Franciscans – Page 5

The Secular Franciscan Order: A pope’s recommendation to join

Pope Leo XIII begins Humanum Genus (the 1884 encyclical
on Freemasonry) by acknowledging the divided heart of humanity since the Fall
man and woman: there are “separated into two diverse and opposite parts, of
which the one steadfastly contends for truth and virtue, the other of those
things which are contrary to virtue and to truth. The one is the kingdom of God
on earth, namely, the true Church of Jesus Christ; and those who desire from
their heart to be united with it, so as to gain salvation, must of necessity
serve God and His only-begotten Son with their whole mind and with an entire
will. The other is the kingdom of Satan, in whose possession and control are
all whosoever follow the fatal example of their leader and of our first
parents, those who refuse to obey the divine and eternal law, and who have many
aims of their own in contempt of God, and many aims also against God.”

One his
recommendations was to advocate the faithful’s vital membership in the Third
Order of St Francis, today called the Secular Franciscan Order. Himself a Third
Order Franciscan, Pope Leo’s recommendation didn’t fall on deaf ears because
diocesan seminarians, priests and bishops joined the Third Order and millions
of the laity followed suit. Here is what Pope Leo XIII said:

Wherefore, not
without cause do We use this occasion to state again what We have stated
elsewhere, namely, that the Third Order of St. Francis, whose discipline We a
little while ago prudently mitigated,* should be studiously promoted and
sustained; for the whole object of this Order, as constituted by its founder,
is to invite men to an imitation of Jesus Christ, to a love of the Church, and
to the observance of all Christian virtues; and therefore it ought to be of
great influence in suppressing the contagion of wicked societies. Let,
therefore, this holy sodality be strengthened by a daily increase. Amongst the
many benefits to be expected from it will be the great benefit of drawing the
minds of men to liberty, fraternity, and equality of right; not such as the
Freemasons absurdly imagine, but such as Jesus Christ obtained for the human
race and St. Francis aspired to: the liberty, We mean, of sons of God, through
which we may be free from slavery to Satan or to our passions, both of them
most wicked masters; the fraternity whose origin is in God, the common Creator
and Father of all; the equality which, founded on justice and charity, does not
take away all distinctions among men, but, out of the varieties of life, of duties,
and of pursuits, forms that union and that harmony which naturally tend to the benefit
and dignity of society. (34)

*The text here refers to the encyclical letter Auspicato
Concessum (Sept. 17, 1882), in which Pope Leo XIII had recently glorified St.
Francis of Assisi on the occasion of the seventh centenary of his birch. In
this encyclical, the Pope had presented the Third Order of St. Francis as a
Christian answer to the social problems of the times. The constitution Misericors
Dei Filius (June 23, 1883) expressly recalled that the neglect in which
Christian virtues are held is the main cause of the evils that threaten
societies. In confirming the rule of the Third Order and adapting it to the
needs of modern times, Pope Leo XIII had intended to bring back the largest
possible number of souls to the practice of these virtues.

Perhaps there ought
to be a new appraisal of the vocation to the Secular Franciscans with the encouragement to join!

Conventual Franciscans meet in Chapter, prayers please

You may be wondering why I am asking you to send up some prayers for the Conventual Franciscans. This week two east coast Conventual Franciscan provinces are meeting in a provincial chapter to discuss matters pertaining to their life as Franciscans. A chapter meets every four years. This week the two provinces on the east coast of the USA are deciding by vote the merger of their provinces, no insignificant matter. May the Holy Spirit guide and protect the discussions!

The Conventual Franciscans arrived in the USA in the 19th century to work with the German and then Polish immigrant peoples You can read more their history here The Conventual Franciscans History.pdf. Fast forwarding through particular histories, about four years ago, the then Minister Provincial Father Canice Connors introduced the idea of merging the two east coast provinces, Immaculate Conception and Saint Anthony of Padua, into one; each province has about 100 men in each so we’re not talking about hugh numbers of men coming together like, for example, what the Jesuits are doing at the moment (they’re moving 10 provinces into 5). This merger will change the face of Conventual Franciscan life in the friaries and in the many dioceses where the friars serve in the East, especially in some New York and Connecticut dioceses.

You can also follow developments of the world-wide Conventual Franciscan movement on their website.

The witness of of the Franciscans is necessary for us today and we ought to sustain them by prayer and fraternal relations in their deliberations, today and in the days/years to come. As Pope Benedict mentioned in his Regina Caeli address of April 5, we need to be heralds to the world of God the Father’s great plan for the restoration of man: of God’s love for man and woman, our resurrection with Christ in glory. In baptism all Christian people are called to announce and to live the divine love; the charism passed down to us from Saint Francis through the Conventuals ought to do the same.

Let me end but calling to mind Holy Father Saint Francis’ words to the Friars at the end of his Rule of life which I think may be appropriate for all of us to consider in for our prayer for the Conventuals (and for ourselves):

O most beloved brothers and sons forever blessed, hear me, hear the voice of your Father:

Great things we have promised;

greater have been promised us.

Let us observe the former;

let us aspire to the latter.

Pleasure is short;

punishment, everlasting.

Suffering is slight;

glory, infinite.

