to the monastery.

Here we are picking the olives from the trees, and we obviously need to lay lot of nets under the tress to collect the olives which we let fall on the ground

Then we bring them to the women who do the less heavy work, which means, beside cooking lunch for everyone, they use a nice machine which separate the olives from the leaves

We have already made 190 litres of pure olive oil, and we have a lot more to do; last year they made 1970 litres…

And obviously we are eating PASTA!!!

Some more pics to see where we are:

Bye bye everyone, hope to write soon with some more good news.
Shalom
br.Federico

Bye bye Rome...

2010-09-29T06:31:00.002+02:00

Yes, bye bye... I have been asked to move and today I will leave from Rome. My new destination is BELLEGRA, and YOU SHALL KNOW IT... I posted about Bellegra on the 9th July, here.

They also say there's a gost... and my sisters say they will never come to visit me there :-(((

Hope to be able to get in touch again, my life will really change and the blog will tell you everything about my new life style.

Ciao ciao everyone AND God Bless you all

br. Federico

PS: this is the Church of the monastery where I'll live!

2nd walk in the wood

2010-08-31T19:09:00.013+02:00

From the beginning... my mum did not come the other day as she was still in England where my nephew #1 decided to break his left arm...

anyway, as she's come back she wanted to go to the wood and look for some more mushrooms; the weather was not of the best for mushrooms but we did find lots of blackberries with which my mum has already made a homemade jam. But about blackberries we discovered that my dog Toby is absolutely addicted to them look at those pics

beside the facts we where really happy to find all those blackberries, with our unhelpfull dog, my dad did find a wonderful mushroom which my mum fried today for lunch

a nice walk in the wood...

2010-08-29T12:51:00.004+02:00

... and what my dad and I found...

and now they look like that...

and hopefully they'll soon look like this:

yummi!!!

and I introduce you to

2010-06-15T08:25:00.002+02:00

BROTHER JACK

He loves playing football, pasta and me obviously :-)

and guess where I've been

2010-06-14T10:28:00.006+02:00

Finished my exams I've been out from Friday to Sunday; try to guess where I've been, just few pics...

AUCH!!! :-(

2010-05-12T15:09:00.003+02:00

...and I have 7 stitches in my mouth now; actually, to be precise, on my gum and palate...

The worst I have to face - right word... to face... - is not that I can't eat properly for few days, but it is that I'm not supposed to laugh... how on earth???

He's alive

2010-05-10T22:06:00.000+02:00

The gates and doors were barred
And all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness
And rose at every sound
Half in hope of sorrow
And half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin' through
To drag us all away
And just before the sunrise
I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle
And a voice began to call
I hurried to the window
Looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches
And the sound of soldiers' feet

But there was no one there but Mary
So I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me
As she told me where she'd been
She said they've moved Him in the night
And none of us know where
The stone's been rolled away
And now His body isn't there

We both ran towards the garden
Then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and empty tomb
Just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in
Was just an empty shell
And how or where they'd taken Him
Was more than I could tell

Oh something strange had happened there
Just what I did not know
John believed a miracle
But I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation
Couldn't lift me very high
'Cause I'd seen them crucify Him
Then I saw Him die

Back inside the house again
The guilt and anguish came
Everything I'd promised Him
Just added to my shame
When at last it came to choices
I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive
It wouldn't be the same

But suddenly the air was filled
With a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere
Drove shadows from the room
And Jesus stood before me
With His arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees
And I just clung to Him and cried

Then He raised me to my feet
And as I looked into His eyes
The love was shining out from Him
Like sunlight from the skies
Guilt in my confusion
Disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I ever had
Just melted into peace

He's alive yes He's alive
Yes He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive yes He's alive
Oh He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive He's alive
Hallelujah He's alive
He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive He's alive He's alive
I believe it He's alive
Sweet Jesus

Intellectual cat

2010-05-08T08:58:00.004+02:00

Sometimes it's just time to think

I shall not laugh... IMPOSSIBLE

2010-05-05T21:21:00.002+02:00

Ok, just after dinner we were praying all together when our youngest friar, just 95 year old, began to sneeze, and ONE and TWO and THREE...
he spitted his denture on the floor... How not to laugh... I mean, what would YOU have done?

Old library - relaxing night

2010-04-30T21:21:00.005+02:00

Finally, I have handed in my final dissertation; it's been a rather long work to write but I have to say I'm happy enough with it; let's see what the professor will say...

As I have finished that huge work I decided to have a relaxing night, so that why not to do some laundry... yes, we're friars but we still need to do our washing... have you ever seen a convent laundry? I give you a glimpse of it

Next to the laundry we have an old, not ancient, library, I love that room. The smell of old books is something inebriating; don't worry I'll never become addicted to books... but aren't they beautiful?

