One charism that defines the spirituality of a Secular Franciscan is that of servant leadership. Our spirituality is based on journeying together as a community of love – a fraternity. To be a leader is to guide and animate the fraternity with hope and joy; to assume responsibility and hold authority, but not power; and to have a collegial relationship with those we serve, always inviting others to share their gifts, talents, and ideas. ...
“Love isn’t something we feel, it’s something we do.” We’ve all heard this quote time and time again, but what does it really mean? It simply means we can’t just talk about loving one another. Our actions, words, and intentions need to express love genuinely and concretely. That’s not easy to do when we speak of loving our younger generation. Not because we don’t have hearts for young people, but because it’s difficult to love them if they’re not in our presence. If there aren’t younger Catholics in our midst—how can we show them we love them? ...
In some cases, a young person discovers a renewed faith-life, but doesn’t know how to nourish this new reality. Finding time and energy to give thought, let alone action, to their spiritual lives is often not a “luxury” they feel they can afford. We, as more “seasoned” Catholics, can offer simple ways to revitalize this important area of their lives. Reflecting on the story of St. Francis and his experience of renewal and transformation, we know he was close to the same age as many of the young people we hope to serve. He too sought answers when he felt confused ...
As the Franciscan Youth and Young Adult Commission has stated many times, our mission calls us to share the Franciscan way of life through prayer, formation, and social justice action. Even though we may only have a few official YouFras in the states, we discovered in reading last year’s annual reports, there are individuals, fraternities, and regions all across the United States who are taking seriously our OFS Rule, Article 24 to “Foster communion among members,” especially with our young people, and to “adopt appropriate means for growth in the Franciscan and the ecclesial life.” ...
Secular Franciscans are encouraged to participate through prayer with our young people at the World Youth Day opening Aug. 1 in Lisbon, Portugal, according to Kathleen Molaro, OFS, national Youth and Young Adult Commission Chair. Each day the young visitors are invited to share in the following daily challenges.
Thank you for surrounding the three United States Franciscan pilgrims attending the YouFra International Gathering in Portugal with your heartfelt prayers. Aldo Morocho, OFS, his daughter Dalia Morocho, and Fr. John De La Riva, OFM Cap, arrived safely and are fully engaged in the activities.
The commission has spoken many times about the importance of creating youth-friendly fraternities. Why is this essential and what does this really mean? The simple answer to the first question is, it’s essential because if a young person is interested in joining a YouFra (Franciscan Youth Fraternity), at this point they have nowhere to go with that desire, except to us—the Secular Franciscans. There are only a few official YouFra groups in the United States. ...
With her permission, I share with you a conversation I had with my young adult granddaughter. We hadn’t been together in person for a while, and sat with a cup of tea, enjoying each other’s company. Me: A while ago I talked to you when you were struggling with depression and a lack of enthusiasm for going to Church or even praying. ...
Reflecting recently on our years as a FY/YA commission, I wondered whether we had succeeded in addressing the initial theme we had chosen to help us move in an appropriate direction —to “Unite, Ignite, and Invite.” (TAU USA, Spring, 2018, Issue #94) We talked and listened to attendees at the Quinquennial, both during our presentations and at our booth. The enthusiasm proved encouraging and affirmed that our commitment since the beginning has led us to a stronger YouFra awareness and presence. ...
Telling stories (parables) was Jesus’ favorite way to teach and draw others into his fold. People gathered in throngs to hear what he had to say and to speak to him. Churches too should be places where people come to hear the story of God and to tell their own. That’s how we discover what it means to live gospel lives.