A Region of the Secular Franciscan Order
Standing united, we bear witness to the love of the Father revealed in Christ. We fulfill the prayer of Jesus, who asked the Father “that all may be one,” so that the world may believe. We recognize today that we share real, if imperfect, unity.
https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2026/01/the-gospel-through-a-franciscan-lens-christian-unity-week-fr-christopher/
Please share with your fraternities (En español abajo) Korean translation attached in separate PDF.
Focus on the Admonitions (#2 and #3)
https://franciscantradition.org/francis-of-assisi-early-documents/the-saint/writings-of-francis/the-undated-writings/the-admonitions/145-fa-ed-1-page-129[II. The Evil of Self-Will]b
1The Lord said to Adam: Eat of every tree; you may not eat, however, of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gn 2:16 Gn 2:17
2He was able to eat of every tree of paradise, because he did not sin as long as he did not go against obedience. 3For that person eats of the tree of the knowledge of good who makes his will his own and, in this way, exalts himself over the good things the Lord says and does in him. 4And so, through the suggestion of the devil and the transgression of the command, it became the apple of the knowledge of evil. 5Therefore it is fitting that he suffer the punishment.
[III. Perfect Obedience]
1The Lord says in the Gospel: Whoever does not renounce all that he possesses cannot be my disciple; Lk 14:33 2and: Whoever wishes to save his life must lose it. Lk 9:24
3That person who offers himself totally to obedience in the hands of his prelate leaves all that he possesses and loses his body.a 4And whatever he does and says which he knows is not contrary to his will is true obedience, provided that what he does is good.
5And should a subject see that some things might be better and more useful for his soul than what a prelate commands, let him willingly offer such things to God as a sacrifice; and, instead, let him earnestly strive to fulfill the prelate’s wishes. 6For this is loving obedience because it pleases God and neighbor. 1 Pt 1:22
7If the prelate, however, commands something contrary to his conscience, even though he may not obey him, let him not, however, abandon him. 8And if he then suffers persecution from others, let him love them all the more for the sake of God. 1 Jn 3:15 1 Jn 3:16 9For whoever chooses to suffer persecution rather than wish to be separated from his brothers truly remains in perfect obedience because he lays down his life for his brothers. Jn 15:13 10In fact, there are many religious who, under the pretext of seeing things better than those which the prelate commands, look back, Lk 9:62 and return to the vomit Prv 26:11 of their own will. 11These people are murderers 2 Pt 2:22 and, because of their bad example, cause many to lose their souls
Questions to discuss or to comment on in your journal.
+ Come, Holy Spirit! Open my mind and heart as I contemplate Admonition II.
–As Secular Franciscans, we do not promise “obedience” as such. However, how does sacrificing our own will help us to live out our Rule?
–When do I have the most difficulty following the directives of my lawful superiors?+ Come, Holy Spirit! Open my mind and heart as I contemplate Admonition III.
–How is obedience related to simplicity and humility?
–What are some ways that I can seek to have a well-informed conscience?
–How does having trust in the Lord help me to let go of my own will?
Formación: 16 de enero de 2026
Enfoque en las admoniciones de San Francisco (Admoniciones II y III)
Cap. II: Del mal de la propia voluntad
1Dijo el Señor a Adán: Come de todo árbol, pero del árbol de la ciencia del bien y del mal no comas (cf. Gén 2,16.17). 2Podía comer de todo árbol del paraíso, porque, mientras no contravino a la obediencia, no pecó. 3Come, en efecto, del árbol de la ciencia del bien, aquel que se apropia su voluntad y se enaltece del bien que el Señor dice y obra en él; 4y así, por la sugestión del diablo y la transgresión del mandamiento, vino a ser la manzana de la ciencia del mal. 5De donde es necesario que sufra la pena.
