Finding Saint Francis

[CatholicFireman]

So sorry for your loss.

I escaped.

 

[TrueLight]

I escaped.

Treason!

Off with your head!

 

[CatholicFireman]

Treason!

Off with your head!

You are a cool addition to the Catholic Faith.

 

[TrueLight]

You are a cool addition to the Catholic Faith.

Thank you! That’s very sweet.

 

[CatholicFireman]

Thank you! That’s very sweet.

Correction: Catholic Family.

And you’re welcome.

Back to St. Francis…

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Which “outer sign” do you all wear?

I have a ring with a Tau, and I will be wearing this to meetings/Mass:

http://penitents.org/PictTauMetalSW.jpg

penitents.org/giftshopTauPenSW.html

 

[TrueLight]

Which “outer sign” do you all wear?

I have a ring with a Tau, and I will be wearing this to meetings/Mass:

http://penitents.org/PictTauMetalSW.jpg

penitents.org/giftshopTauPenSW.html

That is beautiful.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

That is beautiful.

It is absolutely gorgeous “in person”.

 

[joanofarc2008]

Which “outer sign” do you all wear?

I have a ring with a Tau, and I will be wearing this to meetings/Mass:

http://penitents.org/PictTauMetalSW.jpg

penitents.org/giftshopTauPenSW.html

Usually it is not advised that one in formation wear the Tau until Candidacy. At Candidacy usually one is gifted by the Fraternity. I know at professions the ring is usually gifted as well. I think someone else could weigh in on this more officially.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Usually it is not advised that one in formation wear the Tau until Candidacy. At Candidacy usually one is gifted by the Fraternity. I know at professions the ring is usually gifted as well. I think someone else could weigh in on this more officially.

This is true. I am professed, though

 

[TrueLight]

Question about Secular Franciscans and poverty.

How much is someone expected to follow poverty? Now, I’m not just speaking of spiritual poverty.

I heard someone joke that you can tell you are at an SFO meeting because everyone dresses like they’re poor (I’m paraphrasing for charity).

So if someone dresses somewhat nicely, would that draw judgmental eyes?

 

[joanofarc2008]

This is true. I am professed, though

Then the Tau should be worn at all times publicly by those professed as it is the habit not just at meetings and at Mass. Brother JR had a great set of posts on this a while back. Unfortunately I had them under my old account. I had saved them because the words meant a lot to me. They are from over a year ago (The thread was on Franciscan Cordbearers but just like this one it took many twists and turns):

When they asked me what I meant I pointed out to two things. 1) This conference has been in the plans for a year. The entire State of Florida knew about it. Every parish in the State has been advertising it. Not a single Secular Franciscan came up and said, “I’m a Franciscan and I want to help. What can I do?” The second thing that I pointed out to was 2) How am I supposed to recognize you? I’m wearing my habit. Where is your’s?" Not a single one of them wore the Tau to the Conference.

If you have a crowd of 400 Catholics involved in pro-life ministry and there are 30 Secular Franciscans in the crowd, I want to see 30 Taus. I don’t want to wait for you to come up to me and tell me that you’re family. I should be able to spot you in the crowd, the same way that you spot me because of my grey habit.

You see, there are those moments when the Secular Franciscan presence can shine and are wasted. These men and women at the Conference do great work across the state. But who would have known that they are Franciscan?

It was sad that the other religious orders, secular institutes, and lay organizations were identifiable and recognizeable. They even had tables in the corridors with information about them. This is one example of what I say is a wasted opportunity to make the Franciscan presence observeable.

This ties in with the OP. We began with Joan of Arc. How do we know that Joan was a chordbearer? She made it known. How do we know that Thomas More was a Secular Franciscan? He made it known. How do we know that Columbus was a Secular Franciscan? He made it known. In fact, there is an interesting story about Columbus. When they spotted land, he ran into the captain’s quarters and put on the full habit. This was the days when the Secular Franciscans wore a tunic, scapular and chord. He wanted to set foot on land as a Franciscan. It was important to him. I ran into about 30 Seculars who were unidentifiable. It was sad that they came from fraternities from all over the state and were not identifiable to their own brothers and sisters. There were friars from four branches of the family. All were identifiable. There were sisters from three branches, all identifiable. There were at least 30 SFO members. None were identifiable.

