The Franciscan Friars and the Function of Finesse

Some of my best friends in the wold are a little group of Franciscan Friars. They are cool. And I mean C-O-O-L. Their order is based on Padre Pio ( who happens to be my favorite EVER).... the awesome priest who received the stigmata, and whose body even today after all these years of death remains incorrupt. My mom ) who is somewhat of a scholar in matters all things religious) and Fr. Conrad were just saying yesterday that it is said that when you see his dead body it is as if he is sleeping and would awake at any minute and get ready to go about his day. Amazing. Anyway, I was raised Catholic but at the age of 16 I had too many questions and turned to christianity. I attended Calvary until I was 31. I still held a lot of things from my Catholic upbringing very dearly.

So, these guys.... it's awesome. They are young and they know how to communicate with young people and I feel like I just have a bunch more brothers. Which I guess I really do! With the added bonus of them putting in a good word with the Big Guy upstairs. They are not pushy or preachy or overbearing. They are not arrogant. They have taught me the very important lesson of humbleness and humility. They live among the poor and beg for food and whatever else they may need to survive day to day. Thats HUGE. Can you imagine living like that ? No T.V. , no cable no x-box or PS3. No movies. No music ( except for the catholic music they have). No comfy recliners or couches. No nice mattress. They sleep on wood beds on the floor. And they are doing their best to save my soul! Ha ha. Now THATS a challenge of the grandest kind. I mean really... they have their hands full here.

I love to joke with them about how brave they are to keep company with the likes of ME. I am emotional and stubborn and can be very confrontational. Leave it to me to get a few of them in trouble for keeping them out too late.... thats one for the books. This is the story:

So, they are allowed to go to peoples house as long as they are invited. So one night we all had dinner at my moms ( because she is the greatest cook EVER next to my little bro) and were hanging out. And i simply mentioned they were welcome to come over and watch a movie before they went home. SO Fr Joe and Bros Phillip and Sebastian were thinking that sounded cool.... I VAGUELY remember Fr Leo saying that another night would be better, but everyone was talking and the night rolled on. As I went out to leave I discovered that the back tire on my Jeep was completely and utterly flat and I had no functioning spare. I went back in to figure it out and Bro Phillip and Fr Joe said they could take me home it was no problem. OK; Innocent enough right? I didn't think I was disobeying orders. But..... lots of times I don't think. Which always gets me in trouble. Hence the reason it will be so very very hard for them to save my soul. I mean, I was planning on riding my moms coat tails right thru the pearly gates so fast that good ol St Peter would never ever even realize I set up residence in a Winnebago in Heaven with my 7 animals and my husband.......

O.K.; so we get home and I'm showing them around our little house. And we happen to have lots of cool movies. And Blu-Ray and a big flatscreen T.V.. I also had a couple of Coronas in the fridge... ya ice cold. So Fr Joe noticed we had the Matrix box set. And I guess he likes them and they do look REALLY AWESOME on that T.V. in high def and everything.... sooooo I know you see what's coming. We popped it in and we had a beer ( it was just the three of them and me) and personally I was glad to have the company as I am a horrible insomniac and Daniel goes to bed at like 10 pm on work nights on account of he has to be up before the butt crack of dawn to be at work for his 12 hour shifts!

What I forgot was that those movies are pretty long. Ya. But everyone was having a good time and they were ministering to my need for company and I was giving drinks to the poor ( just like Jesus says if you feed the poor and give them drink you are feeding me... or something like that. ya, no finesse here...) so it was kinda like they were evangelizing me...... are you buying this yet??

Anyway, the movie ended and it was late. And they still have to get home. But the good news was they live only about 10 minutes from my house! The bad news is I suck at giving directions. :-( They got home really late....

So the next day Bro Phillip called to say hi and see what was up. So I asked him how much trouble was I in ? He laughed and said everything was fine; but i knew we must not have made Fr Leo very happy and I felt horrible about it. I mean they have strict rules they live by and here M.C. the devious swoops in and says " Go ahead just one bite of the apple, it will allow you ENDLESS movie viewing ( wink wink nudge nudge...)" .

Turns out every thing was fine but I knew that I had disappointed Fr Leo and I felt like when I was 12 and helped my best friend cheat on an English test and it's just like I had disappointed my own father ( which I hate to do more than anything in the world.) I would rather be banished to the ends of the earth than to cause my father disappointment. And thats how this felt.

However, in my defense, THEY are big boys. C'mon, they coulda just said no, right??? But we really wanted to hang out.... it was so much fun. And I have heard on more than one occasion that I can be very persuasive... I, myself, don't see it but hey, thats kinda a cool " talent " if in fact I do have it.

The point I'm trying to make is that are regular dudes. They are like your brother or your cousin or your best friend. They get it. They get life. They have been through it and are going through it. They can identify and testify; can I get an AMEN?! I believe lots of young people who are familiar with Catholicism relate everything to the back in the day way things were done. Which weren't wrong; just things may have been lost in translation. Things may not have been presented in such a way that they made sense and caused the A-HA factor. I know because I am that generation and I did walk away from the Catholic church. Even now I'm not back " all the way" but I am listening and learning and God blessed me with these guys who can explain very competently and who can answer any question under the sun about the catholic faith. And they listen. And they are patient. And gentle and kind. And non judgemental And they can put up with ME ! I mean thats HUGE!!!!! They have taught me humility and what self sacrafice really is. They live it, after all. And on top of all that they are witty and humorous and fun loving. The total package.

So, heres to You Mr I Will Serve God at any Cost and No Matter What Men: You Are Real Men of Genius.

And that my friends, is true Finesse in Action.

So, hey guys, whens our next movie night.......