Regional Minister’s November 2023 Message

 

By Our Profession, we are called to be Servant Leaders

Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

            As you have read in our last two regional newsletters, I have listed the duties for each position on the regional council to consider for our upcoming April 2024 elections. You would need to be professed for two years or more to qualify as a member of the regional council (See International Statutes Article 8.3).

Some of you may be thinking, I am not cut out to be a servant leader at the regional level or even the local fraternity level. I would like to offer some thoughts on what a servant leader is and possibly help you see that you may already have some of these qualities.

            The qualities of a servant leader are a desire to serve, a concern for the needs of others, and the ability to listen, empathize, and heal. A commitment to building up the community and letting it grow. 

* * *

Leadership: What We Learn from St. Francis

1. A leader is a servant.
2. The leader must recognize and care for the needs of the community members.
3. The leader must be present to members by visiting them.
4. Leaders should encourage and, when necessary, correct.
5. Leaders must extend forgiveness to members who are behaving badly.
6. Leaders must not become attached to their offices; offices are not perpetual.
7. Leaders must take care of the proper reception of new members.
8. Leaders must discern the right choice to make for special missions.
9. Leaders should persevere in serving others, even in great difficulties.

* * *

 Leadership: What We Learn from St. Clare

1. Leadership flows from devotion to the Gospel, the Crucified Christ, the Eucharist, and from the example of our Father Francis.
2. A leader learns from the struggles of others and is creative in facing new and confusing situations.
3. A leader is first and foremost a servant to the members of the fraternity.

 * * *        

            Our Minister General, Tibor Kauser, offers us some characteristics that should be common to OFS leaders:

• Help form and strengthen the fraternity – it’s the OFS home.
• Encourage and maintain communication, which brings people closer.
• Encourage collaboration, with members using their charisms and talents.
• Serve the growth of everyone.
• Do not be afraid of new approaches.
• Be prayerful (be ready to be with the Holy Spirit).
• Live a sacramental and penitential life.
• Embody a spirit of service (“washing the feet of others”).
• Maintain an overview; have vision.
• Be able to organize, and be ready to speak.
• Be always open to dialogue, and able to evaluate a situation.

   — What would Jesus do?

   — Listen. Consult. Discern. Decide.

   — Collective decisions are collegial when we all respect one another.

• Love your brothers and sisters. (Mutual respect is essential for servant leadership.)
• Be Franciscan.

* * *

            As servant leaders, we may not possess all of the above, but even one or two will open the doors to our unknown creative skills. For most of us, we learn these skills as we grow, and to know that we have our sister and brother council members to rely on when needed.

            I would like for you to discern the possibility of placing your name on the nomination slate for a position on the 2024-2027 Regional Council. If you feel the Lord calling you to be a servant leader, you can contact either Mary Rohde, Regional Secretary, r3rohde@msn.com – or Randy Bender, Regional Area Councilor, benderclan@verizon.net to request that you be placed on the nomination slate for the April 20, 2024 elections.

Our late Franciscan brother and past National Minister, Deacon Tom Bello, OFS, once said “Jesus never invites us to failure!”           

            The regional council wishes you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving, a holy Advent, a most joyous Christmas, and a New Year filled with many blessings.

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Sisters and brothers in Francis and Clare,

When our Order was established, we were known as Brothers and Sisters of Penance. As the times changed so did our title, today, we are known as the Secular Franciscans. I would like to take a look back at our original title and how it is still relevant today.

I have taken several passages from our Rule to meditate on:

Chapter 1

Concerning Those Who Do Penance

All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and mind, with all their strength (cf. Mk 12:30), and love their neighbors as themselves (cf. Mt 22:39) and hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.

Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them, because “the spirit of the Lord will rest upon them” (cf. Is 11:2) and he will make “his home and dwelling among them” (cf Jn 14:23), and they are the sons of the heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:45), whose works they do, and they are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 12:50).

We are spouses when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with our Lord Jesus Christ; we are brothers to him when we fulfill “the will of the Father who is in heaven” (Mt 12:50).

We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body (cf. 1 Cor 6:20) through divine love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a holy life which must give life to others by example (cf. Mt 5:16).

Chapter 2

Concerning Those Who Do Not Do Penance

But all those men and women who are not doing penance and do not receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and live in vices and sin and yield to evil concupiscence and to the wicked desires of the flesh, and do not observe what they have promised to the Lord, and are slaves to the world, in their bodies, by carnal desires and the anxieties and cares of this life (cf. Jn 8:41).

These are blind because they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus Christ; they do not have spiritual wisdom because they do not have the Son of God who is the true wisdom of the Father. Concerning them, it is said, “Their skill was swallowed up” (Ps 107:27), and “cursed are those who turn away from your commands” (Ps 119:21). They see and acknowledge; they know and do bad things and knowingly destroy their own souls.

See, you who are blind, deceived by your enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil, for it is pleasant to the body to commit sin and it is bitter to make it serve God because all vices and sins come out and “proceed from the heart of man” as the Lord says in the gospel (cf. Mt 7:21). And you have nothing in this world and in the next, and you thought you would possess the vanities of this world for a long time.

But you have been deceived, for the day and the hour will come to which you give no thought and which you do not know and of which you are ignorant. The body grows infirm, death approaches, and so it dies a bitter death, and no matter where or when or how man dies, in the guilt of sin, without penance or satisfaction, though he can make satisfaction but does not do it.

And may they keep them in their mind and carry them out, in a holy manner to the end, because they are “spirit and life” (Jn 6:64).

And those who will not do this will have to render “an account on the day of judgment” (cf. Mt 12:36) before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Rom 14:10).

***

As Franciscans, we are to live the Gospel life, but our way of life includes doing penance, not only for ourselves but for our Church, our families, and all of God’s children.

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A Contemplative Prayer Life

We just experienced the holy seasons of Lent and Easter but this does not mean we should put our prayer life on the shelf. During these sacred times on the Church calendar, we have been given the opportunity to get to know God better. Hopefully, our prayers increased, and we even experienced changes in our prayer life. Some of us may have developed a deeper contemplative prayer life while meditating on the passion and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

As followers of St. Francis, our prayer life is both active and contemplative, which makes up part of our Franciscan charism. In my November 2022 message in the Up to Now regional newsletter, I touched on contemplative prayer and now I would like to delve more into how St. Francis, through the words of Thomas of Celano, teaches us how to develop a deeper contemplative prayer life.

Thomas of Celano writes:

And after he had remained some time while there and by continual prayer and frequent contemplation had in an unspeakable manner attained intimacy with God, he longed to know what was or might be most acceptable to the Eternal King in and concerning himself. Most carefully did he search out and most tenderly did he long to know in what manner, by what way, or by what desire, he might most, perfectly cleave to the Lord God.

Since according to Nature’s laws and the manner of man’s condition, the outward man must perish from day to day (though the inward be renewed) that most precious vessel wherein was hidden a heavenly treasure, began on all sides to be shattered and to suffer the loss of all its strength.

