Thank you all for your kind words an encouragement.
How exciting. I was just wondering how did you discern that this was for you. Did someone lead you there or something you discerned over a long period of time? Was the Holy Spirit working in ways that kept leading you to this Order? I ask because I had a Holy Spirit experience where I felt God was leading me to a particular order, but I felt really overwhelmed and didn’t follow the call. Although, I do think in the future, it is a place that God is calling me to be.
One influence on me is the way Francis sees God everywhere, and in everything. I am impressed by his call to poverty, both financial and spiritual humility, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” One of my biggest problems with the institutional aspects of the Church, is that bishops and parish priests have job descriptions that are, by Jesus’s words, impossible for any man to do. I think they are way too conflicted between God and money, and since money can be accounted for and because they need to protect the property we “own,” or rather it “owns” us, while spirituality cannot be readily measured, their pastoral concerns take a back seat to financial concerns.
I first heard of the lay Franciscans from a CAF poster who is one, "ncjohn,’ and I found out that we thought a lot alike on matters of Church and spirituality. John and I started a new web forum, and have kept in touch regularly since we “met” in 2005. Other Franciscan posters have also contributed to my fascination with Franciscans – how they are against a structured hierarchy and considering one person in the order to be “more holy” than another.
Also, Rich Mullins, with whom I have some ties, was fascinated by St. Francis and wrote a play he never saw in Wichita – he died before the opening performance which I attended – “Canticle of the Plains,” based on fictional character “St. Frank” who was loosely modeled after St. Francis, though a little bit goofy. I love Francis’s gentleness and love for animals. And I have learned to love everyone, even my enemies. Without enemies, I would be worthless.
On a personal level, I craved to have people I could talk to physically, about very deep and personal matters of faith and spirituality. Every day I come on CAF and find wonderful people who can discuss God to any depths I would like, but I wanted to have a physical connection to people who could give me that experience. And the people at the meeting did not disappoint. Not only that, but there is a great guy in my parish and we’ve both wanted to become closer friends and he is going with me on this journey.
And about the time I decided to become a Secular Franciscan, I learned that my oldest son, who is currently the youngest Grand Knight for K of C (at age 26) that our chapter has had, is now entering the seminary in August. So he gave up his successful engineering career of five years, well loved and with definite advancement taking place, to give his life to the Church. I should have known he was thinking about it when he went to Rome with the bishop, several priests and a some other lay people, and had an amazing experience. They really gave him quite an experience, and at one point Bishop Jackels ripped off his collar and handed it to Matt, in “jest.” Well, it’s not so much jest now, is it?
What less could I possibly do, than to join a group of men and women who are strong in faith and are pleasant to be around? :crying:
Alan
Many blessings on your journey!
