|
Chapter of Mats Theme: “Being a Franciscan in a Secular Age”
1. Radical Trust in an Age of Radical Doubt.
2. Some thoughts about our age, and some thoughts about St. Francis and the early days, to challenge some assumptions.
3. Another look at Evangelii Gaudium, 3 years later.
a. Does it help us to understand our challenges today? b. How do we respond? 4. Your own reflections. How will you respond, both individually and as a Franciscan community?
A Secular Age—what does this mean?
“[T]he change I want to define and trace is one which takes us from a society in which it was virtually impossible not to believe in God, to one in which faith, even for the staunchest believer, is one human possibility among others.
I may find it inconceivable that I would abandon my faith, but there are others, including possibly some very close to me, whose way of living I cannot in all honesty just dismiss as depraved, or blind, or unworthy, who have no faith (at least not in God, or the transcendent).
Belief in God is no longer axiomatic. There are alternatives. And this will also likely mean that at least in certain milieu, it may be hard to sustain one's faith.”
(Charles Taylor, A Secular Age, 2007)
Although the Apostles say that we should pay greater honour to our weaker members, certain ecclesiastics, seeking what is their own and not the things of Jesus Christ, do not allow lepers, who cannot dwell with the healthy or come to church with others, to have their own churches and cemeteries or to be helped by the ministry of their own priests. Since it is recognized that this is far from Christian piety, we decree, in accordance with apostolic charity, that wherever so many are gathered together under a common way of life that they are able to establish a church for themselves with a cemetery and rejoice in their own priest, they should be allowed to have them without contradiction. Let them take care, however, not to harm in any way the parochial rights of established churches. For we do not wish that what is granted them on the score of piety should result in harm to others. We also declare that they should not be compelled to pay tithes for their gardens or the pasture of animals.
Third Lateran Council, Canon 25 (1179)
The Lord gave me, Brother Francis, thus to begin doing penance in this way: for when I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body. And afterwards I delayed a little and left the world. And the Lord gave me such faith in churches that I would pray with simplicity in this way and say: “We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in all Your churches throughout the whole world and we bless You because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.” Afterwards the Lord gave me, and gives me still, such faith in priests who live according to the rite of the holy Roman Church because of their orders that, were they to persecute me, I would still want to have recourse to them. And if I had as much wisdom as Solomon and found impoverished priests of this world, I would not preach in their parishes against their will. And I desire to respect, love and honor
them and all others as my lords. And I do not want to consider any sin in them because I discern the Son of God in them and they are my lords. And I act in this way because, in this world, I see nothing corporally of the most high Son of God except His most holy Body and Blood which they receive and they alone administer to others. I want to have these most holy mysteries honored and venerated above all things and I want to reserve them in precious places. Wherever I find our Lord’s most holy names and written words in unbecoming places, I want to gather them up and I beg that they be gathered up and placed in a becoming place. And we must honor all theologians and those who minister the most holy divine words and respect them as those who minister to us spirit and life. And after the Lord gave me some brothers, no one showed me what I had to do, but the Most High Himself revealed to me that I should live according to the pattern of the
Holy Gospel. And I had this written down simply and in a few words and the Lord Pope confirmed it for me. And those who came to receive life gave whatever they had to the poor and were content with one tunic, patched inside and out, with a cord and short trousers. We desired nothing more. We clerical [brothers] said the Office as other clerics did; the lay brothers said the Our Father; and we quite willingly remained in churches. And we were simple and subject to all. And I worked with my hands, and I still desire to work; and I earnestly desire all brothers to give themselves to honest work. Let those who do not know how to work learn, not from desire to receive wages, but for example and to avoid idleness. And when we are not paid for our work, let us have recourse to the table of the Lord, begging alms from door to door. The Lord revealed a greeting to me that we should say: “May the Lord give you peace.”
After this, I came to the city of Milan, which is a cesspool of heretics. I remained there for some days and preached the Word of God in a number of places. In the whole city I scarcely found anyone who opposed the heretics, except for certain holy men and religious women, whom malicious lay people call “Patarines,” but whom the Supreme Pontiff designated the “Humiliati.” He gave them the right to preach and resist the heretics and approved them as religious. They have renounced all their goods and have gathered together in various places, living by the work of their hands They frequently preach the Word of God and gladly listen to it, remaining perfectly founded in the faith and
productive in good deeds. Already this order has so multiplied that in the diocese of Milan there are over one hundred and fifty communities, some of men and others of women, not counting those who still live in their own homes. Departing from there, I arrived at Perugia. There I discovered Pope Innocent dead, but not yet buried. During the night some thieves had stripped his body of all the precious vestments with which he was to be interred, and left it there in the church virtually naked and already decaying. I went into the church and saw with utter faith how fleeting and empty is the deceitful glory of this world.
The day after the funeral, the cardinals elected Honorius, an elderly and devout man, quite simple and humble, who had distributed almost all his patrimony to the poor. He was consecrated as Supreme Pontiff the Sunday after his election; I myself received episcopal ordination from him the following Sunday. . . . I received permission from him for the devout women, not only of the diocese of Liège, but also of the Kingdom [of France] and of the Empire, to live together in community and to encourage one another to do good through mutual exhortations . . .