* * *

Our Lord has given us the wonderful gift of adoration. This is a special time to spend in contemplative prayer where we open our minds and hearts and turn ourselves over to God, have conversations with Him, and a time to listen to Him to develop a deeper relationship with the Father.

I think of adoration as being on a date with God, we enjoy His company. We have so much to share and He has so much he wants to share with us. As in dating, we want to know all about the person we are with and vice versa.

At adoration, an interior transformation takes place, and contemplative prayer takes on a spiritual life of its own, just as it did with our father Francis. During those few years in the cave at Mt. La Verna, Francis found what he was seeking throughout his life, he found his true love, thus, according to Thomas of Celano, “the presence of God transfigured him until He made him another Christ.”

As we grow in our contemplative prayer life it becomes less about us and more about God. Our desire (love) for God becomes our main focus and we see changes taking place, especially in our way of thinking. So, it takes time to get to know God, therefore, to love God is to better understand Him in all His goodness.

Father Gilles Emery, O.P. in his essay “Trinitarian Theology as a Spiritual Exercise in Augustine and Aquinas tells us, “Our efforts to understand God must be informed by love because “the more one loves God, the more one sees him”. I believe this is how St. Francis saw God, through the love of the Father.

* * *

Just as St. Francis spent his time alone with God in a cave, I invite you to spend time alone at adoration, in silence. At first, if you find contemplative prayer difficult, start by praying the rosary and meditating on its mysteries, you will develop a deeper prayer life.

You could also attend Mass earlier and spend time in His presence in front of the Tabernacle; you would be amazed by the changes that take place.

 

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February 2023

Franciscan Joy

The St. Margaret of Cortona Regional Council would like to wish you, your community, and your family a healthy and joyous new year.

Ah, the word joy stirs up wonderful feelings of happiness even sometimes to the point of near intoxication of the senses. Most of us experienced this joy this past Christmas season by spending time with family and friends, immersing ourselves in the joy of being in each other’s company.

Each of us experiences joy in many different ways, and some of us have discovered secrets that lead us to inner joy. One of the secrets is sustained by prayer, as St. James tells us, “If you want to be joyful, pray.” As you can see from this quote, joyful life is having a good prayerful life, it becomes who we are. Our joy comes from within and flows out in a variety of ways. True joy comes from the heart, from the mind, and from the soul and is seen by others desiring this inner peace.

Joy is the opposite of misery.  In Matthew Kelly’s book, A Call to Joy he tells us “Joy calms us, is serene, it is natural, it is consistent because it is not linked to our emotions, feelings, possessions, nor to changing events of our lives but rather it is the result of our union with God.”

For some, joy is a struggle, for others, it comes naturally. Mother Teresa is a perfect example of the joy that comes naturally. Although suffering through the dark night of the soul for some thirty years, Mother Teresa continued to be deeply prayerful, and this was her secret to finding joy in her work with the poor. Others want to change themselves, seek the good in life, and search for the joy that comes from God.

How does joy fit into our Franciscan way of life? Our Rule and our General Constitution tell us,” We are to be messengers of joy and hope”:

Rule 19 … Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others. …

Article 26

2. In the fraternity, the brothers and sisters should promote mutual understanding and they should see to it that the atmosphere of their meetings is welcoming and that it reflects joy. They should encourage one another for the good.

* * *

Joy pushes out fear that existed in our life and allows inner peace to settle in, to make a home in our hearts. With joy living in our hearts, it tells people who we are. It allows us to listen and to share that which is truly Franciscan, our charism, and our love for our Order. By living from Gospel to life and life to Gospel, the seeds for joy have been planted. It is up to us to water and nurture the seeds as they grow within us to the point they can no longer be contained. The seeds blossom and joy radiate from us and those around us want what we have.

Again, Matthew Kelly, in A Call to Joy tells us “Others are attracted to the joy that comes from living in the now, and they want the same happiness for themselves. It is then that we can show them that Christ is the way; by leading them to Christ and this happiness.” Is this not what we want for our family, friends, and our Franciscan sisters and brothers? Is this why, as Franciscans, we live the Gospel life, not for ourselves alone, but to share the joyful Gospel life with others? Joy is a special gift, in this new year may you find joy in all you do as Franciscans.

I would like to leave you with the quote from Morning Prayer, Monday, Week 1, Liturgy of the Hours. “Those who welcome the Word as the guest of their hearts will have abiding joy.”

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November 2022

Why is Prayer Life so Important?

Let us first define what prayer is. Of course, I can go to the dictionary and provide you with Webster’s definition. For me, prayer is simply having a conversation with God. In most cases, we are always asking God for something, give me this, give me that, and so on.

But why is our prayer life so important? Let us look at prayer through our Franciscan lens. Being a Franciscan is not only being active in the world but also developing a contemplative prayer life. In Robert Cardinal Sarah’s book, God or Nothing, he tells us:

“Prayer is allowing God a bit of freedom within us. We have to be able to wait for Him in silence, abandonment, and confidence, with steadfast perseverance, even when it is dark in our interior night.”

For all, prayer is essential for the salvation of our soul, it also gives us daily encouragement to persevere in our daily struggles. Prayer allows us to amend our lives and gives us the opportunity to pray for others.

Just as St. Francis spent the last years of his life in contemplative prayer, so too should we spend time in prayer. Prayer can take on many different forms; for example; praying the Liturgy of the Hours in private, praying the Rosary, not just for ourselves but for others, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and many other devotional prayers.

St. Francis sets for us the example of prayer as communication between us and the Trinity, as prayer develops a strong relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Article 12.3

Rule 8 The brothers and sisters should love meeting God as His children and they should let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all they are and do. They should seek to discover the presence of the Father in their own heart, in nature, and in the history of humanity in which His plan of salvation is fulfilled. The contemplation of this mystery will dispose them to collaborate in this loving plan.

Article 14.4

The brothers and sisters as well as the fraternities should adhere to the indications of the Ritual with respect to the different forms of participating in the liturgical prayer of the Church, giving priority to the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours.

Article 14.5

In all places and at all times, it is possible for true worshippers of the Father to give him adoration and to pray to him. Nevertheless, the brothers and sisters should try to find times of silence and recollection dedicated exclusively to prayer.

Article 16.1

Rule 9 Mary, Mother of Jesus, is the model of listening to the Word and of faithfulness to vocation; we, like Francis, see all the gospel virtues realized in her.

The brothers and sisters should cultivate intense love for the most holy virgin, imitation, prayer, and filial abandonment. They should manifest their own devotion with expressions of genuine faith, in forms accepted by the Church.

Article 24.1

Rule 17 … They should make space within it for prayer, for the Word of God, and for Christian catechesis. They should concern themselves with respect for all life in every situation from conception until death.

Article 40.3

Participation in the meetings of the local fraternity is an indispensable presupposition for initiation into community prayer and fraternity life.

Article 53.4

The fraternity remembers with gratitude its brothers and sisters who have passed away and continues its communion with them through prayer and in the Eucharist.

***

Prayer is life-changing, it brings peace to the heart, and unlocks many rooms in the conscious and unconscious mind. Prayer opens the spiritual eyes to the soul in ways that could have never been imagined.

