Ongoing Formation
- Prologue of the SFO Rule – Presented by Fred Schaeffer, SFO 2/13/2005
The Prologue to our Rule is known as "The Second Letter of St. Francis
of Assisi, to the Faithful. The "Faithful" were the members, laity and
Diocesan Clergy, who were ca. 1215, known as the Third Order of Penance.
In 1221, St. Francis wrote the Rule for His Third Order. The First Letter
to the Faithful describes the spirit and practices of the Third Order of
St. Francis according to the mind of the founder. It is the most ancient
witness to the original Charism of the Third Order of St. Francis.
The Prologue provides a wonderful lens through which the rest of the
Rule can be read and appreciated. Based on this text, formation can be
viewed as a process by which sisters and brothers become people who love
God, love their neighbors, are conscious of and work to address their
sinful natures, have an appreciation and hunger for the sacraments, and
who produce "worthy fruits of penance." In a word, formation asks them to
become "people of mercy" and to be actively and conscientiously involved
with growing in holiness at every level of their lives, that is, they
accept a specific "Franciscan" direction and spiritual outlook as their
own.
Secular Franciscans share in the basic charisms of the Franciscan
family in terms of the example of holy and integrated lives given by Sts.
Francis and Clare and spiritual identity as articulated in the Rule. They
are encouraged to be people of poverty, minority, contemplation and
ongoing conversion and to find a way to these charisms in a vibrant and
real way in their secular state.1
To review, here are some questions about the Prologue to the Rule.
First part:
-
What is the meaning of "to love" in
this context? Is this love primarily a feeling?
-
How does Francis view us as
"mothers" to Jesus?
-
How does Francis weave the Trinity
into this prologue?
-
When you examine your life, who are
the people who gave you your idea of love?
-
Knowing that Francis does not
hesitate to call God his Father, what can God's parental love mean in
your life?
-
Have you ever thought of Christ as
your brother? ... and, as your blood brother?
-
Why does Francis call us "Brothers
and sisters..."and"....in Penance?
-
Are we really expected to "hate"
our bodies?
Second
part:
-
Why does all personal sin have
social consequences?
-
Do I think of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation as a positive celebration of the mercy of God? Is it an
act of faith on my part?
-
What procedure do I use to work on
my characteristic fault?
-
How does spiritual blindness hurt
us and deprive us of so much good?
-
Do we need to offer satisfaction
for our own sins and those of others?
Sources
1. FORMATION AND THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER, Fr.
Michael J. Higgins, TOR, in
CIOFS-L, Year 9, N. 38, 2003, Weekly edition, From: Koinonia, 2003, N. 2.
2. The questions are from OFM - Sacred Heart Province,
SFO Sharing Guides, "A Review of the SFO Rule," at:
http://www.thefriars.org/SFO -
this is the index page of the Sharing Guides which are extremely valuable
as a teaching tool.
March
2005 - Ongoing Formation
The Role of Fasting and Penance in the Life of a Secular Franciscan
On March 2nd, we celebrated the memorial of St. Agnes of Prague
(1502-1282). These are the Saint’s words regarding a criticism to a
Franciscan priest who lived his life in great austerity: "Ah, Father, my
sins and the sins of the people compel me to do it. Those who have been
charged with the conversion of sinners must remember that the Lord has
imposed upon them the sins of all their clients. By means of our
penances we should atone for the sins of our fellowmen and thus preserve
ourselves and them from eternal death. It would hardly be too much if we
shed the last drop of our blood for their conversion.”
Last month, we
spoke of the Prologue to the Rule of St. Francis in regard to those who do
penance, and the unfortunate soul who does not. In the First Exhortation
to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, a document which has been embraced
by both the Secular Franciscan Order and the Third Order Regular as an
introduction to their respective rules, St. Francis challenges his
followers to have a close, intimate relationship to God. After
highlighting the five elements of a penitential life (love of God,
love of neighbor, hatred of sin, participation in the Eucharist, and a
life which produces worthy fruits of penance) he states:
O how happy and blessed are these men and women while they do such things
and persevere in doing them, because the Spirit of the Lord will rest on
them and make Its home and dwelling place among them, and they are
children of the heavenly Father Whose works they do, and they are the
spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are spouses
when the faithful soul is joined by the Holy Spirit to our Lord Jesus
Christ. We are brothers to him when we do the will of the Father who is in
heaven. We are mothers when we carry Him in our heart and body through a
divine love and a pure and sincere conscience and give birth to Him
through a holy activity which must shine as an example before others.