Many are called;

few are chosen.

Retribution for all.

Brethren, while we have time, let us do good.

May the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, Saint Joseph, Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi, Saints Anthony of Padua and Maximilian Mary Kolbe, pray for a favorable outcome of this week’s chapter.

Shrine of St Anthony in Ellicott City, MD –breaking for spring

Easter week is time for spring break this year, especially after a very busy Holy Week schedule. And getting away from the ordinary was required. Like all graduate students on break, I went to visit friends at a Conventual Franciscan friary in Maryland.

One of my friends there is Friar Brad, the Father Guardian (and formation director) of the student brothers and postulants. My other friend Friar Gabriel who’s originally from the New Haven, CT area and preparing to profess vows and to follow more intensely the Franciscan way of life. Besides preparing for priesthood, Gabriel and I share a number of common things in life; the important part of the visit was seeing him in situ and understanding his religious life as a Conventual friar (the group first founded by St Francis of Assisi). Being among the friars was restful and delightful. I wasn’t there too long but I did get to Washington, DC, Georgetown, WTU and the Shrine of St Anthony, Ellicott City, Maryland. Sadly, the cherry blossoms were gone by the time I bounced on the scene.

A ministry of the Conventual Franciscan Friars, the Shrine of St Anthony is a place of welcome of pilgrims come from far and near for a period of prayer. The Shrine is located in the farmlands of Howard County in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Situated on about 200 acres, you know you are in farmland by sight and scent: the working farms dot the landscape. As good stewards of the land, the friars rent a good portion of the land to the University of Maryland for their learning. Architecturely the shrine will remind you immediately of Tuscan architecture with the tile roof, gardens, stone and wood work. I had an immediate sense of home. The friar’s chapel has an exquisitely carved set of choir stalls. As a spiritual “program” the friars provide a horizon for reconciliation, healing, spiritual direction, meditation and contemplation. Outdoor shrines are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Maximillian Kolbe and the Way of the Cross all which capture the theological imagination and propel the retreatant or causal visitor to work on holiness. The shrine chapel staff provides a regular schedule of the Mass, confession, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Vespers. There’s also Tuesday’s Novena of St Anthony and 3 healing Masses a month.

On the 800th anniversary of St Anthony’s birth the friars received a gift of a reliquary of St Anthony from the Italian province of Conventual Franciscans enthroned in a walnut-tree house. Historically St Anthony lived and preached in a walnut tree house.

Franciscan winemakers cheer the heart

In October I posted a
piece on the Franciscan Friars’ wine making hobby. Franciscan Friar
of the Renewal Brother Giuseppe Maria Siniscalchi had an idea a few years ago
to make homemade wine when he wasn’t hitting the theology books. The friars do more than study, serve the poor, run the Catholic Underground— they cheer the heart with their wine which is a very human thing to do. This is the
second year for Our Lady of Cana wines. Perhaps this may be a new franchise for the friars!!! I’m looking forward to a 3rd year of winemaking. AND I am willing to be the wine-quality control guy.

With grapes handpicked and materials donated by friends, and
help from the other friars, Brother Giuseppi made a great barrel of wine. Of course, nature did her part and God His… For the
last six months the wine has matured –and we’ve been eagerly waiting for the maturing process to work– in a basement corner in an oak barrel. The
wine now sufficiently mature, today was the time to bottle.

Deacon James
Ferreira, Ken Riello (a 1st yr Dunwoodian) and yours truly set out to watch,
assist and taste the fruit of the earth. James was most kind in bringing some
great bread, cheese and soppressata.

We had great fun bottling nearly 275 bottles of wine. James, I hear, has a case of wine for his first Mass in May! AND this event was SO Catholic!

Always thinking liturgically, the
soon-to-be-priested, Friar Deacon Charles blessed the new wine using this
text, but here is another version of the blessing of wine:

The Blessing of Wine in Honor of Saint John the Evangelist

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Pray Psalm 22 and then the Our Father

V. And lead
us not into temptation.

R. But deliver us from evil.

V. Preserve thy servants.

R.
That trust in thee, my God.

V. Send them aid, O Lord, from heaven.

R. And from
Sion watch over them.

V. Let the enemy be powerless over them.

R. And the son
of evil do nothing to harm them.

V. And should they drink anything deadly.

R.
May it not hurt them.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R. And let my cry come unto
thee.

V. The Lord be with you.

R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray.

Holy Lord,
Father Almighty, eternal God! Who didst will that thy Son, equal to thee in
eternity and substance, should descend from heaven and in the fullness of
time take temporal birth of the most holy Virgin Mary, so that He could seek
the lost and wayward sheep and carry it on His shoulders to the sheepfold, and
could cure the man fallen among robbers of his wounds by pouring in oil and
wine– do thou bless + and sanctify + this wine which thou hast vintaged for
man’s drink. Whoever partakes of it on this holy solemnity, grant him life in
body and soul. By thy goodness let it be to him strength in the pilgrimage to
prosper him on the way, that his journey may come to a happy termination.
Through the same Christ our Lord.