“To praise God in our lives means all we do must be for His glory.” [….]

“I will bless the Lord all my life long, with a song of praise ever on my lips”. Antiphons, Morning Prayer, Wednesday, Week IV.

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August 2022

What does Charity and being Franciscan have in common?

Volumes can be written about the word charity and how it works. If I may, I would like to touch on how kindness and charity go hand in hand and how it relates to being a Franciscan.

We need to look at what charity is, what is involved, and how we put this word into action. Charity comes in many forms; relief to the poor, almsgiving, social justice responsibilities, compassion, unselfishness, a humanitarian act, kindness, and the list goes on.

These acts of charity are supernatural virtues. Our charitable works show love for God above all things, as well as our love for others. It is a virtue based on divine faith, our belief in God.

So, what does the word charity mean for us Franciscans?  Being charitable towards each other, donating money to a charity, volunteering in helping the poor, and on and on. So, charity can be summed up in one word, kindness. Francis and his band of brothers, Clare and her community of sisters, all relied on the charity and kindness of others for survival.

So, what do Franciscan and charity have in common? From the General Constitutions of the Secular Franciscan Order:

Article 17.4 – …prayer and works of penance and charity all put into practice by the brothers and sisters above all in their own family, then in the fraternity, and finally through their active presence in the local Church and society.

Rule 2 – …In these fraternities, the brothers and sisters, led by the Spirit, strive for perfect charity in their secular state. By their profession, they pledge themselves to live the gospel in the manner of Saint Francis by means of this rule approved by the Church.

* * *

There are several good examples in the Church Catechism that give a better understanding of why charity is so important for the survival of our faith:

826…Charity is the soul of the holiness to which all are called: it “governs, shapes, and perfects all the means of sanctification.”

1825 …Charity does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. “Charity bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1826 …Charity is superior to all the virtues. It is the first of the theological virtues: “So faith, hope, charity abide, these three. But the greatest of these is charity.”

1827 The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which “binds everything together in perfect harmony”; it is the form of the virtues; it articulates and orders them among themselves; it is the source and the goal of their Christian practice. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love, and raises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love.

1829 The fruits of charity are joy, peace, and mercy; charity demands beneficence and fraternal correction; it is benevolence; it fosters reciprocity and remains disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion: Love is itself the fulfillment of all our works. There is the goal; that is why we run: we run toward it, and once we reach it, in it we shall find rest.

* * *

As Franciscans, it is our responsibility to live a charitable, spiritual life, and to live the gospel as a model for ourselves and others. This can be accomplished by showing love and kindness, (charity) by being of service to our neighbors, especially the outcast in our society. Thus, this virtue can be witnessed in and outside of our fraternity by helping to make a difference in the lives of others. Charity comes from the heart and kindness brings it to the forefront, so it can be poured out to others in love.

Teach us, good Lord, to serve the needs of others, help us to give, and not to count the cost. (Liturgy of the Hours, Week II, Friday morning prayer)

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May 2022

A Reason for Hope

Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

Spring is bursting out all over and soon the dog days of summer will be upon us. Spring is that season of the year when mother nature wakes us up from our winter slumber and helps us to embrace the beauty that surrounds us and to take in the smell of the flowers in God’s new creation.

It is also a time of renewal in hope, faith, and joy. Why hope? In his book, God or Nothing, Robert Cardinal Sarah states “hope is nothing other than Christian optimism. It allows man to remain firm in the faith, fully assured by God’s promises. In hope, God is the guarantor of my future and of my serene stability.”

God has given us the gift of hope not only for ourselves but to inspire others. I am always amazed by the number of people who, each year, come together to defend the unborn at the March for Life in Washington, DC. This gives me hope for the future of our Church.

As Franciscans, we are to be messengers of hope and joy, as our Rule and General Constitutions tell us:

Rule 19 Following the Gospel, Secular Franciscans, therefore, affirm their hope and their joy in living. They make a contribution to counter widespread distress and pessimism, preparing for a better future.

Article 27.2
Secular Franciscans should commit themselves to creating in their environment and, above all, in their fraternities, a climate of faith and hope…

* * * * *

We know that God is the God of hope, as St. Paul tells us in Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

Hope is tied to faith. Where there is faith, there is hope. “By the death of your Son, you have given us hope, born of faith, by his rising again fulfill this hope in the perfect love of heaven”. (Holy Week – Liturgy of the Hours)

Our lives hang on to the reality of hope, hope in our family, to be firm in the faith, and hope in eternal life. Hope turns us away from despair because where there is hope there is faith in what we constantly seek. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.

Hope sustains us when we feel all is lost, especially when we face trials and tribulations in our lives. Again, St. Paul tells in Romans 5:5 “Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” By having hope, we are drawn nearer to God.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1818 – The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which
God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that
inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the
Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him
during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of
eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness
and led to the happiness that flows from charity.

So, during these turbulent times in which we live, let us not give way to despair but be patient. We may not see it now, but God is certainly in control, as we have faith and hope to guide us on our way, to totally rely on God’s plans for us. Therefore, hope is trusting in the Lord. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” – Psalm 1:1

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February 2022

Challenges can help us to live a better Franciscan way of life

Another year has come and gone, and we now remember Christmas past and say a prayer for a healthier New Year. As we enter into this new year, let us ask the question, did we accomplish our goals in 2021? Did we live out our Franciscan vocation to the best of our abilities? Did we see ourselves moving forward on our Franciscan journey?

Yes, God has given us the gift of a new year to learn what we did not learn in 2021. A new year to accomplish those goals yet to be reached. Another year for the opportunity to grow in our Franciscan Spirituality. 

The new year will bring many challenges, as we are faced with many unforeseeable changes in 2022. These challenges will allow us the opportunity to help enrich our spiritual life, to the point of sharpening our spiritual senses.

Our worldly and spiritual challenges will help us to strive to better live the Gospel life. Will we be up to the task of turning these challenges (especially negative) into something positive that will reflect who we are as Franciscans? Are not challenges the motivating factor needed to push us forward in living a better Franciscan way of life?

Our General Constitution states:

The Form of Life

Article 8.2

— Rule 4,3 open to the challenges that come from society and from the Church’s life situation, “going from Gospel to life and from life to Gospel”;

Article 14

1. Aware that God wanted to make us all a single people and that he made his Church the universal sacrament of salvation, the brothers and sisters should commit themselves to a faith-inspired reflection on the Church, its mission in today’s world, and the role of the Franciscan laity within it. They should take up the challenges and accept the responsibilities that this reflection will lead them to discover.

* * *

When Pope St. John Paul II stepped out on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, after his election in October 1978, his first words were, “Be not afraid”. He is challenging us to be not afraid to step out of our comfort zone and make a difference.

In his first homily as pontiff, he tells us “Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ’s power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind. Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, and the vast fields of culture, civilization, and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows “what is in man”. He alone knows it.”

* * *

If we start with the small challenges and work our way up to the really big challenges, we can make a difference. We can be an example to others by helping them embrace the challenges they fear accepting.

