The Franciscan Bros of Life Are Looking for a Few Good Men

[JReducation]

The Brothers of Life of the Order of St. Francis or simply the Franciscan Brothers of Life have been given the green light by the bishops to recruit and form men who are searching for God, who have heard God calling in the night, who are looking for a place that they can call home.

The life of the brothers is a hard one. It is not for souls who are looking to get to heaven in first class. The constitution of the brothers requires complete obedience to the Church and to the voice of Christ as he speaks through the Holy Father, the local bishop, our holy Father St. Francis, and the Minister of the community. The brothers may not own any property, either individually or in common. But everything that they posses is to be on loan and returned to its rightful owner when it is no longer needed for he well-being of the brothers and the ministry.

As a Franciscan Brother of Life, your life shall be one of prayer around the clock. You will pray the Liturgy of the Hours with your brothers at the appointed time of day, rising at night to pray the Office of Readings. You will spend at leas an hour a day in front of the Blessed Sacrament and another period of lectio divina. You will observe silence from Compline until after breakfast. You will rise before the sun to praise God and worship him in the celebration of the mass, with the same desire and passion as our holy Father Francis.

You will minister to the unborn, first of all. Your life will be spent protecting the life of the unborn by helping parents opt for life instead of abortion. You will not be a social activist. But you will be a true brother to those who are afraid to bring a child into the world. You will provide food, shelter, clothing, training, medical care and whatever other needs they may have.

Christ will send you to heal the broken hearted, especially those who have had abortions, performed abortions or supported abortions. Through a ministry of itinerant preaching, like our holy Father Francis, you will go from town to town, parish to parish, neighborhood to neighborhood, and you will preach retreats, sermons, meditations and talk to those who are suffering post-abortion pain.

But not only will you minister to those involved in abortion or in the protection of the unborn. Your ministry will take you to the sick and their families and caregivers. You will preach and teach the power of prayer, the healing power and dignity of human suffering that is borne for love of and in union with Christ crucified. You will be the first to accept suffering united to Christ crucified. The brother shall protect the elderly and the sick from the arm of euthanasia and provide for them his loving arms in which to live and die as sons and daughters of God. Because you will sit with them as they await the time to go home. You will console their families and you will offer prayer for their souls.

In accord with the Rule of the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, you will do penance for your own sins and for those who do not do penance. You will proclaim the year of the Lord through your joy.

You will spend the rest of your life as part of a brotherhood, a family, united by the Holy Spirit under the guidance of the ancient rule of St. Francis of Assisi. Your grey habit and cowl will be a constant reminder of who you are, the messenger of Jesus Christ who is the first-born among many brothers. You will spend time with your brothers in prayer, community meals, recreation, study and manual labor. You and your brothers will take turns being Martha and Mary. While one prays the other ministers to the people of God.

But your life is also filled with great love and tenderness for Mary’s Immaculate Heart. For she is the greatest benefactor of the Franciscan Order and her patron. Together with our holy Father Francis, her example of total consecration to the will of God, will lead you to Heaven.

Finally, but not less important, you will offer to God the great gift of your sexuality and your fatherhood by promising to live consecrated celibacy (chastity) all the days of your life. So that by freely offering to God the Father the most sacred gift that he has given you, the potential to be a father, you can be a brother to the unborn and to those whose lives are fragile and in need of your fatherly care.

There is no time to waste. While we’re sitting here reading this thousands of children are being aborted. Elderly and sick people are being sentenced to death, because society deems their life to lack quality and purpose. People who have been involved in such heinous sins are in agony and in need of healing. We need you now. Maybe Christ is calling you.

PM me and I’ll send you the address to write or call. The Franciscan Brothers of Life do not yet have a website. They are waiting for someone to gift one to them.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[JReducation]

After I posted the above, I began to reflect on this new mission that God and the Church have given me. It dawned on me, how many men (or women) understand the life of a brother? Getting a community of brothers going is no small fete. People do not understand the vocation of the brother. Everyone understands the vocation of the priest and the sister; but the brother is a mystery to most Catholics. So I thought I’d add an addendum.

