St. Francis in the Eastern Churches?

[dvdjs]

From Irenikon
groups.yahoo.com/group/Irenikon/message/40430

Some people have asked why the Orthodox don’t “pray the Rosary” as Roman Catholics and some other non-Orthodox do. Others object to Orthodox praying the Rosary since, in their view, this is “not an Orthodox devotion,” but peculiar to Roman Catholicism. In hope of shedding some light on the subject, we publish the following letter of Father Alexander Gumanovsky, a spiritual son of Father Zosima, who was himself a spiritual son of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Fr. Alexander begins his letter with a quote from Fr. Zosima:

    …I forgot to give you a piece of advice vital for salvation. Say the "O Hail, Mother of God and Virgin" one hundred and fifty times, and this prayer will lead you on the way to salvation. This rule was given by the Mother of God herself in about the eighth century, and at one time all Christians fulfilled it. We Orthodox have forgotten about it, and St. Seraphim has reminded me of this Rule. In my hands I have a hand-written book from the cell of St. Seraphim, containing a description of the many miracles which took place through praying to the Mother of God and especially through saying one hundred and fifty times the "O Hail, Mother of God and Virgin." If, being unaccustomed to it, it is difficult to master one hundred and fifty repetitions daily, say it fifty times at first. After every ten repetitions say the "Our Father" once and "Open unto us the doors of thy loving-kindness1." Whomever he spoke to about this miracle-working Rule remained grateful to him…

The elder Zosima greatly valued and loved Bishop Seraphim Zvezdinsky and always spoke of him as "that saintly Bishop." Bishop Seraphim Zvezdinsky performed the Rule of the Mother of God every day, and; when he performed it he prayed for the whole world, embracing in is this Rule whole life of the Queen of Heaven.

He gave one of his spiritual children the task of copying a plan which he included his prayer to the Ever Virgin Mary. Here it is:

    First decade: Let us remember the birth of the Mother of God. Let us pray for mothers, fathers, and children.

    Second decade: Let us the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God. Let us pray for those who have lost their way and fallen away from the church.

    Third decade: Let us remember the Annunciation of the Blessed Mother of God—let us pray for the soothing of sorrows and the consolation of those who grieve.

    Fourth decade: Let us remember the meeting of the Blessed Virgin with the righteous Elizabeth. Let us pray for the reunion of the separated, for those whose dear ones or children are living away from them or missing.

    Fifth decade: Let us remember the Birth of Christ. Let us pray for the rebirth of souls, for new life in Christ.

    Sixth decade: Let us remember the Feast of the Purification of the Lord, and the words uttered by St. Simeon: "Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also" (Luke 2:35). Let us pray that the Mother of God will meet our souls at the hour of our death, and will contrive that we receive the Holy Sacrament with our last breath, and will lead our souls through the terrible torments.

    Seventh decade: Let us remember the flight of the Mother of God with the God-Child into Egypt. Let us pray that the Mother of God will help us avoid temptation in this life and deliver us from misfortunes.

    Eighth decade: Let us remember the disappearance of the twelve-year old boy Jesus in Jerusalem and the sorrow of the Mother of God on this account. Let us pray, begging the Mother of God for the constant repetition of the Jesus Prayer.

    Ninth decade: Let us remember-the miracle performed in Cana of Galilee, when the Lord turned water into wine at the words of the Mother of God: "They have no wine" (John 2:3). Let us ask the Mother of God for help in our affairs and deliverance from need.

    Tenth decade: Let us remember the Mother of God standing at the Cross of the Lord, when grief pierced through her heart like a sword. Let us pray to the Mother of God for the strengthening of our Souls and the banishment of despondency.

    Eleventh decade: Let us remember the Resurrection of Christ and ask the Mother of God in prayer to resurrect our souls and give us a new courage for spiritual feats.

    Twelfth decade: Let us remember the Ascension of Christ, at which the Mother of God was present. Let us pray and ask the Queen of Heaven to raise up our souls from earthly and worldly amusements and direct them to striving for higher things.

    Thirteenth decade: Let us remember the Upper Room and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Mother of God. Let us pray: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me" (Psalm 51).