When we awake from sleep each morning and put our feet on the floor, the opportunity awaits us to face new challenges, whether it be at home, at work, or even in our Church. Challenges are needed for us to better understand the world in which we live and to put into action the commitment we made at our profession. 

My 2022 challenge to you, is to turn your challenges into something fruitful. Challenges allow you the opportunity to show who you are which reflects your way of life as a Franciscan.

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December 2021

Blessed Holidays

As we enter into the season of celebrations, we have so much to be thankful for. Many families and friends will gather around the Thanksgiving table to relive memories of the past, talk about the present, and plan for the future.

Advent, Hanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa, are celebrations of joy. No matter the holiday, they all have one thing in common, they bring peace to the heart.

Advent will be upon us before we know it. The season of Advent is a time for us to prepare our hearts for the coming of baby Jesus. So, it is right and just to rend our hearts of the mundane and to joyfully and spiritually invite the King of Glory, the Prince of Peace to dwell within us.

In the small town of Greccio, of the province of Rieti in the Italian region of Lazio, at Christmastime in 1223, three years before his transition into eternal life, our brother Francis wished to celebrate the birth of Jesus in a new way by replicating that most beautiful night in his native Italy. To this day, you can see the stone used as the manger. Carved in the stone is a V-shaped indentation image where the babe was laid. Still at Christmas, in the town of Greccio, the traditional reenactment of the birth of Jesus can be found in the hearts of the visitors and townspeople.

Our holy father, St. Francis is for us the perfect example of the indwelling of the King of Glory, the Prince of Peace. He shows us what it means to have Jesus living within us.

In the First Life of Saint Francis, Thomas of Celano tells us of Brother Francis’ experiencing the baby Jesus in the manger:

85. The Saint of God stood before the manger, full of sighs, overcome with tenderness and filled with wondrous joy.
86. The Saint of God was vested with Levitical ornaments, for he was a Levite, and with sonorous voice chanted the holy Gospel–an earnest, sweet, clear and loud-sounding voice; inviting all to the highest rewards. Then he preached to the people who stood around, and uttered mellifluous words concerning the birth of the poor King and the little town of Bethlehem. (And often, when he would name Christ Jesus, aglow with exceeding love he would call Him the Child of Bethlehem, and, uttering the word “Bethlehem” in the manner of a sheep bleating, he filled his mouth with the sound, but even more his whole self with the sweet affection. Moreover, in naming “the Child of Bethlehem” or “Jesus” he would, as it were, lick his lips, relishing with happy palate, and swallowing the sweetness of that word.) There the gifts of the Almighty were multiplied, and a vision of wondrous efficacy was seen by a certain man; for in the manger, he saw a little child lying lifeless, to whom the Saint of God seemed to draw near and (as it were) to rouse the child from the lethargy of sleep. Nor was this vision incongruous; for the child Jesus had been given over to forgetfulness in the hearts of many in whom, by the working of His Grace, He was raised up again through His servant Francis and imprinted on a diligent memory.

At length, the solemn vigil was ended, and each one returned with joy to his own place.

***

And so, with the passing of Advent and the coming of the celebration of the birth of our Lord, we too can be filled with the joy of Christ in our hearts. Just as St. Francis experienced the joy of the sacred birth at Greccio, along with the visitors and the townspeople about 800 years ago, so can we rejoice in this miracle in our hearts—not just at Christmas time but throughout the year as well.

The St. Margaret of Cortona Regional Executive Council extends best wishes to you and your family for a most blessed Christmas Season and a most joyous New Year.

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August 2021

A Time for Renewal after COVID-19

As our lives begin to slowly emerge from a COVID-19 shell-like cocoon, after seventeen months, we turn our thoughts to coming back to public gatherings and shared events. A majority of us attended monthly gatherings via Zoom technology or did not attend the meetings at all. What became apparent to me, during the lockdown period, was how much I missed coming together at our physical gatherings.

As we return to normal, as much as possible, I thought, now would be a wonderful time to renew the commitment promises we made at our profession, our commitment to the Rule, and our commitment to the Order. To reawaken the Franciscan spirit that lives deep within each one of us.

By returning to fraternal life and getting back to attending to the responsibilities in our fraternity, our apostolates, and to one another, we will once again experience the joy of sharing the common ground that makes us Franciscans. The joy of becoming living stones in the Order, in our Church, and in the world.

As we often do, we take life for granted, or sometimes we do not appreciate what we have, and some of us may even take our Franciscan vocation for granted. Do we take to heart what it means to be a Secular Franciscan, or are we just clanging cymbals?

Our Seraphic Father St. Francis gave us a beautiful gift, our Order, which today numbers over 300,000 members worldwide, in over 120 countries. As you can see above, our Order bears much fruit as stated in Matthew 7:16 “By their fruits, you will know them.” I do believe our Seraphic Father knew what he was doing when he professed our first Sister and Brother of Penance, Blessed Luchesio Modestini, and his wife, Buonadonna.

In Poggibonzi, Italy, Francis visited Luchesio, with whom he had become acquainted through former business transactions. Francis greatly rejoiced to find the desire in Luchesio and Buonadonna, to want to live, as a layperson, a simple life that would be pleasing to God.

Francis explained to Luchesio and Buonadonna his plans for the establishment of an order for laypeople; for he had in mind to give them a special rule according to which they could serve God perfectly even in the world. On learning of St. Francis’s plan, Luchesio and Buonadonna asked to be a part of this future Order. Thus, according to tradition, they became the first members of the Sisters and Brothers of Penance, which later came to be called the Third Order (and today called the Secular Franciscan Order).

From our first Franciscan sister and brother, and down through the ages, they have shown us how to be in the world but not of the world. They were examples of what it meant to live out a Franciscan vocation.

As our Rule tells us:

7. United by their vocation as brothers and sisters of penance, and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change that the gospel calls conversion. Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.

So, this brings me back to the beginning of my message, “A Time for Renewal after COVID-19”. Now is the perfect time to rediscover our Franciscan way of life, to live more fully our commitment to the gospel life, and to share the precious gift of our Order, not only with our Franciscan family but also with all those we encounter, our universal sisters and brothers.

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May 2021

Dear sisters and brothers in Francis and Clare,

Wow! what a quick three years since our 2018 Regional Elections. As we start the 2021 – 2024 term with a newly elected council, I want to thank our sisters and brothers who served on the 2018 – 2021 council, namely:

Mary Catherine Bibro, Mike Coleman, Rita Colleran, Barbara Countryman, Gil Donohue, Harry Ford, Peggy Gregory, Michael Huether, Peggy Nicholson, Peter Noyes, Vera Stewart, and Monica Zevallos. Thank you for stepping up to the plate as servant leaders.

I would also like to thank our Spiritual Assistants who also served from 2018 – 2021:

Br. Matthew Hindelang, OFM Cap., Brother Michael Meza, OFM Cap., Fr. Charley Miller, OFM, Anne Mulqueen, OFS, (OFM Conv. delegated), Fr. Kevin Queally, TOR, Fr. Kevin Treston, OFM. The past regional council appreciates your work, time, and efforts you unselfishly gave to the region and to our Secular Franciscan sisters and brothers.

