The sense of belonging to the SFO

by Rosalvo G. Mota *)

1. Introduction

We live in times of deep social, economic, cultural and religious change; times of uncertainty and instability. We ask: “Who are we? What does each person want in her or his own life?”

The first years of the XXI century have been marked by extreme violence and by the outbreak of terrorism.

Our Secular Franciscan fraternities participate in the transformation of today’s world, breathing the air of post modernity and are aware of the errors of a hurried society, consumer oriented and concerned with immediate pleasure in “things”. The duty of holding true to the Franciscan charisma which has been given by the Spirit for the renewal of the Church in the strength of the Gospel falls on these fraternities. This must be their identity.

We are aware that each Fraternity is different. There are groups which show vitality and enthusiasm: we find many members in formation; there are sympathizers; the joy of fraternal life is experienced carrying out apostolic duties. Many fraternities are a genuine “sign” of the commandment of love.

On the other hand, an absence of vitality and enthusiasm can be seen in isolated brothers and sisters or even whole fraternities. There are also those which for varied reasons lose the evangelic and Franciscan motivation due to personal crisis, fatigue, monotony, lack of formation, pastoral activism, and involvement in other spiritual movements while they are asking themselves about the meaning of their belonging to the Order. They feel uneasy at election time because they do not want to assume duties. There are also those who are regularly absent from the meetings because of other programs.

For this and for other reasons it is necessary to think about the meaning of belonging to the SFO, or that is about the identity of the Secular Franciscan.

2. Development

a. The most important changes that have taken place in our Fraternities in the last 50 years

Some of us, laity or religious, were acquainted with the different realities in the past of the Third Order. There were some very large groups. Their members used a habit which was typical of the brothers and sisters. In some places the brothers sat on one side and the sisters on the other. Not very long ago, in the second half of the XX century great changes took place in the Franciscan family. On June 24, 1978 the members of the Third Order received the New Rule approved by Pope Paul VI. An intense period of renewal began. A new way of being Franciscan among the brothers and sisters began to substitute the old, identical in substance but different in its manifestations. There was a period of study and assimilation of the New Rule which became an essential point of reference in the search of an identity.

The Third Order assumed the name Secular Franciscan Order. A greater accent began to be put on the presence of Secular Franciscans in the world. They tried to find precisely in this secularity the main characteristic of the SFO. Later, in the Christifideles Laici (n. 17), Pope John Paul II insisted on the doctrine of Vatican Council II. He wrote, “The vocation of the lay faithful to holiness implies that life according to the Spirit expresses itself in a particular way in their involvement in temporal affairs and in their participation in earthly activities”.

b. What is the meaning of the SFO Profession and what are the consequences?

Secular Franciscans make a Profession, the promise to lead an evangelical life. They don’t enter an association but rather join a school of sanctity through a Profession accepted by the Church. Profession is a public celebration of a personal consecration and commitment to God.

Through the Profession one corresponds to Christ’s call. Through Profession the Secular Franciscan seeks the perfection of charity. Such a Profession is by its nature perpetual. From this moment the professed are linked and bound to the Order. They become part of a specific Fraternity; their life acquires meaning within the Fraternity; they serve their brothers and sisters. The Profession is the basis of opening one’s heart, taking on activities and service to the advantage of the Order, of society and of the Church. Evidently, to make the Profession means assuming a continual pledge of evangelic conversion.

The perpetual professed, according to their capability and possibility and in the light of the interests of the Order, cannot be exempt, except for serious motives, from accepting the positions or functions asked of them at any level in the Fraternity whenever requested.

c. How should we feed the sense of belonging to the SFO?

Art. 30 of the CC.GG says: “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.”. That is, the Secular Franciscans are members of a local fraternity but they belong to all of them in life and in the mission of co-responsibility.

The Profession involves a commitment to the Gospel and the Fraternity. The interests of the fraternity always come before ones own interests. The Secular Franciscans live their monthly meetings intensely as a sacrament of fraternal life. It is fundamental to take a stand to be present in the life of the brothers and sisters, joyfully welcoming those that arrive and reflecting on those who do no longer come, trying to understand the reasons why they are no longer motivated. The Councils will know how to create the conditions to make the meetings pleasant, fruitful and enriching.

The brothers and sisters should take care to follow the rules about financial offerings as an expression of belonging to the Order and sharing its necessities.

Identity shall grow in the measure in which the Rule enters into the life of its single members and in the Fraternity with continual reading of the works of St. Francis and St. Claire and with the study of spiritual texts and in revising ones own life.

The secularity of the SFO cannot be emphasized enough. God has called us to sanctification in the heart of the world. Our specific vocation consists in searching for the Kingdom of God exercising temporal functions orienting them towards the will of God.

3. Conclusion

In any case it would be opportune to remember our Franciscan past. Why did we enter the SFO? What was most important in the first years of our Franciscan life? What generated enthusiasm? Why did we, at times, abandon our first love? What was our initial formation like?

As a consequence, we evidently need to search within ourselves. There exist ways to re-establish the person, to discover our identity, to meet others and to acquire a sense of belonging; to be able to distance ourselves from immediate needs, to develop a capacity for contemplation, thought, consideration and silence.

The foundation of the person is based on small commitments which must open out to a greater commitment which is called a “life project”. It is a project building the individual, the family, the Christian, and in our case, the Franciscan.

*) Summary of “Secular Franciscan Identity - Sense of Belonging to the SFO” by Fr. Almir R. Guiamares OFM, published in “Paz e Bem”, Brasil, July/August 2004

From www.ciofs.org - used with permission                       Return