Franciscans

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I hope this is the right forum. I asked via email my pastor about Benedictines and Franciscans in my diocese as I was thinking about becoming a lay member. I think the Benedictines have what’s called “oblates”. He said we have none is my diocese but the assistant pastor has Franciscan experience and I might be able to explore their spirituality with him. In anyone’s opinion would this be worth it? I know I love animals 😉 And Francis did too. Does anyone know anything about Franciscan spirituality and where online I might be able to learn more? Btw. I know our pontiff is Jesuit but with the name “Francis” is he Franciscan too?
 
Oblates are more often called third-orders, or secular orders. There is a Secular Fransiscan Order (Wikipedia page).

What a secular community is NOT: It is not a prayer group. It is not a social activity. It’s very much more serious than these types of groups.

A secular order will normally have a Rule of Life modeled after the religious Rule, and members will pray at least morning and evening prayer from the Divine Office. Just like in a monastery or convent, a candidate will undergo a period of novitiate in which he discerns (and the community discerns) if he has a spiritual calling to this vocation. This would typically be 1-3 years (maybe up to five, but no more). This would be considered a period of “formation.” A novice will usually take an annual “temporary promise,” and will take a lifetime promise upon completion of the novitiate (at which point he is a “professed” member of the community). This is a “promise,” not a “vow” (which binds more strongly), and it can be dispensed.

A married person usually must obtain his/her spouse’s approval to join a secular community (the vocation of matrimony is considered higher and more important than the vocation of the order).

There might not be a secular community in your area. Some secular orders allow people to remain “active” even if they move away from a community (they would be known as “isolates”). But I doubt any would allow someone to undergo formation apart from the community - you would need to be already professed before you moved away.

FWIW, Franciscan spirituality has little to do with animals. Our current Pope is a Jesuit, as you say, but he has great regard for St. Francis and, like St. Francis, he shares a deep compassion for the poor.
 
St. Francis was about more than animals. That’s a rather sentimental take on his gratefulness to God for all of creation. You can get an idea of his focus from the first name he gave to what is now the Order of Francis Secular - the Brothers and Sisters of Penance.

Read a good biography or two of St. Francis to get a better feel of his charism. There are also books about the OFS.
 
Get hold of Fr. Murray Bodo’ book, “Francis: the journey and the dream” along with To live as Francis lived"…both are used in formation for those entering the Frsnciscan Secular Order.
 
I don’t think I’m supposed to promote my own business here (other than the mention in my sig) but you can find some good used books about Francis & Franciscans at a particular on-line used book store. And 20% off if you mention Catholic Answers! 😃

Merry Christmas everyone! And my Franciscan donkey, Brother Leo, greets you too! 😉
 
Bonnie said:
St. Francis was about more than animals. That’s a rather sentimental take on his gratefulness to God for all of creation. You can get an idea of his focus from the first name he gave to what is now the Order of Francis Secular - the Brothers and Sisters of Penance.

Read a good biography or two of St. Francis to get a better feel of his charism. There are also books about the OFS.
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Our Asst. Pastor has the initials TOR after his name. Is that a friar?
 
DavidFilmer said:
Oblates are more often called third-orders, or secular orders. There is a Secular Fransiscan Order (Wikipedia page).

What a secular community is NOT: It is not a prayer group. It is not a social activity. It’s very much more serious than these types of groups.

A secular order will normally have a Rule of Life modeled after the religious Rule, and members will pray at least morning and evening prayer from the Divine Office. Just like in a monastery or convent, a candidate will undergo a period of novitiate in which he discerns (and the community discerns) if he has a spiritual calling to this vocation. This would typically be 1-3 years (maybe up to five, but no more). This would be considered a period of “formation.” A novice will usually take an annual “temporary promise,” and will take a lifetime promise upon completion of the novitiate (at which point he is a “professed” member of the community). This is a “promise,” not a “vow” (which binds more strongly), and it can be dispensed.

A married person usually must obtain his/her spouse’s approval to join a secular community (the vocation of matrimony is considered higher and more important than the vocation of the order).

There might not be a secular community in your area. Some secular orders allow people to remain “active” even if they move away from a community (they would be known as “isolates”). But I doubt any would allow someone to undergo formation apart from the community - you would need to be already professed before you moved away.

FWIW, Franciscan spirituality has little to do with animals. Our current Pope is a Jesuit, as you say, but he has great regard for St. Francis and, like St. Francis, he shares a deep compassion for the poor.
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Just a quibble, Benedictine Oblates are not considered a “third order”. We belong to a specific monastery, not the order in general. Our promise is to a specific community, not the order.

With regards to formation, Benedictines typically do not require that you reside in the diocese or nearby although it helps. If you want to incarnate Benedictine spirituality into your life, it is possible to do it “remotely”. Our monastery is in Quebec. Most of our oblates are from Quebec but we have several from Ontario, Maine, Vermont, and as far afield as Minnesota. With modern means of communication, distant formation is no more difficult than any other form of distant learning thought it helps to be able to visit the abbey or priory at least once a year.

There are two things at play here: to want to model your life after the Rule of St. Benedict, and a “fit” as it were, or an affinity for, a specific community; different communities have different focus. Our community is part of the Solesmes congregation, is entirely contemplative, and apart from its economic means of survival (making cheese and cider) their specific charism is liturgy and maintaining the tradition of Gregorian chant, something very rare in Canada.

Other communities might teach, have external apostolates etc, and then there are Benedictine nuns and sisters who also have their own specific lifestyles as well.

