We gathered, we prayed, we ate and drank, we listened and we had dialogue together. Over the course of two and a half days the O.F.M. Franciscans
in Canada built upon our fraternal foundation. As mentioned in my previous post
we gathered in preparation for our Union as one O.F.M. Franciscan Canadian
Province. There were forty of us who gathered to mark this step towards union.
We range in age from mid-thirties to mid-nineties (Which makes us pre-Baby
Boomer through to the Millennial generation and believe me this is a whole other topic to write about.)
The input we received was timely and challenging. It pushed
us to look beyond our comfortable places and face the realities of a changing
Church, world and Franciscan order. The sharing of our two very talented
presenters led us to meet several times in small groups to listen and dialogue
with each other. It was here that stories were shared, questions were asked and
our fraternal reality was enhanced. Simple and profound moments which continued
to propel us forward, to look with courage into the future and to gird
ourselves with the bravery of Francis and his first followers, as we revitalize
and restructure. Here the gifts of listening and discerning where heightened
and then continued as we broke bread together, socialized, committees met and
we prayed together.
One of the most amazing gifts of being a Friar is when we
gather together as a whole in prayer, sometimes a little rough around the edges
yet moving and alive. The Spirit is indeed at work, and calling us to one voice
in praising God and entrusting our life to our loving God. I believe in these
moments of prayer you can hear our yearning to live a gospel life that is
relevant and meaningful. In these moments of prayer you can hear our
hopefulness and desire to revitalize our Canadian presence and continue to be
effective evangelists for the Canadian Church. In these moments of prayer you
can also hear our joy and openness for we know the Spirit is at work and we
continue trust and step forward.
One of the most challenging parts of being a Friar at this
time and space in Canada is the reality check we received with stats on our Order
in Canada. Over 50% of Friars in Canada are over the age of 80. 24% of us are
under the age of 60. These are sobering facts that we cannot deny. These facts
challenge us to honestly look at our goals, dreams and possibilities. How do we
live out our charism? How do we preach the gospel? How do we be brother to each
other? How do look to the future? It is not with blind trust or denying these
truths, rather it is acknowledging where we have come from and what we have
built. It is recognizing what we need to let go of and what we can still do. It
is in honoring our brothers who have gone before us and those who built our
provinces. It is blessing the new work that the new generation will take on. It
is in encouraging each other to continue to be messengers of the gospel no
matter what age we are. It is here that the work of listening, discerning and
living really comes into a reality check for each of us.
It is from this Chapter: the moments prayed, celebrated and
reality checked that we move onward, filled with hope and trust that God is
working in our Order in Canada and beyond our borders. It is from here that we step
into the next six months leading up to the Chapter of Union, which will then
begin the ‘new’ work of the Order of Friars Minor in Canada. We trust in our
God who is our All. We continue to listen, to discern and to live for this is
not a farewell tour, no it is a time for launching the future and securing the foundation.
It is a time for hope... (it’s always a time for hope) for we are branches on
the Great Vine.
We continue to rely on your prayers and support.
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