    Fourteenth decade: Let us remember the Assumption of the Blessed Mother of God, and ask for a peaceful and serene end.

    Fifteenth decade: Let us remember the glory of the Mother of God, with which the Lord crowned her after her removal from earth to heaven. Let us pray to the Queen of Heaven not to abandon the faithful who are on earth but to defend them from every evil, covering them with her honoring and protecting veil.

After every decade Bishop Seraphim prayed his own prayers, which he revealed to no one, so that only the Lord and the Queen of Heaven knew these prayers.

Thus, we can see that the Rosary is a completely Orthodox form of devotion to our Lady.

1. The Full text of the prayer is: “Open unto us the door of thy loving-kindness, O blessed Mother of God, in that we set our hope on thee, may we not go astray; but through thee may we be delivered from all adversities, fix thou art the salvation of all Christian people.”

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

Wow. That’s awesome. How many Orthodox know about this? Or pray with it?

 

[Alexander_Roman]

Those Orthodox who are very familiar with the life of St Seraphim of Sarov (very many) would know about the Rosary/Rule - it is practiced in monastic circles especially (on Mt Athos, monks there will make a full prostration to the floor after each Our Father and Hail Mary - very much like the old Catholic practice of genuflecting after each Hail Mary).

However, books like the 2003 “Encyclopedia of Orthodoxy” have articles on this prayer rule for all to see.

In the Baroque period of the Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Metropolia, the rosary was a standard devotion for all clergy, hierarchy and monastics and was taught from the pulpit (St Dmitri of Rostov etc.). Even those who weren’t familiar with the 15 mysteries often repeated the Hail Mary on their prayer ropes/beads many, many times daily.

Alex

 

[Little_Boy_Lost]

One thing is odd. Is there a concept of the “Decade” of knots in the prayer rope tradition? In his instructions he says to meditate and pray for certain things when praying a decade. What constitutes a “Decade” in the East and is that something introduced by contact with the West?

 

[Alexander_Roman]

In the Slavic tradition especially, prayer ropes are divided every ten knots with larger “divider beads or knots.” In the Greek tradition, stemming from St Basil the Great, they are divided every 25 knots.

Alex

 

[Aramis]

Then there is the lestokova and prayer ropes based upon it, with uneven distributions:
12 - Apostles
39 - weeks of the pregnancy of the Theotokos
33 - years of the Incarnation
17 - OT prophets
9 large dividers - the 9 choirs of angels​

101+9

organized 3L-12s-1L-39s-1L-33s-1L-17s-3L

see orthodoxwiki.org/Prayer_rope

 

[Alexander_Roman]

Then there is the lestokova and prayer ropes based upon it, with uneven distributions:
12 - Apostles
39 - weeks of the pregnancy of the Theotokos
33 - years of the Incarnation
17 - OT prophets
9 large dividers - the 9 choirs of angels​

101+9

organized 3L-12s-1L-39s-1L-33s-1L-17s-3L

see orthodoxwiki.org/Prayer_rope

Yes, the Old Believers will argue that this is the original prayer rope while most others will say this is a later development (in any event, St Seraphim and many others adopted it and St Seraphim is always portrayed holding one).

It is worn on one’s left elbow when going to Church and is also used to count the numbers of “Kirie Eleison” during the services i.e. starting at the large divider step at the front of the 38 smaller step division, one ends on the larger step afterwards to make 40 recitations of “Lord have mercy.” The 17 step division is used to perform the bows and prostrations of the Prayer of St Ephrem beginning with a bow with “By the prayers of our Holy Fathers” on the first step, followed by the three prostrations of the three main parts of the prayer, followed by 12 bows/prostrations, ending with the final prostration on the 17th step. During Lent, when reciting the Jesus Prayer on the Ladder/Lestovka, one always ends with the 17 bows of the Prayer of St Ephrem.

The main body of the Ladder/Lestovka has 100 smaller steps divided by three larger ones - keeping the essential “Rosary of St Basil the Great.”