These books are not really old, they're about 200 years old;to some of you it might sound weird not to consider those books old, but they're not; I mean I live in a place where St.Paul and St.Peter were, ok they were not guests in our monastery, but our church had been built on the catacombs of the first Christians in Rome and there is memory of the presence of these two apostles. We have a latin engraving dated 366 a.D - which is about 1119 years before the discovery of the Americas - and it says:
Hic habitasse prius sanctos cognoscere debes
nomina quisque Petri pariter Paulique requiris
discipulos oriens misit quod sponte fatemur sanguinis ob
meritum Christumque per astra secuti aethertos
petiere sinus regna que piorum Roma suos potius
meruit defendere cives haec Damasus vestras referat
nova sidera laudes.
Which means:You who are looking for the names of Peter and Paul, you have to know that the Saints lived here in the past. These apostles came here from the east, we acknowledge it; but due to the martyrdom, following Christ on the way to heaven they reached the Kingdom of the just men, and Rome had the privilege to claim them as its own citizens.
Here is a corridor down at the catacombs

For even if you had ten thousand teachers in Christ, you have not more than one father

2010-04-19T18:43:00.004+02:00

A great man has gone back to House of the Father, to the place where we all belong. Cardinal Tomáš Špidlík said

"For all my life
I have searched for His face,
and now I'm happy and serene,
because I'm going to see him soon"

Pastarelle

2010-04-15T14:39:00.005+02:00

if you're wondering what this word mean I'm sorry to say I have not a precise translation for it; let's say it's something most tasty, something that the simple thought of it reminds you of the small town of where you've grown up, it reminds me of those Sundays when we were used to dress properly and go to Mass all the family together and on the way back home stopping at the wonderful bakery and, as kid, dreaming of an always wonderful life...

Well, I've grown up and I do know that life is rather different, but some things are still the same; like the sense of humor of both my sisters. They know I'm studying hard for my finals and my final dissertation at the Uni, while they're having a wonderful time together in our home town and look what they've just sent me...

Obviously I just got the pic via email with the nice writing
"we ate them all"...

Solemn Profession

2010-04-12T17:17:00.004+02:00

Atheists and Dinosaurs

2010-03-28T10:01:00.002+02:00

and this is from Antony Flew

I love this painting

2010-02-19T20:55:00.003+01:00

but don't ask me why, and if YOU ARE a psychologist I DO NOT ask YOU WHY!!! :-)

and you can see where it comes from in here

holidays and miscellanea pics

2010-02-10T11:05:00.005+01:00

I've come home for 4 days; the first day we went visiting my sister in Cesenatico and had a nice walk in the park

Yesterday was the day I was waiting for as we all went watching Avatar in 3D; reAAAAAlly coollll!!!!!
this is my dad getting ready to it...

When I was waking up this morning I thought I'd better go back to Rome as the weather forecast said there was a heavy snow storm coming in the next hours... then I opened the window and I'd seen this:

I'll stay here an extra day and getting accustomed to the local habits...

thinking

2010-02-04T08:51:00.003+01:00

as I was saying; thinking that I should begin to write my final thesis at the Uni I remembered I have this "wonderful" picture of my degree that I got at the University of Kent, not college... but University... - sorry this line is just for my sister M; love you sister!!
Please don't laugh too loud, it was years and years ago...

I wish

2010-01-30T10:31:00.002+01:00

Eddie Vedder (Into the Wild) song lyrics

Oh it's a mystery to me.
We have a greed, with which we have agreed...
and you think you have to want more than you need...
until you have it all, you won't be free.

Society, you're a crazy breed.
I hope you're not lonely, without me.

When you want more than you have, you think you need...
and when you think more then you want, your thoughts begin to bleed.
I think I need to find a bigger place...
cause when you have more than you think, you need more space.

Society, you're a crazy breed.
I hope you're not lonely, without me.
Society, crazy indeed...
I hope you're not lonely, without me.

There's those thinkin' more or less, less is more,
but if less is more, how you keepin' score?
It means for every point you make, your level drops.
Kinda like you're startin' from the top...
and you can't do that.

Society, you're a crazy breed.
I hope you're not lonely, without me.
Society, crazy indeed...
I hope you're not lonely, without me
Society, have mercy on me.
I hope you're not angry, if I disagree.
Society, crazy indeed.
I hope you're not lonely...
without me.

a song I really like!

2010-01-29T19:03:00.001+01:00

"Live Like You Were Dying" tells the story of a man in his early forties, with an unspecified, life-threatening disease. Upon realizing that he may not have much time left to live, the man decides to engage in certain activities that he has always wanted to do, such as skydiving, mountain climbing, fishing, and bull riding. He also decides to improve his standing with other people, including his wife. Also, the man starts to read the Bible, and forgives everyone against whom he previously held grudges.

Waiting for the one you love...

2010-01-28T18:13:00.003+01:00

I watched this movie a couple of nights ago and it still hits me. In some way I can't think of it and at the same time my mind just goes back to that true story. I seriously asked myself WHY? today; obviously while I was having a break from reading St.Agostino...

Anyway, WAITING for the only one you've ever loved, for the only one who has ever made your time better, for the only one who had played with you for the first time, the only one who always made you feel alive, the only one you knew you belonged to, the only one who's always been as happy as you were when meeting one another... and this waiting will never end, because this person is no more... and you don't believe it, you can't believe it, and you wait, you have to wait, you must wait, because you are only left with NOTHING BUT WAITING to give sense to your life.

I do believe this true story has to teach, each one of us, a lot of stuff, everyone will get his/her own message.

Below the true Hachiko

Can you interpret dreams???

