Yowza, how time flies -- today is the second anniversary of my permanent profession in the Secular Franciscan Order. Since it's a weekday, I haven't really planned on doing anything special to mark the occasion, but I may stop by my parish's adoration chapel this evening and silently repeat my profession promise. And one of these days, I really will put together a small profession scrapbook; been meaning to do that for the past two years!
Since we're on the subject, I'm guessing that "profession" is something that most folks probably aren't too familiar with, so here's an overview as it pertains to the SFO. Share and enjoy! :-)
About Profession
"Membership in the Order is attained through a time of initiation, a time of formation, and the profession of the Rule. ... Profession is the solemn ecclesial act by which the candidate [novice], remembering the call received from Christ, renews the baptismal promises and publicly affirms his or her personal commitment to live the Gospel in the world according to the example of Francis and following the Rule of the SFO. Profession incorporates the candidate into the Order and is by its nature a perpetual commitment." (SFO General Constitutions, Articles 37:1, 42:1-2)
"The Mass formula to be used may correspond to the liturgy of the day or, if the rubrics permit, the votive Mass of St. Francis, of St. Louis the King, or St. Elizabeth of Hungary; or the Mass for the Laity may also be chosen. With regard to the hymns and exhortations during the celebration, the text of Chapter 2 of the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order should be kept in mind, as well as the biblical texts that support the SFO way of life." (Chapter 3, Ritual of the Secular Franciscan Order)
Statement of Intentions (Calling Forth of the Candidates)
After the Gospel reading, the celebrant and the people sit. Those who are to be professed are called forward, and the fraternity's minister (our term for "president" or "superior") invites them to publicly express their intention. This may be done in the form of a dialogue between the minister and the candidates, who express their intent either singly; by means of one speaking in the name of all; or by all speaking together.
The following statement of intent is what we use in my fraternity and is taken from the Ritual of the Secular Franciscan Order:
"We(I) ask to be admitted to profession of the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, and to make a permanent commitment to the gospel life. The experience during our(my) time of formation has strengthened us(me) in the conviction that the Lord is calling us(me) to observe the holy gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following in the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assisi."
Profession of Commitment to the Gospel Life
After the homily, the profession itself is made while the candidate kneels in front of the fraternity's minister. With his/her hands in those of the minister, the candidate says:
I, N.N., by the grace of God, renew my baptismal promises and consecrate myself to the service of His Kingdom.
Therefore, in my secular state, (or, when appropriate: as a member of the diocesan clergy,) I promise to live all the days of my life the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Secular Franciscan Order by observing its Rule of life.
May the grace of the Holy Spirit, the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and our holy father Saint Francis, and the fraternal bonds of community always be my help, so that I may reach the goal of perfect Christian love.
Presentation of the Symbols of Profession
Because (at least in the U.S.) we don't have different habits for candidates (novices) and the professed, there is no change of habit during profession. However, symbols of profession are presented:
Gospels. As the candidates receive a copy of the gospels, the minister says, "Christ, the Gift of the Father's love, is the Way to him, the Truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the Life which he has come to give abundantly. By your lifelong profession to go from gospel to life and life to gospel, may you continually encounter the living and active person of Christ."
Crucifix. Where customary, a crucifix may also be presented as a remembrance of profession. The one presenting the crucifix (ideally a San Damiano crucifix) may say in these, or similar, words: "May you conform your thoughts and deeds to those of Christ and build a more fraternal and evangelical world by fulfilling your vocation as a 'brother(sister) of penance'."
Candle. Where it is also customary to present the newly-professed with a lighted candle, the one giving the candle may say in these, or similar, words: "By your profession, you are the light of Christ in the world. Your light must shine before all so that they may see goodness in your acts, and give praise to your heavenly Father."
Ring. Where it is also customary to present the newly-professed with a Franciscan ring (featuring the same symbol as our pendant; this is something that the candidates themselves choose to receive or not and is in addition toour habit), the one giving the ring may say in these, or similar, words: "You have been made a living member of the Church in Baptism; you have been united more intimately with the Church by profession. Through this special covenant of union, may you be a faithful witness and instrument of her mission among all people."
When the presentations are finished, all the professed members present come forward to congratulate each newly-professed with an appropriate sign of peace and goodwill. (Usually, this is lots of hugging.) Meanwhile, a suitable hymn may be sung, and the rite concludes with the General Intercessions.
Hey, is he on fire? Or, How Franciscans Get Ready for Mass
While it's amazing and awesome to be in your own Profession Mass, it's a Totally Different Experience when you're on the other side o' things; namely, making sure everything goes off without a hitch. Which is the situation I found myself in last night, a mere almost-2 years after my own Profession.
