The National Chapter 2019-2020 “Seemed to Have It All”
“They seemed to have it all,” noted one attendee as she was leaving the OFS National Chapter in Corpus Christi, Texas.
“They seemed to have it all,” noted one attendee as she was leaving the OFS National Chapter in Corpus Christi, Texas.
We’ve been on this journey of renewal for some time now. In the last 40 years the essential structures were set in place – and now we see the progression – the trajectory. What a gift it is to recognize this trajectory as God’s direction for our Order, even as we await its fulfillment.
“The hope of renewal hinges upon returning to the origins and to the spiritual experience of Francis of Assisi and of the brothers and sisters of penance who received from him their inspiration and guidance. This renewal also depends upon openness to the Spirit in the signs of the times.”
Walters exhibit showcases medieval missal used by St. Francis of Assisi at Archdiocese of Baltimore
The spirituality of the secular Franciscan is a plan of life centered on the person and on the following of Christ, rather than a detailed program to be put into practice (Const. OFS 9.1; cf. Rule OFS 5).
The Digests are very helpful for Initial Formation and On-Going Formation. Eight of the Digest (4 pages each) are in one file on our National website.
As a recovering perfectionist, although I have been professed for more than 24 years, my spiritual stretching or limberness has varied throughout the years. Physically, I’ve never been able to bend over and touch my toes without bending my knees. Spiritually, I continue to work on allowing God to lead.
Using a Franciscan lens, Christ, the center of the Blessed Trinity, is the one who reveals to us a loving and fruitful relationship between all of creation and the Trinity—God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. My prayer for you is that Christ, the hope of glory, will dwell in your heart now and forever more.
Thankfully, we have the Franciscan tradition to give us some good examples of how to live this Gospel sense of fraternity, stories that we share in common that encourage and challenge us in living fraternity.