Reflections on the Rule - Chapter 2 - Article 7

The Way of 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 which 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.

 As we continue to consider our Way of Life, we recognize that we are part of the Church because of our Baptism.  When we Professed to live as Franciscans, we accepted a “more intimate” relationship with the Church, that is, we committed to be more faithful to the Church and its teachings.  Part of our responsibility, then, is to more fully understand what the Church says and what it teaches about the conditions of life and what our response as faithful Christians is supposed to be.

Eight hundred years ago, lay people wanted to join Francis’s new order.  Our Seraphic Father created a way in his Letter to All the Faithful in which he simply wrote:

1) love God 2) love one's neighbor 3) turn away from our sinful tendencies 4) "receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ" and, as a result of the above, 5) [produce] worthy fruits of penance – a renewed life characterized by charity, forgiveness and compassion toward others.

Thus, the Brothers and Sisters of Penance began their long journey in following the footsteps of St. Francis.  Today, we inherit that charism as the Secular Franciscan Order; we are a penitential order.  What does that mean to us in today’s world?

The interesting thing about penance is that is has a long history in Judaic-Christian practice.  We read about the people of Nineveh fasting and sitting in ashes to avoid the punishment that Noah preached; of David not eating and asking for forgiveness when his first born of Bathsheba was so ill; of several “40 days in the wilderness” – a retreat like experience; and the list goes on.  What this history is trying to tell us is that we do have that tendency to sin – to turn away from God and do things that are not so nice.  For some people it’s really big things like theft, murder, and other “big” sins.  For most of us it’s the irritated word or harsh comment or gossip that fills our day with activities.  But, we also have a history of returning to God in dramatic ways – of reconciling with Him who loves us so much.

What we who have perpetually professed as Franciscans is that we don’t want to be sinners– we want to be closer to God and his Church – we want to live a good life that recognizes the mercy and grace that God makes available to us every day.  We want to turn away from the error of sin and become more and more faithful in our activities with God.  Our response to this desire is the daily conversion outlined in this article of our Rule.

Our Constitutions reemphasizes the need for this daily conversion in a way hearkening back to the simplicity of St. Francis’ original thoughts:

1.         Rule 7  Secular Franciscans, called in earlier times "the brothers and sisters of penance," propose to live in the spirit of continual conversion.  Some means to cultivate this characteristic of the Franciscan vocation, individually and in fraternity, are: listening to and celebrating the Word of God; review of life; spiritual retreats; the help of a spiritual adviser, and penitential celebrations.  They should approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation frequently and participate in the communal celebration of it, whether in the fraternity, or with the whole people of God.[1]

2.         In this spirit of conversion, they should live out their love for the renewal of the Church, which should be accompanied by personal and communal renewal.  The fruits of conversion, which is a response to the love of God, are the works of charity in the interactions with the brothers and sisters.[2]

3.         Traditional among Franciscan penitents, penitential practices such as fasting and abstinence should be known, appreciated, and lived out according to the general guidelines of the Church.      (Constitutions, Article 13)

Between Francis’ list and the list from the Constitutions, we see several ways that we can accomplish this pledge to daily conversion.  All these ideas are supported in the Catechism in several paragraphs, notably 1431-1432, 1434-1437, 1440, 1446, 1779, and 1989. 

All of this is well and good, but what does this mean in a practical way for each of us?

Well, we recognize that we have a tendency to sin – go against the will of God in our lives.  We are sorry for those times which are frequent in our daily lives.  We want to do something about it.  So,

·         We examine our lives daily, and endeavor to make amends.  We apologize to people whom we have harmed with our actions and words, we go to sacramental reconciliation regularly, and we live with the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in our hearts. 

·         We are seriously committed to the Church and its teachings and learn as much as we possibly can about what they mean and how to live them – but we also defend the Church when someone attacks it. 

·         We become more faithful in our lives as Christians.  We really “walk the walk” – Gospel to Life and Life to Gospel. 

·         We are concerned about all people but recognizing that we can’t go into the whole world, we work on that part of the world in which we are living. 

·         We reach out to people in need in our communities and work to make their lives easier to live helping them to find the resources that they need to find shelter, food, work, whatever. 

