Thank you to the National Formation Commission for collaborating on this piece.
The Conversion Process: Ongoing and continuous conversion of the heart
For each week of Lent focus on one action item below that you would like to cultivate in a special way as part of your Lenten journey.
1. Make an act of reparation or a modification of behavior to show sorrow for sin.
2. Be willing to recognize and accept suffering as the consequence of separating myself from God. (Offer sufferings for the benefit of others.)
3. Commit to a plan for prayer, fasting, almsgiving. (See: Joel 2:12-18)
4. Intentionally evangelize a lukewarm or nonbeliever.
5. Ask the Holy Spirit to make me aware of a specific moral shortcoming and for the grace to change.
6. Consciously live the Beatitudes.
7. Seek personal conversion through deeper prayer.
8. Radically commit to the Gospel life centered on the person of Jesus.
9. Savor God’s mercy, experiencing the love of God which unceasingly calls us back to Himself.
10. Accept myself as I am now and strive to reach a deeper level of conversion.
11. Journal on my spiritual journey made up of failures and falls and also made up of new beginnings, new discoveries.
12. Use St. Francis’s paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer for meditation.
https://www.franciscantradition.org/francis-of-assisi-early-documents/the-saint/writings-of-francis/the-undated-writings/a-prayer-inspired-by-the-our-father/174-fa-ed-1-page-158
Questions for discussion or to answer in your journal.
+Explain how you plan to carry out the items you chose from the list above.
+Which of all the statements above might be most beneficial to your personal conversion?
+Which of the statements are the most challenging for you?
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Formación 11 de abril, 2025 (Por favor compartir con la fraternidad local)
El proceso de conversión: La conversión continua y permanente del corazón
Gracias a la Comisión Nacional de Formación por colaborar en esta pieza.
Para cada semana de Cuaresma, concéntrese en un elemento de acción a continuación que le gustaría cultivar de una manera especial como parte de su jornada de Cuaresma.
1. Hacer un acto de reparación o una modificación de comportamiento para mostrar dolor por el pecado.
2. Estar dispuesto a reconocer y aceptar el sufrimiento como consecuencia de separarse de Dios. (Ofrezca sufrimientos en beneficio de otros).
3. Comprometerse a un plan de oración, ayuno, limosna. (Ver: Joel 2: 12-18)
4. Evangelizar intencionalmente a un tibio o no creyente.
5. Pídale al Espíritu Santo que lo haga consciente de una deficiencia moral específica y que tenga la gracia de cambiar.
6. Viva conscientemente las Bienaventuranzas.
7. Busque la conversión personal a través de una oración más profunda.
8. Comprometerse radicalmente con la vida evangélica centrada en la persona de Jesús.
9. Saborear la misericordia de Dios, experimentar el amor de Dios que incesantemente nos llama a Él.
10. Aceptarme tal como soy ahora y esforzarme por alcanzar un nivel más profundo de conversión.
11. Escribir un diario sobre mi jornada espiritual compuesto de fracasos y caídas y también compuesto de nuevos comienzos, nuevos descubrimientos.
12. Utilizar la paráfrasis de San Francisco del Padre Nuestro para la meditación.
http://franciscanos.org/esfa/exppn.html
Preguntas para platicar o para responder en su diario.
+ Explique cómo planea realizar los elementos que eligió de la lista anterior.
+ ¿Cuál de todas las declaraciones anteriores podría ser más beneficiosa para su conversión personal?
+ ¿Cuáles de las afirmaciones son las más desafiantes para usted?
Diane F. Menditto, OFSVice Minister, National Fraternity, Secular Franciscan Order USAListen – Discern – Go Forth National Theme 2022-2025
Hope Built on Faith Results in an Increase in Vocations
(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Winter 2025 Issue #114)
Anne Mulqueen, OFS
National Formation Commission
Hope is a special virtue to me because it is my middle name. I was born the ninth child to older parents, a girl after a string of boys. My father, a dreamer, added Hope to my name because he believed I would be their hope for the future. I hope I fulfilled his dream. He died when I was 15.
