(This article originally appeared in the Spring/Summer Issue #103 of the TAU-USA)

by Mary Esther Stewart, OFS

“In the field of the world, in human hearts, lies hid the treasure of eternal love.”

 St. Clare’s 3rd letter to St. Agnes of Prague

Esther: The phone rang. “Would you be willing to mentor a young man in prison who wants to be a Franciscan?” What a question! What a surprise! I’m always eager to share my life with anyone who is interested, but I never imagined being asked to share our Franciscan life with a prisoner on the other side of the United States.

I readily agreed. Then what I had agreed to hit me! Who is this fellow? What risk might I be taking? What am I getting into? My thoughts and doubts went on, but I didn’t back out. I asked that the young man write to me telling me about himself and what it was that he really wanted. I had to believe, “If the Spirit is in this, it will work out.”

In Joe’s first letter to me, he was open about himself, his past, and his sentence. He sounded very sincere in wanting to get involved in the Franciscan family. I decided to give him a chance.

Joe: I’m a convicted felon in a state prison. Getting me off the streets saved my life and maybe the lives of others. As I sit here “doing time,” I realize that my past is behind me. All I have is the present moment and what the future may bring. I want to be a Franciscan.

I made some big mistakes in my life. I was looking for the family that I never had, but I was looking in all the wrong places. Then one day we were visited by a prison minister who introduced me to a new family, the Franciscans. Whatever this guy had, I knew I wanted. He introduced me to the writings of St. Francis, and it was all uphill from there. I knew that in Francis I had found a brother, a model, and a soulmate.

I took a risk, a leap of faith, and connected with this lady who I may never meet. Will she judge me? Will I be a threat to her? Will she accept me with the love that I know I need? I put the stamp on the letter and put the letter on the mail cart. Then I waited patiently.

Esther: I figured that Joe probably didn’t know much about Francis and Franciscan life. My ego told me that I could certainly keep him busy with much more than he could ever give me. But the teacher in me said that first I had to test his willingness to take on our way of life.

I explained to Joe a process of using the Gospel of the day as a basis for contemplation paired with journaling and the personal value of such a prayer practice. If he didn’t want to do this, then there was no need for us to go any further. Joe had not had any experience of contemplative prayer using the Gospels, but he agreed to give it a try following the directions I gave him.

As we began sharing our reactions to the Gospels, I discovered a real depth to Joe. He would drop little remarks that stopped me in my tracks; he had wisdom and insights that really spoke to me. Several times Joe brought me to my knees with his comments and observations. I might be Joe’s mentor in Franciscan things, but Joe was quickly becoming my mentor, too.

Joe: There isn’t a lot for me to do in here. I pray a lot. But Esther introduced me to a new way of praying by getting directly into the Gospels every day. I wasn’t too sure about the writing part, but she encouraged me, and I gave it a try. It didn’t take long for me to discover a treasure that I didn’t want to give up. I began to teach the guys in here how to pray with the Gospels. Some seem to be taking to it.

My life in here can be pretty grim at times, but I was open with Esther when she asked, and she didn’t “scare off.” Instead of treating me like a curiosity that needed “fixing,” she joked about my fancy hotel, room service, and my five-star dining. We both got a good laugh.

Trust is hard in here. Any trust I had on the streets went out the window when the handcuffs went on. In here, we’re trapped and we’re alone. Esther was an answer to my prayers by introducing me to some super Franciscans like St. Bonaventure. As we work through our Franciscan sources, I’m more convinced that Franciscan life is for me. She now has phone privileges, and we have wonderful conversations including praying together. Nothing has scared her away. I’m beginning to trust, and I feel accepted.

Esther: I recently told Joe that I am his outside and he is my inside. I hope I’m taking him beyond the razor wire. We talk about ordinary things on the “inside” and on the “outside.” We laugh a lot. Other times Joe has questions about our Franciscan theology and spirituality, which I love to discuss with him. But we both feel that, most importantly, our interaction has allowed us to build trust in each other.

I have come to see my world through Joe’s eyes. The more I got to know Joe, the more I realized that he can’t do all that I do. When he’s on the road, he’s in handcuffs and shackles and no stops at McDonald’s. My walk with Joe is rough; just knowing about his life shakes me out of my comfort zone. I can no longer take my privileges and freedoms for granted. My prison friend is total gift.

