Spirituality of religious orders in Catholic tradition

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TrueLight said:
I visited a Carmelite meeting and there was a 1/2 hour silent meditation. I was just curious as to if there is a set time for contemplative prayer at any of the meetings. Is contemplation a part of the charism as well?
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You probably won’t find 1/2 hour periods of silent contemplation at most Secular Franciscan meetings. You might find such a thing at a regional retreat or something like that. Individual secular Franciscans are engaged in all levels and types of prayer of course, as you might expect, in their own lives.

Contemplative prayer is the major part of the charism of the Secular Carmelites (both OCDS and O’Carms). You would tend to find it there in meetings far more frequently than in the meetings of other third orders.

The Franciscan charism is one of fraternally following the Gospel in a somewhat immediate manner. Both the words “fraternally” and “following” are important. Franciscans say, from the Gospel to Life and from Life to the Gospel. [Not in quotes because I’ve paraphrased it and not cut-and-copied it. I can never remember which half comes first…LOL. So much for my memory.]
 
iloveangels said:
You probably won’t find 1/2 hour periods of silent contemplation at most Secular Franciscan meetings. You might find such a thing at a regional retreat or something like that. Individual secular Franciscans are engaged in all levels and types of prayer of course, as you might expect, in their own lives.

Contemplative prayer is the major part of the charism of the Secular Carmelites (both OCDS and O’Carms). You would tend to find it there in meetings far more frequently than in the meetings of other third orders.

The Franciscan charism is one of fraternally following the Gospel in a somewhat immediate manner. Both the words “fraternally” and “following” are important.
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Thanks!
 
Something I see coming up on this thread and other ones of a similar focus is the issue of what happens at the meetings of the SFO, LD, etc. I believe it is important to realize that the vast majority of the time that any member of a “third” order spends is going to be away from their community, rather than with it. In our community, we have monthly meetings and we do try to keep up with each other through e-mails, the phone, after mass, etc. but that is hit or miss. For people that are working full time, have families to care for, etc. this is going to be even more true.

Most of the time, my attempt to live the charism of the OP, is on my own. My prayer life, study, contemplation, etc. all happens on my time rather than during our meetings. That is not to say that we do not pray or study in our meetings, we do. Its just that simply being a community takes up a large part of it as well. Getting to know each other, providing support, etc. is also a large part of the meeting and there is only so much time to be had. This also does not mean that I do not learn how to study, pray, or contemplate during our meetings, I do. Its simply that in the intervening month, it is up to me to apply it and report back in the next meeting or to seek assistance in between as needed.

Regarding formation, my impression is that while the meetings serve as guidance, it is largely up to the individual to read the material, contemplate it, come back with questions, and apply it in their lives. Their spiritual director and chapter moderators can provide assistance and help, but at the end of the day, most of the time spent doing this will be by oneself or, if a family member is also involved, within the family. There isn’t enough time to handle all of the material in the meetings and still have time for prayer, community, etc.

The point of all of this is that I believe that those who are looking to find all this spiritual nourishment in the meetings are setting themselves up for disappointment. Others may disagree, but I believe that most of the actual living of the life in any lay/secular/third order is going to have to be worked out at the individual level or at best, the family level.

In some ways, this makes living the life of a secular/lay/third order member more difficult than one might imagine. We do not live in community and thus, do not have the constant support of our brethren the way friars or religious sisters do. Combine that with the fact that formation is somewhat abbreviated compared to what friars and sisters go through, and you have people trying to live a life that may be more difficult than most consider. The support structure is not the same.

I’m not sure how many people think about that, either lay, secular, or religious. I have not heard anyone else mention it. However, it is something I have been thinking about quite a bit lately as I wonder if I have the strength to live the life of a Lay Dominican. I think anyone considering a lay/secular/third order needs to put some serious time and prayer in on the idea that they may be on their own for much of the time they are attempting to live that charism, rule, etc.