2010-01-27T05:19:00.002+01:00

Ok, I was camping somewhere in Italy; I think it was in the little village where I was used to go as a child with my family. I was playing tennis in a "double tennis court" it was a mess because there was no separation between the two courts and the people playing in the other court kept throwing the balls into mine where I was actually playing alone - how? don't know. I got a bit crossed with that and I angrily went to talk to them saying they had to peek up their own balls as I wanted to play and did not have time do that for them. (I realize now that the lady playing in that court was actually the cleaner in my University). When I went back to my court it was crowded -punished for having being rude???- and we tried to play in 5 of us, but there was no more net neither and I got really fed up and decided I'd better go somewhere else. I walked towards the beach and everyone was panicking because there was a little tsunami; I could see the huge wave coming quickly towards the beach but I was only worried because I could not find my crocs and then I thought "I don't worry 'cause it should float..." the wave arrived and it sort of did not touch me and found my crocs. The waves kept coming and they were higher and higher but they all disappeared before touching the sand. The last wave I can remember was absolutely huge and there was a big red cat on the top of it and then I woke up...
WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

Benedict XVI about Mendicant Orders

2010-01-25T14:12:00.000+01:00

BENEDICT XVI
GENERAL AUDIENCE
Wednesday, 13 January 2010

The Mendicant Orders

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At the beginning of the New Year let us look at the history of Christianity, to see how history develops and how it can be renewed. It shows that saints, guided by God's light, are the authentic reformers of the life of the Church and of society. As teachers with their words and witnesses with their example, they can encourage a stable and profound ecclesial renewal because they themselves are profoundly renewed, they are in touch with the real newness: God's presence in the world. This comforting reality namely, that in every generation saints are born and bring the creativity of renewal constantly accompanies the Church's history in the midst of the sorrows and negative aspects she encounters on her path. Indeed, century after century, we also see the birth of forces of reform and renewal, because God's newness is inexhaustible and provides ever new strength to forge ahead. This also happened in the 13th century with the birth and the extraordinary development of the Mendicant Orders: an important model of renewal in a new historical epoch. They were given this name because of their characteristic feature of "begging", in other words humbly turning to the people for financial support in order to live their vow of poverty and carry out their evangelizing mission. The best known and most important of the Mendicant Orders that came into being in this period are the Friars Minor and the Friars Preachers, known as Franciscans and Dominicans. Thus they are called by the names of their Founders, respectively Francis of Assisi and Dominic de Guzmán. These two great saints were able to read "the signs of the times" intelligently, perceiving the challenges that the Church of their time would be obliged to face.

A first challenge was the expansion of various groups and movements of the faithful who, in spite of being inspired by a legitimate desire for authentic Christian life often set themselves outside ecclesial communion. They were profoundly adverse to the rich and beautiful Church which had developed precisely with the flourishing of monasticism. In recent Catecheses I have reflected on the monastic community of Cluny, which had always attracted young people, therefore vital forces, as well as property and riches. Thus, at the first stage, logically, a Church developed whose wealth was in property and also in buildings. The idea that Christ came down to earth poor and that the true Church must be the very Church of the poor clashed with this Church. The desire for true Christian authenticity was thus in contrast to the reality of the empirical Church. These were the so-called paupers' movements of the Middle Ages. They fiercely contested the way of life of the priests and monks of the time, accused of betraying the Gospel and of not practising poverty like the early Christians, and these movements countered the Bishops' ministry with their own "parallel hierarchy". Furthermore, to justify their decisions, they disseminated doctrine incompatible with the Catholic faith. For example, the Cathars' or Albigensians' movement reproposed ancient heresies such as the debasement of and contempt for the material world the opposition to wealth soon became opposition to material reality as such, the denial of free will and, subsequently, dualism, the existence of a second principle of evil equivalent to God. These movements gained ground, especially in France and Italy, not only because of their solid organization but also because they were denouncing a real disorder in the Church, caused by the far from exemplary behaviour of some members of the clergy.

Both Franciscans and Dominicans, following in their Founders' footsteps, showed on the contrary that it was possible to live evangelical poverty, the truth of the Gospel as such, without being separated from the Church. They showed that the Church remains the true, authentic home of the Gospel and of Scripture. Indeed, Dominic and Francis drew the power of their witness precisely from close communion with the Church and the Papacy. With an entirely original decision in the history of consecrated life the Members of these Orders not only gave up their personal possessions, as monks had done since antiquity, but even did not want their land or goods to be made over to their communities. By so doing they meant to bear witness to an extremely modest life, to show solidarity to the poor and to trust in Providence alone, to live by Providence every day, trustingly placing themselves in God's hands. This personal and community style of the Mendicant Orders, together with total adherence to the teaching and authority of the Church, was deeply appreciated by the Pontiffs of the time, such as Innocent III and Honorious III, who gave their full support to the new ecclesial experiences, recognizing in them the voice of the Spirit. And results were not lacking: the groups of paupers that had separated from the Church returned to ecclesial communion or were gradually reduced until they disappeared. Today too, although we live in a society in which "having" often prevails over "being", we are very sensitive to the examples of poverty and solidarity that believers offer by their courageous decisions. Today too, similar projects are not lacking: the movements, which truly stem from the newness of the Gospel and live it with radicalism in this day and age, placing themselves in God's hands to serve their neighbour. As Paul VI recalled in Evangelii Nuntiandi, the world listens willingly to teachers when they are also witnesses. This is a lesson never to be forgotten in the task of spreading the Gospel: to be a mirror reflecting divine love, one must first live what one proclaims.