Yes, Joe is surrounded by razor wire. I hope to take him beyond it. Buy my relationship with him has made me realize that I, too, am surrounded by razor wire. I’ve put up a lot of razor wire that keeps God out of my self-sufficient, independent lifestyle. Lord, give me the courage to be humble, to admit my need for You. Joe is my mentor, Your gift to me.

Joe: Nobody comes to prison to get a dose of love, acceptance, or encouragement. Maybe there was trust when I first got involved in criminal activity, but even that can disappear really fast. In our correspondence, Esther gives me hope that love and friendship are really alive and not just a fantasy. I did not imagine that I would discover love and trust while in here, especially from someone on the outside who’s free to interact with people of her own choosing. Who would choose to love and trust a convict?

Esther keeps reassuring me that I am loved more abundantly by God than my little heart or mind could possibly understand. If I’m loved by Him and by those who love Him, then I, too, need to love and trust because I am loved. It is a cycle of unending love. I cannot horde that love, not only because I’m Franciscan at heart and we truly embrace poverty and love, but because being loved is a call to love others.

Esther’s family can be my family, her Franciscan fraternity family can be mine, too. And my family grows with each prayer I offer for the people she has told me about. What I’ve received from our friendship has given me strength to share with the men I live with, to build them up and give them hope, to let them know that each day can begin with love because they are loved.

Conclusion: Joe and Esther keep right on going with their communications day-by-day, little by little. We share our lives and what’s going on with each of us. We share our love and our trust for each other. All we have is NOW. We have hope and new purpose to our lives. We believe that together we are an inside-outside team that can accomplish a much greater purpose than what we ever could have imagined.

https://secularfranciscansusa.org/2021/10/25/holiness-behind-bars/

(This article also appeared in the Fall 2021 Issue of the TAU-USA #104)

by Jan Parker OFS

Three years ago, I made a Visitation to Tau Cross Regional Fraternity. Something happened during that visit that made quite an impact, and I have remembered it ever since. Our ongoing formation topic that day was the OFS Rule. I was interested in what the Rule meant to those gathered, so I handed out blank postcards and asked everyone to write down three words – just three words – to describe the Rule. After a few moments, I collected the cards, and then chose some to share with the group.

As I looked through the cards, there were many good responses. One said:

Gospel. Life. Penance.

Someone else had an interesting take and wrote:

Spiritual. Orderly. Concise.

But one card stood out among all the others. In large letters it simply said,

Who we are.

I smiled, because to me those three words describe our Rule perfectly. Ever since that day, I have kept that card inside my little red Rule book as a reminder that this is my goal – to make the Rule “who I am.”

This year the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) is celebrating a remarkable anniversary. The year 2021 marks the 800th anniversary of Memoriale Propositi, a document that was inspirational at the beginning of our way of life. We share this anniversary with our dear brothers and sisters of the Third Order Regular (TOR).

I must admit that when I first heard of the anniversary of Memoriale Propositi, I had to think twice. I recalled that it is mentioned in our Rule[1], but what is this document? How do you even pronounce it? And what exactly does it 1 have to do with our way of life? A brief search on the CIOFS website brought me to a collection of videos and articles that helped answer those questions. I invite you to view those videos and study the articles for yourself, as these resources have certainly deepened my appreciation of this anniversary[2].

In the first CIOFS article I read, I learned the historical framework of Memoriale Propositi. It was in looking at that history that I realized anew the great debt of gratitude we owe to our founder. What led up to the birth of the first Franciscan order of penitents is interesting. Clearly, the penitential movement in the Church had existed since ancient times, but it was not without struggle. Prior to St. Francis, the movement underwent many reforms and renewals, often in reaction to difficult situations that existed within the Church. Sadly, penitent reformers tended to promote attitudes in opposition to the Church, at times even advocating heretical beliefs.