R. Amen.

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
Who didst call thyself the true vine and thy holy apostles the branches, and
didst desire to plant a chosen vineyard of all who love thee, bless + this wine
and impart to it the power of thy benediction.+And as thy beloved disciple John,
Apostle and Evangelist intercedes for them that partake thereof, grant them
security from all deadly and poisonous afflictions and constant good health of
soul and body. Who lives and reigns forever.

R. Amen.

Let us pray.

O God, thou
gives to man bread to eat and wine to drink — bread to nourish the body and
wine to cheer the heart. And as thou didst confer upon blessed John, thy
beloved disciple such favor that not only did he himself escape the poisoned
potion, but could restore life to others so overcome; do thou grant to all that
drink this wine spiritual joy and eternal life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
thy Son, who with Thee, lives and reigns, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one
God, forever and ever.

R. Amen.

Friars of the Renewal profess vows today

May the Lord grant you His peace!

Great news echoes in the heavenly courts: 16 Franciscan Friars of the Renewal novices professed temporary vows (poverty, chastity and obedience) today at Saint Antoninus Church (Newark, NJ). Newly elected Community Servant (Fr. Provincial) Father Mariusz Koch received the vows. A reception followed at the novitiate of the Most Blessed Sacrament Friary also in Newark, NJ. Bishop Emmanuel Cruz, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark was present. Here are some pics of the community.

The Friars also invested 10 new men as novices on Saturday. Names are always fun, especially when you think, “where did they get that name from?” Read the new names:

Br Frantisek Marie Chloupek, Br Vittorio Maria Pesce, Br Jude Thaddeus Boyden, Br. Tobias Marie Redfield, Br Simeon Mary Lewis, Fr. Maximillian Mary McGoldrick, Br Seamus Mary Laracy, Br Mark-Mary Maximilian Ames, Br Angelus Immaculata Montgomery, Fr Felipe Immaculee Casadia.

May Saints Francis and Clare bless the new friars abundantly!

From athlete to religious life

A few weeks ago Yahoo sports posted a story that caught my attention (but I am only now getting around to posting it, sorry) about a former world-class speedskater now on a journey to the vowed life as a Franciscan Sister of the Renewal.

Kirstin Holum, now Sister Catherine, stands out because she was once a high-profile athlete with promise now (she was at the 1998 Olympics in Japan) she’s devoting her life to Christ and the Church in a new race outlined by Jesus, Saint Paul, Saint Francis and the Church.

Prayers for Sister Catherine’s perseverance and for the Sisters of the Renewal.

St. Francis: Innovator with and not against the Pope

In a recent catechesis, I already illustrated the
providential role that the Order of Friars Minor and the Order of Preachers,
founded respectively by St. Francis of Assisi and St. Dominic Guzmán, had in
the renewal of the Church of their time. Today I would like to present to you
the figure of Francis, an authentic “giant” of holiness, who
continues to fascinate very many people of every age and every religion.

“A
son is born to the world.” With these words, in the Divine Comedy
(Paradiso, Canto XI), the greatest Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, alludes to
Francis’ birth, which occurred at the end of 1181 or the beginning of 1182, in
Assisi. Belonging to a wealthy family — his father was a textile merchant —
Francis enjoyed a carefree adolescence and youth, cultivating the chivalrous ideals
of the time. When he was 20 he took part in a military campaign, and was taken
prisoner. He became ill and was released. After his return to Assisi, a slow
process of spiritual conversion began in him, which led him to abandon
gradually the worldly lifestyle he had practiced until then.

Striking at this
time are the famous episodes of the meeting with the leper — to whom Francis,
getting off his horse, gave the kiss of peace; and the message of the Crucifix
in the little church of San Damiano. Three times the crucified Christ came to
life and said to him: “Go, Francis, and repair my Church in ruins.”
This simple event of the Word of the Lord heard in the church of San Damiano
hides a profound symbolism. Immediately, St. Francis is called to repair this
little church, but the ruinous state of this building is a symbol of the tragic
and disturbing situation of the Church itself at that time, with a superficial
faith that does not form and transform life, with a clergy lacking in zeal,
with the cooling off of love; an interior destruction of the Church that also
implied a decomposition of unity, with the birth of heretical movements.

However,
at the center of this Church in ruins is the Crucified and he speaks: he calls
to renewal, he calls Francis to manual labor to repair concretely the little
church of San Damiano, symbol of the more profound call to renew the Church of
Christ itself, with his radical faith and his enthusiastic love for Christ.

This
event, which probably occurred in 1205, makes one think of another similar
event that happened in 1207: the dream of Pope Innocent III. He saw in a dream
that the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Mother Church of all churches, was
collapsing and a small and insignificant religious supported the church with
his shoulders so that it would not collapse. It is interesting to note, on one
hand, that it is not the Pope who helps so that the church will not collapse,
but a small and insignificant religious, whom the Pope recognizes in Francis
who visited him. Innocent III was a powerful Pope, of great theological
learning, as well as of great political power, yet it was not for him to renew
the Church, but for the small and insignificant religious: It is St. Francis,
called by God.

On the other hand, however, it is important to note that St.
Francis does not renew the Church without or against the Pope, but only in
communion with him. The two realities go together: the Successor of Peter, the
bishops, the Church founded on the succession of the Apostles and the new
charism that the Holy Spirit created at this moment to renew the Church. True
renewal grows together.