I would like to introduce the newly elected 2021 – 2024 regional council, and a big THANK YOU for your desire to respond to the Holy Spirits call to serve:

Vice Minister – Mike Huether, OFS
Secretary – Mary Rohde, OFS
Treasurer – Peter Noyes, OFS
Formation Director – Rita Colleran, OFS
Regional Area Councilor for MD/PA Area – Jackie Holzel, OFS
Regional Area Councilor for Central & So. MD/DEL Area – Mary Tchida Badjo, OFS
Regional Area Councilor for Metro DC Area – Janice Benton, OFS
Regional Area Councilor for Northern/Middle VA Area – Randy Bender, OFS
Regional Area Councilor for Southern VA Area – Sita Chakrawarti, OFS

The new council would also like to welcome Br. Iggy Harding, OFM to the team, along with our returning Spiritual Assistants, Br. Michael Meza OFM Cap., Anne Mulqueen, OFS, OFM Conv. (Delegate), and Fr. Kevin Queally, TOR.

As all are aware, COVID-19 has certainly put a damper on our regional fraternal visitations and elections’ schedules, not to say local fraternity activities. Although we were not able to attend public gatherings, we were able to make adjustments by taking advantage of modern technology (Zoom).

In the past year, most fraternities were able to communicate by Zoom and hold monthly online gatherings. Although this must not be the norm, once we are able to meet together in public for our monthly gatherings, Zoom must not be an option.

As we slowly come back to some sort of normal, the area councilors will once again be contacting the local fraternity ministers to schedule in-person fraternal visitations and pastoral visitations. We will need to start from scratch to set up a new three-year schedule for each fraternity; please be patient with us.

As for local fraternity elections, many of the fraternities were able to publicly gather to hold their scheduled elections. Top priority will be given to fraternities that are overdue for elections.  

We have two events scheduled for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not have a weekend retreat as originally planned at The Loyola Retreat Center in Potomac Maryland. Instead, we will have a one-day Zoom Retreat on Saturday, May 22^nd from 9 AM to 4 PM. Our Zoom subscription will allow us to host 100 people for the retreat. We still have several slots open. If you would like to attend, please email blongosfo@gmail.com to be placed on the Zoom invite list. In your request, please indicate which fraternity you belong to.

The new council will be looking into possibly holding a weekend retreat for 2022 at The Loyola Retreat Center. This will depend on where we are with COVID-19 in 2022.

At the May regional council meeting, we will begin to look for a host place for our November 2021 Chapter of Ministers Meeting. Again, this will depend on the status of COVID-19 as to whether we will be able to publicly hold the Chapter. If we are still under restrictions in the fall, we will have another Zoom Chapter. Stay tuned for updates.

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November 2020

APOSTOLATES

Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

We often take for granted our family, friends, and work. We consider our fraternity our family, as we often call each other sisters and brothers. In our home family life, we work and in our Franciscan family we also work, we call this work apostolates.

What is the purpose of an apostolate in a fraternity? Simple, an apostolate is a ministry, a mission, a service to and for the Church. To bring others to know Christ and his love for all of us. An apostolate can be an instrument used to evangelize, meet a need, to be of service to one another. An apostolate can be in the form of corporal works of mercy such as feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting the prisoners, burying the dead, and giving alms to the poor.

We can also add, to clothe the naked, and provide assistance when and wherever needed. Provide funding for rent, keep the electricity turned on, provide transportation to and from appointments and the list goes on and on. An apostolate energizes a fraternity, it gives the members the opportunity to work together, to share their talents not only with other fraternity members but also with those they are serving.

An apostolate gives life and sustains the growth needed for a fraternity to exist. Our Church has gifted us with many, many opportunities to be disciples of Christ by providing for those in need, and volunteering at soup kitchens. As Eucharistic Ministers for the homebound, visit the sick in hospitals and work in prison ministry.

Our SFO General Constitutions tell us:

Article 50

1. It is the duty of the council of the local fraternity:— to make concrete and courageous choices, appropriate for the situation of the fraternity, from among the numerous activities possible in the field of the apostolate.

Article 100

1. The vocation to “rebuild” the Church ought to induce the brothers and sisters sincerely to love and to live the union with the local Church in which they develop their own vocation and realize their apostolic commitment, aware that in the diocese the Church of Christ is truly functioning.
2. The secular Franciscans should fulfill with dedication the duties with which they are occupied in their relations to the local Church. They should lend their help to the activities of the apostolate as well as to the social activities existing in the diocese. In the spirit of service, they should make themselves present, as the fraternity of the SFO, within the life of the diocese. They should be ready to collaborate with other ecclesial groups and to participate in pastoral councils.

Article 101

1. The Secular Franciscans should collaborate with the bishops and follow their directions in so far as they are the moderators of the ministry of the Word and of the Liturgy and the coordinators of the various forms of apostolate in the local Church.

Article 102

1. The fraternities established in a parish church should seek to co-operate in the animation of the parochial community, in the liturgy and in fraternal relations. They should integrate themselves into the pastoral apostolate as a whole, with a preference for those activities more congenial to the Secular Franciscan tradition and spirituality.

***

Our fraternity apostolates and our individual apostolates can bring hope to those who feel there is no hope. To respect the dignity of all through our words and actions will encourage us and others to grow spiritually. The offering of service will allow us to shine and be the light of Christ to others by our love for one another. This is what is meant by ongoing conversion, a conversion of the heart. As members of the Franciscan family, serving others, whether in fraternity or outside fraternity, is to live the Gospel life.

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August 2020

Regional Council Elections in April 2021

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

Wow, how time flies! Can you believe in April 2021 our local fraternity ministers will come together to elect a new Regional Council for 2021 – 2024? I think I can speak for the rest of the council members and say it was a quick three years.

All positions on the council are open. I encourage all professed members to pray and think in the coming months about serving in a position on the new regional council.

Some of you may be saying, “Oh, I am not cut out to take on the role of a servant leader.” At our profession, the celebrant (p.21 of the Ritual of the Secular Franciscan Order) asked us, “Do you wish to be faithful to this vocation and to practice the spirit of service proper to the Secular Franciscans?” Our way of life is a vocation to live the Gospel and to serve the fraternity as much as possible. To be a servant leader is to ensure the growth and the continued life of the Order.

You might be asking what the qualifications for servant leadership are and whether you have the qualifications to serve your fraternity, Regional Fraternity or National Fraternity.

With our sister Anne Mulqueen’s permission, I would like to share her thoughts as to what it takes to be a servant leader:

A Secular Franciscan Servant Leader:

• Demonstrates spiritual and psychological maturity
• Shows respect for every member of the fraternity
• Demonstrates the Franciscan charism by their actions
• Is compassionate and just
• Is humble and open to the wisdom of others
• Is willing to collaborate with and EMPOWER others
• Possesses good communication skills
• Is willing and able to share necessary information with the entire fraternity

 

Talents of Servant Leader:

• Is willing to accept new ideas as suggested by members of the fraternity
• Is able to communicate a sense of accountability to fraternity members
• Collaboration and teamwork (develops commitment)
• Is able to develop new leaders while leading
• Is able to focus and mobilize the energy of the fraternity

Possesses communication skills that pull the fraternity together.