The Franciscans and Dominicans were not only witnesses but also teachers. In fact, another widespread need in their time was for religious instruction. Many of the lay faithful who dwelled in the rapidly expanding cities, wanted to live an intensely spiritual Christian life. They therefore sought to deepen their knowledge of the faith and to be guided in the demanding but exciting path of holiness. The Mendicant Orders were felicitously able to meet this need too: the proclamation of the Gospel in simplicity and with its depth and grandeur was an aim, perhaps the principal aim, of this movement. Indeed, they devoted themselves with great zeal to preaching. Great throngs of the faithful, often true and proper crowds, would gather to listen to the preachers in the churches and in the open air; let us think, for example, of St Anthony. The preachers addressed topics close to people's lives, especially the practice of the theological and moral virtues, with practical examples that were easy to understand. They also taught ways to cultivate a life of prayer and devotion. For example, the Franciscans spread far and wide the devotion to the humanity of Christ, with the commitment to imitate the Lord. Thus it is hardly surprising that many of the faithful, men and women, chose to be accompanied on their Christian journey by Franciscan or Dominican Friars, who were much sought after and esteemed spiritual directors and confessors. In this way associations of lay faithful came into being, which drew inspiration from the spirituality of St Francis and St Dominic as it was adapted to their way of living. In other words, the proposal of a "lay holiness" won many people over. As the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council recalled, the call to holiness is not reserved to the few but is universal (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 40). In all the states of life, in accordance with the demands of each one of them a possibility of living the Gospel may be found. In our day too, each and every Christian must strive for the "high standard of Christian living", whatever the class to which he or she belongs!

The importance of the Mendicant Orders thus grew so vigorously in the Middle Ages that secular institutions, such as the labour organizations, the ancient gilds and the civil authorities themselves, often had recourse to the spiritual counselling of Members of these Orders in order to draw up their regulations and, at times, to settle both internal and external conflicts. The Franciscans and Dominicans became the spiritual animators of the medieval city. With deep insight they put into practice a pastoral strategy suited to the social changes. Since many people were moving from the countryside to the cities, they no longer built their convents in rural districts but rather in urban zones. Furthermore, to carry out their activities for the benefit of souls they had to keep abreast of pastoral needs. With another entirely innovative decision, the Mendicant Orders relinquished their principle of stability, a classical principle of ancient monasticism, opting for a different approach. Friars Minor and Preachers travelled with missionary zeal from one place to another. Consequently they organized themselves differently in comparison with the majority of monastic Orders. Instead of the traditional autonomy that every monastery enjoyed, they gave greater importance to the Order as such and to the Superior General, as well as to the structure of the Provinces. Thus the Mendicants were more available to the needs of the universal Church. Their flexibility enabled them to send out the most suitable friars on specific missions and the Mendicant Orders reached North Africa, the Middle East and Northern Europe. With this adaptability, their missionary dynamism was renewed.

The cultural transformations taking place in that period constituted another great challenge. New issues enlivened the discussion in the universities that came into being at the end of the 12th century. Minors and Preachers did not hesitate to take on this commitment. As students and professors they entered the most famous universities of the time, set up study centres, produced texts of great value, gave life to true and proper schools of thought, were protagonists of scholastic theology in its best period and had an important effect on the development of thought. The greatest thinkers, St Thomas Aquinas and St Bonaventure, were Mendicants who worked precisely with this dynamism of the new evangelization which also renewed the courage of thought, of the dialogue between reason and faith. Today too a "charity of and in the truth" exists, an "intellectual charity" that must be exercised to enlighten minds and to combine faith with culture. The dedication of the Franciscans and Dominicans in the medieval universities is an invitation, dear faithful, to make ourselves present in the places where knowledge is tempered so as to focus the light of the Gospel, with respect and conviction, on the fundamental questions that concern Man, his dignity and his eternal destiny. Thinking of the role of the Franciscans and the Dominicans in the Middle Ages, of the spiritual renewal they inspired and of the breath of new life they communicated in the world, a monk said: "At that time the world was ageing. Two Orders were born in the Church whose youth they renewed like that of an eagle" (Burchard of Ursperg, Chronicon).

Dear brothers and sisters, at the very beginning of this year let us invoke the Holy Spirit, the eternal youth of the Church: may he make each one aware of the urgent need to offer a consistent and courageous Gospel witness so that there may always be saints who make the Church resplendent, like a bride, ever pure and beautiful, without spot or wrinkle, who can attract the world irresistibly to Christ and to his salvation.

Talking about God

2010-01-24T11:52:00.005+01:00

I have to tell you this one.

My nephews were simply chatting when #2 (6 years old) said "I'd like to be God!" - "why?", asked #3 (4 years old) - "because I could do everything I want" replied #2. After a while #3 said "I wouldn't, 'cause I would be really really old..."
THE END

...and Someone, many year ago said "we shall be like kids"...

exams... but only 10 to The End!!!

2010-01-23T15:57:00.002+01:00

meditation in Greccio

2010-01-22T15:05:00.002+01:00

when we do not need to do anything but being able to marvel...

Introducing you to Oscar

2009-12-11T17:51:00.002+01:00

Silence, it's dawn...

2009-11-27T18:35:00.004+01:00

This pictures were taken with my mobile, next week I'll bring my camera.
Ciao and God bless you all
freddie

My weekend monastry...

2009-11-20T16:02:00.005+01:00

as many of you already know I have been moved to the centre of Rome back in September; I live in a fantastic monastry on the Appia Antica, one of the oldest street in Rome and we are in the Basilica where both St.Peter and St.Paul had been.
Just few days ago my provincial asked me to go, every weekend, to the shrine of Greccio in the Rieti valley; just a couple of hours from here. Have a look at it; I think it's almost unique...

and this one was taken when the Hale Bob comet passed by the earth

Write again soon...

an open window on heaven...

2009-11-06T18:44:00.010+01:00

This is what I think about icons! They can tell us a story, they can show us a glimpse of heaven, they lead us to God; they are an open window on heaven. They take us away from where we are if we allow them to guide us. I have received an icon for my solemn profession.
There's the Mother of God holding Jesus. On her right hand side there's St.Francis of Assisi and on the other side fr.Christophe Lebreton, a Trappist martyr in Algeria, killed in 1996. Here some pics I do like to share with you.

