FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST FOR A FRATERNAL WORLD

Dear Brothers in St. Francis,
May the peace of Christ dwell in your hearts.

The participants of the Plenary Council of 2005 will agree with me that it was a new kind of experience in franciscan living. The atmosphere of prayer, sessions on the priorities of the order, the sharing of thoughts and beliefs, and the involvement of variety of friars, made the Plenary Council 2005 qualitatively different. The document on the priorities of the order was the guiding force to this living experience. And let us thank God the Father for sending His Spirit to fan out the ashes and bring alive the fire.

Each day a priority was taken up and the resource persons led the participants to reflect it in a prayerful mood. We thank the friars for their generous service in facilitating the process. I hope, soon the experiences of the plenary council will get published in the Exchange for the friars who could not attend.

While dealing with the first priority on “spirit of prayer and devotion” the speaker of the day emphasised very much on covenant relationship with God as the backbone of our vocation in commitment. Every one in his powerlessness will have to constantly keep rooting himself in God who is the source of power. And the friars remained silent for half a day to begin with, and face their own darkness, imperfections of life, and their fears. Hope this spiritual experience is shared with the members of the community with the same intensity. As we took note during the Plenary Council, the fraternal communion flows from the spirit of prayer and devotion.

To be followers of Christ for a fraternal world, the General curia has recommended reflection on the priorities of the Order for the years [2003-2009]. These priorities are the aspects of life that are fundamental to our spirituality, indispensable in living the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. To live our life in communion with God, I declare the year 2005 as Spirit of prayer and devotion. Let there be a constant re-rooting in Christ, by every friar.

The life of prayer and devotion is the first fruit of our following of Christ and thus must occupy the most important place in our life. Indeed, without a profound experience of God, we cannot, as lesser brothers share the sufferings of humanity nor adequately respond to the hopes of the human family. Could this be the reason why our apostolates are narrowed down to mere tasks to be accomplished without any search for creative responses to the challenges faced?

It is necessary therefore to rediscover the contemplative dimension of our vocation. The Spirit of prayer and devotion is also an instrument of ongoing formation for friars to revive the desire to have the spirit of the Lord and his holy manner of working, in order to be prophetic witnesses of the Lord’s presence in the world today. By doing this one ensures that his life of prayer occupies the place that it needs, to be the living gospel for all people. [Br. Hermann Schaluck, Intro.“The Spirit of Prayer and Devotion”]. The same document offers useful material for the growth in the Franciscan life of prayer at all levels.

I want the friars to come together to reflect on our life in communion with God and journey inwardly to find the treasures like the merchant who went in search of the precious pearl tirelessly. Let the brothers focus on their life of prayer while reviewing their Franciscan vocation and be fellow companion in each other's search. Let this be an Exodus experience from their familiar life and routine work for the friars to examine if they are with or without God in their journey. Let the guardians and the team leaders take initiative and call friars for reflection and come out with action plans.

I recommend the same focusing on the first priority be done by others - the formators, treasurers, senior friars, young priests, young friars, friars in formation, etc. in their gatherings.

On no account I want the friars to abstain from this, saying that the gathering involves time and financial difficulties and so we do not come together. In such cases the communities can always make appeal to the provincial. The communities are clubbed together into regions to this purpose and it will be good if the concerned Definitor is informed about the date of the gathering so that he can avail himself to live this experience. The regions are as follows:

Madavaram, Nesakkaram, Madurai + some brothers of Palmaner - Tommy
Hyderabad + some brothers of Palmaner - Babu Jose
Mysore, Bannur- Tony
Bangalore - Babu Jose
Cochin, Kannur, Chipplithode - Tony
Bhatkal, Goa and Mumbai - Arok Sundar
North East - Charles Bernard
Raipur, Basen, Naotoli, Nanesera - Leos Ekka
Bellary, Gospad, and Eluru - Arok Sundar

For the individual friars who wish to have a hermitage, Bellary and the Shanthi Vanam ashrams are open to go in for their recluse. Brothers, let us not forget that the church has declared this year as the year of Eucharist. I think it blends with our decision and I strongly believe that the Eucharistic Lord will lead us on the road less travelled.

While preparing this circular, I received another document from the curia, THE GRACE OF OUR ORIGINS [8th centenary of the foundation of the order of friars Minor-1209-2009]. The preparations are already on and it is a grace filled occasion for us to review, revisit and reconcile our origin as a family and prepare ourselves for the Jubilee.

Once a rusty iron sheet looked at the sun and grumbled saying why are you so partial to me, you are not giving me enough light to reflect your rays like my neighbour. The sun responded saying reflecting the rays is one's in-built potentiality and not how much one receives!

I wish all the friars a meaningful lent. May the Compassionate love and Mercy of. God be with you all.

Fraternally

[BR.AROK SUNDAR, O.F.M.] Provincial Minister     Previous >>