Peace,
 
I meant to quote, Jason but I’m on my iPhone and deleted your post.

I guess I’m wondering if one is to pretty much learn on one’s own, is the focus more on fraternity. - being part of a community?
 
TrueLight said:
I meant to quote, Jason but I’m on my iPhone and deleted your post.

I guess I’m wondering if one is to pretty much learn on one’s own, is the focus more on fraternity. - being part of a community?
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Could you rephrase that? I’m not quite sure what you are getting at.

Peace,
 
jwinch2 said:
In some ways, this makes living the life of a secular/lay/third order member more difficult than one might imagine. We do not live in community and thus, do not have the constant support of our brethren the way friars or religious sisters do. Combine that with the fact that formation is somewhat abbreviated compared to what friars and sisters go through, and you have people trying to live a life that may be more difficult than most consider. The support structure is not the same.
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Please understand that this does not mean that I think consecrated religious have it easy. Far from it. It just means that I believe that living the charism of a religious order in the secular world comes with its own set of challenges.
 
jwinch2 said:
Something I see coming up on this thread and other ones of a similar focus is the issue of what happens at the meetings of the SFO, LD, etc. I believe it is important to realize that the vast majority of the time that any member of a “third” order spends is going to be away from their community, rather than with it. In our community, we have monthly meetings and we do try to keep up with each other through e-mails, the phone, after mass, etc. but that is hit or miss. For people that are working full time, have families to care for, etc. this is going to be even more true.

Most of the time, my attempt to live the charism of the OP, is on my own. My prayer life, study, contemplation, etc. all happens on my time rather than during our meetings. That is not to say that we do not pray or study in our meetings, we do. Its just that simply being a community takes up a large part of it as well. Getting to know each other, providing support, etc. is also a large part of the meeting and there is only so much time to be had. This also does not mean that I do not learn how to study, pray, or contemplate during our meetings, I do. Its simply that in the intervening month, it is up to me to apply it and report back in the next meeting or to seek assistance in between as needed.

Regarding formation, my impression is that while the meetings serve as guidance, it is largely up to the individual to read the material, contemplate it, come back with questions, and apply it in their lives. Their spiritual director and chapter moderators can provide assistance and help, but at the end of the day, most of the time spent doing this will be by oneself or, if a family member is also involved, within the family. There isn’t enough time to handle all of the material in the meetings and still have time for prayer, community, etc.

The point of all of this is that I believe that those who are looking to find all this spiritual nourishment in the meetings are setting themselves up for disappointment. Others may disagree, but I believe that most of the actual living of the life in any lay/secular/third order is going to have to be worked out at the individual level or at best, the family level.

In some ways, this makes living the life of a secular/lay/third order member more difficult than one might imagine. We do not live in community and thus, do not have the constant support of our brethren the way friars or religious sisters do. Combine that with the fact that formation is somewhat abbreviated compared to what friars and sisters go through, and you have people trying to live a life that may be more difficult than most consider. The support structure is not the same.

I’m not sure how many people think about that, either lay, secular, or religious. I have not heard anyone else mention it. However, it is something I have been thinking about quite a bit lately as I wonder if I have the strength to live the life of a Lay Dominican. I think anyone considering a lay/secular/third order needs to put some serious time and prayer in on the idea that they may be on their own for much of the time they are attempting to live that charism, rule, etc.

Peace,
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Completely understood and correct, Jason. This is important and I’m very glad you put it here. The meetings occupy a few hours each MONTH. That’s a very small percentage of the time. The rest of the time, it’s up to each of us to take the charism out into the world, into our families and workplaces. I’m not comparing it to the life of the other orders, but suffice it to say, it’s challenging.

For a Franciscan, we are supposed to take the brotherhood, praise of God, and basic understanding of the Gospel out with us in a robust way. We are to treat people like brothers and attend to them as a brother would. This means paying attention to the poor, and the hurt, and the ones needing understanding and attention, even if it’s a family member or someone at work who needs help. It means giving people the benefit of the doubt in Christmas traffic. LOL. It means taking the Gospel out into the world, even when it seems hard or reckless or not very fashionable. It means owning up to the Gospel in public in the year 2011 in the US and that’s scary.