As we search for our individual and fraternal gifts, we need to remember that we have been given gifts to help us as we do this. We have the gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as the gifts of our Franciscan vocation, and we are encouraged to see each other as gifts.

As Secular Franciscans, we all have the intention to be willing instruments. The leader is being called to share those talents.

“[T]o each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good… But it is one and the same Spirit who produces all these gifts, distributing them to each as he wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:7,11)

Prayer and discernment are vital for the good judgement to elect those who demonstrate:

• A true love for and deep sense of belonging to the OFS.
• A marked sense and spirit of service.
• Concrete availability of time, mind, and heart for the fraternity.
• Human, spiritual and character qualities, as well as the experience and preparation needed, to cope with the challenges the fraternity might face. . . . Our late Franciscan brother and past National Minister, Deacon Tom Bello, OFS, once said “Jesus never invites us to failure!”.

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May 2020

Sisters and brothers in Francis and Clare,

What does it mean to be in Fraternity?

Our world and our Church have been shaken to their very core these past few months. With the onslaught of the coronavirus and the new experience of a Lenten Season like never before, we have had to make changes in how we live and how we pray. Through all of this, I have come to appreciate my gift of faith as well as the gift of being in fraternity more and more. The songwriter, Thomas Haynes Bayly, in his song, “Isle of Beauty”, (1939) uses the phrase “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. And so, it does, when you are not able to receive the Sacraments or attend monthly gatherings.  

Eventually, we will be able to return to having our monthly fraternity gatherings, so, I would like to take this time to talk about what does it mean to be in fraternity? I read with interest the 2019 Annual Reports I received from each fraternity minister, many of the fraternity’s apostolate(s) were filled with a genuine Franciscan spirit. Although we are not a religious Order but a Secular Order, as such we are a living Franciscan community, therefore, active fraternity life is essential for the growth of the Order.

Our SFO General Constitution is the foundation of what it means to be in fraternity:

• In the fraternity, the brothers and sisters should promote mutual understanding and they should see to it that the atmosphere of their meetings is welcoming and that it reflects joy. They should encourage one another for the good. (Article 26.2)
• The fraternity of the SFO finds its origin in the inspiration of Saint Francis of Assisi to whom the Most High revealed the essential gospel quality of life in fraternal communion. (Article 28.1)
• The sense of co-responsibility of the members requires personal presence, witness, prayer, and active collaboration, in accordance with each one’s situation and possible obligations for the animation of the fraternity. (Article 30.2)
• Participation in the meetings of the local fraternity is indispensable presupposition for initiation into community prayer and into fraternity life. (Article 40.3)
• Profession does not only commit those professed to the fraternity but also in the same way it commits the fraternity to be concerned with their human and religious well-being. (Article 42.4)
• Fidelity to their own charism, Franciscan and secular, and the witness of building fraternity sincerely and openly are their principal services to the Church, which is the community of love. They should be recognized in it by their “being”, from which their mission springs. (Article 100.3)

*  *  *

A Fraternity is only as strong and productive as the members who contribute to making it, an active and vibrant community. Just as each one of us is on a Franciscan journey, so too, is each fraternity. A fraternity, to remain alive, needs the involvement of each of its members.

Below are suggestions I would like to offer to help your fraternity become an active community:

• create a spirit of belonging to each of its members, a true sense of community, as participation in fraternity life is essential for belonging to the Secular Franciscan Order
• communication between the council and the fraternity members is extremely important
• survey the needs and wants of the fraternity members periodically, for as times change so do the needs of the fraternity
• the council works for the good of the fraternity and the Order
• a good formation team is needed to ensure growth and vitality, especially for ongoing formation at monthly gatherings.
• during initial formation, encourage future professed to be servant leaders by holding an office at the local level and at the regional council level
• participate in other fraternities’ activities
• nurture the fraternity members’ Franciscan vocation, so they may continue seeking the desire to be spiritually fed
• a good way to strengthen a fraternity is to have an apostolate, this will help bring members together by being actively involved
• make use of the talents and special gifts that each fraternity member brings with them
• excused members must not be forgotten, and should never be excluded from the fraternity because of their inability to attend gatherings; we should help them feel they are still connected to their fraternity. Remember one day we may also be unable to attend gatherings!

At our October 2019 National Chapter meeting in Corpus Christi Texas, our National Minister, Jan Parker, OFS stated:

“Our National Priority for the next three years is Fraternity. God has called

us to this fraternal gathering, a privileged place, where we must listen together to God and to each other, to do the business of the Order, sharing our needs, hopes and joy with each other. To build a fraternity and not just a prayer group, you must build relationships.”

We can also apply Jan’s statement within our own fraternity.

As we eventually recover from this coronavirus pandemic, let us pray for the virtue of Hope, that people will return to God and seek a deeper religious experience in living the Gospel life.

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February 2020

Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

I would like to touch on our Secular Franciscan vocation. Our vocation is a gift from God, a call to a certain way of life. Our Franciscan vocation is a part of God’s plan for us to seek a deeper, more meaningful spiritual life.

Remember when you entered candidacy and received your Tau Cross and how it made you feel. Think about how you felt at your profession when you said:

“Therefore, in my secular state, I promise to live all the days of my life the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Secular Franciscan Order by observing its Rule of life.” How has your life changed since the day of your profession?

These are moments to be shared with those outside our Franciscan communities. Who knows, this could be a wake-up call for someone who may be searching for a deeper inner spiritual life and may have a Franciscan vocation and not realize it.

Our Franciscan vocation is a precious gift, for as Matthew 22:14 tells us “many are called, but few are chosen.”

Sharing our Franciscan journey with others, to evangelize both verbally and by our actions is what will draw faith-filled Catholics to the Secular Franciscan Order. We live in a world of uncertainty, a Church that has become more challenging. Yes, these are hard times, but a time when saints are made.

This early writing of Saint Francis is an exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of the Order of Penitents, lay people who desired to share in Francis’ Gospel vision:

The First Letter to the Faithful

All who love the Lord with their whole heart, their whole soul and mind, and with their strength, and love their neighbor as themselves, and who despise the tendency in their humanity to sin, receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and bring forth from within themselves the fruits worthy of true penance.

How happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them because “the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon them,” and the Lord will make “His home and dwelling place with them.”

They are the children of the Heavenly Father whose work they do. They are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are his spouses when the faithful soul is united by the Holy Spirit with Our Lord Jesus Christ. We are brothers when we do the will of the Father who is in Heaven.

We are mothers when we bear Him in our hearts and bodies with divine love and with pure and sincere consciences, and we give birth to him through a holy life that should enlighten others because of our example.

Our General Constitutions tell us:

Article 45

1. The promotion of vocations to the Order is a duty of all the brothers and sisters and is a sign of the vitality of the fraternities themselves.

The brothers and sisters, convinced of the validity of the Franciscan way of life, should pray that God may give the grace of the Franciscan vocation to new members.