31st October 2009 A VERY IMPORTANT DAY

2009-11-04T17:08:00.005+01:00

Yes, it finally happened, the day got closer and closer and finally it hit me...
I haven't posted anything before even if I knew some of you would have had praied for me during that very special day; but I did not feel like posting in advance something about such an important day like the 31st October 2009!
Are you wondering what happened? Well, it's been the day of my SOLEMN PROFESSION as a Franciscan Minor! It's been the most important day of my life. I promised, through the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, that I will live for the rest of my life as a Friar Minor in order to serve God, the Church and all humanity.
Friends and relatives came from very far places to share such a day, we all got really touched; I've been told that many people have cried - hopefully for joy - and I almost did the same when, knelt down with my hands in the hands of my provincial, I had to read aloud my profession and intention to be a Friar Minor for the rest of my life...
Have a look at the pictures:

The Entrance

During the litanies

making my profession 1

making my profession 2

hugging my provincial

hugging my dad

Hugging my mum

Here with some old and good friends

Below with my cousins

One day a son asked his dad

2009-10-23T16:03:00.001+02:00

would you like to do the Ironman with me, and his dad said YES!
Enjoy the video

and guess what has happened this morning...

2009-10-02T20:58:00.002+02:00

...and despite what you might think I WAS NOT the driver... but I actually told the driver to turn left... while we were on the "right" hand side of the road...

a pilgrimage of a soul

2009-09-25T09:28:00.000+02:00

It has definitively been a journey of the soul… really… I still find a bit difficult to express what I’ve been through those days of walking alone in the north of Spain, heading towards the tomb of the Apostle James.

I did not respect the plan I had posted before leaving as I could walk more everyday. I say everyday, but I feel as if it’s been a single long day. I had some catechesis to read and meditate on, but the walk did not allow me to do that properly. The fatigue of the walking, some pain in my back and feet, the scenery, and the people I met had led me to think about my own life. So many things came up to my mind, some stuff I even did not want to think about, but I had no defences…

I have walked more than 30km per day, some times 40 and one day 53, but only because I got a wrong information…

I can’t really tell you how it feels to walk alone for 7 or 8 hours per day, meeting other people and everyone doing the Cammino di Santiago for such different and personal motivations; but we were all there, living the same fatigue and tiredness and everyone thinking about his/her own life.

The pilgrimage become, for who wants to, an image of the personal life and personal living.
In theory one can stop where he/she wants or choose to go on…
there’s the chance to avoid the fatigue by catching a bus… or you can choose to walk and face “the problem”…
you can ask for help, or stubbornly decide to do it all by yourself…
you can push yourself too much or thinking wisely that maybe it’s necessary to stop for a day…
you can decide to have a very comfortable night in a rather expensive hotel, or decide to spend the night in very essential hostel and sleep in a room with maybe 30 or 50 other people…
some times you can even choose the old and original way to Santiago, which is the hard one, or simply walk next to the main road… the easy way…

I think the way I walked it’s the way I live my daily life; and I do have to thank God, and my parents and my all family for the person I am now; I have to thank all the people who have prayed for me those days and who do it daily…

On the 16th, at about 11 am I arrived in Santiago, as soon as I was in front of the façade of the Apostle Cathedral I begun to cry… don’t ask me why… I could not stop my tears, everything seemed so beautiful to my eyes… my entire life… and I was also sad because the pilgrimage came to and end, at least apparently.
In the days that followed I kept and I still keep, thinking about what I’ve been through: a sort of new life, short but intense… I was given a time – as in this true life – and the time had an end… as it will in my true life… and I was sad, but at the end I accepted it and thought it was now time to go on… as in this true life we shall keep walking, always at our speed, because now we are given a time and then we will be given Eternity…

and back from Santiago de Compostela

2009-09-23T13:57:00.000+02:00

Bye bye again...

2009-08-30T09:43:00.002+02:00

Early tomorrow morning I'll leave for another three weeks... I'll WALK for 484Km from Burgos to Santiago de Compostela, one of the oldest pilgrimage of the Church:
This is my programme, sorry it's in Italian
Pellegrinaggio a Santiago de Compostela
31 Agosto 21 Settembre 2009

31 agosto: arrivo a Madrid – autobus per Burgos (860 slm)
Meditazione: Dov’è il tuo coraggio di cambiare.

1 settembre: arrivo a Arroyo San Bol (Km 24 – 850 slm).
Meditazione

2 settembre: arrivo a Puente Fitero (Km 25,2 – 790 slm)
Meditazione: La povertà – Greccio

3 settembre: arrivo a Villalcazar de Sirga (Km 24,2 – 809 slm)
Meditazione

4 settembre: arrivo a Ledigos (Km 29,1 – 883 slm)
Meditazione: Fare misericordia, la conversione di Francesco

5 settembre: arrivo a Calzada del Coto (Km 21,2 – 822 slm)
Meditazione

6 settembre: arrivo a Reliegos (km 25,6 – 836 slm)
Meditazione: Vivere secondo il Vangelo

7 settembre: arrivo a Léon (km 24,3 – al 838 slm)
Meditazione

8 settembre: arrivo a San Martin del Camino (Km 26,6 – 850 slm)
Meditazione: Francesco e l’intuizione della vita fraterna