Let us return to St. Francis’ life. Because his father
Bernardone reproved him for excessive generosity to the poor, Francis, with a
symbolic gesture, and before the bishop of Assisi, stripped himself of his
clothes, thus intending to renounce his paternal inheritance: As at the moment
of creation, Francis had nothing, but only the life that God gave him, and into
whose hands he entrusted himself. Then he lived as a hermit until, in 1208,
another fundamental event took place in the journey of his conversion. Hearing
a passage of the Gospel of Matthew — Jesus’ discourse to the Apostles sent on
mission — Francis feels he is called to live in poverty and to dedicate
himself to preaching. Other companions associated themselves to him and, in
1209, he went to Rome, to submit to the Pope the project of a new form of
Christian life. He was given a paternal reception by the great Pontiff who,
enlightened by the Lord, intuited the divine origin of the movement awakened by
Francis. The Poverello of Assisi had understood that every charism given by the
Holy Spirit is placed at the service of the Body of Christ, which is the
Church; hence, he always acted in full communion with the ecclesiastical
authority. In the life of saints there is no opposition between a prophetic
charism and the charism of government and, if some tension is created, they
must wait patiently for the times of the Holy Spirit.

In reality, some
historians in the 19th century and also in the last century tried to create
behind the Francis of tradition, a so-called historical Francis, just as there
is a desire to create behind the Jesus of the Gospels, a so-called historical
Jesus. Such a historical Francis would not have been a man of the Church, but a
man linked immediately only to Christ, a man who wished to create a renewal of
the people of God, without canonical forms and without the hierarchy. The truth
is that St. Francis really had a very immediate relationship with Jesus and
with the Word of God, which he wished to follow sine glossa, exactly as it is,
in all its radicalism and truth. It is also true that initially he did not have
the intention of creating an order with the necessary canonical forms, but,
simply, with the Word of God and the presence of the Lord, he wished to renew
the people of God, to call them again to listening to the Word and to literal
obedience to Christ. Moreover, he knew that Christ never is “mine” but
always is “ours,” that “I” cannot have Christ and
“I” cannot reconstruct against the Church, his will and his teaching
— but only in communion with the Church, built on the succession of the
Apostles, is obedience to the Word of God also renewed.

It is also true that he
did not intend to create a new order, but only to renew the people of God for
the Lord who comes. But he understood with suffering and pain that everything
must have its order, that even the law of the Church is necessary to give shape
to renewal and thus he really inserted himself totally, with the heart, in the
communion of the Church, with the Pope and the bishops. He knew always that the
center of the Church is the Eucharist, where the Body and Blood of Christ are
made present. Through the priesthood, the Eucharist is the Church. Where
priesthood, and Christ and communion of the Church go together, only there does
the Word of God also dwell. The true historical Francis and the Francis of the
Church speaks precisely in this way also to non-believers, to believers of other
confessions and religions.

Francis and his friars, ever more numerous,
established themselves in the Porziuncola, or church of Saint Mary of the
Angels, sacred place par excellence of Franciscan spirituality. Also Clare, a
young lady of Assisi of a noble family, placed herself in Francis’ school. Thus
the Second Franciscan Order originated, that of the Poor Clares, another
experience destined to bear outstanding fruits of sanctity in the Church.

The
successor of Innocent III, Pope Honorius III, with his bull “Cum
dilecti” of 1218, also upheld the singular development of the first Friars
Minor, who were opening their missions in several countries of Europe, and even
in Morocco. In 1219 Francis obtained permission to go to speak with the Muslim
Sultan Melek-el-Kamel in Egypt, and also to preach the Gospel of Jesus there. I
want to underline this episode of the life of St. Francis, which is very
timely. At a time in which there was under way a clash between Christianity and
Islam, Francis, armed deliberately only with his faith and his personal
meekness, pursued with efficacy the way of dialogue. The chronicles tell us of
a benevolent and cordial reception by the Muslim Sultan. It is a model that
also today should inspire relations between Christians and Muslims: to promote
a dialogue in truth, in reciprocal respect and in mutual understanding (cf. Nostra
Aetate, 3).

It seems, then, that in 1220 Francis visited the Holy Land, thus
sowing a seed that was to bear much fruit: his spiritual sons, in fact, made of
the places in which Jesus lived a privileged realm of their mission. With
gratitude I think today of the great merits of the Franciscan Custody of the
Holy Land.

Returning to Italy, Francis entrusted the government of the order to
his vicar, Friar Pietro Cattani, while the Pope entrusted the order, which
continued gathering more followers, to the protection of Cardinal Ugolino, the
future Supreme Pontiff Gregory IX. For his part the founder, totally dedicated
to preaching, which he carried out with great success, wrote a Rule, later
approved by the Pope.

In 1224, in the hermitage of La Verna, Francis saw the
Crucified in the form of a seraphim and from the encounter with the crucified
seraphim, he received the stigmata; he thus became one with the crucified
Christ: a gift, hence, which expresses his profound identification with the
Lord.