Cap. III: De la perfecta obediencia
1Dice el Señor en el Evangelio: El que no renuncie a todo lo que posee, no puede ser discípulo mío (Lc 14,33); 2y: El que quiera salvar su vida, la perderá (Lc 9,24). 3Deja todo lo que posee y pierde su cuerpo el hombre que se ofrece a sí mismo todo entero a la obediencia en manos de su prelado. 4Y todo lo que hace y dice que él sepa que no es contra la voluntad del prelado, mientras sea bueno lo que hace, es verdadera obediencia. 5Y si alguna vez el súbdito ve cosas mejores y más útiles para su alma que aquellas que le ordena el prelado, sacrifique voluntariamente sus cosas a Dios, y aplíquese en cambio a cumplir con obras las cosas que son del prelado. 6Pues ésta es la obediencia caritativa (cf. 1 Pe 1,22), porque satisface a Dios y al prójimo.
7Pero si el prelado le ordena algo que sea contra su alma, aunque no le obedezca, sin embargo no lo abandone. 8Y si a causa de eso sufriera la persecución de algunos, ámelos más por Dios. 9Pues quien sufre la persecución antes que querer separarse de sus hermanos, verdaderamente permanece en la perfecta obediencia, porque da su vida (cf. Jn 15,13) por sus hermanos. 10Pues hay muchos religiosos que, so pretexto de que ven cosas mejores que las que les ordenan sus prelados, miran atrás (cf. Lc 9,62) y vuelven al vómito de la propia voluntad (cf. Prov 26,11; 2 Pe 2,22); 11éstos son homicidas y, a causa de sus malos ejemplos, hacen que se pierdan muchas almas.
https://www.franciscanos.org/esfa/escritossf.html#adm
Preguntas para platicar o responder en su diario
+ ¡Ven, Espíritu Santo! Abre mi mente y corazón mientras contemplo la Admonición II.
— Como franciscanos seglares, no prometemos “obediencia” como tal. Sin embargo, ¿cómo el sacrificio de nuestra propia voluntad nos ayudará a vivir nuestra Regla?
–¿Cuándo tengo más dificultades para seguir las directivas de mis superiores legales?+ ¡Ven, Espíritu Santo! Abre mi mente y mi corazón mientras contemplo la Admonición III.
— ¿Cómo se relaciona la obediencia con la sencillez y la humildad?
–¿Cuáles son algunas de las formas en las que puedo buscar para tener una conciencia bien informada?
— ¿Cómo me ayuda el tener confianza en el Señor a dejar ir mi propia voluntad?Diane F. Menditto, OFSVice Minister, National Fraternity, Secular Franciscan Order USA“Go into the world and proclaim the good news.”National Theme 2025-2028
(This article originally appeared in the TAU-USA Fall Issue 117)
By Sharon Winzeler, OFS • Communications Committee Chair
From daily Mass to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, prayer was an essential element at the 2025 National Chapter at the Bon Secours Retreat Center in Marriottsville, Maryland, and was led by several friars, three of whom are members of the Conference of National Spiritual Assistants (CNSA).
Chapter opened with a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, Tuesday, September 9. The celebrant was Fr. Gary Johnson, OFM Conv., vicar provincial and director of the Shrine of St. Anthony near Baltimore. Gathered for the liturgy were the National Executive Council, regional ministers, committee and commission chairs, and observers.
Fr. Gary Johnson, OFM Conv.
Fr. Gary Johnson, OFM Conv.: Franciscans are Called to Lead Through Praise, Humility, and Service
Fr. Gary began by reminding those present that being together as Franciscans is about much more than “getting along” or “learning to lead.” At the center of our vocation, he said, is praise.
“I have a sense we have it figured out when it comes to praise,” Fr. Gary reflected. “Praise is how we publicly proclaim our love of God.”
Drawing from the Letter of St. Paul to the Colossians, Fr. Gary invited the listeners to reflect deeply on what it means to walk in Christ: “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him, and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Col 2:6-7)
He noted that the Franciscan tradition is rooted and built upon Jesus Christ. When we remain grounded in Him, our lives are nourished in ways that allow us to proclaim the Gospel with joy and integrity.
Fr. Gary said praise is never private or isolated. “We can’t praise God without each other,” he said.
For Secular Franciscans, this means that every act of daily life can become a song of praise: caring for family, serving the poor, fulfilling professional duties with integrity, and giving time and energy to the work of the Order. Praise draws us deeper into relationship with God and strengthens our bond with one another.
“We recognize the call to leadership is grounded in the prayer and praise of Jesus. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus chose the leaders from among the disciples and commissioned them to go out with him and witness the faith. They knew that involved compassion, charity, sacrifice, and praise,” Fr. Gary said.