In essence, we take the answer of Jesus to the question, “What is the greatest commandment?” to its logical conclusion:  we love God greatly by thinking of others first and placing ourselves, in all humility, as last.  In following Francis, we make ourselves the “little poor ones” and serve others to the very best of our abilities. We become counter-cultural looking for ways of service to others and ways to inculcate peace into our community’s life.

So, let us examine our lives daily and truly, really make that conversion happen by turning our backs on materialism, snarkyness, envy, suspicion, gossip and all those other ways that we don’t love God and others.  Let us turn our faces toward God’s love and grace.  Let us take that love and grace to the world where we live and change it!

---

[1]     Ordo Poenitentiae.  Praenotanda 22 ff.

[2]     See Second Letter to All the Faithful 25 ff.

Justice Peace & Integrity of Creation - PEACE

In the last article we looked at the Justice part of Justice, Peace, & Integrity of Creation (JPIC).  Here are some relevant quotes from a variety of sources over the years that will help focus our discussion of the second part of JPIC – PEACE.

Finally, it is to be hoped that, in carrying out their responsibilities in the international community, Catholics will seek to cooperate actively and constructively with other Christians, who profess the same Gospel of love, and with all men who hunger and thirst for true peace.  (Gaudium et specs, 90.)

Peace begins within each of us. It is a process of repeatedly showing mercy to ourselves, forgiving ourselves, befriending ourselves, accepting ourselves, and loving ourselves. As we learn to appreciate ourselves and accept God's gift of peace, we begin to radiate peace and love to others.  (Reverend John Dear)

Peace concerns the human person as a whole, and it involves complete commitment. It is peace with God through a life lived according to his will. It is interior peace with oneself, and exterior peace with our neighbors and all creation.  (World Day of Peace – 2013; Benedict XVI.)

My peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give to you. A peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.  (John 14:27.)

In his Testament, Francis tells us that “the Lord revealed a greeting to me that we should say: ‘May the Lord give you peace.’” Saint Bonaventure recalls, “At the beginning and end of every sermon [Francis] announced peace; in every greeting he wished for peace.” Both Francis and Clare greeted the people of Assisi with Pace e Bene! (Peace and Good!) As Franciscans, peace must be at the center of all our comings and goings.  (Handbook for Animators of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation [JPIC].)

Many people believe that peace is just the absence of conflict—you know, no battles or disagreements.  Blessed Paul VI reminds us that “If you want Peace, work for Justice.” (Paul VI - World Day of Peace, 1972.) 

“A Peace that is not the result of true respect for man is not true Peace. And what do we call this sincere feeling for man? We call it Justice.” (Paul VI - (World Day of Peace, 1972.)

Franciscans understand that peace is much more that the absence of conflict, whether it be war between nations or disagreements between people.  The underlying nature of true peace, the kind that Jesus gives, is rooted in our understanding and acceptance of God’s love for us and our care and concern for others—how we treat them—how we interact with them—how we think about them. To paraphrase an old saying, “Peace begins at home.”

However, sometimes the appearance of peace can be deceiving.  In the person, like in nations, a seemingly quiet exterior betrays what lies underneath.  I live near the Mississippi River.  On a quiet, calm summer day, the surface of the river looks tranquil as it flows from 1.2 to 3 miles an hour; but we know that beneath that quiet surface lurks a current that is extremely strong with dangerous eddies and submerged obstacles, all of which can cause a disaster for one who has wandered too far into the stream.  Just so, the quiet calm of a person’s visage and the lack of fighting between nations betray the violent tendencies that may lie beneath the surface.  That violence in a person makes it easier to accept violence between nations as a solution to conflicts and problems.

Violence has many faces:  oppression of the poor, deprivation of basic human rights, economic exploitation, sexual exploitation and pornography, neglect or abuse of the aged and the helpless, and innumerable other acts of inhumanity.  Abortion, in particular, blunts a sense of the sacredness of human life. (The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response; USCCB, 1983; 285.)