Francis’ death — his transitus — occurred on the evening of Oct. 3,
1226, at the Porziuncola. After blessing his spiritual sons, he died, lying on
the naked earth. Two years later Pope Gregory IX inscribed him in the register
of saints. A short time later, a large basilica was raised in Assisi in his
honor, still today a destination for very many pilgrims, who can venerate the
tomb of the saint and enjoy Giotto’s frescoes, a painter who illustrated in a
magnificent way the life of Francis.

It has been said that Francis represents
an alter Christus, he was truly a living icon of Christ. He was even called
“Jesus’ brother.” Indeed, this was his ideal: to be like Jesus; to
contemplate the Christ of the Gospel, to love him intensely and to imitate his
virtues. In particular, he wished to give a fundamental value to interior and
exterior poverty, teaching it also to his spiritual sons. The first Beatitude
of the Sermon on the Mount — blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the
Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3) — found a luminous fulfillment in the life and
in the words of St. Francis.

Truly, dear friends, the saints are the best
interpreters of the Bible; they, incarnating in their lives the Word of God,
render it more than attractive, so that it really speaks to us. Francis’
witness, who loved poverty to follow Christ with dedication and total liberty,
continues to be also for us an invitation to cultivate interior poverty to grow
in trust of God, uniting also a sober lifestyle and detachment from material
goods.

In Francis, love for Christ is expressed in a special way in adoration
of the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. In Franciscan sources one reads
moving expressions, such as this: “The whole of humanity fears, the whole
universe trembles and heaven exults, when on the altar, in the hand of the
priest, there is Christ, the Son of the living God. O wonderful favor! O
sublime humility, that the Lord of the universe, God and Son of God, so humbles
himself as to hide himself for our salvation, under the low form of bread”
(Francis of Assisi, Scritti, Editrici Francescane, Padua, 2002, 401).

In this
Year for Priests, it pleases me also to recall a recommendation addressed by
Francis to priests: “When you wish to celebrate Mass, certainly in a pure
way, carry out with reverence the true sacrifice of the most holy Body and
Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Francis of Assisi, Scritti, 399).

Francis
always showed great deference to priests, and recommended that they always be
respected, even in the case when, at the personal level, they are not very
worthy. He cherished, as motivation for this profound respect, the fact that
they have received the gift of consecrating the Eucharist. Dear brothers in the
priesthood, let us never forget this teaching: the holiness of the Eucharist
asks us to be pure, to live in a consistent way with the mystery we celebrate.

From
the love of Christ is born love of people and also of all God’s creatures. Here
is another characteristic trait of Francis’ spirituality: the sense of
universal fraternity and love for Creation, which inspired his famous Canticle
of Creatures. It is a very timely message. As I reminded in my recent encyclical
Caritas in Veritate, the only sustainable development is one that respects
Creation and does not damage the environment (cf. No. 48-52), and in the
Message for the World Day of Peace of this year I underlined that also the
building of a solid peace is linked to respect for creation. Francis reminds us
that in creation is displayed the wisdom and benevolence of the Creator. In
fact, nature is understood by him as a language in which God speaks with us, in
which reality becomes transparent and we can speak of God and with God.

Dear
friends, Francis was a great saint and a joyful man. His simplicity, his
humility, his faith, his love of Christ, his kindness to every man and woman
made him happy in every situation. In fact, between sanctity and joy there
subsists a profound and indissoluble relation. A French writer said that there
is only one sadness in the world: that of not being saints, that is, of not
being close to God. Looking at St. Francis’ witness, we understand that this is
the secret of true happiness: to become saints, close to God!

May the Virgin,
tenderly loved by Francis, obtain this gift for us. We entrust ourselves to her
with the same words of the Poverello of Assisi: “Holy Virgin Mary, there
is no one like you born in the world among women, daughter and handmaid of the
Most High King and heavenly Father, Mother of our Most Holy Lord Jesus Christ,
spouse of the Holy Spirit: pray for us … to your most holy favorite Son, Lord
and Master” (Francis of Assisi, Scritti, 163).

Watch the video clip.

The Franciscan Project of Life – 800 Years Young

During
this 800th anniversary year of the founding of the Franciscan Order,
Franciscans throughout the world have remembered the occasion with celebrations
and have also been reflecting on the demands of Franciscans today. Though
Franciscan life is expressed differently depending on one’s state in life, five
basic commitments characterize all Franciscan’s lives. These five commitments
offer a continuing challenge for renewal and recommitment to living the Franciscan
life which this anniversary year has helped to foster.

The first commitment is
that of leaving everything in order to follow Jesus. In fact, the first gospel
text which Francis and his brothers discovered in the Gospel book in the church
of St. Mary of the Angels, was the word Jesus addressed to the rich man
inviting him to leave everything, to distribute all of it to the poor, and then
to come follow him (Mt 19:21). Francis did this when he renounced his
inheritance before the Bishop, and Clare did this as well when she left her
family home to join the brothers at the Portiuncola. This commitment expresses
the conviction that there is nothing more important than following the
footprints of Jesus and living the gospel. But, for Francis and Clare this kind
of poverty was not an end in itself, but the basic requirement for living as
brothers and sisters with everyone and with all of creation.