I'm currently serving on my local fraternity's council, and as the Minister (our Order's term for "president" or "superior") and I work closely together on everything, I participated in all the behind-the-scenes grunt work for this Mass, in which two of our Candidates (novices) were going to make their permanent Professions. One of my jobs was designing and printing up copies of the program -- involved emailing the thing around to the other council members for their input, verifying who was doing what, and verifying the music selections with the music ensemble. And then copying/folding/stuffing said programs; about 30 of 'em, which we naively thought (ha-ha!) would be enough.
Mass was at 7 p.m., so the Minister, myself, and the other council members figured we'd show up at 6:30 p.m. to set up/organize/etc. How involved could it be? We usually have Mass at our monthly gatherings, anyway.
I arrived at 6:25 p.m. and lo, nearly everyone else thought it'd be A Good Idea to show up way early, too. Which meant I was pinballing among guests and various secular brothers/sisters ("Oh, hello Sister C! Sogoodtoseeyou! GottaruncatchyouaftertheMass!") while trying to get everything ready.
Before the Mass
Why aren't the chapel lights on? Who has the keys for that?
Have you seen [concelebrating guest priest] Fr. J? He isn't here yet? Hey, who's the Dominican friar over there? Oh, he's a guest of Sister B. [one of the two about-to-be-Professed Candidates]. Wait, he's also concelebrating? Why didn't anyone tell us he was gonna be here?! He's not in the program!
What do you mean, Fr. J. isn't doing the Gospel reading? We were told he was -- he's listed in the program for that!
Is Brother D. [a deacon and our also fraternity's Formation Director] going to assist at the Mass or not? Well, can you let me know as soon as Fr. K. makes up his mind?
Has anyone put out the Gifts for Sisters S. & B. to bring up to the altar? No? Hey, Brother D., we need a table on which to put the Gifts. [Subsequent fruitless search for suitable table. Instead, lugged table, used for leaflets, from back of chapel up the aisle.]
Hi, Guest. Can you please move back a few pews? These are reserved for the Professed brothers and sisters. Thanks so very much!
OK, Sisters S. & B., you'll sit in the front pew so that you can easily come up to the altar when you make your Profession promises. What? No, don't worry, you'll be cued in on everything.
Sister M., you'll sit next to me, since you're serving as one of the Witnesses for the Order and the Church. Right over there, near the front. See? On the side aisle. Yes, you'll be cued when you have to go up, don't worry.
What do you mean, Brother D. can't serve as the other Witness for the Order? He can't because he's also the Formation Director and that isn't allowed? Well, it didn't say anything about that in the Ritual, how were we supposed to know?! And we've got him listed in the program as a Witness! Who'll be the other witness, then?
We're out of programs already?!
All right, I've put the text for the Welcome, the readings, and the Franciscan Litany of Saints up on the podium. Is it time to start now?
The Mass
Me: Hey, why is the congregation standing? I haven't read the Welcome yet, and y'all haven't processed in!
Brother D.: They're confused.
Me: Okaaaaay. I'll go up now and read the Welcome. [Hurrying to front of chapel while motioning for folks to sit back down.]
Read the Welcome (even though I was out of breath, managed to not sound like it. Go, me!) and then Mass was off to a good start. After that, I only had one other part in the Rite, which was to lead the congregation in the Franciscan Litany of Saints, which went OK ... though Fr. K. read a completely different "let us pray" ending from (all together now) what was in the program. And the music ensemble decided, on the fly, to sing a different hymn for the recessional. :::sigh:::
It really was a lovely Mass, and folks say it all went quite well; the Minister and I were just too frazzled to fully appreciate it. But, we're told it was great.
Oh, yeah, our Historian managed to set himself on fire while taking pictures -- backed into one of the altar candles. Was unharmed, but his shirt sported a Big Honkin' Hole on the back.
And there you have it. Just yer typical Comedy O' Controlled Chaos, otherwise known as A Franciscan-Run Event. :-P
"God of power and mercy, you blessed the Americas at Tepeyac with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. May her prayers help all men and women to accept each other as brothers and sisters. Through your justice present in our hearts may your peace reign in the world.
"We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." ~ Closing Prayer for 12 December, Liturgy of the Hours
As today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I did a little searching on the subject and came across several fine finds. (An aside: Another bit to add to the "Everywhere You Go, Franciscans!" file: It was a Franciscan friar, Bishop Juan Zumárraga, OFM, to whom St. Juan Diego displayed his tilma.)
For a quick overview on Our Lady of Guadalupe, see The Story of Our Lady of Guadalupe, helpfully provided by the ever-awesome Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (who have placed themselves under the protection and guidance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, btw).
