Keep Calm Claim Identity

            As my summer holidays come to a close and I look ahead to travel and settling into the Novitiate (in 1 week), a lot has been crossing my mind. How to manage my time left with family and friends, how to pack more efficiently and how to let go of (or crush) the little bit of fear that tries to creep in and take over this amazing journey. As these thoughts swirl through my mind and I try to stay on top of plans, details and being present to enjoy the moments I keep coming back to an essay by Sr. Ilia Delio I read and reflected on this summer while at Summer School.

            Reading this essay helped provide even more words to my own discernment and why I was open to entering religious life. In a world that is obsessed with self-image, “keeping up with the Jones” and fretting about identity theft; this essay reminded me that I am created in the image of God and am called to build relationships. Being created in the image of God and being aware of his relationship with God in the world around him is what St. Francis discovered over and over again in his own journey.  Through the encounters with the lepers and the minorities of society, his quiet prayer time, his interaction with creation, the stigmata and his deep desire to live out the Gospel he embodied the gift of being in relationship with God, with Christ and the Holy Spirit. It is in my own life that relationships, community, encounters with creation and the quiet of prayer that have deepened my awareness of being created in God’s image and how my life is a deepening relationship with the Trinity. As Sr. Ilia says, “in Christ one discovers the truth of one’s identity.”

            It is in discovering and embracing this Christ identity that Francis envisioned and lived out, as Fr. Michael Cusato, O.F.M. would describe, the “universal fraternity of creation.”  This “universal fraternity of creation” became evident in Francis and deepened his Christ-like identity as he lived with his brothers, embraced being a minor, through his being open to the grace of God and in identifying with the “truly suffering human beings”. Sr. Ilia points out that Francis’ “radical renunciation (abandonment) for the love of God…following the poor and humble Christ…and the realization of God’s presence in the world” became his life lived in a truly theological (spiritual/divine) way. I was encouraged with these reminders. They speak to me about my identity in the bigger picture of being part of a community. They speak to me about how my encounters with Christ in others, in creation and in prayer call me to serve, minister and live for those who are viewed as minors in our world.

These points have seemed to strike a chord in my heart and my discernment. The reality of “universal fraternity” speaks to my compassionate and generous side. There is a desire more and more to serve my brothers and sisters that are suffering, hurting or simply seeking respect and dignity. The “renunciation for the love of God” challenges me to deepen my trust in God working in my life and to allow God’s love to transform me. In “following the poor and humble Christ” I am called to preach the Good News with my life. Through my actions, my words, my prayers, and my serving I should reflect Christ who always humbly pointed to God and who always sought out the lost, the hurting and the poor. This also challenges me to look at how I will live out the Franciscan organizing value of minority.  Finally the “realization of God’s presence in the world” calls me to be aware each day of the blessings that fill my day. It also calls me to be aware that blessings and God’s presence may be in places that I least expect. It is in identifying my own life as theological, like Francis’ was, that I can truly live out my Franciscan vocation.

Living out my Franciscan vocation speaks to me about my identity. This true self that has always been at my core and in my heart is brought to the forefront and exposed to the goodness of God in my life. I discover more and more on this journey that I was created for this. That my “original identity” blending with my authentic Christ identity is truly a “coming home”. I see how my self-identity, my family of origin and their influence, the community in which I grew up in and the life I led before entering the Franciscans was indeed preparing me to claim my identity more fully. My personality, my gifts, skills and my uniqueness however limited or frail they are, are called forth in community and in turn they contribute to the community. With my fellow brothers sharing their personality, gifts and skills, together we strengthen our Franciscan community, serve those who are lesser in a greater way and welcome all in the awesome homecoming that we each desire and deserve.

This identity claiming, if you will, this value for relationship is obvious in the life of Francis and the early community. We see men coming to Francis and then together forming a community, discovering how to support and challenge each other, living for the minority and growing more deeply in their radical way of following the humble and crucified Christ. Again I see how my journey points back to Francis which in turn points me to Christ, the Holy Spirit at work and the goodness of God.

Being a follower of Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis can be a challenging way to live but I must remember that my identity in Christ is strength for the journey. I must keep at the forefront the goodness of God revealed in relationships with creation, fellow human beings and our Crucified Savior. To immerse myself in this goodness is to claim my true identity and embrace being a Franciscan.