Second, once
accepted into the brotherhood and sisterhood one was committed, “Through the
charity of the Spirit … to serve and obey one another voluntarily,” and they
were to “express the love they have for one another by their deeds….” This
style of authority and obedience practiced by the brothers and sisters was
placed in a context of mutuality-the minister must be a servant of the
brothers, and the other brothers must also serve and obey their minister.
Charity is of the essence of obedience according to Francis who summarized
Jesus’ obedience in terms of his self-giving love first when he was born for us
in Bethlehem and when he gave himself on the cross for our sins, leaving us an
example to follow.

Third, the brothers and sisters practiced an ethic of
sufficiency. Relinquishing everything, they identified with the poor in terms
of their choice to live with them and to dress like them. The brothers
supported themselves by working, hiring themselves out primarily as
day-laborers. In payment they received only what was necessary for life, in
terms of food, drink, clothing, for themselves, for the brothers who were sick
or unable to work, and for the lepers and other poor. If they did not receive
enough for the day, only then could they beg. The logic of Franciscan living is
that if everyone took only what was necessary for the day, there would be
enough to go around for everyone. At the same time, this practice facilitated
brotherhood and sisterhood as Francis suggested: “Let each one confidently make
known his need to another; Let each one care and love for his brother as a
mother loves and cares for her son in which God has given the grace.”

Fourth,
the brothers and sisters lived lives of mission. As they traveled about the
world, they met people where they found them, engaged with them in honest
conversation in the homes that were opened to them, and they ate and drank what
was set before them while they promoted peace. The brothers and sisters were
sustained by the Body and Blood of the Lord which accomplishes the
reconciliation and peace of all things with God. In this sense, the mission of
the brothers was “eucharistic,” that is, the mission is to effect
reconciliation and peace, preaching primarily by deeds.

Finally, the brothers
and sisters were “Lesser Brothers and Sisters.” They were to live lives subject
to all people in the world and church, as well as to the created order. This
implied a pattern of behavior as a lifestyle, and even more than a pattern of
behavior, it describes a way of being human-simple, without controlling others,
without controlling the created world. There is only one All-Powerful, and that
is the Father of Jesus Christ. This way of being human was the counter-example
to the greed and violence of so much of the society in Francis’ day as well as
in ours, and this describes the real condition of the lepers, the poor and the
marginalized even today. Being subject does not imply a passive acceptance of
injustice and evil, but the choice to act humbly, patiently, and peacefully in
every situation.

These five elements have characterized Franciscan life and
practice for 800 years, since the time of Francis and Clare, and they challenge
us today to continue the legacy handed on to us so that we can entrust it to
those who will come after us in the future!

The author, Father Michael Blastic,
OFM, is a professor of Franciscan Studies at the Franciscan Institute, of St.
Bonaventure University. This
article was published in the the Winter 2009 issue of The Antonian.

The Mendicant witness of Christ and the Church is urgent & irresistible

The renewal of religious life is also one of Pope Benedict’s priorities. AND boy does it need it. The general state of religious life in this country at least, is circling the drain. Religious life’s sad state is not merely about gaining new recruits, or wearing habits or working with the marginalized, but being faithful to Christ and the Church today, not some fantasy of what one “guru” hopes the Church to be. There are notable exceptions to this evaluation, but even those orders getting vocations there are concerns with the institutional rot in the ranks, and therefore they are fragile. Benedict’s general audience address yesterday shows us the breadth and depth of the work needed to be done AND the desire to see the mendicant life thrive and contribute to the upbuilding of the Kingdom. Being faithful to the charism of the order and to the Magisterium of the Church are essential components to any hope of renewal. The Pope said:

At the beginning of the new year, we look at the history of Christianity, to see how a history develops and how it can be renewed. In it we can see that it is the saints, guided by the light of God, who are the genuine reformers of the life of the Church and of society. Teachers by their word and witnesses with their example, they know how to promote a stable and profound ecclesial renewal, because they themselves are profoundly renewed, they are in contact with the true novelty: the presence of God in the world.

Such a consoling reality — that in every generation saints are born and bear the creativity of renewal — constantly accompanies the history of the Church in the midst of the sorrows and the negative aspects of her journey. We also see come forth, century by century, the forces of reform and of renewal, because the novelty of God is inexorable and always gives new strength to go forward.

This was what happened in the 13th century, with the birth and the extraordinary development of the Mendicant Orders: a model of great renewal in a new historic period. They were called thus because of their characteristic of “begging,” namely, of going to the people humbly for economic support to live the vow of poverty and to carry out their evangelizing mission. Of the Mendicant Orders that arose in that period, the most notable and most important are the Friars Minor and the Preaching Friars, known as Franciscans and Dominicans. They have these names because of their founders, Francis of Assisi and Dominic de Guzmán, respectively. These two great saints had the capacity to wisely read “the signs of the times,” intuiting the challenges that the Church of their time had to face.