The six larger steps on either side of the end of the Ladder is used to perform the Psalter Doxology for every 100 Prayers. So one recites the Glory be on the space between the end of the Ladder and the beginning of the three larger steps, then on each of the larger steps one recites “Alleluia, Alleuia, Glory to Thee, O Lord” (the Old Believers say Alleluia twice and then “Glory to Thee” to make up for the third time in honour of the Trinity). Then one turns the Ladder/Lestovka over and says “Lord have mercy” three times on the larger steps on the other side, ending with another “Glory be” on the space following and before beginning another “hundred” of Jesus Prayers.

The stitching on both sides of the “lapostki” or the triangles (a reference to the Trinity) represent the four Gospel writers and the teaching of the Gospels.

In many Lestovka-Ladders, there is a leather attachment with seven moveable pieces, like a small abacus. This is to count the number of times the Ladder is recited and the Old Rite Orthodox tradition prescribes that every Christian ought to say seven Lestovka/Ladders daily (in honour of the seven sacraments). The leather attachment with seven moveable pieces is used to keep count of these. To replace the Psalter, one would say, in the Old Rite Orthodox tradition, 7,000 Jesus Prayers and 3,000 minimum for the Daily Office.

There is also the Old Believer “Theotokos Lestovka” which is the same idea but with 15 decades of smaller steps divided every ten, of course, with a larger step.

The Russian Old Believers have a very strong tradition of saying the Theotokos Lestovka or Rosary daily using such a Lestovka/Ladder.

I am blessed to have both types of Lestovka in my possession.

Alex

 

[futureKC123]

Yes, I’ve come across Orthodox who deny St Gregory ever bore the stigmata as well. They see it as a Western thing.

It certainly isn’t something that is popular in the Eastern Churches and it is never depicted in iconography (even Christ is never depicted with the marks of the nails, as far as I know).

As for the vagueness - it is more definite than references to the stigmata of Catholic saints that I’ve read.

Whether or not this relates to stigmata, I don’t know. But there is an Eastern tradition that relates to the wearing around the neck of the Lord’s Cross.

If someone should ask one about it, we are to say, “I bear on my body the Marks of the Lord Jesus” quoting St Paul.

Also, Orthodox and EC monastics of the Great Schema wear representations of the Crucifixion on their monastic robes with the same verse sewn in at the edges.

It probably relates to the “marks” of the Cross.

I’ve no doubt personally that St Gregory bore the stigmata.

As for not finding other references online - the internet is great, but is hardly the penultimate reference, as you know.

Once, on an Eastern Christian forum, I asserted that the Rosary was popular in the East and was practiced by Orthodox saints (St Seraphim of Sarov himself said that our Lady told him in a vision that the Rosary/Rule of the Theotokos of 150 Hail Mary’s was the most important devotion a Christian could practice in her honour to secure her protection in life and death).

But because there were no English language references available online for this, and because the only other articles on this were ones written by myself, my conclusion was dismissed as inadmissable and even “tendentious” on my part, as if I had an interest in imposing western devotions on Eastern Christians (believe me, nothing is further from the truth).

And in addition to books and articles on subjects, it is also good to speak directly with theologians, bishops and priests who are acquainted with the subjects we are seeking information about. It is often the case that they are living repositories of knowledge that they have brought with them from far-away libraries and traditions which only they may impart truthfully and exactly to us.

Also, when I once asserted that Pope Innocent III himself wrote a treatise urging all Christians to cross themselves with three fingers (as the Orthodox and EC’s do to this day), I was accused of all sorts of nasty things (“Where are your sources? Who told you such a thing?”). But I only had a non-English source for this that wasn’t online. Happily, a fellow came on with an English online translation of that source. No response from the gentlemen who attacked me though . . .

The stigmata, once again, are not prized by the East, nor is there any special cult to persons who bear them ie. that emphasizes them. In the Ukrainian Catholic Church, there have been some stigmatists such as Steven Navrotsky and others.

The Blessed HieroMartyr under the soviets, Bishop Paul Gojdich, OSBM, became a stigmatist while in prison and he is sometimes portrayed with bandaged hands etc.

Also, Rome is very careful about declaring stigmatists nowadays. The great Padre St Pio of Pietrelcina, although he bore the stigmata for half a century, has never been declared a stigmatist officially by the Church. (BTW, I had the great privilege of venerating a glove ensanguined by the blood of the Holy Padre Pio last year).