The life of the religious brother is all about Christ. The brother gives back all those things that are good and normal to his creator in order to enter into a mystery of love with JESUS his brother. The man who embraces the life of a brother gives his life back to the Father as a gift. In return, the brother receives a gift, the gift of eternity. Christ promises him that if he is faithful to the vows, to the service of the Church, to his brothers, to those whom he serves, he will have eternal life. The brother begins his eternal heavenly life here on earth.

Through the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, the brother contemplates the heavenly life that we will all live, where no one is given to anyone in marriage, where no one has need for material things, where the only desire is to worship God for all eternity. As a brother you become a sign for the world of what awaits us in heaven. You become the bridge between heaven and earth.

By forgetting self, the brother becomes one with those who need Christ the most. He is free to give himself to bringing back the lost sheep of Israel. God creates the brother to share his eternal life here on earth through life in community. In community the brother finds that he will travel down the road to Calvary in unity with Christ. The bond between the brother and the community is the seal of mercy, obedience, charity and mutual support.

One may ask, why become a brother and not a priest? Is a brother a half-way point between a priest and a layman? The answer is no. The call to be a brother is complete. It is not a halfway measure between priesthood and secular life. You are called to be a brother, because this is how Christ wants to save you and this is how Christ wants to use you to save others. You are not a brother because you cannot be a priest or a good husband and father. Just the opposite. You become a brother because you can bring to the community those gifts that would make you a good priest, a good husband and a good father. You are so aware of those gifts that you want to give them to Christ in a family of brothers with the same hopes, dreams and goals as you.

While the priest shares in Christ’s priesthood, the brother shares in Christ’s Incarnation. Christ becomes one with humanity by taking on human nature. The brother takes on Christ’s humanity, because the Father wants that humanity to shine without the distractions of the priesthood or the married life. Christ wants others to see his humanity in its purest form. Christ wants all men and women to see that they too are sons and daughters of the Father; therefore, they are called to be brothers and sisters to each other, as he became a brother to us. You, as religious brother, will stand in Christ’s place, the first-born of many brothers and sisters. You will proclaim the Good News that Christ is one with us and shares with us his sonship, making us his brothers and brothers to all men.

Finally, the brother is called to lead all men to Christ through his ministry. It is true that men need the sacraments, but they need someone to lead them there. They need someone to show them how the sacraments are lived. All men need someone to point to Christ, as John the Baptist did. This is what makes the brother very special among men and in the Church. He is a prophet, a teacher, and above all, he is a sign of Christ’s presence on the street.

It was not Christ the high priest on the cross who said to the apostles, “Come and see,” when they asked him where he was staying. It was Christ the brother who invited them to his home. It was John the Baptist who said, “I must decrease so that he may increase,” so dose the brother. It was Mary who said, “Do whatever he tells you,” so does the brother. Before the priestly sacrifice of Christ on the cross, there was a fraternal ministry of inviting, prophesying and instructing by Jesus, John the Baptist and Mary. God sends the brother to do the same, to invite, to prophesy and to instruct. But to do so, Christ first calls the brother. He gives the individual the life of grace necessary to fulfill the mission of leading all men to him.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[JReducation]

In this third installment, I wanted to speak about the ministry of the Franciscan Brothers of Life. Then I remembered something that happened last week and which I had posted on another thread. I have taken the liberty of copying it and pasting it here for those who want to get an idea of what the ministry of the Franciscan Brothers of Life looks like. Feel free to ask questions.

The most important thing in starting any new venture is to be open to the surprises of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes you think that you should go down one road and he points toward another that you never imagined or thought that you had the strength to travel. It reminds me of Robert Frost’s poen, “The Road Less Taken”. We are open the direction of the Holy Spirit at this point.

That being said, I spent this afternoon on a street corner in a very shady neighborhood. One of the men had come to my fathering classes and he invited me to meet his “homies”. I got there and began to talk to four guys about being good fathers and taking care of the children that God has given them. By the time I finished there were 13 guys listening and asking all kinds of questions. They youngest was 19 and the oldest 26. All of them are already fathers, going to be fathers or have procured abortions for their girlfriends. They invited me to come back. It was the most wonderful experience that I’ve had as a brother.