I always point to the great SFO saints. They were identifiable by the way they lived, their ministries and their chord, habit or other symbol. When they met, they were happy to see each other. They didn’t get a “Who would have known,” as a response.

I deliberately responded that way, because these men and women who are active in such important ministries need to realize that other people are not mind readers. A Secular Franciscan is called to be a saint. Sanctity begins with fidelity.

I work with the local SFO as a Spiritual Assistant and I’m ruthless with them on this point. I tell them that unless they are willing to look at their saints and listen to them, they are going to miss some great lessons on Franciscan living in the secular world. It’s not enough to have some pious devotion to the patrons. Devotion means immitation.

 

[Luigi_Daniele]

Then the Tau should be worn at all times publicly by those professed as it is the habit not just at meetings and at Mass. Brother JR had a great set of posts on this a while back. Unfortunately I had them under my old account. I had saved them because the words meant a lot to me. They are from over a year ago (The thread was on Franciscan Cordbearers but just like this one it took many twists and turns):

True. I wear my Tau ring always

Thank you for the wonderful link by Brother JR

 

[joanofarc2008]

True. I wear my Tau ring always

Thank you for the wonderful link by Brother JR

No problem - I just wish I could have linked the whole thread - it was really great. But then I had my technical difficulties, lost my password and had to start my new profile. I am glad I saved this one.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Back to the point- what would Francis think of the near-instantaneous communication made possible by the Internet? In 1200 AD, instantaneous communication was only possible face-to-face. Anything else was a snail mail by donkey or horse, if that. What is the definition of “fraternity” in the age of the Internet? Is there such a thing as “virtual fraternity,” and if so, is it necessarily inferior? Can a viable and effective fraternity be formed via a blend of face to face and virtual connection? I’m just asking the questions, for which I don’t pretend to have any particular “right or wrong” answers. I certainly can’t speak for St. Francis on these questions.

I haven’t caught up with all the posts yet, but this is such an important issue, I think. One thing is, that this is all so new. I’ve been online as long as there has been a “line” to be “on” and I’ve seen all kinds of things happen on forums, people meet and marry, people helped from crippling depressions, people inspired to give up atheism and join the Church.

The disabled are given voice and community, friendships maintained over great distances through decades. Br. JR has certainly been the spiritual assistant of this thread and a great part of CAF. People pray the Rosary online 24 hours a day with others from around the world. I don’t think it’s “lesser.” I just think it’s different.

 

[EvelynEVF]

franciscanresources.com/store/large/13wat/FRANCISCAN_RINGS_-S_F_O_-TAU-_OTHERS/SILVER_RING_WITH_14K_GOLD_TAU.html

There’s my ring I also wear a wooden Tau pendant unless I’m really dresses up, in which case I swap it out for a nice enamel Tau pin.

 

[Julia_Mae]

That is why there is a long formation period - for some of us that move a couple of times that formation period can be longer than others. Of course than again - do we ever really stop formation anyway even after profession.

Here’s a place where the Internet can be handy. Let’s say formation for all SFO is an online course. It can be National or International. Of course, you have an actual person in your local group with whom you do the course, but there is a standardized formation program for the whole SFO.

 

[Julia_Mae]

I bet I did. The final paper of that master’s degree in philosophy was on it. In a secular university too.

I need a link to something about Franciscans inventing the scientific method as I thought it predated Christianity, though was perfected by Darwin.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Question about Secular Franciscans and poverty.

How much is someone expected to follow poverty? Now, I’m not just speaking of spiritual poverty.

25,000 people a day die from hunger or hunger-related causes. Maybe the answer to your question is: how much do I need and how much can I give? I think that’s a different answer for everyone. How many purses and shoes and cars and electronic toys and new things we can live without do we all want, buy?

In the West, we have recreational food.

 

[Julia_Mae]

Then the Tau should be worn at all times publicly by those professed as it is the habit not just at meetings and at Mass. Brother JR had a great set of posts on this a while back. Unfortunately I had them under my old account. I had saved them because the words meant a lot to me. They are from over a year ago (The thread was on Franciscan Cordbearers but just like this one it took many twists and turns):

Thanks so much for saving and posting this.

Devotion means immitation.

I guess that’s why there’s a book called “Imitation” of Christ and not:* “Being Someone Who Kinda Likes Jesus.” *