Fr. Marek Stybor, OFM Conv.

As the 2026 Chapter of Secular Franciscans concludes, Fr. Marek Stybor, OFS Conv., offers six reflections. Fr. Marek is president-in-turn of the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants.

His main points follow.

  1. The Holy Spirit Is the Minister General for St. Francis, and the Holy Spirit always guides the Chapter. The Holy Spirit is the Minister General of the Franciscan Order.
  2. The Chapter is a time of the Magnificat. For St. Francis, the Chapter is a time of the Magnificat—a time of thanksgiving, praise, and wonder at the Creator and His creation. Only a Chapter lived in this spirit can bear fruit. Franciscans have a practice of placing their shoes under the bed before going to sleep, so you have to kneel in the morning to retrieve them. Remain on your knees for a moment and thank God for the new day. The first act of thanksgiving begins on our knees beside the bed.
  3. The Chapter is a discovery of Psalm 87. “All my springs are in you.”  For Francis, everything has its source in God.
  4. The Lord Has Given Me…
  • The Lord gave me the grace of conversion.
  • The Lord gave me the encounter with the leper.
  • The Lord gave me the brothers.
  • The Lord gave me the Cross of San Damiano and told me what I must do.
  • The Lord gave me this greeting:  “May the Lord give you peace.”
  1. The surprising thing about Francis. . . . What is astonishing is that Francis asks for nothing for himself. Everything comes to him through the Holy Spirit.
  2. Pope Benedict XVI summed up St. Francis in three expressions
    • Contemplation of the Creator in creation.
    • Simplicity of life. God reveals Himself in a simplicity that touches us deeply—in Bethlehem, on Calvary, and in the Eucharist.
    • Joy of heart in life’s simple things.

Pope Benedict said that he was happy because he lived in harmony with his own heart.  This leads us to the most important questions of the Chapter:

    • Am I living in harmony with my own heart?
    • Am I happy on the Franciscan journey of life?