Holy Guardian Angels Chapel

"a place of refuge for those who most need Christ's loving and healing embrace in the world." Under the Direction of Brother Robert Mills, FMC has received a Charter from the Province of the Holy Cross, USA. It is our hope that this "little portion" will become a place of refuge for those who most need Christ's loving and healing embrace in the world. we will provide a space to worship, serve and love God as a Catholic Community with an emphasis on Sacraments, prayer and contemplation open to all. WELCOME A blog on prayer,contemplation and spirituality

Holy Guardian Angels Chapel

Holy Guardian Angels Chapel, LCAC Province of the Holy Cross - Salinas CA, USA Description serving the poor,the marginalized of the Chinatown area of Salinas Under the Direction of Brother Robert Mills, FMC has received a Charter from the Province of the Holy Cross, USA. It is our hope that this "little portion" will become a place of refuge for those who most need Christ's loving and healing embrace in the world. we will provide a space to worship, serve and love God as a Catholic Community with an emphasis on Sacraments, prayer and contemplation open to all. A mission ofthe Franciscan Missionaries of the Cross https://www.facebook.com/groups/174027049349426/ We are Free Catholic Christians...Apostolic, Sacramental, evangelical and progressive... In the Free Catholic Church, we embrace all people as dear brothers and sisters, despite the different denominational or faith tradition labels we wear. We refuse to be compelled to look at the Church, or spirituality in general, from such a narrow and sectarian perspective that would force us to exclude anyone (Colossians 1:16). In our day and age, we cannot remain narrow and sectarian... the evidence of the world is too overwhelming demonstrating Oneness and unity. "a place of refuge for those who most need Christ's loving and healing embrace in the world." St Francis in his little rule for those who desire to be hermits emphasis is on the roles of the life of Mary and Martha, and if there are four hermits living in community, two are to live the life of Mary and two are to live the life of Martha, with one living that of service to the other and thus free the other to concentrate on prayer and conemplation. For the religious, this is obviously going to be practiced in the dwellings of the hermatage. But it can also be applied to the secular or normal life of a family. By doing so, a greater love can be cultivated within the family and will encourage the family to be more prayerful. A family whose children has left the house to be on their own, are especially suited to live this way. But some will say that the these roles of Mary and Martha are not very transforming, and merely copy the status qua. How might such challenge and transform the structure of heirachy within 'church-dom'. Observe the rule as it promotes equality and sharing of tasks. Actually the way such a community would or could be lived need not be confined to brothers, but could equally be used by couples who so choose such a lifestyle. And could be a Catholic Worker community in a Farm setting, and even be modeled after the Calmodolese hermatage but for lay people. Those who have made a visit to the New Calmodoli in Big Sur may have experienced directly both the Benedictine influence and the way the hermit-brothers practice the works of mercy towards their guests. In this current time of global crisis, many who have lost hope and despair forget there is a 'home' to which we can abide in, a place of comfort, and a refuge to flee the troubles of the world, while at the same time embrace the world and assist in it's transformation. As to the oppresiveness and outright betrayal of the heirachical structure of 'church-dom, it is to live a prophetic community creating a deeper element for significant change. When one commits themselves to prayer and to a contemplative life, it is motivated by a deeply compassionate desire to be in the world, but not of it.Such a desire cannot also ignore the structure of 'Church' as well. A second observation regarding being a contemplative in this 21st century: As Christians, we speak a lot about the corporal works of mercy, while at the same time unintentionally play down the equally important spiritual works of mercy. The one committed to contemplative prayer has a special role in supporting and promoting the spiritual works of mercy: To comfort the sorrowful To counsel the doubtful To instruct the ignorant To admonish sinners To bear wrongs patiently To forgive offenses willingly To comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable To pray for the living and the dead. Note: The spiritual work of 'comforting the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable' speaks eloquently of the prophetic role the contemplative may engage in. Thomos Merton in much of his writing dd this very part, as does St Francis in some of his writings. More could be explored on this matter than can be in this little note.

A Call for a Walls of Jericho Action.

We can have a specific Faith based witness with the Occupy movement and also make Christian Socialism a prominent and visible voice amidst all the other voices. I am calling all to consider organizing a Walls of Jericho Action. And in the spirit of Joshua we can march, and occupy places which are symbols of oppression, greed, and capitalist exploitation. To tear down the walls of injustice and make the call for a Socialist agenda. A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. ... A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: "This is not just." Dr Martin Luther King Jr We cannot, as People of Faith be silent on this issue. Our Faith calls us to action and to prayer. So as a united people, of one accord we can challenge the triple evils of matrialism, militarism and racism by cchallenging the Wall Street oligarchy and by calling people to a different kind of occupation, one based on charity and justice. Join us here and everywhere. Contact me here if you want to be a part of this, or join the event on Facebook and post your ideas and news. It will posted on Facebook as an event for as long as needed. I can also start a weebly web page if enough interest is generated.

A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies. ... A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say: "This is not just." Dr Martin Luther King Jr We cannot, as People of Faith be silent on this issue. Our Faith calls us to action and to prayer. So as a united people, of one accord we can challenge the triple evils of matrialism, militarism and racism by cchallenging the Wall Street oligarchy and by calling people to a different kind of occupation, one based on charity and justice. Join us here and everywhere. Walls of Jericho Action

Catholic Worker Commentary: Dorothy Day and the Rose of Sharon

Catholic Worker Commentary: Dorothy Day and the Rose of Sharon: by Robert Smith  "...For those who are huddling in shelters trying to escape the rain...For those who are walking the streets in the all bu...

Catholic Worker Commentary: #OccupyWallStreet: A Radical Perspective

Catholic Worker Commentary: #OccupyWallStreet: A Radical Perspective: “I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values....

The homeless residents of Soledad Street here in Salinas were, time after time, promised to be part of the redevelopement of this neighborhood. Many have stakes here because of the amount of time they have lived here. Yet the Salinas Police Dept came down ordering everyone off the street. It was understood that those in front of the one building being renvoated would have to relocate, but the entire street from one end of the block to the next was evicted. Is it coincidence that Occupy Monterey Peninsulu in their action in Carmel was invaded last week? Has the Police State prevailed? It seems that the City of Salinas has reneged on the commitment to maintain dialogue with the homeless residents here and to include them in the plan.