***

Let us pray for Franciscan vocations for all three Orders, that others may hear the call to seek a deeper more meaningful spiritual life.

Vocation Prayer:

Almighty and eternal God, in your unfailing care you provide your Church with witnesses of your love for us. We pray for those whom you call to a way of life to rebuild your Church, following the way of our holy seraphic father, St. Francis of Assisi. Inspire in them a generous response. Grant them courage and vision to answer the challenge of living the gospel life in fraternity. May their lives and service encourage people to respond to the presence of the Spirit. – Amen

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December 2019

Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

What is Franciscan Joy? In order to understand Franciscan Joy, we need to start at the very beginning of our Franciscan journey. Why did we become Franciscan? What were we searching for? What was to be our ultimate goal? All of us can come up with a handful of reasons for coming into the Order. Once professed, we are expected to put these reasons into practice and ultimately experience Franciscan Joy.

As human beings, we are all searching for happiness, and what does happiness bring? It brings joy. According to the Webster dictionary, “joy is the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; to be glad; rejoice, to gladden.”

Does your Franciscan joy fit into any of the above definitions? If yes, how, if no, why? Each and every one of us experiences joy in a variety of ways and at different levels; it all depends on where we are on our Franciscan Journey.

As Franciscans, our joy comes from the Holy Spirit, who gives us peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and love. Our Franciscan commitment fosters growth in a very special way, to live the Gospel life, the source of our joy.

When you experience the Holy Spirit within you, you have joy and peace that others see and desire. St. John Paul II often told us, “Be not afraid.” Let us be not afraid to share this beautiful gift of joy with others, not only at Christmas but throughout the year.

Peace and joy are gifts from God, who is, and these gifts dwell within us. True joy is contagious. It needs to be set free so that it can be shared with others. Our Pauline Rule and our General Constitutions tell us to be messengers of Joy and Hope:

Rule 13 […] A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ.

Rule 19 Following the Gospel, Secular Franciscans therefore affirm their hope and their joy in living. They make a contribution to counter widespread distress and pessimism, preparing a better future. Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others.

Article 26 General Constitutions

1. Even in suffering, Francis experienced confidence and joy from:

— the experience of the fatherhood of God;

— the invincible faith of rising with Christ to eternal life;

— the experience of being able to meet and praise the Creator in the universal fraternity of all creatures.

2. In the fraternity, the brothers and sisters should promote mutual understanding and they should see to it that the atmosphere of their meetings is welcoming and that it reflects joy. They should encourage one another for the good.

* * *

At Greccio, our holy father St. Francis found joy in the reenactment of that most holy night in Bethlehem, just as we will experience joy during this Christmas Season as we celebrate the birth of God’s beloved Son.

Luke, Chapter 2:8-10 tells us:

⁸ In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night.

⁹ An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified,

¹⁰ but the angel said, “Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by all the people.”

***

I can only imagine Francis experiencing this great joy when he held baby Jesus in his arms at Greccio, “a joy to be shared by the whole people.”

Joy is God within us. If we are filled with joy, the Holy Spirit can use us as His instrument to overcome the evil in our midst. In our joy we bring hope to the hopeless and comfort to those in need of comfort, for joy brings peace not only to us but to all we meet. Joy is the love we give to others. As Saint Augustine tells us, “we become what we receive.” He is talking about the Eucharist, but we can apply this to joy as well.

Wishing you and your family a most blessed Christmas Season.

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August 2019 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

In June 2019 the Franciscan Conventuals ended their month-long General Chapter and met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. In his message to the Conventual Franciscans, Pope Francis invited them to live in a spirit of fraternity, littleness, and peace.

After reading the papal message, I realized that this message can also apply to the Secular Franciscan way of life.

I would like to summarize a few of our Holy Father’s comments from his message:

• Your Constitution guarantees the Order’s charism and its extension into the future.

• The Gospel is the Franciscans’ “rule and life” and the mission is to be a living Gospel.

• Fraternity is a central aspect of life for those who follow in the footsteps of St. Francis. “Fraternity is a gift to welcome with gratitude. It is a reality ever ‘on the path,” in construction, which requires each person’s contribution.”

• Littleness is a difficult path because it is opposed to worldly logic, which seeks success at any cost and desires to occupy the first place.

• Francis told Franciscans to be humble and to spend their lives in the service of others.

• Preach peace, in the spirit of the traditional Franciscan greeting: “Pax et bonum.”

Peace can be interpreted as reconciliation with ourselves, with God, with others, and with creatures.

Reconciliation consists in concentric circles that begin in the heart and extend out to embrace the whole universe. But in reality, it begins in the heart of God, the heart of Christ.

This type of peace is more than an absence of problems because it emanates from the presence of God within us.

• Living a life of fraternity, littleness, and peace requires continuous formation that promotes gradual conformation to Christ, in every sphere of life. It is a personalized formation of the heart, that changes our way of thinking, feeling, and acting; a formation that teaches fidelity.

As Secular Franciscans, how do we live our way of life both in our fraternities and outside of our fraternities?

Our Rule tells us:

22. [The local fraternity] becomes the basic unit of the whole Order and a visible sign of the Church, the community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a sense of Church and the Franciscan vocation and for enlivening the apostolic life of its members.

Our General Constitution gives us guidelines as to what it means to be in fraternity. I have cited a few Articles for you to ponder:

Article 26

In the fraternity, the brothers and sisters should promote mutual understanding and they should see to it that the atmosphere of their meetings is welcoming and that it reflects joy. They should encourage one another for the good.

Article 30 

Sections 1. The brothers and sisters are co-responsible for the life of the fraternity to which they belong and for the SFO as the organic union of all fraternities throughout the world.

Section 2. The sense of co-responsibility of the members requires personal presence, witness, prayer, and active collaboration, in accordance with each one’s situation and possible obligations for the animation of the fraternity.

Article 40

Section 3. Participation in the meetings of the local fraternity is indispensable presupposition for initiation into community prayer and into fraternity life.

Article 42

Section 4. Profession does not only commit those professed to the fraternity, but also in the same way it commits the fraternity to be concerned with their human and religious well-being.

Article 53

Section 3. Insertion into a local fraternity and participation in fraternity life is essential for belonging to the SFO.

Section 4. The fraternity remembers with gratitude its brothers and sisters who have passed away and continues its communion with them through prayer and in the Eucharist.

Article 100

Section 2. The secular Franciscans should fulfill with dedication the duties with which they are occupied in their relations to the local Church. They should lend their help to the activities of the apostolate as well as to the social activities existing in the diocese. In the spirit of service, they should make themselves present, as the fraternity of the SFO, within the life of the diocese. They should be ready to collaborate with other ecclesial groups and participate in pastoral councils.

Section 3. Fidelity to their own charism, Franciscan and secular, and the witness of building fraternity sincerely and openly are their principal services to the Church, which is the community of love. They should be recognized in it by their “being”, from which their mission springs.

***

Sisters and brothers, as we continue on our Franciscan Spiritual journey let us keep in mind the importance of coming together in fraternity. The Secular Franciscan Order is not just an Order within itself, but plays an important role in the Church and thus helps make up the Church. Therefore, our Franciscan roots make us successors of St. Francis.