From: Identity and Affiliation, By Fr. Michael Higgins, TOR, From:
Koinonia, 2002, N. 3
Lent is a period of extra prayer, fasting, and penance once a year in
preparation for Easter, the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Lent is a little over 40 days long. Lent comes from an ancient English
word which means Spring. In my native language (Dutch) spring is the word
“Lente.”
Fasting is a voluntary renunciation of food or other pleasures. Fasting
from food is a traditional means of attaining spiritual growth and
closeness to God. Fasting creates a sense of dependence on God, and
thankfulness for life's necessities. Fasting is recommended many places in
the Bible. Jesus said that His followers would fast. (Matt 9:15, Mark
2:20, Luke 5:35) It was also recommended by Jesus by his own example.
(Matt 4:2, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2) Fasting was also associated with
ordinations in the early Church. (Acts 3:1-3) The Apostle Paul fasted. (2
Cor 6:5 & 11:27)
Many early Christians also fasted from water, but this is not recommended
nowadays. Fasting is especially recommended and valuable to Americans who
are the wealthiest and most pampered people in the history of man.
There is no question that avoiding sin and doing good works are better
than penance. However, penance is also good, and is recommended by Christ.
There is no reason to avoid a good thing just because other things are
better. Instead, it is best to fast and avoid sin and do good works.
Here are some references for you to study at home. These are what the
Scriptures say about fasting: Joel 2:11-13, 1, Daniel 10:2-3, Jonas
3:5-10, Matthew 9:15, Mark 2:20, Luke 5:35, Acts 13:1-3, 14:22, 2 Cor.
6:4-10, 11:23-28, Judith 4:7, 8:4-6, 1 Kings 31:11-13, 2 Kings 1:11-12,
Isaiah 58:3-12.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1434
The interior penance of the Christian can be expressed in many and various
ways. Scripture and the Fathers insist above all on three forms,
fasting, prayer, and almsgiving, which express conversion in
relation to oneself, to God, and to others. Alongside the radical
purification brought about by Baptism or martyrdom they cite as means of
obtaining forgiveness of sins: efforts at reconciliation with one's
neighbor, tears of repentance, concern for the salvation of one's
neighbor, the intercession of the saints, and the practice of charity
"which covers a multitude of sins."
1435 Conversion is accomplished in daily life by gestures of
reconciliation, concern for the poor, the exercise and defense of justice
and right, by the admission of faults to one's brethren, fraternal
correction, revision of life, examination of conscience, spiritual
direction, acceptance of suffering, endurance of persecution for the sake
of righteousness. Taking up one's cross each day and following Jesus is
the surest way of penance.
1436
Eucharist and Penance. Daily conversion and penance find their
source and nourishment in the Eucharist, for in it is made present the
sacrifice of Christ which has reconciled us with God. Through the
Eucharist those who live from the life of Christ are fed and strengthened.
"It is a remedy to free us from our daily faults and to preserve us from
mortal sins."
1437
Reading Sacred Scripture, praying the Liturgy of the Hours and the Our
Father—every sincere act of worship or devotion revives the spirit of
conversion and repentance within us and contributes to the forgiveness of
our sins.
1438
The seasons and days of penance in the course of the liturgical
year (Lent, and each Friday in memory of the death of the Lord) are
intense moments of the Church's penitential practice. These times are
particularly appropriate for spiritual exercises, penitential liturgies,
pilgrimages as signs of penance, voluntary self-denial such as fasting and
almsgiving, and fraternal sharing (charitable and missionary works).
Questions
1.
What are the five elements of a penitential life?
2. What do you do in Lent that you would perhaps not do the rest of the
year?
3. What is
daily conversion and why is it important?
Fred
Schaeffer, SFO (2-5-2005)