Again all this will vary from monastery to monastery, including whether distant Oblates can be accepted. I know an oblate from the US who is oblate of a monastery in England, an oblate from Malta who is oblate of a monastery in Rome, etc. Each monastery will have its own “oblate charter” governing the life of oblates such as the obligations with respect to prayer and the Divine Office, and how they live their attachment to the monastery.
 
I am noting thought that I am very contemplative. I like Lectio Divina with the day’s liturgy of the Word. I am a Marian too. Maybe I should look at lay Carmelites if there are any. I like John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.
 
I’m a lay Dominican: look into the Dominican charism as well.
 
billcu1 said:
I am noting thought that I am very contemplative. I like Lectio Divina with the day’s liturgy of the Word. I am a Marian too. Maybe I should look at lay Carmelites if there are any. I like John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila.
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Check out the Secular Order Discalced Carmelites(OCDS), in your area.

Jim
 
billcu1 said:
I hope this is the right forum. I asked via email my pastor about Benedictines and Franciscans in my diocese as I was thinking about becoming a lay member. I think the Benedictines have what’s called “oblates”. He said we have none is my diocese but the assistant pastor has Franciscan experience and I might be able to explore their spirituality with him. In anyone’s opinion would this be worth it? I know I love animals 😉 And Francis did too. Does anyone know anything about Franciscan spirituality and where online I might be able to learn more? Btw. I know our pontiff is Jesuit but with the name “Francis” is he Franciscan too?
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Oblates are attached to a specific monastery. Usually your oblature is not automatically transferable to another monastery.

The Franciscan Seculars are encouraged to practice lectio divina, but it is not stressed to the same degree as with oblates. What is stressed is praying the Liturgy of the Hours-at least Lauds (Morning Prayer) and Vespers (Evening Prayer).

As to whether it would be worth it…I can’t say. If there are no Franciscans or Benedictines near you, then that “limits” you to the Bennies (many monasteries accept members “at a distance”; usually they like you to visit at least 1-2 times yearly) or one of the other third orders that does have a presence near you. Members “at a distance” are no longer allowed with the OFS (Franciscans).

Hope that helps. Prayers offered for you 🙂
 
OraLabora said:
Just a quibble, Benedictine Oblates are not considered a “third order”. We belong to a specific monastery, not the order in general.
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That’s why I peppered my responses with adverbs such as “usually” or “typically.” No two Orders are just alike (or they would not be different Orders), so their tertiary members would not be identical.
With regards to formation, Benedictines typically do not require that you reside in the diocese or nearby although it helps. If you want to incarnate Benedictine spirituality into your life, it is possible to do it “remotely”.
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I presume your comments refer to my discussion of “isolate” members of a secular community. But, in my original comments, I said that it was very unlikely that a person could become a secular member of a community unless s/he could undergo formation within that community (meaning the novice could attend regular meetings, etc). Are you saying that a person can be a secular Benedictine without EVER having physical contact with a Benedictine community? Or maybe only very limited physical contact (such as at his/her profession)?

It’s one thing to be an isolate after formation and profession (this would be similar to a Benedictine Hermit, who lives apart from a monastery). But it’s quite another thing to become a secular Benedictine while removed from contact with other members of the community during the entire formation process.

Would you please clarify your meaning?
 
DavidFilmer said:
Are you saying that a person can be a secular Benedictine without EVER having physical contact with a Benedictine community? Or maybe only very limited physical contact (such as at his/her profession)?

It’s one thing to be an isolate after formation and profession (this would be similar to a Benedictine Hermit, who lives apart from a monastery). But it’s quite another thing to become a secular Benedictine while removed from contact with other members of the community during the entire formation process.

Would you please clarify your meaning?
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We have several oblates from afar. Usually they at least attend at their initiation rite and oblation, and visit from time to time, but not always on a regular basis. We have an annual retreat, and it is encouraged to attend. Some attend every year for various reasons, or make a private retreat at another time. Our farthest oblate is from Minnesota, our abbey is in Quebec. There are also some “local” oblate meetings led by the Oblate Master, in Montreal and Quebec City, and one for oblates living near the monastery (which is my case), typically twice a year in addition to the main retreat.

In Canada at least, as you know it’s a very vast country with only three Benedictine men’s monasteries (and a few more of women), so accommodating some geographical challenges are part of the program.
 
OraLabora said:
We have several oblates from afar. Usually they at least attend at their initiation rite and oblation, and visit from time to time, but not always on a regular basis. We have an annual retreat, and it is encouraged to attend. Some attend every year for various reasons, or make a private retreat at another time. Our farthest oblate is from Minnesota, our abbey is in Quebec. There are also some “local” oblate meetings led by the Oblate Master, in Montreal and Quebec City, and one for oblates living near the monastery (which is my case), typically twice a year in addition to the main retreat.

In Canada at least, as you know it’s a very vast country with only three Benedictine men’s monasteries (and a few more of women), so accommodating some geographical challenges are part of the program.
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The thing about the Benedictines, one of my favorite saints was a Bendictine. Hildegard of Bidgen. It’s about time she was made a doctor of the church.
 
billcu1 said:
The thing about the Benedictines, one of my favorite saints was a Bendictine. Hildegard of Bidgen. It’s about time she was made a doctor of the church.
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She already has, Oct. 12 2012, by Benedict XVI.
 
OraLabora said:
We have several oblates from afar.
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But are you saying that you have novices from afar? Novices are not (usually) considered oblates (professed members). Novices “from afar” might be termed "mail-order oblates. (and such a label might be difficult to refute, at least in principle, even in the modern internet era).

Are you saying that Secular Benedictines can become professed without regular contact with a Benedictine community?
 
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