Alex

+JMJ+
Dear Alex,
I know peoples thoughts on Monastery Icons (and I agree) but just in case anyone ever brings it up in a conversation, one icon of our Lord does show the hole from the nail. You have to zoom in on it to see it but its there. I’m not trying to disagree because I’m totally with what your saying 100%, just wanted to let you know

http://www.monasteryicons.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?action=DETAIL&item=550&template=popup_temp.html

 

[DL82]

Those Orthodox who are very familiar with the life of St Seraphim of Sarov (very many) would know about the Rosary/Rule - it is practiced in monastic circles especially (on Mt Athos, monks there will make a full prostration to the floor after each Our Father and Hail Mary - very much like the old Catholic practice of genuflecting after each Hail Mary).

However, books like the 2003 “Encyclopedia of Orthodoxy” have articles on this prayer rule for all to see.

In the Baroque period of the Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Metropolia, the rosary was a standard devotion for all clergy, hierarchy and monastics and was taught from the pulpit (St Dmitri of Rostov etc.). Even those who weren’t familiar with the 15 mysteries often repeated the Hail Mary on their prayer ropes/beads many, many times daily.

Alex

Going back to the title of this thread, other than living in peace among the animals, and being very widely venerated, are there any core similarities between St Francis & St Seraphim? I have often heard him referred to as “the St Francis of the East”, but mostly in connection to his gentleness towards animals. I always find this sweet little detail of St Francis’ life distorts people’s understanding of Franciscan spirituality - Francis preached to the birds because the people wouldn’t listen, he wasn’t a modern-day environmentalist, but was fundamentally concerned with preaching and the salvation of souls.

 

[Alexander_Roman]

+JMJ+
Dear Alex,
I know peoples thoughts on Monastery Icons (and I agree) but just in case anyone ever brings it up in a conversation, one icon of our Lord does show the hole from the nail. You have to zoom in on it to see it but its there. I’m not trying to disagree because I’m totally with what your saying 100%, just wanted to let you know

http://www.monasteryicons.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?action=DETAIL&item=550&template=popup_temp.html

Yes, I’ve seen that. There might also be icons of the Resurrection of Christ where the marks of the nails might be depicted, this can be checked.

We should all adopt the practice of referring to the neck Cross we wear as “bearing on our bodies the Marks of the Lord Jesus.”

These words are inscribed on the “polystavrion” or monastic scapular-like vestement adorned with many Crosses for those of the highest degree of monastic tonsure.

And when someone asks us why we wear the Cross, we are instructed to tell them “I bear on my body the Marks of the Lord Jesus.”

Cheers!

Alex

 

[Alexander_Roman]

Going back to the title of this thread, other than living in peace among the animals, and being very widely venerated, are there any core similarities between St Francis & St Seraphim? I have often heard him referred to as “the St Francis of the East”, but mostly in connection to his gentleness towards animals. I always find this sweet little detail of St Francis’ life distorts people’s understanding of Franciscan spirituality - Francis preached to the birds because the people wouldn’t listen, he wasn’t a modern-day environmentalist, but was fundamentally concerned with preaching and the salvation of souls.

Core similarities between these two Saints begin with their relationship with nature insofar as both fled the world and communed with God in the “Desert.” They both shared a poverty of spirit. St Francis demonstrated his poverty of spirit not only through his actual and extreme physical poverty, but also by insisting that his followers reject all the trappings of worldly position and power. When his followers talked to him about asking for privileges granted to other mendicant orders, St Francis told them, “Let your singular privilege be that you have no privilege . . .”

St Francis also had a tremendous devotion to the Most Holy Name of the Lord Jesus and His Passion. Whenever he said the Name of Jesus out loud, he would stop and then lick his lips. He did this to show how rich in the honey of blessings the Name of the Lord Jesus is and by licking his lips he taught people that it is important to say the Holy Name unhurriedly and with full awareness of the tremendous spiritual benefit the Name of Jesus bestows on us.

St Seraphim was dedicated to the Jesus Prayer which he recited day and night before the Face of the Virgin Mary in his special miraculous icon. St Seraphim also read through the entire New Testament each week, reciting a Gospel each day, together with the Acts and the Book of Revelation to which he added two or three books of the Epistles of Paul etc. He was truly an “Evangelical Christian.”