9 settembre: arrivo a Astorga (Km 25,3 – 869 slm)
Meditazione

10 settembre: arrivo a Foncebadon (Km 26,3 – 1439slm)
Meditazione: Francesco e la scoperta di un nome nuovo
11 settembre arrivo a Campo (Km 23 – 570 slm)
Meditazione

12 settembre arrivo a Villafranca del Bierzo (Km 26 – 504 slm)
Meditazione: Seguire Gesù povero

13 settembre arrivo a La Faba (Km 25,3 – 917 slm)
Meditazione

14 settembre arrivo a Tricastela (Km 25,3 – 665 slm)
Meditazione: Francesco e lo sguardo puro

15 settembre arrivo a Brea (Km 30,1 – 650 slm)
Meditazione

16 settembre arrivo a Ligonde (Km 26,1 – 580 slm)
Meditazione: La perfetta letizia

17 settembre arrivo a Melide (Km 23,7 – 430 slm)
Meditazione

18 settembre arrivo a Salceda (Km 24,6 – 360 slm)
Meditazione: Maria, madre poverella

19 settembre arrivo a SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
(Km 27,9 – 260 slm)

21 settembre back to Rome

National Retreat

2009-08-29T11:04:00.003+02:00

THANK YOU ALL BROTHERS!!

must see!!

2009-08-15T17:09:00.000+02:00

too many pictures this time...

2009-07-31T21:37:00.000+02:00

therefore enjoy the video

Just arrived and READY TO GO...

2009-07-16T08:38:00.002+02:00

Yes!! I've just come back to Frascati and tomorrow I will leave again to a far destination. With a bunch of friars we are going to Giordania and then to Holy Land; we'll back on the 31st July...

I'll show you pictures when back

Ciao for now
br.Freddie

Nest of Saints - Bellegra

2009-07-09T11:41:00.019+02:00

As most of you know today is my birthday and I understand that many of you are also desperate as they can't get in touch with me... don't worry I understand you!!! The reason is that I'm in a "nest of Saints"... this is how the monastry where I'm staying now is called; where else could they ask me to go??? eh eh eh
The mobile cel phone does not work properly, just have a look where I am...

I have to say that this place is a little paradise; it's called Nest of Saints - not only because of my presence here... - but surely because there had been, in the past, many Franciscan brothers who had become saints, have a look where they'd slept:

The friars here live a very simple life and I have joined them working in the garden, actually in the huge garden-park-wood:

but where I do like working is the orchard where we have
tomatoes:

peas:

pears:

grape, kiwi and apples:

and we also have olive trees and eggplants, actually egglpant to be...

I do like the zucchini spot though

.

Beside the orchard I consider a marvelouse tree this wonderful sequoia, a redwood sequoia:

Francis was also used to say that in every monastery there should be some space for the wild flowers:

and to end this long post I show some "guests" we have here...

bye bye

New Entry in G.'s Family

2009-07-08T09:33:00.004+02:00

There's a new entry in my parents' house... I bet she's going to be Tobi's best friend.

My nephew n°2 wanted to call her Jellina while n°3 said Giorgina and we all know how it is important to reach an agreement especially on such foundamental events like naming a new kitty... anyhow, thanks to mum who's always got a vivid fantasy and does take care for her grandchildren, the poor cat had been named Jellygina... and everyone was happy, well... almost everyone...
Tobi and Jellygina

Pics from Sicily

2009-07-01T11:38:00.016+02:00

First of all you have to know that a 13 hour travel in a minibus is a REALLY LONG JOURNEY...

... and it might have some wierd effects on the passengers... (actually this is a pic I shall never post...)

and you never know what people might come up with when they are really tired of travelling...

but let's say that going to Sicily is worth the travel:

moreover, when you think of Sicily you might think of the Etna vulcano or the beautiful seasides, but have a look of what a wonderful nature you can see right in the city centre of Palermo:

and what I like in Sicily are the little shops all over the towns...

and the little street-market:

Funny stuff...

and finally the best photographer of all...

In the meantime

2009-06-29T10:23:00.002+02:00

We've just come back from Sicily and while I'm trying to organize all the pics I want to post let's have a nice reading in my sister's blog; it's one of the best post (then try to wuess why) I've ever read...
Pics about Sicily to come soon!

and finally we are all leaving tomorrow...

2009-06-23T15:41:00.002+02:00

Simply guess where we are going, even if it'll be only until Sunday

Today's pics

2009-06-18T18:41:00.008+02:00

In the morning I went for a walk and a chat with a friend of mine

In the afternoon we had an unexpected visit from a poor clair

and then I worked in the garden

while someone else was just chatting or trying to conquer the new cat

What a pain...

2009-06-16T17:24:00.002+02:00

I have finished all my exams
I have finished my pastoral service
I'm just about to begin a very busy summmer
and I took a day off yesterday; I went to the swimmingpool and it had been a very very nice and too hot day... my poor shoulders, my abs... (ABS ah ah ah ah), my very muscular legs (ah ah ah) are all as red as red peppers...
what a pain...
and you what??? I get sun-burned every year...

Finished!!

2009-06-13T11:16:00.003+02:00

Yes, I survived this session too and I'm ready for this coming summer which is going to be really busy, and I like that.

As for now I simply want to show you a very nice present I've just received; it's a brand new pair of sandals handmande in Kenya!

PLEASE GIVE ME AN ANSWER!!!

2009-06-06T18:15:00.001+02:00

I know there's no question,
just say Yes or No... IT'S URGENT!!!

HOLIDAYS WHERE ARE YOU???

2009-05-19T16:44:00.002+02:00

Exams are getting closer...

2009-05-11T20:52:00.002+02:00

this is what we all need...

