Communication, Dialogue & Lessons

Over the past week or so I have been journeying through the challenge of what it means to be part of a religious community. I’ll be honest – it’s not all roses, it is very much like growing up with siblings. Through the challenges and questions and frustrations I have continued to grow, learn and open myself up to the blessings and realize the gifts of community.

Communication is key in any situation but sometimes it is hard to do. Pope Francis has reminded religious brothers that approaching these challenges must be done with tenderness. For “tenderness does us good. Eucharistic tenderness does not mask conflict but rather helps us to confront it like people.” It is this approach that has shaped the communication of the past week and I didn’t even know it was happening. Thank goodness God is in control. So with tenderness and honesty in conversations with my fellow Postulant Brother, my Provincial (head Friar) and my Director of Formation my heart is more at peace. These conversations needed to happen for many reasons and in the end I see again that this journey is the path for me.

Something that was brought to my attention that I don’t think about, is that no matter where you are you need to make your surroundings your home. It has been pointed out to me that I work at and put effort into this as a natural part of my daily living. I owe thanks to my parents for this, for I saw them make our house a home no matter what condition it was in or what chaos was happening. It was a home for us, for extended family, for our friends and neighbors. This is a part of who I am and for that I am so thankful.

Dialogue is also a blessing. Recently we sat down as a group of Friars and postulants to discuss the document “Wake Up the World: A Conversation with Pope Francis about Religious Life”. I think many of my Brothers thought it would be a quick half hour discussion. It turned into two hours of sharing, input, stories, concerns, dreams, cautions, realities and honesty. We discussed everything from formation, to serving the poor, to life as a Brother to what it means to be a Friar. What a blessing to sit in the group and listen and learn and ask questions and share. It helped me to appreciate even more community life, the demands and riches of religious life and the deep desire to live out the gospel in real ways.

At the end of this conversation I walked away with some key lessons I now will try to remember and implement in my journey…

We are not the Holy Spirit but we need to be open to the Holy Spirit working in us.

There are a variety of roles for each Friar to take on and contribute their gifts towards.

There is wide diversity in the ministries that we are called to serve in and how we reach out to the People of God.

Personal growth is a key part of formation and the whole journey as a religious. We must be open to always learning and growing for the people we journey with both the Brothers and the larger community challenge us to grow and inspire us.

The ‘yes’ of my baptism is constantly deepening and enriching my journey.

We cannot have tunnel vision for if we do we lose sight of all of the above and forget about the ultimate goal that all these lead to and that is Christ Jesus.

I think this is awesome stuff and so with a deepening peace and enthusiasm in my heart I journey onward in my formation as a (religious) Brother.

Did You Know?

February 2 is World Day for Consecrated Life. Pope John Paul II commissioned this day. It is designed to bring attention to those in religious life and the gifts they offer through living out their vows.

I humbly ask for your continued prayers and for your prayers for all men and women in religious life (nuns, brothers, religious priests) and those discerning the call to religious life.

Prayer for Vocations

Faithful God,

We celebrate your fidelity and love for your Church.

You bless us and call us into a covenant with you,

with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit.

Mary accepted this covenant,

offering herself as your blessed handmaid.

You entrusted her with your Son, Jesus,

and in turn she became our mother too.

Like Jesus and Mary,

bless us with a trusting spirit

that we might serve you faithfully.

Inspire men and women to dedicate their lives

to you through the consecrated life.

Help us to invite, encourage and support

men and women to serve the Church.

Blessed are we as we seek to live our lives

in holiness and integrity.

We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus

and his Blessed Mother in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen

            Source: SIVC

 

 

Gaze and Respond

Gaze

upon Christ, our Savior

who calls us to be Children of God

and to walk humbly with our God. 

Consider

the love of Christ, our Redeemer

whose love is ever present

and is free and merciful.

Contemplate

the friendship of Christ, our Brother

who daily walks with us

and comforts us with his goodness.

Imitate

Christ, the Servant-Leader

whose life we are called to reflect

and whose strength we can rely on.

Attend

to Christ, in our brothers and sisters,

who are in need, struggling or hurting,

and let them encounter hope.

Respond

to the call of Christ, the Son of God

who empowers us with many gifts

and who simply asks, ‘Will you come and follow me?’
 

Gaze, Consider, Contemplate, Imitate, Attend…Respond

 

The six words above were given to me by the Poor Clares as they shared about Saint Clare. They along with the quote below inspired the reflection above.

 

“Place your mind in the mirror of eternity; place your soul in the splendour of glory.

