Secular Franciscan Order and YOUFRA to Hold Day of Prayer on the First Sunday of Advent
Dear Sisters and Brothers of the National Fraternity,
Joy to you this day!
This is a reminder that we are asked to unite in prayer tomorrow. Let us join our worldwide family of some 300,000 OFS members to pray the Rosary of the Seven Joys – the Franciscan Crown Rosary – as our Minister General asks of us.
This special day of prayer tomorrow, November 29, is the Feast of All Franciscan Saints and the start of the beautiful season of Advent.
I invite you to watch this 2 minute video message from Tibor (click on this link, and when the page opens, scroll down a little for the video). You can also read Tibor’s Letter about this day of prayer.
Next, below is a transcript of an interview with Tibor that was conducted by the Hungarian Courier – Catholic News Portal. It was translated from the Hungarian, and shared with us by our sister Emma Lozowski, Regional Minister of Franciscans of the Prairie.
Lastly, I have included Meditation on Seven Joys. In this meditation I focus on these seven Franciscan experiences:
Call
Fraternity
Holiness
Prayer
Identity
Joy
Glory
I look forward to joining you, and our worldwide fraternity, in prayer tomorrow.
Please share this widely.
Peace, all good, and Happy Advent!
Your sister,
Jan Parker
National Minister
Secular Franciscan Order–USA
The Secular Franciscan Order is organizing a worldwide day of prayer on November 29, 2020. We asked the Minister General, Tibor Kauser, about this initiative.
– What is the message behind choosing the first Sunday of Advent?
This is the first day of the liturgical year, and it is a good opportunity to start our lives again in prayer. We have been living and suffering for eight months in this pandemic. We are badly in need of some renewal and refreshment of our souls. On the other hand, November 29 is the feast of all Fransicasn Saints. We are asking for their intercession for beginning anew.
– The Secular Franciscan Order is a worldwide organization. What do we need to know about the members’ geographic spread?
The OFS are part of the Franciscan Spiritual Family. The first orders are well known, the Order of Friars Minor, the Capuchins, etc. And then there are the second order sisters, who are the Poor Clares, who live a contemplative life and are connected to the Franciscan family in their own special way. This is followed by the third order, and its different branches. One branch is the Third Order Regular, among others here are the religious brothers and sisters who serve the poor and nurse the sick, and also the Secular Fanrsicans, that is made up of people living in the world. Worldwide we are present in 116 countries and have about 300,000 members. The biggest fraternity is in Italy; that’s where the Franciscans originated, but we have many members in Latin America, within that in Brazil and Mexico, and there are quite many in the United States, and there are more than 10,000 members in Korea.
-In Hungary, too, the order is known.
In our homeland, we number about 450. Compared to the size of the country, that’s not too few.
– The minister general is nevertheless is a Hungarian. You have been part of the International Council for 6 years.
That shows that in the Secular Franciscan Order we operate as true brothers and sisters. Not the headcount or economic weight are the deciding factors, but the degree to which one is committed and that one is seen as suitable for the task by the others.
– How will the proclaimed prayer day take place?
Our appeal asks a very simple thing from each and every Secular Franciscan brother and sister: that each pray a crown rosary any time on this day, either individually or in community, or in family, or in parish, asking the intercession of the Franciscan Saints.
The Franciscans have been praying the “crown rosary” or “seraphic rosary” for centuries, or as it is also called the “rosary of the seven joys of Our Lady.” It consists of seven decades, each commemorating one of the seven joys of Our Lady.
https://secularfranciscansusa.org/2020/11/28/secular-franciscan-order-and-youfra-to-hold-day-of-prayer-on-the-first-sunday-of-advent/
FRANCISCAN MINDFUL DIALOGUES
(This article originally appeared in the Fall 2020 Issue 101 of the TAU-USA)
By Carolyn D. Townes, OFS, National Animator
“Mindful that they are bearers of peace which must be built up unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the divine seed in everyone and in the transforming power of love and pardon.”
(OFS Rule, Art. 19a)
During these difficult times of political turmoil and racial upheaval, one question keeps coming up over and over again: “What can I do?” I have only one answer: Dialogue with one another. Listen to the stories. Validate the stories. Then you will be able to share your stories.
It doesn’t mean you have to agree with those stories, because after all, they are someone else’s truth–not yours. As Franciscans, we are called to listen, to understand, then to speak from that understanding. Especially when you are engaged in difficult dialogues – about racial tensions or political differences – you want to remain grounded in the Gospel. Jesus had difficult dialogues, but he knew to speak the truth in love, with
empathy, compassion, and peace.
When we attempt to have dialogues, or two parallel monologues, there is a winner and a loser. We go on the attack, we spot a weakness in someone’s argument. We tend to take every comment or opinion that is expressed as a personal affront to our own values and beliefs.
What if we change the way we think about these dialogues? What if, in those heated moments, we choose dialogue over debate? What if we choose to have mindful dialogues? When we engage in mindful dialogues, we flip the script. We replace our ego and desire to win with a sense of curiosity, empathy, and a desire to learn. Instead of coming from a place of judgment, we are genuinely interested in the other person: their experiences, values and concerns. They become other, and not object, to gain the upper hand.
Nazi Concentration Camp survivor and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl once wrote: “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” We have that space. In our dialogues, how are we filling that space?
We must engage in mindful and meaningful dialogues that move us forward–not backward, or worse, not at all. Something happens when both speaking and listening are reverenced–it creates a sacred and transformational moment. It is the beginning of being in right relationship with one another. We are called to build connections through mindful dialogue–in relationships, communities, and fraternities. It is taking that space and filling it with curiosity and empathy and reverencing the outcome.
Getting to that place of dialogue can be difficult. We tend to get fired up about what we are passionate about–especially when discussing politics or social justice issues. We can let our ego get in the way of truly hearing the other person’s perspective. In the current climate, those heated debates morph into conflicts where people are even willing to walk away from their relationships, friendships, and fraternities.
After having mindful dialogues, you will discover that your assumptions and biases can be wrong or totally off base. If those conversations don’t happen, the parties remain annoyed and frustrated, causing an undercurrent of disrespect in the relationship.
First, be curious about the other person; their ideas, concerns, perspectives. Then, be willing to listen to them, even when you disagree. By putting aside your own ego and preconceived ideas, you become open to limitless learning. Also be curious and ask questions. Questions allow mindful dialogue to get to a place of true understanding. They allow you to disagree agreeably.
In our conversations and dialogues, the goal is not to win or convert the other to your way of thinking and believing. The goal is to be open to learn, to be curious about the other person, allowing them a safe space to be heard and to voice their opinion. The goal is a true speaking and listening experience, offering empathy rooted in friendship.