The perfect solutions... when exams are coming up...

2009-05-05T20:46:00.003+02:00

Take a large cup and fil it with 4 teaspoons of flour, 8 teaspoons of cocoa powder, 4 teaspoons of sugar, one egg, 3 teaspoons of water and 3 teaspoons of olive oil. Stir it properly and put it into the microwave for three minutes…
AND ENJOY LIFE!!

1800 Friars in Assisi

2009-04-30T11:50:00.003+02:00

Gedeone's life...

2009-04-14T18:31:00.000+02:00

What do they have in common?

2009-04-13T11:32:00.005+02:00

What do Michael York

Louis Gosset

and James Caviezel

have in common?

A picture with ME!!

Ciao freddie

205 coffins 205 names

2009-04-10T14:57:00.002+02:00

abbiamo bisogno di aiuti/ we need helps

2009-04-08T16:51:00.003+02:00

Abbiamo appena ricevuto ulteriori notizie dai frati dell'Abruzzo che ci hanno detto dei danni da loro ricevuti a causa del terremoto. Abbiamo aperto per loro un conto corrente per aiutare i frati che serviranno le famiglie danneggiate dal terremoto. I soldi andranno direttamente ai frati dell'abruzzo così che non vadano dispersi in diversi passaggi o amministrazioni troppo grosse che richiedono necessari costi di gestione. Se volete aiutarci ad aiutare i terremotati potete farlo mandando le vostre offerte a:

Ente “Minoritica Provincia Romana dei SS. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo”

Sede: 00186 ROMA, Scala dell’Arce Capitolina, 12

Conto Corrente Codice IBAN: IT45K0103003200000004906210

CAUSALE DEL VERSAMENTO "PRO FRATI ABRUZZO"

Grazie per il vostro aiuto e che Dio vi benedica!
fr.Federico

We have received more news from the friars in Abruzzo and they do need all our help. We have a bank account where you can send the offer you feel to send over in order to help us to help the people damaged by the earthquake. The money will be transferred directly to the Friars in Abruzzo so that we won't have any costs for big transactions and organizations, but the money will be directly available for the people who most need them. If you want to make any donation you can do it to

Ente “Minoritica Provincia Romana dei SS. Apostoli Pietro e Paolo”

Sede: 00186 ROMA, Scala dell’Arce Capitolina, 12

Conto Corrente Codice IBAN: IT45K0103003200000004906210

PLEASE YOU NEED TO SPECIFY "PRO FRATI ABRUZZO"

Thank you for your help and God bless you.
br.Freddie

O God where are YOU????

2009-04-06T18:18:00.003+02:00

SILENCE PLEASE

the right Cross...

2009-04-02T13:23:00.004+02:00

SI DEVE LEGGERE!! sorry no English this time...

2009-03-28T10:52:00.002+01:00

E. Cristiani, École Nationale Supérieure de Techniques, Paris, France

Chiamalo x!
ovvero Cosa fanno i matematici?
Vi siete mai chiesti cosa fa un matematico quando scrive freneticamente su un foglio di carta? Provate a chiederglielo. Vi sentirete rispondere qualcosa del tipo: "Sto cercando di dimostrare la natura iperbolica di questa equazione differenziale per poter applicare il metodo delle caratteristiche". Non avete capito? Provate a chiedergli di spiegarvelo più semplicemente. La risposta sarà: "Allora... Ecco... Come posso dire... Sto cercando di dimostrare che questo coso qui (indica un formulone) appartiene a una certa categoria di equazioni in cui la soluzione si propaga da un certo dato iniziale lungo delle curve particolari." Inutile insistere, non vi resta che andarvene. La matematica vi ha respinto un'altra volta. Ma una soluzione esiste ed è unica: leggere questo libro e lasciarvi guidare nell’incantato mondo dell'alta matematica senza per questo fare alta matematica. Capirete finalmente cosa studiano i matematici, cosa pensano, cosa li appassiona e in quale strano mondo n-dimensionale vivono. Dedicato a tutti coloro che vorrebbero studiare matematica ma che non lo hanno mai (o ancora) fatto, questo libro vi convincerà che la matematica è il perfetto connubio tra scienza e arte, tra curiosità e fantasia, tra scoperta ed invenzione....
more on http://springer.com/978-88-470-1090-1

what a dinner tonight...

2009-03-17T20:30:00.000+01:00

JUST

guess

2009-03-13T16:26:00.001+01:00

a very interesting mouvie

2009-03-12T11:56:00.002+01:00

here I go again

2009-03-06T21:33:00.003+01:00

Well, there should be so many things to say, but only one is worth my sitting here, not alone in the parish office, chatting with my sister from the other side of Europe and listening to vey loud boy-scouts trying to organize their next activity... the fact is that I feel so mentally tired that I follow life, as if I have no more chances to choose anything at all, simply reacting to what life is asking me now... bad or good? don't know... what matters to me now is that I shall have a free day tomorrow; I already see myself wandering around alone, a nice walk in the park, with the mobile switched off... and let the mind go wherever it wants...
This is the where I'll be tomorrow... can't wait...

I forgot to tell you that I am reading this book; I will let you know how it is!

Organizing a perfect migration...

2009-03-03T11:04:00.000+01:00

Retreat!!

2009-02-28T11:19:00.001+01:00

vintage freddie

2009-02-23T16:15:00.001+01:00

these ones go back to 10 year ago...

still alive

2009-02-13T14:26:00.003+01:00

hi everyone, even if I doubt someone is still about...
Anyhow, as you can imagine I've spent a very busy time and i did not have time at all to post anything. Let's say I've been so busy with my studies, mum and dad had not been so well and last but not least I was always busy with my pastoral service; luckily enough I managed to survive and I proove it to you:

see? I'm alive!!