He added, “The Holy Spirit helps us to live it out in the everyday experience of our lives. Welcome the Holy Spirit into our Chapter and ask the Lord to help you be grounded in the ways our readings today ask us to lead.”
Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM
Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM, Calls for Authentic Kindness Rooted in Christ
At another liturgy, Fr. Jerome Wolbert, OFM, reflected on the difference between being “nice” and being truly “kind,” urging Secular Franciscans to let their hearts be formed by Christ.
“Sometimes there is a hole in our heart that we try to cover over with nice,” he said. “But the medicine that fills the hole is Jesus Christ. To be Christian is to be Christlike. God heals us.”
Fr. Jerome warned against false humility, noting that at times people take a low place, not out of humility, but to avoid being noticed. Likewise, when called to leadership, the desire to serve can be mingled with a hidden desire for authority. True Christian leadership, he said, is rooted in service.
Drawing on the life of St. Francis of Assisi, Fr. Jerome said that real compassion requires stepping beyond comfort and appearances
“The Franciscan heart is formed by embracing the leper,” he said.
https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2026/01/voices-of-the-friars-call-secular-franciscans-to-praise-kindness-peace-and-the-cross/
Please share with your fraternities (En español abajo) Korean translation attached in a separate PDF.
Focus on the Admonitions (#I)
https://www.franciscantradition.org/francis-of-assisi-early-documents/the-saint/writings-of-francis/the-undated-writings/the-admonitions/144-fa-ed-1-page-128
[I. The Body of Christ]1The Lord Jesus says to his disciples: I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me. 2If you knew me, you would also know my Father; and from now on, you do know him and have seen him. 3Philip says to him: Lord, show us the Father and it will be enough for us. 4Jesus says to him: Have I been with you for so long a time and you have not known me? Philip, whoever sees me sees my Father as well. Jn 14:6-9
5The Father dwells in inaccessible light, 1 Tm 6:16 and God is spirit, Jn 4:24 and no one has ever seen God. Jn 1:186Therefore He cannot be seen except in the Spirit because it is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh has nothing to offer. Jn 6:637But because He is equal to the Father, the Son is not seen by anyone other than the Father or other than the Holy Spirit.
8All those who saw the Lord Jesus according to the humanity, therefore, and did not see and believe according to the Spirit and the Divinity that He is the true Son of God were condemned. 9Now in the same way, all those who see the sacrament sanctified by the words of the Lord upon the altar at the hands of the priest in the form of bread and wine, and who do not see and believe according to the Spirit and the Divinity that it is truly the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, are condemned.10[This] is affirmed by the Most High Himself Who says:
This is my Body and the Blood of my new covenant [which will be shed for many]; Mk 14:2211and Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. Mk 14:2412It is the Spirit of the Lord, Jn 6:55 therefore, That lives in Its faithful, That receives the Body and Blood of the Lord. 13All others who do not share in this same Spirit and presume to receive Him eat and drink judgment on themselves. 1 Cor 11:29
14Therefore: children, how long will you be hard of heart? Ps 4:315Why do you not know the truth and believe in the Son of God? Jn 9:3516Behold, each day He humbles Himself as when He came from the royal throne Phil 2:8 into the Virgin’s womb; Wis 18:1517each day He Himself comes to us, appearing humbly; 18each day He comes down from the bosom of the Father Jn 1:18 upon the altar in the hands of a priest.a
19As He revealed Himself to the holy apostles in true flesh, so He reveals Himself to us now in sacred bread. 20And as they saw only His flesh by an insight of their flesh, yet believed that He was God as they contemplated Him with their spiritual eyes, 21let us, as we see bread and wine with our bodily eyes, see and firmly believe that they are His most holy Body and Blood living and true. 22And in this way the Lord is always with His faithful, as He Himself says: Behold I am with you until the end of the age.
Questions to discuss or to answer in your journal
+ After reading this admonition carefully, note what Francis’s feelings are about the Eucharist.
+What do you believe about the Eucharist? What part does receiving the Eucharist play in your spiritual life?
