J
JReducation
Guest
I just came back from a three-day youth retreat. It was led by the Life Teen Ministries. I want to share a beautiful spiritual experience. While on the retreat I worked alongside two diocesan priests, whom I consider to be the most charismatic priests I know and a team of 16 lay adults.
The theme of the retreat was giving up sin and choosing Christ. During one of the breaks a group of teens sat around me in a small circle. We began to speak. As we spoke, I mentioned to the teens that I was not sure if I would be in this area much longer. I explained that our superior is coming in for a visitation and that I may be transferred. The kids also know that the bishop had asked me to lead the foundation of the Franciscan Brothers of Life. Immediately the kids asked me what would happen to the foundation of the Brothers of Life. I explained to them that I have no voice in the matter.
Of course they thought about that and asked why not. When I explained the concept of Franciscan obedience, how it’s absolute, without questions, without murmuring, without attachments and without personal feelings. The kids were interested and one of them asked what would happen if I told my superior that I don’t want to leave. I explained that I do not think about whether I want to leave and move on or not. This is Christ’s choice to make. All that I can do is ask Christ to give me the grace to know his will and to want what he wants.
The schedule moved along and we went into adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Suddenly a young man came up and said, “Brother may I pray over you?” Of course I consented. When he prayed I was deeply moved. He said that he had never met a brother before, only priests. He had no idea that a brother was like Jesus standing before Pilate. I was stunned. As he continued he said, “I never thought that a man could give up his life, his wants and wishes just because he loves; but when I was looking at Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament what you said earlier about obedience made sense to me. Jesus was there and let Pilate judge him, because he wanted to do God’s will. That’s what a brother is, isn’t it.”
Later a young girl approached me and said, “Brother I have a question. I know that you were asked to start the Brothers of Life. If you start the Franciscan Brothers of Life, does that mean that you have to leave the Franciscan Brothers of Penance?” I explained to her that it was not necessary. Many people found communities that they never join and others do. The decision is made by God. She asked, “How will you know?” I explained that God would let me know through the superior and the bishop. She stopped and looked at me and said, “I will pray that God will let you stay here and finish what you’ve started. We need the brothers.” Next, she went back and knelt before the Blessed Sacrament and wept. As I watched her weep, I was unsure why she was weeping. I waited quietly for adoration to be over. I asked her if she was OK. She said, “I was crying. As I looked at the host I knew that God wants all those unborn babies to have brothers, just like we have you.”
The next day the same girl and boy came over with a few of their friends. We were having a snack and they asked if they could speak to me. Again I sat on the floor and listened. This time there were about eight teens, male and female. The girl and boy with whom I had spoken began to speak. “Brother, we want to start a Respect Life Program in school. Can you tell us how to do it?” I explained that we have plenty of information and that I could certainly help and if I am transferred, someone else can do it. Of course they said, “We don’t want you to be transferred.” I immediately told them that they should not say that. My staying or leaving is not something for us to want or not to want. God calls us to accept his will and the authority of his Church. I added, “Even if God wants me to go to some other part of the country or the world, there is one thing that will not change. God wants you to protect the unborn children.”
Well, little did I know that the kids approached one of the priests on the retreat and asked if there was going to be another brother assigned to them, if I am transferred? Father explained that he did not know, because there are not that many brothers in the United States. One of the kids looked at the priest and asked, “So what is the Church doing about it? Don’t you priests know that there are unborn children and their parents who need the brothers? What’s wrong with you people?”
Father explained that brothers come from families that promote vocations to the brotherhood. One of the kids responded, “But most of our parents don’t know anything about brothers. We know about brothers because we have one.” So the priest threw the ball back on their court. He said, “If you want more brothers then some on you will have to make a choice, won’t you?”