Place your heart in the icon of divine substance and transform your whole self

through contemplation into an image of God. Do this in order that you yourself

may feel what His friends feel on tasting the hidden sweetness,

which God himself has kept from the beginning for those who love Him…”

                                                                - Saint Clare to her dear friend Agnes.

 

 

Gaze, Consider, Contemplate, Imitate, Attend…Respond

to Christ today.

 

 

Postulancy: The Journey So Far

The Vocations Director has asked me to reflect upon what my Postulancy year has been like at this halfway point. I offer to you my reflections.

It all began with a question from a Postulant, “Why the heck aren’t you a Franciscan?” Not having an answer to that question I began a discernment process. This led to an application process, which led to an acceptance letter, which led to me resigning from my position, which led to packing up or giving away everything I owned, which led to me bidding farewell to family and friends, which led to me entering this Postulancy year with the Franciscans of Western Canada.

What a journey it has been so far. A new adventure in a new location with new people. From what I have come to discover the Postulancy year has looked different over the history of the order. As I continue in this year I realize how it is a year to help with transition from what life was to life in community and what life will be. My Postulancy has allowed me to let go of the demands of my former life and embrace the growth and challenges of living in community, new areas of ministry and sharing my gifts in new ways. Every day has not been easy to transition from what I knew as life to what I am coming to know as life, but through a supportive director, the community of brothers with whom I live and the prayers and support of family and friends the transition is proving to be life-giving. This year continues to provide so many blessings and opportunities that has opened me up to a greater joy and appreciation for life and the journey.

 

 

I have also realized that every Friar that has lived through a Postulancy year grows in their own way and walks into the rest of their formation with different experiences. For myself some of the greatest blessings so far of a Postulancy year here at St. Joseph Friary include a deepening prayer life, interacting with and learning from the brothers who range in age from 38-98, enjoying the benefit of larger community that joins us for daily and weekend Mass, being able to ask questions and receiving a varied and intense response from the Friars, easing my way back into taking classes, days of Recollection, meeting the Poor Clares, being given permission and encouraged to share my gifts, embracing a more healthy balance in life that I was seeking and discovering a deeper joy and peace in my life.

All this leads me to ongoing and deeper discernment, which leads to openness, which leads to trust, which leads to Christ. As I desire to know Christ my Savior even more He continues to be my guide and is directing my path to walk in the footprints of St. Francis. I am thankful for this and the journey so far.

 

St. Francis, pray for me, for us, for all discerning, for the world.

 

 

 

Hope is Here - A Reflection for the End of the Christmas Season

Sometimes the Christmas season is too short,

sometimes it is too long,

sometimes it feels just right.

Sometimes the Christmas season is joy-filled,

sometimes it is sorrowful,

sometimes it just is.

Sometimes the Christmas season is relaxed,

sometimes it is tense,

sometimes it is exhausting…

No matter Christmas has been for us, there is one thing that it is always. It is always about hope. Christmas is about hope, for if God would send his son as a baby, a child to lead his people then hope is the center of Christmas.

The gospels we hear proclaimed at Christmas, Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord express hope. The birth of the Christ Child and the hope the shepherds discovered. The magi searching and finding the Child and being filled with hope for all humankind. John the Baptist baptizing Christ and being assured that hope had indeed come.

Hope was born in that manger bed, so many years ago and hope is born time and time again because God cares about the big things, the small things and all things in our life.

Life is great – God cares.

Family is falling apart – God cares.

Loved ones ill – God cares.

People working together – God cares.

Neighbors looking out for each other – God cares.

A pray whispered – God cares.

God cares, because God is love and love is hope-filled and ever present. Remember Emmanuel – God with us. So through thick and thin, through bad and good, through joy and sorrow, through pain and freedom God is with us and that is hope in action.

God cares so much and offers us the gift of hope as his beloved son, would grow up and live and radiate hope and even when others tried to destroy that hope by killing him upon a tree, it would not die. No hope would live again and offer us life eternal. All because a child was born, hope was born, for you, for me, for all people.

 

 

As this Christmas Season draws to a close, we can’t leave the baby in the manger, we need to walk with our Saviour, and we need to walk with hope into the rest of 2014.

 

As we move into 2014 I wish to share with you words from a song that seemed to be the soundtrack for me this Christmas Season, words I seek to hear echo in my ears and journey all the year through.

Heaven and nature singing

He is our new beginning

Can you hear?

Hope is here

Joy in a baby’s birth

Heaven is flooding earth

God is here.

Hope is here!

Amen.