Check out this a super-short clip (25 seconds) of the interior of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico City) on YouTube:
basilica guadalupe
And for All Things Guadalupe, check out Our Lady of Guadalupe, which provides extensive information about Our Lady of Guadalupe along with other aspects of Marian devotion. I especially like the picture gallery; there's an awesomeSt. Michael statue shown there! Seriously, anyone know how we can order a (small) replica of that sucker?!
While flippin' through the November 2007 issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review, I was struck by what Fr. Brian Mullady, OP had to say in his "Questions Answered" column about the difference between Church and state. The whole thing is superb, but what grabbed my attention was his reminder that social justice is NOT the point of redemption or of the Church -- salvation is.
As a Franciscan, a Way Big Honkin' component of my Order's charism is social justice. You see it EVERYwhere in Franciscan literature, activities, and outreach; it's pretty much all we do in the way of apostolic activities. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to focus so exclusively on social justice and all its aspects that we forget that The Real Point of "living the Gospel" is To Get Ourselves And Others To Heaven.
On the whole (though there are happyexceptions), we've become an Order of "muckrakers", who, like the Man with the Muck-rake in Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, "could look no way but downward, with the muck-rake in his hand; who was offered a celestial crown for his muck-rake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth of the floor."(1)
Yes, we must, Without A Doubt, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and free the oppressed, but we cannot stop there. As Our Lord Himself said, "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" (Matthew 16:26)
Fr. Mullady excellently articulated this important reminder, and it's so good that I have to share snippets of it here:
"Christ founded no political state and blessed no one political style of government except that which accords with the truth of human nature, which is the natural law. Christ did found the Church, which is a supernatural society that begins here on earth but finds its final fulfillment in heaven. So the common good, the order to attain it and the authority of the Church are specifically different from the state.
"... The Lord did not die on the cross for any earthly purpose. Though he was often encouraged to take sides in politics, he did not. Social justice is the mission of the state and because the Church and grace favor nature and reason, Christ and the Church encourage citizens of all states to live in accord with a true common good. But that is not the purpose of redemption or of the Church.
"... Our Lord wanted to introduce grace into souls, which includes the fact that those who experience grace also live the life of reason and nature. It would not be Christian then for a Christian civil ruler to deny justice in the state. But the mission of the Church is the salvation of all, not implementing social justice, which is properly the duty of the state." ~ Fr. Brian Mullady, OP; "Questions Answered", Homiletic & Pastoral Review, November 2007.
Are you taking time to look up to see the celestial crown, or is your field of vision limited to the filth below? How can you hope to point out the crown to others if you yourself are blind to it?
As part of my fraternity's monthly gathering, the professed brothers and sisters participate in Ongoing Formation. The way each fraternity handles Ongoing Formation varies; ours involves reading a chapter in a formation textbook, then discussing one of the associated questions for reflection.
This month's question was, "What does 'fraternity' mean to you?"
For me, it means being part of a bonus "Domestic Church" -- just as the family is the basic unit of society, the fraternity "becomes the basic unit of the whole Order and a visible sign of the Church, the community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a sense of Church and the Franciscan vocation and for enlivening the apostolic life of its members." (Rule, Article 22) In other words, it's family, second only to my blood/marriage one.
And since we're family, that's how I refer to my fellow seculars. For example, when speaking about my Franciscan brothers or sisters, I don't say, "I'm going to Mass tomorrow with a friend." "Friend" doesn't do the relationship justice -- it just doesn't quite fit. Something's lacking and imprecise. When I first entered the Order, I tried that and the word always felt wrong, somehow.
Instead, I'll say, "I'm going to Mass tomorrow with one of my Franciscan sisters." Because that's the truth of it. And the beauty.
Since today is the day Franciscans commemorate All Souls of the Seraphic Order (we'll celebrate the Feast of All Saints of the Seraphic Order on 29 November), I thought it'd be in keeping with things to share a Franciscan Litany of All Saints. What better way to pray for all the souls of our Order than by asking our sainted Franciscan brothers and sisters to join in?
I've seen a few different litanies while a-Googlin', and this particular one is from the Secular Franciscan Companion (pp. 266-276), 1987 edition. This version lists only the canonized Franciscan saints as of the edition's 1987 publication date, a total of 125. (Please pardon any typos/goofs -- this was a lot to type! If you catch any errors, please lemme know and I'll fix 'em.)
A Franciscan Litany of All Saints
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. God, the Father, have mercy on us. God, the Son, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, the Immaculate Conception, Queen of the Franciscan Order, pray for us. Holy Father Francis, pray for us.