Alexander Pope wrote, “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” People, especially Franciscans, always hold on to hope, even in difficult times. It is part of human nature and a virtue. These lovely words speak the truth that it is God who plants hope in the human heart.
St. Thomas Aquinas speaks directly to our hope and desire for an abundant harvest of Secular Franciscan vocations.
“First, hope is triggered by a future good — a good not yet obtained. Second, by a possible good — a good that can be obtained. Third, by a difficult good — a good that, while possible, can only be obtained through difficulty.” [Summa Theologica]
All three aspects of hope speak to our current situation: a future good, a possible good, and a good obtained through overcoming obstacles.
I am a regional spiritual assistant and conduct pastoral visitations. When I ask, “What is your current challenge?” I invariably hear, “We need more vocations.”
If we hope for an increase in vocations, what should we do? I don’t have all the answers, but I will share some of my hopes, thoughts, and dreams for a vibrant, growing Secular Franciscan Order that gives praise, honor, and glory to God through its many members.
Pray: The best way to start is with prayer. If a Secular Franciscan vocation is a call from God, who better to get inspiration from than the Almighty? God calls, the person responds, and we assist. Hope and vocations are gifts from God and lead us back to God more intimately and profoundly. Prayer coupled with hope sustains us in times when we see little progress.
Invite: I never heard of the “Third Order of St. Francis” until Maryellen Hickey invited me to a fraternity gathering. She was persistent. She never gave up and continued to invite me. How many of us discovered our vocation because of an invitation? Remember what Andrew said to his brother Simon Peter: Come and See!
Be an Authentic Witness: We live in an anxious age, and our need for meaning and purpose is great. Many people we meet daily hunger for a deeper connection to God and may not know what that hunger is or how to satisfy it. They need to see in us what they are looking for. As Aquinas said, hope prevails despite difficulties. And we, like Francis and Clare, cling to that hope. Francis’ followers found solace and purpose in the gospel way of life. If we live our charism as Francis did, the people God has called to be Secular Franciscans will flock to us.
Maya Angelou said: “At the end of the day, people won’t remember what you said or did; they will remember how you made them feel.” Your witness of gospel peace, acceptance, and joy may help them discern a call to something deeper, to a Secular Franciscan way of life.
Hope is the assurance of things not seen. [Hebrews 11:2] In the words of Pope Francis, hope is not “…a passive virtue that merely waits for things to happen.” We must step out in faith and be that gospel salt, leaven, and light illuminating the path for those God has called to be one with us.
FORMATION FRIDAY – Secular Franciscans are called to Conversion – April 4, 2025
Secular Franciscans are called to conversion:
• United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance,” and motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls “conversion.” Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.
• On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace.
Also see Article 13 of the General Constitutions
Conversion is symbolized as a JOURNEY of TRANSFORMATION led by the Spirit of God
• Communal experience—encouragement and witness
• On-going process, celebrated in stages with Eucharist as highpoint
• Conversion is a lifetime experience of transformation
5 Fundamental Elements of Penitential Lifestyle
- To love God
- To love our neighbor
- To resist sinful tendencies of our fallen nature
- To receive the body of Christ in the Eucharist
- To act or live in conformity with our conversion
See FUN Manual -Penitence and Conversion
To discuss or to answer in your journal. How will we live our conversion?
• What are you planning to work on spiritually during the remainder of Lent? What do you want to improve in your relationship with God and with others?
• What is the meaning of the phrase, “that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls ‘conversion?’”
• What is the focus of the Sacrament of Reconciliation? How important is this for us as Secular Franciscans?
• After having viewed or read some of the resources below, what will you put into practice in your daily life?
