By Corinne Lorenzet, OFS
National Executive Council

Corinne Lorenzet, national councilor, thumbnail image.

As I have reflected on Article 14 of our Rule, I have continually been drawn back to this verse from the Gospel according to St. Mark, which is our OFS-USA theme for 2025-2028.   Jesus gives his disciples this command when appearing to them after the Resurrection, when they had not believed Mary Magdalene, nor the two that had been walking along the road to Emmaus.  In Mark’s Gospel, this scene is followed quickly by the Ascension, and the disciples “…going forth and preaching everywhere…”. (Mark 16:20).

Like the command Jesus gave St. Francis from the San Damiano Crucifix, we are called to be builders, not of dilapidated churches, but of a more fraternal and evangelical world.  This article gives us the blueprint of how to do this.

We build by spreading the Good News (evangelical comes from the Greek word evangelion, meaning Good News or gospel).  As Franciscans we do this best when we do live with the joy that comes from knowing Christ.

We build together fraternally.  With our brothers and sisters in the Franciscan family, yes, but more importantly with all who follow Christ.  Like Francis, we are called to reach out to all, not to isolate ourselves to those who think like us.

We build by serving others.  As Seculars, our vocations are lived out in the world, in our families and communities.  Sometimes we may not feel very “competent” in building up the Kingdom of God.  We need to remember that God doesn’t ask us to be perfect, but to try our best each day.

As a fraternity brother once described it, this article is a bridge from living our Rule solely in our fraternities to living it out joyfully in the world around us, This article challenges me, us, to look outward and to spread the Good News.

OFS Rule Article 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 Christian spirit of service.