All you holy martyrs of the Franciscan Order, pray for us. Saints Berard, Accursius, Adjutus, Otto, and Peter, Protomartyrs, pray for us. Saints Daniel, Angelo, Domnus, Hugolinus, Leo, Nicholas, and Samuel, Martyrs of Africa, pray for us. Saints Nicholas Tavelic, Deodat of Aquitaine, Peter of Narbonne, and Stephen of Cuneo, Martyrs of the Holy Land, pray for us. Saint Thomas More, Martyr of England, pray for us. Saints Nicholas Pick, Anthony Hornaer, Anthony of Weert, Cornelius, Francis, Godfrey, Jerome, Nicasius, Peter, Theodoric, Willehad, Martyrs of Holland, pray for us. Saints Peter Baptist Blasquez, Martin de Aguirre, Francis Blanco, Philip of Jesus of Mexico, Gonzalo García of India, and you holy seventeen Japanese members of the Third Order, Saints Anthony of Nagasaki, Bonaventure, Cosmas, Francis of Fahelante, Francis of Miyako, Gabriel, Joachim, John, Leo, Louis, Matthias, Michael, Paul Ibaraki, Paul Zuzuki, Peter, Thomas Danki, and Thomas Kosaki, Protomartyrs of Japan, pray for us. Saints John Jones and John Wall, Martyrs of England, pray for us. Saints Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Protomartyr of the Sacred Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith, pray for us. Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr of Auschwitz, pray for us.
All you holy priests of the First Franciscan Order, pray for us. Saint Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Gospel and Wonderworker, pray for us. Saint Bonaventure, Seraphic Doctor, pray for us. Saint Benvenute of Osimo, Bishop, pray for us. Saint Louis of Tolouse, Bishop, pray for us. Saint Bernardine of Siena, pray for us. Saint John Capistran, pray for us. Saint Peter Regalado, pray for us. Saint James of the March, pray for us. Saint Peter of Alcantara, pray for us. Saint Francis Solano, pray for us. Saint Joseph of Leonissa, pray for us. Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Church, pray for us. Saint Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us. Saint Pacificus of San Severino, pray for us. Saint John Joseph of the Cross, pray for us. Saint Theophilus of Corte, pray for us. Saint Leonard of Port Maurice, pray for us. Saint Leopold Mandic, pray for us.
All you holy lay brothers of the First Franciscan Order, pray for us. Saint Didacus of Alcalá, pray for us. Saint Salvator of Horta, pray for us. Saint Felix of Cantalice, pray for us. Saint Benedict the Black, pray for us. Saint Paschal Baylon, pray for us. Saint Seraphim of Montegranaro, pray for us. Saint Charles of Sezze, pray for us. Saint Ignatius Laconi, pray for us. Saint Francis Camporosso, pray for us. Saint Conrad of Parzham, pray for us.
All you holy virgins of the Second Franciscan Order, pray for us. Holy Mother Clare of Assisi, pray for us. Saint Agnes of Assisi, pray for us. Saint Colette of Corbie, pray for us. Saint Catherine of Bologna, pray for us. Saint Veronica Giuliani, pray for us.
All you holy priests of the Third Franciscan Order, pray for us. Saint Yves of Brittany, pray for us. Saint Charles Borromeo, pray for us. Saint Joseph Benedict Cottolengo, pray for us. Saint Vincent Palotti, Founder, pray for us. Saint John Mary Vianney, Patron of Parish Priests, pray for us. Saint Joseph Cafasso, pray for us. Saint Michael Garicoits, pray for us. Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Founder, pray for us. Saint John Bosco, Founder, pray for us. Saint Pius X, Pope, pray for us.
All you holy foundresses of religious congregations who were members of the Third Franciscan Order, pray for us. Saint Bridget of Sweden, pray for us. Saint Jane of Valois, pray for us. Saint Angela Merici, pray for us. Saint Mary Bartholomea Capitanio, pray for us. Saint Mary Magdalen Postel, pray for us. Saint Vincentia Gerosa, pray for us. Saint Joachima de Mas y de Vedruna, pray for us. Saint Mary Josepha Rossello, pray for us. Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, pray for us.
All you holy men of the Third Franciscan Order, pray for us. Saint Ferdinand, King of Castile and Leon, pray for us. Saint Louis, King of France, Patron of the Third Order, pray for us. Saint Elzear of Sabran, pray for us. Saint Roch of Montpellier, pray for us. Saint Conrad of Piacenza, Hermit, pray for us.
All you holy women of the Third Franciscan Order, pray for us. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Patroness of the Third Order, pray for us. Saint Rose of Viterbo, Virgin, pray for us. Saint Zita of Lucca, Virgin, pray for us. Saint Margaret of Cortona, pray for us. Saint Clare of Montefalco, Virgin and Religious, pray for us. Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, pray for us. Saint Joan of Arc, pray for us. Saint Frances of Rome, pray for us. Saint Catherine of Genoa, pray for us. Saint Hyacintha Mariscotti, Virgin and Religious, pray for us. Saint Mariana of Jesus of Quito, Virgin, pray for us. Saint Mary Frances of the Five Wounds, Virgin, pray for us.