This may make Br. JR blush, but you see how patient he is, answering all our questions over and over and over? He’s helping us to understand, and he’s a Franciscan. He doesn’t shirk us off as dummies not worth the time, because we have all these questions over and over and over again either. It’s part of his life to do this, a small part of all he does and has done, but still…

Each of the third orders have these kinds of responsibilities with different focus points. Together we make up a whole. Each of the third orders will have a description of what this focus is; members apply the focus and it’s more or less laid out, in many cases less. The application is often very much in the member’s court with assistance as needed from the order’s members locally. It’s far more than meetings and ideas about habits, far far more.
 
jwinch2 said:
Could you rephrase that? I’m not quite sure what you are getting at.

Peace,
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Okay, let me try again since I am on a computer now.

What I am asking is:
  • Since most of the learning takes place on one’s own.
  • Since most of the spiritual development takes place on one’s own
What do you find fulfilling about being part of an order (and I know you have only just begun formation)?

Is it the sense of brotherhood and affinity with a group which has similar spiritual goals as you?
 
TrueLight said:
Okay, let me try again since I am on a computer now.

What I am asking is:
  • Since most of the learning takes place on one’s own.
  • Since most of the spiritual development takes place on one’s own
What do you find fulfilling about being part of an order (and I know you have only just begun formation)?

Is it the sense of brotherhood and affinity with a group which has similar spiritual goals as you?
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Its hard to answer the first part other than to say that I was looking for an authentic approach to Catholic Spirituality that appealed to me as well as continued formation in the faith, and I believe that the Order of Preachers is where I belong in that respect. As for the second question, partly, but that is something that I have not experienced at any significant level. I should have the opportunity to meet more Dominicans in the coming months so that will likely help in that regard.
 
jwinch2 said:
Its hard to answer the first part other than to say that I was looking for an authentic approach to Catholic Spirituality that appealed to me as well as continued formation in the faith, and I believe that the Order of Preachers is where I belong in that respect. As for the second question, partly, but that is something that I have not experienced at any significant level. I should have the opportunity to meet more Dominicans in the coming months so that will likely help in that regard.
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Okay. Thanks.
 
A few posts ago someone asked whether there was any contemplative prayer as a member of SFO. Like has already said things are different fraternity to fraternity, but it has been my experience that in general contemplative prayer isn’t part of the “normal” fraternity meetings but in usually used in other meetings. In my fraternity the council has Lectio Divina (meditation/contemplation on Scripture verse) as part of every council meeting. During formation, the formation classes usually also had Lectio Divina. Before our meetings moved from a weeknight to a Sunday we would occasionally start the meeting with Eucharist Adoration. On a retreat before profession, my formation class had a long time devoted to contemplative prayer.

Everyone in SFO is free to use contemplative prayer as part of their personal prayer life. In my experience contemplative prayer as a large group never seems to work well. Definitely something that doesn’t work well with beginners, to many distractions.
 
TrueLight said:
I visited a Carmelite meeting and there was a 1/2 hour silent meditation. I was just curious as to if there is a set time for contemplative prayer at any of the meetings. Is contemplation a part of the charism as well?
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Recollection and contemplation is very much a part of Fraciscan life. Just look at the life of Francis, Clare, Anthony, Bonaventure, Angela Foligno, Elizabeth of Hungary, Pius X. All were Franciscans of the different Franciscan oders.

Except for the Poor Clares, Franciscans do not have a practice of contemplative prayer in common. This was done very deliberately by St. Francis. He wanted to avoid as much monasticism as possible. The Poor Clares live a monastic life. All the other Franciscans do not. Francis required the minimum monastic practices, which is reduced to the chapter, common meals, common recreation and fellowship, common retreat and Divine Office.