Resources for Lent in English
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH1CMXYPi_w&t=361s
Fr. Casey Cole, OFM, “Don’t Give Up Anything for Lent”
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=lent+bishop+barron
A number of videos for Lent from Bishop Robert Barron
The Passion and the Cross Paperback – December 1, 2015
by Ronald Rolheiser (Author)
The Last Words of Jesus: A Meditation on Love and Suffering
by Daniel P. Horan | Dec 8, 2013
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Formación 4 abril, 2025 (Por favor comparta con sus fraternidades)
Los franciscanos seglares están llamados a la conversión:
Regla OFS: Capítulo 2: Art. 7 7
• Unidos por su vocación como “hermanos y hermanas de la penitencia,” y motivados por el poder dinámico del evangelio, confórmense sus pensamientos y acciones a los de Cristo mediante ese cambio interior radical que el evangelio mismo llama “la conversión.” ” La fragilidad humana hace necesario que esta conversión se realice diariamente.
• En este camino hacia la renovación, el sacramento de la reconciliación es el signo privilegiado de la misericordia del Padre y la fuente de la gracia.
Véase también el artículo 13 de las Constituciones generales.
• La conversión se simboliza como una JORNADA de TRANSFORMACIÓN dirigida por el Espíritu de Dios.
• La experiencia comunitaria: aliento y testimonio.
• El proceso continuo, celebrado en etapas con la Eucaristía como punto culminante.
• La conversión es una experiencia de transformación por toda la vida.
5 elementos fundamentales del estilo de vida penitencial
1. Amar a Dios
2. Amar a nuestro prójimo
3. Evitar las tendencias pecaminosas de nuestra naturaleza caída.
4. Recibir el cuerpo de Cristo en la Eucaristía.
5. Actuar o vivir de conformidad con nuestra conversión.
Ver el manual FUN –“Penitence and Conversion”Para platicar o contestar en su diario. ¿Cómo viviremos nuestra conversión? (Para reflexionar y discutir)
• ¿En qué planea trabajar espiritualmente durante la Cuaresma? ¿Qué quiere mejorar en su relación con Dios y con los demás?
• ¿Cuál es el significado de la frase, “ese cambio interior radical que el mismo evangelio llama ‘conversión’?”
• ¿Cuál es el enfoque del Sacramento de la Reconciliación? ¿Qué importancia tiene esto para nosotros como franciscanos seglares?
• Después de haber visto o leído algunos de los recursos a continuación, ¿qué pondrá en práctica en su vida diaria?
Recursos para la cuaresma
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=recursos+franciscanos+para+cuaresma
Varios videos con tema de cuaresma para los franciscanos
Varios libros para cuaresma disponibles en Kindle
http://franciscanos.org/frandp/menup.html
Escritos de San Francisco, Sta. Clara, y otros. Artículos y recursos sobre asuntos franciscanos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s86iZbcA3uk
Los inicios de la Orden Franciscana
https://ciofs.info/es/library/official-documents/
Documentos de la orden (Regla, constituciones generales, etc.)
Diane F. Menditto, OFSVice Minister, National Fraternity, Secular Franciscan Order USAListen – Discern – Go Forth National Theme 2022-2025
Jubilee Year of Hope: Not To Lose Heart
(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Winter 2025 Issue #114)
Fr. Christopher Panagoplos, T.O.R.
National Spiritual Assistant
A Jubilee Year is a particular year in the life of the Church to encourage the faithful to deepen their spiritual life, repenting their sins, and forgiving the sins of others—the full expression of the mercy of God. In a letter announcing the Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Francis stated, “As pilgrims of hope, we must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision.”
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that hope, as a theological virtue, is a desire for the happiness of the kingdom of heaven and eternal life, by placing our trust in Christ’s promises with the help and the grace of the Holy Spirit (1817). Hope motivates us to pursue the good, to exercise God’s mercy of healing and restoration for renewal and rebirth so urgently needed. Christ Jesus is our hope.
The purpose of the Jubilee Year of Hope is to restore hope and trust, to recover a sense of universal fraternity, to care for the environment, and to contemplate the beauty of creation. Hope is the virtue and instrument enabling us to trust that our action makes sense, even if the results of this action are not immediately seen (Rom 8, 24). Hope is given to us by God as a protection and guard against futility.
We are reminded that the themes of our Holy Father’s three previous encyclicals are related: Laudato Si’: global dialogue about how we are shaping the future through actions and decisions; Fratelli Tutti: a fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate, and love each person; Laudate Deum: a prophetic call to conversion, admonishing the human family that it has neglected its relationships with creation, one another, and above all, God.