GUESS

2009-01-15T08:56:00.001+01:00

It should be easy... just try to guess which are my feet in the below picture!!

Happy Birthday!

2008-12-24T14:01:00.002+01:00

TO YOU JESUS YOU ARE JUST 2008 YEARS OLD!!!

Who invented the Nativity?

2008-12-19T07:51:00.001+01:00

CAN ANYONE BUILD ONE???

2008-12-16T07:45:00.002+01:00

I think we are gonna need it SOON!!!!!
You can choose which model to build; but hurry up!! It keeps rainig a lot here!!!

ok, maybe this rain is too much

2008-12-12T08:10:00.005+01:00

I believe

2008-12-10T14:53:00.005+01:00

that RAINY DAYS

are made for a better studying...

or am I studying just for the coming up of the first exams???...

OH FREEDOM WHERE ARE THOU

2008-12-08T10:29:00.005+01:00

I wish I were a centenarian oak,
standing still with the old and ever new wind amongst my branches, friends from old times…

I wish I were an eagle,
flying away and in high, from a place where to see the whole world…

I wish I were a horse,
running in immense lands and cease my thirst in running fresh streams…

I wish I were a whale,
dive in the profound abyss, where all the sounds are but silence…

I wish I were a voice,
with no need to breath and tune an everlasting loving song…

I wish I could converse with the stars,
that I could expand my relationships throughout the whole universe…

I wish I were a sun’s ray
across the universe bring my warmth…

but I love to be a man
where in my limits I find my freedom

in my desires
I find my passion

in my infinite God
I re-find myself.

new evangelization

2008-12-07T20:36:00.002+01:00

THANK YOU!

LAST NIGHT

2008-12-03T17:32:00.003+01:00

I was having some relaxing time walking in Rome with a good friend of mine, I did need that time. We walked a while and we ended up here, isn't it beautiful?

The lights of the pope's room were on, we did wonder what he was making, writing, thinking, praying for and so on... beside that we thought he might have a very lonely life...

I think I've already told you..

2008-12-01T16:15:00.004+01:00

I AM TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO BUSY...

.
can you see an END???

Francesco is still working

2008-11-29T19:02:00.002+01:00

do you remember him? He's a missioner friar in Kazakhstan and he's still working on his nativity; have a look at some pics

nice weather for travelling...

2008-11-28T07:48:00.003+01:00

I woke up at 30.20 am last night, as I was awaken by a huge thunder. Now the weather here is a bit worse and I have to go to Tivoli for my pastoral service... ok ok I am NOT complaining, I'm making a statement, and beside that, even St.Pauls's travels had not beeb easy...

still don't know

2008-11-24T14:46:00.003+01:00

whether it's a

but I've just been told I will have to study a master degree as soon as I finish this (second) degree... which is actually going to be in a year time...
I will accept any suggestion, tips and more... on what subject, considering
I have law degree
and will a degree in Theology
and not much will of studying... :-)
ciao
freddie

RETREAT

2008-11-21T14:27:00.002+01:00

SEE YOU ALL ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON!
I will pray for you all
freddie

Wednsdays...

2008-11-19T22:01:00.004+01:00

this is the day of the week in which I am on duty in the kitchen... poor guys... and it is also the free dinner day, which means you do not have to eat with all the other ones... beside what my sisters might say right now - like we bet no one will ever have dinner then... - I do have to work a lot.

In our fraternity we are 24 friars and in the evening we have a canteen for the poors which makes out about 80 people eating every night.
AND TODAY I WAS LEFT ALONE IN THE KITCHEN...
I do feel exausted now... And I tell you more, the washing up is dreadful...

Good night!

do you ever feel like

2008-11-18T21:01:00.002+01:00

a poet who does not know what to write
a painter who does not know what to paint
an artist who does not know what to create
a blogger who does not know what to post... that's me actually...

well this is where you would be led

I AM REALLY SORRY!!!! I JUST WANTED TO POST SOMETHING BUT DID NOT KNOW WHAT... I tell you, it's all the studying... never mind, it will be worth under the exams pressure...

guess...

2008-11-18T07:09:00.002+01:00

double Jesus is our guest

2008-11-15T22:00:00.006+01:00

no no, I am not joking...
Just after dinner, while br.R. was watching the football match on television, I was staring out of the window and saw a couple of homeless sitting in the street, with their grown up puppy in between them. I bet you can guess the end of the story. I called my superior, we rushed downstair and prepared a small room with an electric heating, a carpet and that was all we could do. After that we went outside and invited them to spend the night inside and not outside in the cold. They did accept. I brought them a couple of blankets, a soap and towel. They are already sleeping in the room next to the office where I'm now; and I feel as if we have an extra tabernacle tonight... From the window I can hear lots of teenagers shouting in the street... will they ever know about... I mean about LIFE???
Where do we stand? with whom? For Whom? YOU CHOOSE!!

better...

2008-11-15T13:07:00.006+01:00

I'm better today

though I spent a very very cold night

The weather is a bit chilly today

but inside I am warm

feelings...

2008-11-14T15:34:00.007+01:00

this morning I had a sort of an argument with one of my professors at the University....

At noon I discovered I parked in a rather "personal" way... and I will have to pay don't know how much yet...

and now I do feel a bit depressed

in a while I'll be like

but what I need is some good sleep like: