“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”(Matt. 13:45-46) A tremendous teaching to be explored in a few moments!   *    Extreme necessity has brought me to a decision most noteworthy. I MUST change my E-mail again!!!! Here it is:  Please make a note of it because I will not be able to respond to you with any other E-mail of the past. It is:  Stephenofmconv@aol.com  It will be an extension of the monthly Conference Letter.  PLEASE, DO NOT SEND ME ANY “PASS ON, MUST READ” E-mails!  I may NOT respond to them.  My time is precious and most demanding! It MUST be spent ONLY in giving SPIRITUAL DIRECTION! 
 
*The month of August is as such:
4^th to 8^th, Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show at the Garden State Exhibit Center,  Somerset, NJ,  Booth 134. 
 22^nd to 24^th: Switzerland, FL. Call Barbara at 386 445 1464 for details.  28^th to 30^th Indianapolis IN. Call Haydee at 317 545 5791for info.

 Now, for our conference:  One of the purposes of your mind as given to you by Father Creator, is to search for answers; to questions such as: who am I, why am I on this earth, how can I accomplish my purpose in life? The answers to these questions do not come easily, even to ask them requires much time spent in life, and a high degree of seriousness to what life is all about.  The experience of searching is an integral part of the human system.  To your dying day, it will never leave you. It will serve you until you find within yourself the very purpose of why God put you, as you upon this earth.  The quality of searching is a God-given gift. There are those who lived on this earth, and pursued this quality of searching, offer you short-cuts to your personal search.  One of these is St. Augustine. Here is how he put it: “My heart is restless, Oh God, until it rests in Thee.”The culmination of his search is what Jesus speaks to you about, i.e. the pearl of great price.  You no doubts have spent time in your own search as to what sort of fulfillment gave you the most satisfaction.  Having spent time in searching, you were able to evaluate degrees of fulfillment.  Some fulfillments were at first very satisfying, and yet as time went by, they disappeared.  Some of them stayed longer than others.  Some of these were of the body, others of the soul.  Get to know the difference.

Please allow me to share with you at this stage in my own life of what, at my age of 84, I have found as the very, very best fulfillment I have come across as yet.  At this very moment, I am absolutely convinced that I have my two feet within the Garden of Eden.  This has come to me after a long and tedious journey, one of, two steps forward, and one step backward.  Because of the atonement for sin that Jesus accomplished, The Father in heaven is once again friendly to me, as to each one of us. He is infinitely generous to me, as to each one of us. Secondly, Jesus has given me, as to each one of us, the Person of the Holy Spirit at the time of our Baptism.  I have now all of the qualities that Adam and Eve had, but only because I have forged ahead and found a PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP with the Holy Spirit. It has become a two way street; as I give myself TOTALLY to Him, He gives Himself TOTALLY to me, and in this way, I have at this very moment the greatest fulfillment I have ever experienced, in my life.  I have taken the Holy Spirit at His Word, that HE is the Giver of Life.

You may be quick to say, “But, FATHER, you are a Franciscan; you are a priest; you have been treated royally by the Father, by Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, and for sure, by the Blessed Mother! What you say is absolutely true.  However you know very well that there are other Fathers who are both Franciscans and priests, and yet, they have not fared as well as me.  What have you to say to that? The journey of sanctification is indeed a personal venture.  There is no sanctification without the work of the Holy Spirit.  It is the real Holy Spirit abiding with you, Whom you must identify for yourself and begin to address Him as a REAL PERSON. You might spend the month, pleading with Him heartily to identify Himself to you. 

In the meantime, do count on my prayers for you.  I send my blessing along to cheer you up.  Lovingly

 
In the meantime, I delight in sending you and each member of your family my priestly blessing and many bushels of love, prayers, and respect.

Fr. Stephen