Fr. Marek’s homily at the opening Mass on the Feast of the Stigmata emphasized that true discipleship requires us to listen for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. He reflected on the suffering of the stigmata or suffering as a transformative experience—"the kiss of Jesus"—that can lead to profound change if we invite God into our darkest moments.
Francis’ stigmata were the culmination of many sufferings with Christ over his lifetime. Many of those sufferings came from life with his brothers, as indeed it does for all of us. It is important for us to recognize that the problems we face today in living in fraternity are very similar to the problems that Francis and his brothers faced. Human nature has not changed!
Serving is a prominent characteristic of Franciscan leadership philosophy. St. Francis sees himself as a servant to God and those in his community. When we look at the intentions and promises we make at the Rite of Admission and the Rite of Profession, two special, grace filled times, we see the word service.
Conflict is deeply embedded in the human heart and the entire history of salvation. The entire Bible from Genesis to Revelations is an endless series of conflicts between God and the evil spirit, between good and evil, love and hate, and heaven and hell. St. Paul writes that there is a fight in my heart between good and evil. In every healthy community, there are differences of opinion which can result in conflict, confrontation, and a fight for the dominance of opinions and views. The Gospel includes the never-ending conflict of Jesus with the Pharisees. Jesus did not seek this conflict, but by preaching the Gospel, He provoked people to stand for the truth, and this always results in conflict.
National Minister Jane DeRose-Bamman, OFS, updated attendees on the status of the three national priorities – Vocations, Communications and Relationships – in the annual State of the Order address delivered at Chapter on September 18th.
(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Fall 2024 Issue #113)
The National Chapter of the Secular Franciscan Order in the United States assembled at the base of Camelback Mountain in the Sonoran Desert to pray, listen, […]
As much as I enjoy being with brothers and sisters from our Franciscan family, serving as the National Minister is quite a bit of work. Sure, I “get to” travel to fulfill my responsibilities. Often that means time building relationships with brothers and sisters, learning the blessings and challenges encountered in each area and praying together as part of daily Mass and morning/evening prayer. Following the fun part comes meetings and then time developing a report to document the findings.
This is the Word Search - Secular Franciscan Saints
Bishop Ruggieri, who was previously a pastor in Providence, Rhode Island, was ordained a bishop on May 7, 2024, soon after being professed into our Order on April 13, 2024. He has been assigned to the Diocese of Portland which encompasses all of Maine.
In this issue, five of the 30 regions are highlighted. ... ALSO “The Tenth National Eucharistic Congress is an invitation to experience profound personal revival so that we can be sent out to share Christ’s Love with the world that so desperately needs it.” The OFS-USA has been diligently working over the past year to present our Secular Franciscan branch of the Family to the attendees at this monumental event. - Booth #312