St Seraphim had a great devotion to the Mother of Jesus who visited him several times throughout his life. It was she who told him about the importance of the rosary/rule of prayer in her honour and said that it was more important than any other Eastern prayer in procuring her heavenly protection over our lives. When St Seraphim died, he was praying on his knees before his icon of the Virgin of tender feeling, and, as he expired, he leaned forward on his knees toward the icon, his forehead resting on the Virgin Mary’s enfolded hands.

Both Saints were concerned with preaching a radical Christianity of the heart, reformation of life and true devotion to God and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Alex

 

[Madaglan]

I’ve read biographies of both men, and while one may point to common dedication to the Lord and His Mother, I do not see St. Seraphim of Sarov as a St. Francis of the East. St. Francis, as became regular with friars, preached amongst the common people, and even traveled to Muslim Egypt. St. Seraphim of Sarov was a monk and a hermit. Rather than go out amongst society, people came to him for his spiritual direction. Yes, both sought to live the evangelical counsels in perfection, yet this is common amongst many saints, East and West.

 

[Apotheoun]

Maybe, maybe not. I just read a thread on an orthodox board discussing that particular line. And it seems a little vague. I Don’t see it mentioned in other discussions of the saint either…

I agree.

 

[Apotheoun]

As an Eastern Catholic I commemorate the saints listed on the Byzantine calendar, and I am not supportive of blending in saints from other liturgical calendars. I also think that Roman Catholics should stick to commemorating the saints found in their calendar. I see no need, and actually think it unwise, to try and blend the liturgical calendars and spiritual traditions of East and West. I am not interested in a hybridized form of spirituality; instead, I desire to be faithful to the tradition (doctrinal, liturgical, and spiritual) of the Eastern Fathers and mystics.

 

[JReducation]

I’ve read biographies of both men, and while one may point to common dedication to the Lord and His Mother, I do not see St. Seraphim of Sarov as a St. Francis of the East. St. Francis, as became regular with friars, preached amongst the common people, and even traveled to Muslim Egypt. St. Seraphim of Sarov was a monk and a hermit. Rather than go out amongst society, people came to him for his spiritual direction. Yes, both sought to live the evangelical counsels in perfection, yet this is common amongst many saints, East and West.

You’re right that both men share a common Christian spirituality, but that’s where the comparison ends.

There are many things about St. Francis that make him very different from the monks of West and East. Just to name a few:

1. He was a layman and founded a religious family not a religious order. The friars are one branch of that family.
2. The life of the friars focuses on three values: absolute and unquestioning obedience, poverty as a goal, not a means, and brotherhood.
3. Priests were not part of his agenda nor was he opposed to them. If they joined his family, they were welcome, but they are not allowed to receive any special privileges or rights because they are priests. They must live, pray and work like any brother.
4. The life of prayer is very different. While monks put a lot of energy and attention to detail into the planning of liturgy and Divine Office, Francis took away things like chanting the Office. He he wanted all of his brothers to be able to pray the Office. In those days, if you did not have a good voice, you could not be a choir monk. Or if you did not have a good education, you could not be a choir monk either. You had to be a Lay Brother. Francis did away with the whole concept of the choir. In so doing, he did away with the distinction between the Fathers and the Lay Brothers and created a new way of praying. The Divine Office is recited and it was even recited as they walked from one town to another. The mass can be celebrated in a grand cathedral or over a board strategically placed over a rock. The focus is on the Eucharist, the sacrifice and the unity of the brothers, not on the rubrics. This is not to say that they did not have rubrics. They did, but they were and are very simple.
5. Francis did not visualize himself or his brothers as spiritual guides, which is something that monks do a lot. His vision was that his brothers and later his sisters were to live and work among the poor. We are to preach by simply being present. People must learn of the Gospel by our presence and observing our life and work. This made it possible for many men and women to join him. Some did preach or teach and others simply lived the community life.
6. Francis was a missionary and his brothers were to be missionaries and his sisters were to remain at home and pray for them. In both East and West, when monks go out on mission it means that they go out to start a new foundation, not to engage in the local affairs.
7. Francis did not like the enclosure, except for women, not for men. We have hermits, but no monks. Even the hermits were not to have walls that separated them from the world. They lived in communities of three and still do so. While he was very fond of the Benedictines and there has always been a close friendship between the two families, it was very clear in Francis’ rule that we were not to adopt the monastic structure. He even forbids the election of Priors and Abbots. The term Abbot is for Father and that is a title that he held on to for himself. He is the only Father of the Franciscan family. He is the patriarch. Every superior after him is simply a Minister and no superior can trump him. Whereas in monasticism, the Abbot is the highest authority. The founder is a reference point. He does not govern from the grave. Francis still governs his family to this day, especially the men. In our rite of profession we vow to obey him. In monastic communities, you vow to obey the Abbot and the rule.
8. Finally, Francis did not see the need for structure in his community. The less structure the better. His community was to observe the Gospel. The Rule is not as detailed as the monastic rules of Benedict and Basil.