These attitudes are not just societal or community issues; they begin in the heart of individual persons.  “For out of the heart come evil thoughts--murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:  19; New International Bible.)   Consequently, we recognize that our inter-relationships can be the root of many other problems—our individual attitudes about others may create a “violence” that may even be unknown to us.  

Part of our goal, then, is to eliminate where possible, at least reduce, the “eddies and obstacles” that lie beneath the surface of our personal demeanor—attitudes that include not just the list from the Bishops but more personal ones like snarky comments, impatience, anger, pride, gossip, and so on—anything that demeans the other person.  We must address our own individual biases, prejudices, and improperly formed consciences that can lead to thoughtless actions toward others.

All of the values we are promoting in this letter rest ultimately in the disarmament of the human heart and the conversion of the human spirit to God who alone can give authentic peace.  Indeed, to have peace in our world, we must first have peace within ourselves.  As Pope John Paul II reminded us in his 1982 World Day of Peace message, world peace will always elude us until peace becomes a reality for each of us personally.  “It springs from the dynamism of free wills guided by reason towards the common good that is to be attained in truth, justice, and love.”  Interior peace becomes possible only when we have a conversion of spirit.  We cannot have peace with hate in our hearts.   (Challenge of Peace; op. cit.; 284.)

To find the peace that eludes the world, we are challenged to begin within our own sphere of influence by reducing and eliminating those areas that cause bitterness, estrangement, and even violence between us and the people whom we encounter every day. 

We must believe in the sacredness of all human life!

 Especially as Franciscans, we see in the other person the image of poor Christ.  We treat the other person with great respect, love, joy, and humility.  Most certainly, we protect the most vulnerable among us—the preborn, the disabled, the elderly, the poor, the homeless, the dying.

We must pray!

A conversion of our hearts and minds make it possible for us to enter into a closer communion with our Lord.  We nourish that communion by personal and communal prayer, for it is in prayer that we encounter Jesus who is our peace and learn from him the way to peace.  (Challenge of Peace; op. cit.; 290.)

 We must make sincere and good acts of penance!

Prayer by itself in incomplete without penance.  Penance directs us toward our goal of putting on the attitudes of Jesus himself.  Because we are all capable of violence, we are never totally conformed to Christ and are always in need of conversion.  (Challenge of Peace; op. cit.; 297.)

Not only must we work on individual violence, we must find ways to deal with our community conflicts as well.  The practice of non-violence is an effective means to resolve conflicts.  This does not mean that one becomes namby-pamby in addressing injustice or conflict.  “Non-violence is not the way of the weak, the cowardly, or the impatient.” (Challenge of Peace; op. cit.; 222.)  Gandhi & King are modern examples of non-violent approaches to grave injustice in their societies.  So, we participate in non-violent expressions of concern, maybe even outrage, over the injustices that our society contains.

But the same approach works in personal relationships as well. “[The] arts of diplomacy, negotiation, and compromise must be developed and fully exercised.”  (Challenge of Peace; op. cit.; 222.) For example, instead of arguing with the other person trying to prove how right we are, we listen actively to their concerns and then enter into a dialogue with them to resolve the issues between us.

Our Rule reminds us, in many ways, of our Franciscan responsibility to reach for these goals:

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. 

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 which 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.

12.  Witnessing to the good yet to come and obligated to acquire purity of heart because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves free to love God and their brothers and sisters.

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.  Mindful that anyone "who follows Christ, the perfect man, becomes more of a man himself," let them exercise their responsibilities competently in the Christian spirit of service.

15.  Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives.  Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith.

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, they should strive to bring joy and hope to others.

After meditating on these ideas, we readily understand why we Franciscans pair up the ideas of Justice and Peace; because one without the other is not possible.  As we journey in Francis’s footsteps, we realize that our individual attitudes and responses toward others can create violence at the personal level.  So, we work individually and fraternally to overcome these weaknesses in our character and behaviors.  We embrace the other person with love and joy.  We look for the lepers in our lives and find ways to help them grow, improve and become whole.  We bring them the joy, hope, and peace of Jesus! 

And in this action—this way of living—we find, for ourselves, that same peace that Jesus gives—the inner peace that allows us to confront the world with the calm joy, assurance, and resolve that Francis emulates. 

Pace e Bene!