Bishop Barron’s Sunday sermon on the Eucharist (2024)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZMw7CejKUYFormación 9 de enero de 2026
Enfoque en las admoniciones de San Francisco (Admonición I)
https://www.franciscanos.org/esfa/escritossf.html#adm
Cap. I: Del cuerpo del Señor
1Dice el Señor Jesús a sus discípulos: Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida; nadie va al Padre sino por mí. 2Si me conocierais a mí, ciertamente conoceríais también a mi Padre; y desde ahora lo conoceréis y lo habéis visto. 3Le dice Felipe: Señor, muéstranos al Padre y nos basta. 4Le dice Jesús: ¿Tanto tiempo hace que estoy con vosotros y no me habéis conocido? Felipe, el que me ve a mí, ve también a mi Padre (Jn 14,6-9).
5El Padre habita en una luz inaccesible (cf. 1 Tim 6,16), y Dios es espíritu (Jn 4,24), y a Dios nadie lo ha visto jamás (Jn 1,18). 6Por eso no puede ser visto sino en el espíritu, porque el espíritu es el que vivifica; la carne no aprovecha para nada (Jn 6,64). 7Pero ni el Hijo, en lo que es igual al Padre, es visto por nadie de otra manera que el Padre, de otra manera que el Espíritu Santo.
8De donde todos los que vieron al Señor Jesús según la humanidad, y no vieron y creyeron según el espíritu y la divinidad que él era el verdadero Hijo de Dios, se condenaron. 9Así también ahora, todos los que ven el sacramento, que se consagra por las palabras del Señor sobre el altar por mano del sacerdote en forma de pan y vino, y no ven y creen, según el espíritu y la divinidad, que sea verdaderamente el santísimo cuerpo y sangre de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, se condenan, 10como lo atestigua el mismo Altísimo, que dice: Esto es mi cuerpo y mi sangre del nuevo testamento, [que será derramada por muchos] (cf. Mc 14,22.24); 11y: Quien come mi carne y bebe mi sangre, tiene vida eterna (cf. Jn 6,55). 12De donde el espíritu del Señor, que habita en sus fieles, es el que recibe el santísimo cuerpo y sangre del Señor. 13Todos los otros que no participan del mismo espíritu y se atreven a recibirlo, comen y beben su condenación (cf. 1 Cor 11,29).
14De donde: Hijos de los hombres, ¿hasta cuándo seréis de pesado corazón? (Sal 4,3). 15¿Por qué no reconocéis la verdad y creéis en el Hijo de Dios? (cf. Jn 9,35). 16Ved que diariamente se humilla (cf. Fil 2,8), como cuando desde el trono real (Sab 18,15) vino al útero de la Virgen; 17diariamente viene a nosotros él mismo apareciendo humilde; 18diariamente desciende del seno del Padre (cf. Jn 1,18) sobre el altar en las manos del sacerdote.
19Y como se mostró a los santos apóstoles en carne verdadera, así también ahora se nos muestra a nosotros en el pan sagrado. 20Y como ellos, con la mirada de su carne, sólo veían la carne de él, pero, contemplándolo con ojos espirituales, creían que él era Dios, 21así también nosotros, viendo el pan y el vino con los ojos corporales, veamos y creamos firmemente que es su santísimo cuerpo y sangre vivo y verdadero. 22Y de este modo siempre está el Señor con sus fieles, como él mismo dice: Ved que yo estoy con vosotros hasta la consumación del siglo (cf. Mt 28,20).
Preguntas para discutir o responder en su diario
+ Después de leer esta Admonición con atención, apunte cuáles son los sentimientos de Francisco sobre la Eucaristía.
+ ¿Qué cree usted sobre la Eucaristía? ¿Qué papel juega el recibir la Eucaristía en su vida espiritual?
Un buen video (en inglés) del obispo Barron sobre la Eucaristía:
Diane F. Menditto, OFSVice Minister, National Fraternity, Secular Franciscan Order USA“Go into the world and proclaim the good news.”National Theme 2025-2028
All members of the Franciscan family are invited to subscribe to CIOFS e-newsletter and be informed of the events planned to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the transitus of St. Francis of Assisi as well as other news. You can subscribe by clicking on this link.
Included in the newsletter are updates like:
|
| |
https://www.secularfranciscansusa.org/2026/01/subscribe-for-updates-on-franciscan-events/