However, prayer of recollection is required of every Franciscan, but never in common. That would mak us like the monks. In Francis’ mind, this was right up there with sung masses and Gregorian Chant to pray the Divine Office – too monastic.

The brothers and sisters of the three orders are to pray liturgical prayer in common. The big focus of their gatherings must always be liturgical prayer, on-goring formation and celebrating fraternity. In the more monastic traditions, such as the Carmelites and Dominicans, faternity is less intense and connon contemplative prayer is more intense.

This does not mean that it never happens. There are special times and events during the year when Franciscans do gather together in silence, to pray. The big one is the Transitus of St. Francis (Oct 3) when we gather to celebrate the passion of St. Francis and remember his passing. The other is Holy Thursday to Good Friday. Contemplating the cross plays an important part in the life of Franciscan communities around the world.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
Over 800 years ago, Our Holy Father Francis introduced a new concept into the liturgy of Christmas Eve. That was the Christmas Pageant. Many people think of Francis as being the mastermind behind the Christmas crèche. The truth was that the crèche already existed, but had been forgotten. The part that he introduced into the liturgy was the actual Christmas play. He did it twice. He also introduced the Passion Play and the Living Stations on Good Friday.

Francis was very aware that human beings learn through their senses. He also understood that the liturgy had multiple ends. It was to offer the sacrifice, but it didn’t stop there. It was also a celebration of Thanksgiving and a celebration of fraternity. He commissions his friars to take this message to the world, beginning with Christmas.

The non-Franciscan would ask, why Christmas? Because at Christmas, divinity breaks into human history, not as a powerful God from above, but as child who is one with the world. The power of God reveals itself through humanity. As the Prophet Isaiah said, “And a child will lead them.” Francis was very much in tune with this. God has entered into the world as child and he would lead us to the Father as a fraternity.

Francis was aware that through the incarnation and birth of Christ all men are brought into brotherhood with each other through the eternal Logos who becomes the first-born among many brothers. Christmas reminds of God’s call to all men to live in community and peace. Francis pays very special attention to the angels who proclaim, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will.” Christmas reveals the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the Christian journey, with neither being subordinate to the other, but equally necessary for salvation.

In bringing the living nativity into the Christmas Mass, he achieves two things. First, he creates a visual aid of Luke’s Gospel. Second, he draws the human element into the celebration of the mass. One has to understand how this happened. Francis sent out invitations to the local farmers and shepherds to come to Midnight Mass with their animals. He commanded his brothers to build a large stable on the sanctuary, where one of the brother-priests would celebrate the Midnight Mass. It was the first time in Christian history that the laity, religious, and animals would gather as one family, led by the priest, to worship God and offer thanks.

That mass that was celebrated at Greccio did not disappear from the Catholic horizon. At the Council of Trent, the Church would unify the Latin Rite, taking as its model the Franciscan form of the mass. Pope Pius V would later tweak it even more by adding some Benedictine elements to it, such as Gregorian chant and some Dominican elements. However, Pius V, being a Dominican Friar was very obedient to Our Holy Father Dominic who commanded the Dominicans to love, respect, protect and never find fault with the Franciscans. Therefore, Pope Pius allowed the Franciscans to keep their pageants at Christmas and Good Friday. The Franciscans took this tradition with them around the world.

People from all over the world would flock to the Franciscan friaries for Midnight Mass at Christmas. As the Church grew, the number of Catholics and distances became greater. It was not as easy to get to a Franciscan Midnight Mass. Urbanization exploded. There were more cities and less farm animals. People began to carve little images of the Holy Family, shepherds and animals and that’s how the Christmas crèche found its way into Catholic homes.

Since we’re sharing about the place of religious life in Catholic tradition, I thought I’d share this little story. This year, when you look at your crèche in your home, remember the history behind it, its purpose and the religious family that introduced it into our lives.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF :christmastree1:
 
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