All you holy Cordbearers of St. Francis, pray for us. Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop, pray for us. Saint Joseph Calasanctius, Founder, pray for us. Saint Benedict Joseph Labre, pray for us. Saint Bernadette Soubirous, Virgin and Religious, pray for us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
Let us pray: Almighty everlasting God, we thank You for granting us the joy of honoring our holy Father Francis and his sainted followers and enjoying the protection of their unceasing prayers. Grant us also the grace to imitate their example and so attain their fellowship in eternal glory. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Seriously, there are oodles o' days where I feel like an Utter Franciscan Failure. I forget to pray when tempted. Fly off the handle. Let myself get sucked into a gossip-laden conversation with coworkers. Procrastinate. Get pathetically lazy about praying the Divine Office, which I'm obligated to do, and regularly reading our Rule. I could go on and on and on, but it's way too depressing.
I was reminded of my shortcomings yet again last week, when I suffered through a wretched meeting at work wherein I and my fellow writers were unexpectedly -- and undeservedly -- subjected to a BashFest. I don't do well in defending myself when folks start slamming me, in a meeting, in front of others, because I never see that kind of crap coming and am caught off-guard. (You'd think I'd learn.) I wouldn't do it to others, and so I never expect others to do it to me. But, it happens, and it happened Thursday.
I tried to defend myself and the other writers (who weren't present, btw) during the meeting, but could've done loads better. For the rest of the day, I was grumpy and upset, and it only got worse as time passed. When the workday was over and I finally walked through the front door, poor Husband Mike had to endure Lots Of Frustrated Yelling from me as I vented and complained. I can't remember the last time I've been so angry over something work-related, and I was actually feeling nauseous from it. I knew I had to Get Over It, but the more I tried to stop thinking about it, the more it filled my head.
And then we had to go to Mass, it being All Saints Day. Because of my bad mood, I snapped at Husband Mike over something trivial as we were leaving, which of course Ticked Him Off. On the drive there, I silently continued the struggle to Get Over It, and failed. Thanks to me, we were both grumpy and upset when we pulled into the parking lot.
Great way to head into Mass, I thought. A second later, I was smacked upside the head with sorrow. I apologized to Husband Mike over my behavior and Inability To Stop Thinking About Work. And he asked me, "Well, have you tried praying about it?"
Duh.
Of course, I hadn't. In fact, it hadn't even occurred to me to pray for help with getting past my livid-murderous-seethingness. Yet again, Lisa = Freakin' Dumbass Of A Franciscan.
During Mass, as we sang the Litany of the Saints for the Processional, I choked up over the refrain, "All you holy men and women / pray for us". Pray for us. Please, you holy men and women, pray for us. Pray for me. Pray that the Lord will help me overcome my stupidity, laziness, and anger, because I can't do it on my own. Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner. Please, help me. You know I'm an idiot. Without You, I don't stand a chance.
Thank God for the Mass, and for the saints. Pray for us.
"Only one of two recently examined ancient tunics thought to be worn by the Roman Catholic friar Saint Francis of Assisi is an authentic relic of the saint, according to a new analysis." Read the full article.
Saint Faustina's Prayer For Holy Church and for Priests O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church: Grant it love and the light of Your Spirit and give power to the words of priests so that hardened hearts might be brought to repentance and return to You, O Lord.
Lord, give us holy priests; You Yourself maintain them in holiness. O Divine and Great High Priest, may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the devil's traps and snares which are continually being set for the souls of priests. May the power of Your mercy, O Lord, shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of priests, for You can do all things. I ask You, Jesus, for a special blessing and for light for the priests before whom I will make my confessions throughout my lifetime. Amen.
That pretty much sums up this Franciscan reply to B16's Summorum Pontificum. Be sure to pop an antacid 'afore readin' -- it's pretty heartburn-inducing. Having an airsickness bag close by is also a good idea.
I tell ya, it's reading s*** like this that makes me despair for our Order. But reading Fr. Z.'s commentary on this Piece of Dreck helps, as do the wonderful thoughts from seculars and others in the comment box. :::hope lifting:::Do check it out.
My only complaint is that the accompanying pictures are much too teeny! Would've been nice if we could click on the small ones in order to launch larger-sized ones.
While looking through my site's referrer logs, it seems that folks doing searches for "Secular Franciscan habit" have been pointed to my li'l blog. However, I don't actually have anything here that describes our habits as such, which I'm remedying forthwith. :-)
So, do we wear habits? Yes, Secular Franciscans do wear habits, and we always have!