St. Francis’ approach was different and original. Laity were attracted to his example, and many came to embrace his “propositum vitae” – this new way of life, based on the exhortations summarized by Francis in his Letter to All the Faithful. They joined together, while not necessarily living together, to form fraternities of both genders, married or celibate, to support each other in living this life of conversion. The members of these penitential groups did not exclude contact with the outside world, but, like Francis, they embraced the world, performed works of mercy, spread the joy of the Gospel, and delighted in the intimacy of relationships with the Lord and with each other.

The Church took notice and in 1221 issued the Memoriale Propositi, the name of which can mean “document for a project of life.” Although this is a generic document that was given to penitents for all time, it truly is the inspirational document of our current OFS Rule. This document outlines the spiritual life of the first brothers and sisters of penance.

We need only look at the text of the Memoriale Propositi to find the similarity with our current Rule. The Memoriale describes what daily life should look like and how we should pray along with the Church and partake in the Sacraments. It describes the monthly meeting and calls all to practice works of mercy. It delineates the formation process and how one is to be received into the Order. Lastly, it has a section on the holding of offices, the correction of members, and dispensation of obligations. The parallels with our current Rule are amazing to be sure[3].

Memoriale Propositi makes a connection between what motivated the earliest Brothers and Sisters of Penance and what should motivate us. Our rule today continues to propel us on this beautiful trajectory, a way of life that has flourished for 800 years. This truly is God’s project. Our OFS Rule that we hold in our hands, and in our hearts, is our life. It is, as was shared on that postcard, “who we are.”

It’s been an amazing 800 years, but what is ahead for “who we are”? The future of the Secular Franciscan Order is in our hands.

[1] OFS Rule: Article 3: “The present rule, succeeding “Memoriale Propositi” (1221) and the rules approved by the Supreme Pontiffs Nicholas IV and Leo XIII, adapts the Secular Franciscan Order to the needs and expectations of the Holy Church in the conditions of changing times…”

[2]  To access the resources from the International Council, go to www.ciofs.info. Type “Memoriale” in the search bar, then click on the photos.  You will need to return to the search results to access each offering.

[3] To see the text and analysis of the Memoriale Propositi, go to www.ciofs.info. Type in “Reflections on Memoriale,” then click on the photo 3 that appears, and scroll down to “Text and Analysis”  

[4] Go to www.secularfranciscansusa.org. On the home page, click on Resources, then Formation, then Ongoing Formation, then “OFS Rule Formation Materials.” You might also check with your Regional Formation Director. The National Formation Director workshop held in August 2021, focused on the Rule, and additional resources were shared at that time.

https://secularfranciscansusa.org/2021/10/18/national-ministers-message-who-we-are/

“Did you know

there is an updated translation of the OFS Rule, Constitution and Ritual?”

by Jan Parker, National Minister

Does this mean there is a new Rule?

No.  The Rule itself has not changed, meaning that the update did not affect the articles of the Rule.  The General Constitutions and the Ritual have also not changed.

Then why the “update”?

What is different now in the Rule and Constitution?

The updates were made taking into consideration the new English translation of the Early Sources found in the three-volume series, Francis of Assisi: Early Documents (FA:ED), edited by Regis Armstrong, OFM Cap., Wayne Hellmann, OFM Conv., and William J Short, OFM, published between 1999-2001.  Incorporating the new translation only affected the Prologue of the Rule and the footnotes.   The Prologue is from the new translation, and is slightly different from how it was previously written.  The footnotes now reference the three-volume series of FA:ED, which is very helpful.  The Constitutions also incorporate new footnotes referencing FA:ED.

Remember that St. Pope John Paul II encouraged us to “Study, love, live the Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order!”   A list of wonderful  ongoing formation resources on the Rule  can be found on our website: (https://secularfranciscansusa.org/the-rule-of-the-secular-franciscan-order/

This is also a good opportunity to remind you that all the early source writings can be accessed online courtesy of the Commission on the Franciscan Intellectual-Spiritual Tradition (CFIT).  

Here is the  Franciscan Intellectual Tradition  

(https://www.franciscantradition.org/early-sources)

Here you can find everything written by Francis, Clare, Celano, Bonaventure and more.  The website gives an instructional video on how to search for a particular passage.

https://secularfranciscansusa.org/2021/10/13/did-you-know-updated-translations/