A first challenge was represented by the spread of several groups and movements of faithful that, although inspired in a legitimate desire for authentic Christian life, often placed themselves outside of ecclesial communion. They were in profound opposition to the rich and beautiful Church that developed precisely with the flourishing of monasticism. In recent catecheses I reflected on the monastic community of Cluny, which had always attracted young men and, therefore, vital forces, as well as goods and riches. Thus logically developed, initially, a Church rich in property and also immobile. Opposed to this Church was the idea that Christ came on earth poor and that the true Church should be, in fact, the Church of the poor; a desire for true Christian authenticity was thus opposed to the reality of the empirical Church.

This brought about the so-called pauper movements of the Medieval Age. They harshly contested the lifestyles of priests and monks of the time, accused of having betrayed the Gospel and of not practicing poverty as the first Christians, and these movements counterpoised to the ministry of the bishops their own “parallel hierarchy.” Moreover, to justify their choices, they spread doctrines that were incompatible with the Catholic faith. For example, the movement of the Cathars or Albigensians proposed again old heresies, such as depreciation and contempt of the material world — opposition to wealth quickly became opposition to material reality as such — the negation of free will, and then dualism, the existence of a second principle of evil equated with God. These movements had success, especially in France and Italy, not only because of their solid organization, but also because they denounced a real disorder in the Church, caused by the less than exemplary behavior of several representatives of the clergy. On the other hand, the Franciscans and Dominicans, in the footsteps of their founders, showed that it was possible to live evangelical poverty, the truth of the Gospel, without separating from the Church; they showed that the Church continued to be the true, authentic place of the Gospel and Scripture. Thus, Dominic and Francis drew, precisely from profound communion with the Church and the papacy, the strength of their witness.

With an altogether original choice in the history of consecrated life, the members of these orders not only gave up possession of personal goods, as monks had since antiquity, but even wanted real estate and goods put in the name of the community. In this way they intended to give witness of an extremely sober life, to be in solidarity with the poor and trust only in Providence, to live every day by Providence, in trust, putting themselves in God’s hands. This personal and community style of the Mendicant Orders, joined to total adherence to the teaching of the Church and her authority, was greatly appreciated by the Pontiffs of the time, such as Innocent III and Honorius III, who gave their full support to these new ecclesial experiences, recognizing in them the voice of the Spirit.

And fruits were not lacking: The poor groups that had separated from the Church returned to ecclesial communion or, gradually, were re-dimensioned until they disappeared. Also today, though living in a society in which “having” often prevails over “being,” there is great sensitivity to examples of poverty and solidarity, which believers give with courageous choices. Also today, similar initiatives are not lacking: movements, which really begin from the novelty of the Gospel and live it radically today, putting themselves in God’s hands, to serve their neighbor. The world, as Paul VI recalled in Evangelii Nuntiandi, willingly listens to teachers when they are also witnesses. This is a lesson that must never be forgotten in the endeavor of spreading the Gospel: to live first of all what is proclaimed, to be a mirror of divine charity.

Franciscans and Dominicans were witnesses, but also teachers. In fact, another widespread need in their time was that of religious instruction. Not a few lay faithful, who lived in greatly expanding cities, wished to practice a spiritually intense Christian life. Hence they sought to deepen their knowledge of the faith and to be guided in the arduous but exciting path of holiness. Happily, the Mendicant Orders were also able to meet this need: the proclamation of the Gospel in simplicity and in its depth and greatness was one objective, perhaps the main objective of this movement. In fact, with great zeal they dedicated themselves to preaching. The faithful were very numerous, often real and veritable crowds, which gathered to hear the preachers in the churches and in places outdoors — let us think of St. Anthony, for example. They dealt with themes close to the life of the people, especially the practice of the theological and moral virtues, with concrete examples, easily understood. Moreover, they taught ways to nourish the life of prayer and piety. For example, the Franciscans greatly spread devotion to the humanity of Christ, with the commitment of imitating the Lord. Hence it is not surprising that the faithful were numerous, women and men, who chose to be supported in their Christian journey by the Franciscan and Dominican friars, sought after and appreciated spiritual directors and confessors.

Thus were born associations of lay faithful that were inspired by the spirituality of Sts. Francis and Dominic, adapted to their state of life. It was the Third Order, whether Franciscan or Dominican. In other words, the proposal of a “lay sanctity” won many people. As the Second Vatican Council recalled, the call to holiness is not reserved to some, but is universal (cf. Lumen Gentium, 40). In every state of life, according to the needs of each, there is the possibility of living the Gospel. Also today every Christian must tend to the “lofty measure of Christian life,” no matter what state of life he belongs to!

The importance of the Mendicant Orders grew so much in the Middle Ages that lay institutions, such as labor organizations, ancient corporations and even civil authorities, often took recourse to the spiritual consultation of members of such orders for the writing of their regulations and, at times, for the solution of internal and external opposition. The Franciscans and Dominicans became the spiritual leaders of the Medieval city. With great intuition, they put into practice a pastoral strategy adapted to the transformation of society. Because many people were moving from the countryside to the cities, they placed their monasteries no longer in rural but in urban areas. Moreover, to carry out their activity for the benefit of souls, it was necessary to move in keeping with pastoral needs.