The Habit
Upon entering Candidacy (novitiate), a secular is clothed in our Order's habit, which -- in the U.S. -- is a Tau cross pendant, like what you see on the left. It's always to be worn in some way, whether as a pendant (preferred) or pin, ring, or some other form. The image is composed of two parts, the Tau and the Conformity.
The Tau. While the Tau represents Christ's cross, it's also the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet and gained special significance in the Old Testament through Ezekiel 9:4: "Pass through the city (through Jerusalem) and mark an X [Tau] on the foreheads of those who moan and groan over all the abominations that are practiced within it."
At the Fourth Lateran Council -- at which Francis was said to be in attendance -- Pope Innocent III used Ezekiel's Tau imagery in his opening homily, and the Tau became the symbol for the council. From then on, Francis used the Tau in his writings, painted it on the walls and doors of the places where he stayed, and used it as his signature.
It's also said that St. Francis borrowed the Tau and what it meant to him from the Antonines, a religious community of men founded in 1095 whose sole function was to care for the sick, and on whose habit was painted a great Tau cross. Francis was familiar with these men because they staffed the leper house in Assisi and the hospital of St. Blasé in Rome where Francis went to stay.
St. Bonaventure said, "This Tau symbol had all the veneration and all the devotion of the saint: He spoke of it often in order to recommend it, and he traced it on himself before beginning each of his actions." Due to Francis' affection for and devotion to the Tau, it's been a well-recognized and accepted Franciscan symbol for centuries.
The Conformity. On top of the Tau are the crossed arms of Christ and Francis, which is called the "conformity". Christ's bare arm is in front of Francis' clothed arm; Christ's hand has the wound from His Crucifixion; Francis' has the stigmata.
While this is what we currently wear, our habit has changed throughout history.
History
Up until 1508, Secular Franciscans wore full habits. Then this changed to a large scapular held together by a piece of rope around the waist. Over time, the scapular became smaller until the rope was no longer needed to hold it in place and was was replaced by a string, and both were then worn underneath clothing.
With the revision of our Rule in 1978, our habit changed from the small scapular and string to -- in the U.S., at least -- the Tau cross.
CFotD #1: I was browsin' around Catholics for the Common Good, which (gasp!) actually appears to be faithful to Church teaching (!!), when I stumbled 'pon this article and saw ...
CFotD #2: ... the first pic. Of a friar. With a TV camera. It's Friar Cam! How cool is that?! Dang, it's splendid to see a Franciscan friar -- and in full habit, no less -- taking part in a pro-life demonstration.
(While Friar Cam's been around for awhile on EWTN, we don't have cable (don't watch much TV and we're cheap), so it's the first I've heard o' it. An' I know you can watch their programming online, but we have dialup at home.)
Oh, I think I hurt something laughing so hard over this ...
First, reading Jeff Miller's hilarious post, "Seal in Nun Freshness", had me in stitches. Then I read the following bit in the Comments section and flailed 'round to keep from fallin' off the chair:
"The mediaeval spirit loved its part in life as a part, not a whole; its charter for it came from something else. There is a joke about a Benedictine monk who used the common grace of Benedictus benedicat, whereupon the unlettered Franciscan triumphantly retorted Franciscus Franciscat. It is something of a parable of mediaeval history; for if there were a verb Franciscare it would be an approximate description of what St. Francis afterwards did." [G.K. Chesterton, A Short History of England]
I love that quote for many reasons, but I especially snorted over the "Franciscat" bit. Why? Check out my user names in the "On My Radar" section to the right --> . (Tho' I came up with the term because I'm a Franciscan who loves cats.)
Ah, a fresh New Year! Time for making resolutions, buying new calendars ... and marking up the '07 guide for the Liturgy of the Hours.
Because the 1-volume LOTH (which I use) is the exact opposite of user-friendly (oy!), I'm utterly grateful for the handy-dandy Saint Joseph Guide for the Roman-Franciscan Christian Prayer. Lemme tell ya, the three bucks it costs saves a year's worth of headaches and frantic page-flippin'.
Unfortunately, the Guide itself is printed in small type, with a healthy dose of ALL CAPS to boot, which makes it kinda' hard to quickly locate the spot you want. While complaining about that a few years ago to one of my Franciscan sisters, she recommended highlighting each Sunday to help break things up visually. What a splendid idea!
Since then, I've customized my own highlighting strategy, and so a few days 'afore the ball drops in Times Square, I sit down with my new Guide and mark it up in the following way:
Sundays: Highlighted in pink.
