How is your Franciscanism doing these days?
Seems like a strange question. I’m not asking how you are doing, what’s new or what’s going on. How is your Franciscanism doing? Is it gaining weight or is it on a diet, slowly being lost, shed or forgotten?
These are hard times to be a Franciscan. Everything is disposable, replaceable, or of little value. Got a better one? Throw the old one out. Can’t use all of that…chuck the rest.
I recently read the newsletter from the Hospitalier Brothers of St. John of God. There was a statement that caught my eye – and soul. It read: These are difficult times to live a vocation in an authentic way; the operative word being authentic.
What is the authentic Franciscan way of life? If people don’t notice something different about the way we live, we aren’t being Franciscan. Are we preaching the Gospel by our way of life…..the way we speak…..how we act? Are we being Franciscan in how we treat our secular Brothers and Sisters? If we can’t be kind to one another, how can we be kind to the rest of the world? Do we treat each other with respect? Do we return phone calls and answer e-mail? Everyone is busy; but, we all deserve the respect of having a message answered.
There are no vacation plans in my foreseeable future, but I plan to take my Franciscanism on holiday this summer. My soul deserves some renewal and refreshment. With gas prices so high it is now in vogue to take a Staycation. – a word coined to mean you are staying home. In my day, we said we were going to Yardsville – and spent some happy hours in our own back yard. This summer, why not say your morning office outside in the early hours before the heat and hustle begins. Spend an hour with your Lord in a park or reflect on our brother Francis as you do some gardening. Francis walked around with wild flower seeds in his pocket. He is still planting seeds today. What seeds have you planted lately? We carry many in our hearts, but they are no good until they are planted and shared.
So..how is your Franciscanism doing???