The point that I’m making is that the miracles of grace are amazing. I don’t know if any of these boys will become brothers or if any of these girls will become sisters. But I know one thing. These kids connected the dots better than most adults. They understood that a turn from sin and damnation is a turn toward Christ and you cannot turn toward Christ and ignore the life of the unborn. They understood that religious brothers can help them stay on track, and that conversion toward Christ is a conversion toward obedience and obedience calls us to submit to the authority of the Church and the command of Christ to protect the unborn.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF
The theme of the retreat was giving up sin and choosing Christ. During one of the breaks a group of teens sat around me in a small circle. We began to speak. As we spoke, I mentioned to the teens that I was not sure if I would be in this area much longer. I explained that our superior is coming in for a visitation and that I may be transferred. The kids also know that the bishop had asked me to lead the foundation of the Franciscan Brothers of Life. Immediately the kids asked me what would happen to the foundation of the Brothers of Life. I explained to them that I have no voice in the matter.
Of course they thought about that and asked why not. When I explained the concept of Franciscan obedience, how it’s absolute, without questions, without murmuring, without attachments and without personal feelings. The kids were interested and one of them asked what would happen if I told my superior that I don’t want to leave. I explained that I do not think about whether I want to leave and move on or not. This is Christ’s choice to make. All that I can do is ask Christ to give me the grace to know his will and to want what he wants.
The schedule moved along and we went into adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Suddenly a young man came up and said, “Brother may I pray over you?” Of course I consented. When he prayed I was deeply moved. He said that he had never met a brother before, only priests. He had no idea that a brother was like Jesus standing before Pilate. I was stunned. As he continued he said, “I never thought that a man could give up his life, his wants and wishes just because he loves; but when I was looking at Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament what you said earlier about obedience made sense to me. Jesus was there and let Pilate judge him, because he wanted to do God’s will. That’s what a brother is, isn’t it.”
Later a young girl approached me and said, “Brother I have a question. I know that you were asked to start the Brothers of Life. If you start the Franciscan Brothers of Life, does that mean that you have to leave the Franciscan Brothers of Penance?” I explained to her that it was not necessary. Many people found communities that they never join and others do. The decision is made by God. She asked, “How will you know?” I explained that God would let me know through the superior and the bishop. She stopped and looked at me and said, “I will pray that God will let you stay here and finish what you’ve started. We need the brothers.” Next, she went back and knelt before the Blessed Sacrament and wept. As I watched her weep, I was unsure why she was weeping. I waited quietly for adoration to be over. I asked her if she was OK. She said, “I was crying. As I looked at the host I knew that God wants all those unborn babies to have brothers, just like we have you.”
The next day the same girl and boy came over with a few of their friends. We were having a snack and they asked if they could speak to me. Again I sat on the floor and listened. This time there were about eight teens, male and female. The girl and boy with whom I had spoken began to speak. “Brother, we want to start a Respect Life Program in school. Can you tell us how to do it?” I explained that we have plenty of information and that I could certainly help and if I am transferred, someone else can do it. Of course they said, “We don’t want you to be transferred.” I immediately told them that they should not say that. My staying or leaving is not something for us to want or not to want. God calls us to accept his will and the authority of his Church. I added, “Even if God wants me to go to some other part of the country or the world, there is one thing that will not change. God wants you to protect the unborn children.”
Well, little did I know that the kids approached one of the priests on the retreat and asked if there was going to be another brother assigned to them, if I am transferred? Father explained that he did not know, because there are not that many brothers in the United States. One of the kids looked at the priest and asked, “So what is the Church doing about it? Don’t you priests know that there are unborn children and their parents who need the brothers? What’s wrong with you people?”
Father explained that brothers come from families that promote vocations to the brotherhood. One of the kids responded, “But most of our parents don’t know anything about brothers. We know about brothers because we have one.” So the priest threw the ball back on their court. He said, “If you want more brothers then some on you will have to make a choice, won’t you?”
The point that I’m making is that the miracles of grace are amazing. I don’t know if any of these boys will become brothers or if any of these girls will become sisters. But I know one thing. These kids connected the dots better than most adults. They understood that a turn from sin and damnation is a turn toward Christ and you cannot turn toward Christ and ignore the life of the unborn. They understood that religious brothers can help them stay on track, and that conversion toward Christ is a conversion toward obedience and obedience calls us to submit to the authority of the Church and the command of Christ to protect the unborn.
Fraternally,
Br. JR, OSF