Holy days of obligation (besides Sundays, of course): Blue
Special Franciscan solemnities and feasts: Orange
Feast days for Joseph and the Holy Family: Green
Feast days for our Blessed Mother: Yellow
An' just to make sure I 'member what all the colors mean, I write the above key on the back of the Guide. Sure, it takes a little time to mark up everything, but once you're done, you're done -- the whole year is easily understandable at a glance.
Just figured I'd share this in case it helps anyone else, and iffin' y'all have any other coping strategies for dealin' with the LOTH, I'd love to hear it! (Oh, that reminds me of one more I have -- I keep a holy card tucked in at the ever-so-frequently-referenced page 707. Another great timesaver!)
It's not every day that you read a book review that's prolly better than the book itself, but today's my lucky day. :-P I just read Vincent Ryan's writeup of The Poverty of Riches: St. Francis of Assisi Reconsidered, and appreciated his feedback on the author's "reappraisal of St. Francis of Assisi's relationship to the poor". (Ooooh, hey, does this qualify as a review of a review?) And I laughed out loud over Ryan's comment that,
"As [author] Wolf sees it, the Franciscan founder did little to raise people's opinions of the involuntary poor. ... To present Francis as merely using the poor and suffering as a way to refashion himself, is reducing all his activity to power relations. Somewhere Michel Foucault is applauding."
And his summary is totally spot-on:
"Franco Zeffirelli's [movie] Brother Sun, Sister Moon has been rightfully criticized over the years for presenting Francis as a hippie of the 1960s (with a Donovan soundtrack to boot) instead of as a medieval ascetic. In arguing for this radical reinterpretation of Franciscan poverty, Wolf too seems more concerned with refashioning Francis according to modern theories -- perhaps for the purposes of a new book. Unfortunately, like Zeffirelli's film, Wolf fails to assess and present the founder of the Franciscans within his own historical context."
Thank you, Mr. Ryan, for sparing me the headache of readin' this book. (And finally! Someone else who isn't a fan of Zeffirelli's craptastical movie!)
So, I had another birthday this month, and this year, my mom sent me the Coolest Present Ever. She enrolled me in the Eucharistic League of the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi -- I got a lovely little booklet containing the certificate of enrollment, Franciscan prayers, and an illustration of St. Francis. And the free-will donations given for enrollment help support the retirement needs of the Sisters.
Bad news on the fundraising efforts for the Mexican Poor Clares (previous update). The following email (sent 08-Aug-06) is from Diana Faust, SFO, who was investigating ways to help the sisters:
"I regret to tell you that the project of rebuilding the Poor Clare monastery is on hold. While we generated several interesting leads for the sisters, the one difficulty that can't be overcome at the moment is the size of the project. Rather than needing US $50,000, the sisters actually need $565,106. I haven't made a mistake in converting the currency, they need $565,106.
"Raising over a half million dollars is a full-time job that would take at least a year, a project way beyond our capacity. Even though we could probably raise $50,000 for a project that could be completed for that amount, few donors would donate significant funds for a project that can't be completed.
"So at this point, I have revised the brochure to reflect the new costs, taken off the association with [the Mother Cabrini Region of the Secular Franciscan Order], and listed Sr. Maria Burke ... as the contact ... for donations. I will also pass along to her the information that we've gathered. Perhaps this will help point them in the right direction. Some of these contacts may provide general support for the sisters even if they won't support the construction. If you think of anything else we can do, call [773.278.6724] or email me [diana @ franoutreach.org (remove spaces)].
"Thank you all for your enthusiasm for this project."
This is a good reminder for us all to pray for an increase in vocations to the religious life, secular orders, and the priesthood. (Well, actually, God has never stopped calling us, so it's more accurate to pray for an increase in folks hearing and answering His calls.)
"Brother Cesar Humberto Flores, 50, of El Salvador and a young Haitian postulant were abducted July 20 by unidentified assailants. The Franciscan provincial for Haiti said the abductors had contacted him and were asking to be paid a ransom." Read the full article.
I'd previously posted about a community of Mexican Poor Clares whose monastery wall is damaged, and I've got more details on their situation and how folks can donate to the repair effort. It's distressing that these are cloistered nuns who've left their cloister in order to beg. There has to be a better way!
The Monastery
Monasterio de Santa Clara General Lopez de Santa Ana n. 36 Colonia Martin Carrera Delegacion Gustavo A. Madera 07070 Mexico, D.F. - Mexico Phone: (5) 5772636
What Happened?
Five years ago, a builder was constructing condos near the sisters' monastery and dug his foundation too close to the monastery's foundation. This caused one wall of the monastery to separate from the building. Now there are 1-inch gaps between the walls and the ceiling, and many walls have large cracks. The sisters can't receive any compensation from the builder, who basically strung them along with empty promises until the statute of limitations expired. Then he completely refused to speak with them.