With another altogether innovative choice, the Mendicant Orders abandoned the principle of stability, a classic of ancient monasticism, to choose another way. Friars and Preachers traveled from one place to another, with missionary zeal. As a consequence, they gave themselves an organization that was different from that of the majority of monastic orders. In place of the traditional autonomy that every monastery enjoyed, they gave greater importance to the order as such and to the superior-general, as well as to the structure of the provinces. Thus the mendicants were in general available for the needs of the universal Church. This flexibility made it possible to send friars more adapted to specific missions and the Mendicant Orders reached North Africa, the Middle East and Northern Europe. With this flexibility, missionary dynamism was renewed.

Another great challenge was represented by the cultural transformations taking place at that time. New questions made for lively discussions in the universities, which arose at the end of the 12th century. Friars and Preachers did not hesitate to assume this commitment as well and, as students and professors, they entered the most famous universities of the time, founded centers of study, produced texts of great value, gave life to true and proper schools of thought, were protagonists of scholastic theology in its greatest period, and significantly influenced the development of thought.

The greatest thinkers, Sts. Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure, were mendicants, operating in fact with this dynamism of the new evangelization, which also renewed the courage of thought, of dialogue between reason and faith. Today also there is a “charity of and in truth,” an “intellectual charity” to exercise, to enlighten intelligences and combine faith with culture. The widespread commitment of the Franciscans and Dominicans in the Medieval universities is an invitation, dear faithful, to make oneself present in places of the elaboration of learning, to propose, with respect and conviction, the light of the Gospel on the fundamental questions that concern man, his dignity, and his eternal destiny. Thinking of the role of the Franciscans and Dominicans in the Middle Ages, of the spiritual renewal they aroused, of the breath of new life that they communicated in the world, a monk says: “At that time the world was growing old. Two orders arose in the Church, from which it renewed its youth, like that of an eagle” (Burchard d’Ursperg, Chronicon).

Dear brothers and sisters, let us indeed invoke at the beginning of this year the Holy Spirit, eternal youth of the Church: May he make each one of us feel the urgency of giving a consistent and courageous witness of the Gospel, so that saints will never be lacking, who make the Church shine as a Bride always pure and beautiful, without stain and without wrinkle, able to attract the world irresistibly to Christ, to his salvation.

Thanks is due to St Francis of Assisi for the Nativity Scene

Just prior to Christmas Pope Benedict XVI reflected on
Saint Francis of Assisi’s gift to the Church in 1223 of the Nativity scene.
Then, as now we see Humility, Jesus, encountering the nihilism of the world, a
people who entranced with violence and anger now faced with the Prince of
Peace, the true king of the universe.

In homes and Churches across the world it is typical to see a Nativity scene prepared. Over the years my family has had a small nativity scene present in our home. It is not a great piece of art and it is not something we’ve done historically, but it is something that is now a regular part of our Christmas decorations. In fact, it is left out throughout the year as I move it around the house as a small reminder of the God becoming one of us.

But let’s not forget that a Nativity scene and Christmas tree is not that old of a tradition for St. Peter’s Square. John Paul II made the Nativity scene in St Peter’s Square a priority in 1982 because he felt the world needed to encounter the image of God made man, Jesus, the Eternal Word of God come into our humanity history. Thinking that the crèche still had relevance for the modern person in 2004, John Paul said of the Nativity scene,

Christmas is upon us and in many places people are setting up a crèche, like here in St Peter’s. Whether big or small, fancy or simple, the crèche is a familiar and expressive representation of Christmas. It is part of our culture and art but a sign of faith in God who, in Bethlehem, ‘made his dwelling among us (Jn 1:14). As I do every year, I shall bless the “Bambinelli,” the statues of Baby Jesus. which will be placed in the crèche on Holy Night, joining Joseph and Mary, who are silent witnesses of a sublime Mystery. With loving eyes, they tell us to wait and pray in order to welcome the Divine Savior who is coming to bring the world the joy of Christmas.

Pope Benedict speaks about Saint Francis’ gift of the Crib

With St. Francis and his
nativity, the defenseless love of God was shown, his humility and goodness,
which in the incarnation of the Word is manifested to man so as to teach a new
way to live and to love. He saw a little child lying still in a manger; the
child woke up because Francis approached… ‘This vision was not different than
real life, since through the work of his grace acting by way of his holy
servant Francis, the Child Jesus was resurrected in the hearts of many. Thanks
to St. Francis, the Christian people have been able to perceive that at
Christmas, God truly has become Emmanuel, God-with-us, from whom no barrier or
distance can separate us. In this Child, God has come so near to each one of
us, so close, that we can address him with confidence and maintain with him a
trusting relationship of deep affection, as we do with a newborn. In this
Child, in fact, God-Love is manifested: God comes without weapons, without
strength, because he does not aim to conquer, we could say, from without, but
rather wants to be welcomed by man in liberty. God becomes a defenseless Child to
conquer man’s pride, violence and desire to possess. In Jesus, God took up this
poor and defenseless condition to conquer with love and lead us to our true
identity … so that he concedes to our hearts this simplicity that recognizes
the Lord in this Child, precisely as Francis did in Greccio. Then, we too can
experience what […] happened to those present […] ‘Each one returned to his
house filled with an ineffable joy.