. . . After I had been at the Curia for a while, I encountered a great deal that was repugnant to me. They were so occupied with worldly affairs, with rulers and kingdoms, with lawsuit and litigation, that they hardly let anyone speak of spiritual things. I did find, however, one source of consolation in those parts. Many wellto-do secular people of both sexes, having left all things for Christ, had fled the world. They were called “Lesser Brothers” and “Lesser Sisters. They are held in great reverence by the Lord Pope and the Cardinals. They are in no way occupied with temporal things, but with fervent desire and ardent zeal they labor each day to draw from the vanities of the world souls that are perishing, and draw them to their way of life. Thanks be to God, they have already reaped great
fruit and have converted many. Those who have heard them, say: “Come,” so that one group brings another. They live according to the form of the primitive Church about whom it was written: The community of believers were of one heart and one mind. During the day they go into the cities and villages giving themselves over to the active life in order to gain others; at night, however, they return to their hermitage or solitary places to devote themselves to contemplation. The women dwell together near the cities in various hospices, accepting nothing, but living by the work of their hands. They are grieved, indeed troubled, by the fact that they are honored by both clergy and laity more than they would wish. With great profit, the brothers of this Order assemble once a year in a
designated place to rejoice in the Lord and eat together; with the advice of good men they draw up and promulgate holy laws and have them confirmed by the Lord Pope. After this they disperse again for the whole year throughout Lombardy and Tuscany, Apulia and Sicily. Not long ago, Brother Nicholas, a provincial administrator for the Lord Pope and a holy and religious man, left the Curia and took refuge with these men, but because he was so needed by the Lord Pope, he was recalled by him. I believe, however, that the Lord desires to save many souls before the end of the world through such simple and poor men in order to put to shame our prelates, who are like dumb dogs not able to bark.
Lord Rayner, Prior of Saint Michael, has entered the Order of Lesser Brothers. This Order is multiplying rapidly throughout the world, because it expressly imitates the pattern of the primitive Church and the life of the apostles in everything. But to our way of thinking, this Order is quite risky, because it sends out two by two throughout the world, not only formed religious, but also immature young men who should first be tested and subjected to conventual discipline for a time.
The head of these brothers, who also founded the Order, came into our camp. He was so inflamed with zeal for the faith that he did not fear to cross the lines to the army of our enemy For several days he preached the Word of God to the Saracens and made a little progress. The Sultan, the ruler of Egypt, privately asked him to pray to the Lord for him, so that he might be inspired by God to adhere to that religion which most pleased God. Colin, the Englishman, our clerk, also has joined this Order, as well as two more of our company, namely, Master
Michael and Lord Matthew, to whom I had committed the care of the Church of the Holy Cross. I am having a difficult time holding on to the cantor and Henry and several others.
“In the thirteenth year of his conversion, he journeyed to the regions of Syria, constantly exposing himself to many dangers in order to reach the presence of the Sultan.”
“When he saw that he was making no progress in converting these people and that he could not achieve his purpose, namely martyrdom, he went back to the lands of the faithful.”
Earlier rule, 1209-1221 No extant copies of the originally approved way of life, by 1221, the rule is likely the result of many years of editing and adaptation to community needs
Later rule, 1223. Official rule, formally approved by the Holy See.
Chapter XVI: Those Going Among the Saracens and Other Nonbelievers.
The Lord says: Behold I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be prudent as serpents and simple as doves. Let any brother, then, who desires by divine inspiration to go among the Saracens and other nonbelievers, go with the permission of his minister and servant. If he sees they are fit to be sent, the minister may give them permission and not oppose them, for he will be bound to render an accounting to the Lord if he has proceeded without discernment in this and other matters.
As for the brothers who go, they can live spiritually among the Saracens and nonbelievers in two ways. One way is not to engage in arguments or disputes but to be subject to every human creature for God’s sake and to acknowledge that they are Christians. The other way is to announce the
Word of God, when they see it pleases the Lord, in order that [unbelievers] may believe in almighty God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Creator of all, the Son, the Redeemer and Savior, and be baptized and become Christians because no one can enter the kingdom of God without being reborn of water and the Holy Spirit.
They can say to them and the others these and other things which please God because the Lord says in the Gospel: Whoever acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. Whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father.
Wherever they may be, let all my brothers remember that they have given themselves and abandoned their bodies to the Lord Jesus Christ. For love of Him, they must make
themselves vulnerable to their enemies, both visible and invisible, because the Lord says: Whoever loses his life because of me will save it in eternal life. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Blessed are you when people hate you, speak evil of you, persecute, expel, and abuse you, denounce your name as evil and utter every kind of slander against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad on that day because your reward is great in heaven. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of them and do not fear those who kill the body and afterwards have nothing more to do. See that you are not alarmed. For by your patience, you will possess your souls; whoever perseveres to the end will be saved.
Focus on Christ in all things, seek Christ always, in the world and in the Church, in the sacraments and in his word.
“… not to engage in arguments or disputes but to be subject to every human creature for God’s sake and to acknowledge that they are Christians.”
“We adore You, Lord Jesus Christ, in all Your churches throughout the world and we bless You because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.”
“[I]t expressly imitates the pattern of the primitive Church and the life of the apostles in everything.”
• Simplicity and humility of life, in active community with others.
• Subordinate even to non-believers, but giving active witness to faith through their life.
Small church, emphasis on seeing the individual person, embracing Christ in the reality of life. Isolation is the problem, not the solution.
John Paul II
Philosopher
How do we know the world?
Phenomenalism and personalism, putting the human person at the centre of understanding the world.
Benedict XVI
Theologian
How do we know God in the world?
Christocentric theology, Bonaventure rather than Aquinas, God’s revelation in history with Christ as the centre, “entweltlichte Kirche,” or a Church that does not try to find itself in the world, a Chruch that is grounded in faith rather than sociology. Church of our age as small community, open to the world, but not of the world.
Francis
Pastor
How do we respond to all this?
Pope as pastor, turning attention from European safety and stability (or stasis) towards the poor in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Emphasis on poverty, on the faith of those who have little possessions and much insecurity. Church as a field hospital in a time of battle
|