Interestingly enough, there are Franciscan houses in the Eastern Churches. The arrangement is rather interesting. The friars are Eastern Catholics, but they are governed by the Latin General Minister. They are not autonomous. They are Eastern in their liturgy and their customs, but their life and work is still very grounded in Francis’ vision. To the best of my knowledge, there are not many such houses. There are many friars who are Eastern Catholics. They are nestled among the Latin Catholic friars. These are Eastern Catholics who joined the Franciscan family. I lived with a friar who was Ukrainian. Every Sunday he served the Ukrainian people at the local parish. When he returned to the house, he would participate with the rest of the brotherhood in the Latin Rites. He was a wonderful guy, may God have him in heaven.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Alexander_Roman]

I agree.

That doesn’t prove the case one way or another, however. And there are many Orthodox saints who had nothing to do with Rome, but who were as “Latin” as other Latin saints of his time.

Alex

 

[Alexander_Roman]

You’re right that both men share a common Christian spirituality, but that’s where the comparison ends.

There are many things about St. Francis that make him very different from the monks of West and East. Just to name a few:

1. He was a layman and founded a religious family not a religious order. The friars are one branch of that family.
2. The life of the friars focuses on three values: absolute and unquestioning obedience, poverty as a goal, not a means, and brotherhood.
3. Priests were not part of his agenda nor was he opposed to them. If they joined his family, they were welcome, but they are not allowed to receive any special privileges or rights because they are priests. They must live, pray and work like any brother.
4. The life of prayer is very different. While monks put a lot of energy and attention to detail into the planning of liturgy and Divine Office, Francis took away things like chanting the Office. He he wanted all of his brothers to be able to pray the Office. In those days, if you did not have a good voice, you could not be a choir monk. Or if you did not have a good education, you could not be a choir monk either. You had to be a Lay Brother. Francis did away with the whole concept of the choir. In so doing, he did away with the distinction between the Fathers and the Lay Brothers and created a new way of praying. The Divine Office is recited and it was even recited as they walked from one town to another. The mass can be celebrated in a grand cathedral or over a board strategically placed over a rock. The focus is on the Eucharist, the sacrifice and the unity of the brothers, not on the rubrics. This is not to say that they did not have rubrics. They did, but they were and are very simple.
5. Francis did not visualize himself or his brothers as spiritual guides, which is something that monks do a lot. His vision was that his brothers and later his sisters were to live and work among the poor. We are to preach by simply being present. People must learn of the Gospel by our presence and observing our life and work. This made it possible for many men and women to join him. Some did preach or teach and others simply lived the community life.
6. Francis was a missionary and his brothers were to be missionaries and his sisters were to remain at home and pray for them. In both East and West, when monks go out on mission it means that they go out to start a new foundation, not to engage in the local affairs.
7. Francis did not like the enclosure, except for women, not for men. We have hermits, but no monks. Even the hermits were not to have walls that separated them from the world. They lived in communities of three and still do so. While he was very fond of the Benedictines and there has always been a close friendship between the two families, it was very clear in Francis’ rule that we were not to adopt the monastic structure. He even forbids the election of Priors and Abbots. The term Abbot is for Father and that is a title that he held on to for himself. He is the only Father of the Franciscan family. He is the patriarch. Every superior after him is simply a Minister and no superior can trump him. Whereas in monasticism, the Abbot is the highest authority. The founder is a reference point. He does not govern from the grave. Francis still governs his family to this day, especially the men. In our rite of profession we vow to obey him. In monastic communities, you vow to obey the Abbot and the rule.
8. Finally, Francis did not see the need for structure in his community. The less structure the better. His community was to observe the Gospel. The Rule is not as detailed as the monastic rules of Benedict and Basil.