His fourth encyclical titled, “Dilexit Nos” (DN), “He loved us,” is an invitation to rediscover the importance of the heart, both in our spiritual life and in our human and social relationships. Pope Francis tells us that it is the effectual love of God that first changes our hearts in order to make us capable of love. It is Jesus’ example of love that reminds us again and again of our need to love others. The Heart of Jesus is presented as the perfect model of unconditional and total love, which calls us to live an authentic and full life, in communion with God and with others.
Pope Francis is concerned that men and women of our time find themselves confused and torn apart and risk losing “heart.” One’s interior life requires a return to the core place of strength, conviction, passion and decisions (DN 9). Individualism, consumerism and fragmentation devalue the heart. It is the heart that makes all authentic bonding possible. Only love can unify diverse minds and wills for people to come together as sisters and brothers. Hope brings harmony, making sense of what may seem hopelessly shattered (DN 17-19). In the second chapter, the Pope reflects on the closeness and compassion of Jesus’ gestures and words of love. Encounters with people focus on their concerns and sufferings. The most powerful testimony of Jesus’ love is poured out on the cross.
The transformation of the world begins in the heart.
In the third chapter, a heart that loves deeply is a divine and human heart that unites us and sends us into action.
“To love for love.” It is important to remember that Pope Francis speaks as a Jesuit, grounded in the Ignatian Exercises, where the heart is the soul and the core of inner reform that goes beyond the superficial. Reform comes from within, from the heart, not solely from external changes. Mercy and hope are two central themes of Pope Francis’ jubilees: Mercy 2016, Hope 2025. “Dilexit Nos” reminds us that mercy and hope are not distinct dimensions in the Heart of Jesus, but an undivided expression of an infinite love that embraces all humanity.
There is no time given us to embrace this encyclical other than this time of Jubilee: December 2024—December 2025. What is required is faithful confidence that strains forward in long endurance. Our society is broken, pretty much. The time is now when these times can be made right. The hope of divine assistance is behind this of making things right. Hope cannot be overcome by powers present or things to come. Matthew 25 directs our attention: that these times made right will be infused by the help of God’s grace.
As pilgrims of hope, we can greatly contribute to restore a climate of hope and trust by recovering a sense of universal fraternity and refusing to turn a blind eye to the tragedy of rampant poverty that prevents many men, women, young people and children from living in a manner worthy of human dignity. Let us not be deaf to the voices of refugees forced to abandon their native homeland. In the heart of each person, hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring. Even so, uncertainty about the future may at times give rise to conflicting feelings: trust lost to apprehensiveness, serenity to anxiety, conviction to hesitation and doubt.
Let us pray for all people, our sisters and brothers, especially those who are discouraged, pessimistic, and cynical, these also are our sisters and brothers:
“St Francis, stigmatized on La Verna, the world longs for you, that icon of the crucified Jesus. Reopen the doors of hope. It has need of your heart, open to God and to others; of your bare, wounded feet, of your pierced hands raised in supplication. It longs for your voice so frail yet forceful with the power of the Gospel. Francis, help the people of this age to recognize the evil of sin and to seek purification from it in penance. Help them to become free from every structure of sin that oppresses today’s society. Rekindle in the consciousness of those in government an urgent need for peace between nations and peoples. Instill in young people your freshness of life that is capable of withstanding the snares of the many cultures of death. To those injured by every type of evil, teach O Francis, the joy of being able to forgive. To all those crucified by suffering, hunger and war, reopen the doors of hope. Amen.”
(Prayer of Pope John Paul II, Mass at La Verna, 17 September 1993)
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 4th Sunday in Lent – The Prodigal Son – Fr. Christopher
On one level, this is a story about family relationships, and not meant to be a social commentary. The father represents the self-giving spiritual reality of God; the two sons—two predicaments in which people find themselves. The younger son will be lost in sin; the older son is lost in self-righteousness. Both are lost.
The Gospel Through a Franciscan Lens – 4th Sunday in Lent – The Prodigal Son – Fr. Christopher