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May 2019 

Be solicitous to make your call and election permanent, surely those who do so will never be lost. – 2 Peter 1:10

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

As we come to the closing of the 40^th Anniversary Celebration of our Pauline Rule, I would like to reflect on the Third Luminous Mystery of the Rosary, “The Proclamation of the Kingdom,” and how our Rule plays an important part in living out the gospel life. A large portion of our Rule invites us to proclaim the Kingdom of God to others daily.

Below are a few examples of our Rule for you to meditate on, to help keep us grounded as we live out each day, keeping in mind “The Proclamation of the Kingdom”:

Rule 6. They have been made living members of the Church by being buried and raised with Christ in baptism; they have been united more intimately with the Church by profession. Therefore, they should go forth as witnesses and instruments of her mission among all people, proclaiming Christ by their life and words.

Rule 8. As Jesus was the true worshiper of the Father, so let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all they are and do.

Let them participate in the sacramental life of the Church, above all the Eucharist. Let them join in liturgical prayer in one of the forms proposed by the Church, reliving the mysteries of the life of Christ.

Rule 10. …Let them also follow the poor and crucified Christ, witness to Him even in difficulties and persecutions.

Rule 11. Let them be mindful that according to the gospel, they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children.

Rule 12. Witnessing to the good yet to come….

Rule 13. As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image of Christ.

A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed by Christ.

Rule 14. Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God may be brought about more effectively….

Rule 15. Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives….

Rule 16. Let them esteem work both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation, redemption, and service of the human community.

Rule 17. In their family they should cultivate the Franciscan spirit of peace, fidelity, and respect for life, striving to make of it a sign of a world already renewed in Christ.

Rule 18. Moreover, they should respect all creatures, animate and inanimate, which “bear the imprint of the Most High,” and they should strive to move from the temptation of exploiting creation to the Franciscan concept of universal kinship.

Rule 19. Mindful that they are bearers of peace which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the divine seed in everyone and in the transforming power of love and pardon.

Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance should strive to bring joy and hope to others.

Sisters and brothers, just because the celebration of our Rule is coming to a close does not mean we stop proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Our visibility and our actions are a sign of hope, love, and peace to others.

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February 2019 

Be solicitous to make your call and election permanent, surely those who do so will never be lost. – 2 Peter 1:10

Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

Our celebration of the birth of Christ has come and gone and another year has begun. At the celebration of the Epiphany, we heard the story of the Magi on their journey, bearing gifts, and searching for the Christ child. The journey of the Magi recalls our Franciscan journey and the gifts we bear throughout the year.

As we continue to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of our Pauline Rule, the Rule is that gift that keeps on giving, our way of life is that gift. Our profession tells us, and the world, that we have made a commitment to live the gospel life and to share this beautiful gift with others through our words and actions.

Our Rule is our daily guidepost and I would like to bring your attention to Rules #4, #5, and #7:

#4. The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans are this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people.

Christ, the gift of the Father’s love, is the way to him, the truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give abundantly. Secular Franciscans should devote themselves, especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to gospel.

#5. Secular Franciscans, therefore, should seek to encounter the living and active person of Christ in their brothers and sisters, in Sacred Scripture, in the Church, and in liturgical activity. The faith of St. Francis, who often said, “I see nothing bodily of the Most High Son of God in this world except His most holy body and blood,” should be the inspiration and pattern of their Eucharistic life.

#7. United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance” and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change that the gospel calls “conversion.” Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily. On this road to renewal, the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace.

Sisters and brothers, our world needs us now more than ever before. Our cities are crying out for peace, justice, and love, but most of all for the loss of faith. We Franciscans can bring that peace, justice, love, and faith to all those we meet daily. You may say, I live the gospel life. But do we live it daily? I am reminded of the reading from the book of Micah: 8 “You have been told, O mortal, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God”. I would like to leave you with these thoughts:

If you see someone looking sad and alone, give them a smile, or even better, strike up a conversation. 

If you see someone in need of help, give them a helping hand. 

When you receive something from someone, say thank you with a smile and even say “Bless you”. You never know whose life you may change or even make for a better day. 

Talk to others as if you were talking to Jesus. 

These small gestures can brighten a person’s day.

Our gospel way of life could not be any easier to live than this.

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November 2018

August 2018

Be solicitous to make your call and election permanent, surely those who do so will never be lost.  – 2 Peter 1:10

Sisters and Brothers in Francis and Clare,

May the Lord give you His peace!

From June 29^th to July 1^st, our region held its Chapter of Mats at Priest Field, West Virginia. The chapter was devoted to the celebration of the 40^th Anniversary of our Rule along with a weekend of fun with a scavenger hunt and an evening of Franciscan Jeopardy. According to the evaluation forms filled out by those who attended, the weekend Chapter was a time of learning, laughter, and Franciscan fellowship.

During the Chapter weekend, several topics on our Rule were presented, my presentation topic was “Praying the Rule”. You must be asking yourself, how do I “Pray the Rule”? First, we must define what prayer is:

1. a devout petition to God
2. spiritual communion with God
3. a personal, intimate relationship with God
4. a line of communication between God and man
5. a thought and an action
6. the act or practice of praying

Through much prayer and meditation, I came up with some definitions of what “Praying the Rule” means to me. Please see below:

1. “Praying the Rule” is an act of humility before God
2. “Praying the Rule” supports the very foundation on which our Rule is built
3. “Praying the Rule” holds us accountable to the Rule, our Franciscan way of life
4. “Praying the Rule”, we become the Rule
5. “Praying the Rule” creates our Franciscan identity in a confused and depraved world
6. “Praying the Rule” produces food for the journey
7. “Praying the Rule” allows us to stand out as being different and helps us to be better caretakers of God’s daily new creations
8. “Praying the Rule” unites us in communion with our sisters and brothers and all of God’s creation 
9. “Praying the Rule” sets us free from a stressful world and takes us beyond the mundane 
10. “Praying the Rule” gives us the freedom to be Christ to others 
11. “Praying the Rule” gives us inner peace and a restful heart

I like to think of “Praying” and “Rule” as two people dancing the waltz in the moonlight, moving together in concert with each other. “Praying the Rule” leads us in concert with all of God’s creation.

Our Rule calls us to become a living Gospel for each other, “going from gospel to life and life to gospel”. Now let us live our Rule with prayer as our guide.

I would like to leave you with a few thoughts on meditation:

1. Rule 8 – “As Jesus was the true worshipper of the Father, so let prayer and contemplation be the soul of all they are and do.” Are we actively “Praying the Rule”?
2. Prayer for our Spiritual Journey requires action. How do I respond? 
3. By living our Rule, we spiritually strengthen our sisters and brothers. How do I participate? 
4. Do I believe “Praying the Rule” helps me better understand the Rule and its purpose? 
5. Is the Rule easier to live when I have a good prayer life? 
6. Am I living the Rule or am I just reading the words of the Rule?
7. How do “I” pray the Rule? 

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