Interestingly enough, there are Franciscan houses in the Eastern Churches. The arrangement is rather interesting. The friars are Eastern Catholics, but they are governed by the Latin General Minister. They are not autonomous. They are Eastern in their liturgy and their customs, but their life and work is still very grounded in Francis’ vision. To the best of my knowledge, there are not many such houses. There are many friars who are Eastern Catholics. They are nestled among the Latin Catholic friars. These are Eastern Catholics who joined the Franciscan family. I lived with a friar who was Ukrainian. Every Sunday he served the Ukrainian people at the local parish. When he returned to the house, he would participate with the rest of the brotherhood in the Latin Rites. He was a wonderful guy, may God have him in heaven.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

What an interesting and amazing post, Rev. Brother!!

Thank you for sharing.

There were Franciscans here for World Youth Day in 2002 and I saw them recite the office as they walked along the highway to Toronto . . .

Alex

 

[Apotheoun]

That doesn’t prove the case one way or another, however.

Alex

One text, which can be interpreted in different ways, does not prove that he had stigmata. Personally, I think it unlikely that he did, and that the text is simply referring to his imprisonment as the wounds of Christ in a metaphorical sense.

 

[JReducation]

What an interesting and amazing post, Rev. Brother!!

Thank you for sharing.

There were Franciscans here for World Youth Day in 2002 and I saw them recite the office as they walked along the highway to Toronto . . .

Alex

That’s very common among us. We recite the office in chapels, on the road, in cafeterias, etc. If we were monks, we would need a choir. The way that I describe Franciscan spirituality is one that has monastic elements, without the monastery. One of those is the Liturgy of the Hours. I know that many people prefer the term Divine Office. The fact is that in the early days of our history, we did simply called it Praying the Breviary. Both terms are interchangeable for Franciscans.

Unknown to many Latin Catholics, Francis also introduced many Eastern Catholic customs into his family, one of them being standing during the canon of the mass. In later years, there was an option to stand or kneel. This is still in place today. You had the ordained friar celebrate the Latin Rite, but everyone stood. You kneel in adoration when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed, but not during the mass. As the friars went out to other cities and countries, they adapted to the local customs when celebrating mass with the laity. In the conventual mass, things are a little different. Chapels usually have very few if any statues. Mosaics, frescoes and icons are more common than in most Latin religious houses.

There are also certain postures for prayer that Francis brought back from Egypt, which are really Muslim. He had this incredible sense of the sublime that he could see the holy and reverent even outside of the boundaries of the Roman Catholic Church, while at the same time loving and protecting the Roman Church. He was truly a catholic man. The lower case is deliberate. In a certain sense, he was more Eastern than Western. He was a different kind of mystic. You can’t peg him into the same slot as you would Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and other Latin Catholic Mystics. His was a very strong Trinitarian mysticism and strong Incarnational mysticism. Everything in the created world reflects a Divine attribute. If you read the Canticle of the Creatures, aka: Canticle of Brother Sun, you see a truly Franciscan approach to theology that is not present in other mystics and theologians in the East or West and yet, there is an air that appeals to both lungs.

One of the things that was very interesting about him was his strong inclination to unity while preserving diversity. When his friars went to the East, they did not try to Latinize the local people. They were themselves and let the locals be who they were. The focus was always the Gospel, not the externals. The individual expressions of the Gospel have always been respected.

Maybe I’m biased. I think he was a delightful man.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[LumenGent]

Br JReducation,

As you know there are many Fransiscan Orders today. You belong to the OSF which appears to have emmerged centuries after the founding of the common OFM Conv, OFM and OFM Cappuchins. Would you know who are the Original Franciscans? and how the OSF came into existance?