Earthquake Danger
The monastery is in Mexico City, which has previously suffered from many major earthquakes. In an earthquake, one or both of the affected monastery walls could completely separate from the rest of the building and cause the second floor to collapse into the first.
Begging for Donations
The Poor Clares have been working with the Archdiocese of Chicago's Mission Office since 2001, but since the sisters aren't missionaries, they can't make appeals at Masses. So, they've been selling simple religious items and begging on the streets every summer in Chicago's Pilsen area. They've managed to raise $10,000 after five years of begging, but they need a total of $70,000 for the repairs. Because a family member of the abbess is donating his architectural services and will pay the labor cost, the sisters only need enough money to pay for permits and materials.
Hoping to find a more effective way to help them raise the remaining $60,000, the Archdiocese turned to the Secular Franciscans of the Mother Cabrini Region and Franciscan friars in the area.
Fundraising Plan
The seculars are putting together a fundraising plan, which includes launching a web site (I'll share the URL when it's live), sending out brochures, contacting the media, and looking for donors large and small. An account at the Archdiocese of Chicago is already set up and ready to receive donations from individuals and organizations; all donations and grants are fully tax exempt.
To donate, make checks payable to "Catholic Mission Office". On the memo line, write: "For Poor Clares in Mexico".
For more information, call Diana Faust at (773) 278-6724, or email her at diana @ franoutreach.org (remove spaces).
Like our seraphic Father Francis who begged for stones to rebuild the San Damiano church, these Poor Clares are begging for funds to rebuild the walls of the Monasterio de Santa Clara. They should be back in their cloister, doing what they've dedicated their lives to do -- praying to God on behalf of the whole world. Let's do our part so they can do theirs.
Got the following alert from my Regional Minister recently and meant to post about it. Got sidetracked an' am finally sharing it now (feeling lousy over the delay).
The details: A community of Poor Clares from Mexico has been in contact with Sr. Maria Burke, S.Sp.S., of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Pastoral Center and are seeking financial assistance to repair a collapsed wall of their convent. Sister Maria sent the following letter to my Regional Minister, who in turn shared it with many of us:
"The Poor Clares have a convent near the [Basilica] of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico. Currently there are 20-30 nuns belonging to the convent, some of whom are elderly and or sick.
"Five years ago, [a builder constructing condos next door undermined their foundation, causing a wall of the convent to separate from the rest of the building] and the back of the convent collapsed. The nuns have been totally unsuccessful in obtaining redress from the contractor and have been unable to obtain any assistance from local authorities, despite the fact that their claim to the land does not seem to be questioned. The community continues living in the front of the convent.
"The nuns have obtained assurances from a Mexican contractor (a cousin of the woman who hosts them in Chicago) that he will rebuild the destroyed portion of the convent on a pro bono basis. But their contractor cannot absorb the $70,000 cost of the materials. The Sisters have been sending four of their congregation to Chicago for the last 4 years to beg outside stores in the Little Village Mexican enclave in Chicago. In the half decade, they have raised about $30,000.
"They have been coming to me asking for help. Since they are not 'a mission,' I cannot help them directly. Nor can they beg outside of churches which would conflict with the Mission appeals. It occurred to us that maybe [members of the Secular Franciscan Order] might be able and willing to help the Poor Clares. We would dearly like to help these nuns and deeply appreciate any assistance you can give them. ... I have not told the Sisters that I have contacted you, but, should you wish, I will be glad to give you a name and number for you to contact them directly."
The Poor Clares also met with folks in the Franciscan Outreach Association (Chicago, IL); the following is from one of FO's staff members:
"I have met with the Poor Clare sisters who are here in Chicago trying to raise funds to repair the wall of their convent that is about to fall down. ... They've explained their situation to me, brought plans and photos, and a letter of recommendation from the Vicar for Religious Life of the Archdiocese of Mexico City. I hope we can help them before it falls in and causes more damage!"
One of my goals after learning how to make knotted twine Rosaries was to knot up a Franciscan Crown, but being terrible at math and measurements and such, I wasn't sure how much twine I needed for it.
Make It!
Not to worry, though -- thanks to collaborating with other Rosary-makers, we determined that it'd take about 23-1/2 feet of twine (if you're new to Rosary-making, you may wanna up it to 24). So, I was able to knot up a few of these for some of my Franciscan brothers and sisters, and one for myself, too!
Here's how they turned out (click for a larger picture):
I'd have preferred to use brown, but, alas, didn't have enough on hand. So, I used
"God of power and mercy, you blessed the Americas at Tepeyac with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. May her prayers help all men and women to accept each other as brothers and sisters. Through your justice present in our hearts may your peace reign in the world.
The Habit