When you’re a situation like this you can really see God’s hand at work. These are men who have been in prison, dropped out of school, are struggling to make it in life. It was very beautiful to hear them shaer their experiences of life without fathers, without a rudder, without feeling like they are really men.

It was funny, because they kept calling me “monk”. I kept explaining that we dress like monks, but we’re friars. They didn’t quite get the difference. But the beautiful part of it was that I felt perfectly safe with them. I could see the goodness of God through them. They were keeping an eye out to make sure that I was safe. It’s the kind of neighborhood where drive through shootings are a daily occurrence. To see these men looking out for me and being concerned for my safety spoke to me of God’s presence deep beneath the layers of sin, anger, despair and loneliness. Who would care for your safety, if God were not present in the depths of their soul? I was reminded of our Holy Father John Paul II who always said, “Do not be afraid.”

I plan to go back there. Next time I may bring my bible.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[J_G]

Out of curiosity, which diocese are the Franciscan Brothers of Life located in?
God Bless!

 

[JReducation]

Out of curiosity, which diocese are the Franciscan Brothers of Life located in?
God Bless!

Right now they’re not canonically established in any diocese. But the dialogue is with the Archdiocese of Miami. To be canonically established is a process that has several steps. The first step is permission to begin the process of discernment and exposure. That’s been granted. The second step is to begin forming the members. That’s where things are right now. The step after that, once the members have completed formation, they must make profession at a time and place that is determined by the local bishop.

This is a new community that is surffacing in response to a very real need in the Church right now. The message of the Gospel of Life and the life of contemplation and service is desparately needed in almost every diocese around the world, especially in those countries where God’s plan for human life is most threatened. I guess we can say that it is needed everywhere, when we think of it that way.

The bishop has appointed a very wise and experienced priest as “vocation director”. Though he’s more of an advisor. That’s a very good thing. As he, the advisor, said himself, “You have the green light.” Bishops don’t appoint someone to work on a proposal for a community unless they are interested in seeing it flourish. So, that’s great. My only “sadness”, for lack of a better word, is the fact that if this is the Holy Spirit’s wish, which our advisor says that it is, eventually I’ll have to separate from my current community, which I dearly love. On the other hand, I have always found that when we respond to the movements of the Holy Spirit, we do better than when we try to outlead Him, if you know what I mean.

Am having a “bad internet day”, please excuse any typos. I had to write this three times, because the post got lost in cyber space.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[J_G]

Answered my question and i learned something too

 

[JReducation]

Answered my question and i learned something too

I’m glad. We aim to please. The Franciscan Brothers of Life are to the Franciscan family what the Discalced Carmelites are to the Carmelites. When you take several people from the main community and you add new ones to form a new community, that new community has the right of succession, because their founders came from the trunk… Therefore, they are Franciscan and call Francis of Assisi, Father.

The brothers need more postulants so as to disperse into the local Church. The Church needs men who respond to the call to consecrate their lives to Jesus in the service of the most vulnerable members of society. My mission is to form those postulants.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[Shoshana]

Prayers going up for you Father and I just love your title!!!

 

[Montalo]

Brother JR, what is the formation for the Franciscan Brothers of Life?

 

[JReducation]

Brother JR, what is the formation for the Franciscan Brothers of Life?

A lot depends on what the person has already. But generally speaking, the formation of the Franciscan Brothers of Life has three stages.

POSTULANCY;

This is an opportunity to ask questions, see the work, participate in it, develop a deeper life of prayer and knowledge of Church’s teachings on religious life and also knowledge aboiut St. Francis and the early brothers. Also, it is a time to study theology and phislosophy under the guidance of the Minister.

During the phase, you begin your first training in the externals of religious life. You learn to pray the Liturgy of the Hours in the Franciscan tradition, you will be gradually introduced to the life of penance through fasting and abstinence. If you do not know Latin, you will begin to study it, at least enough to pray the liturgy in both English and Latin.

The postulant wears the habit of the postulant. During postulancy the brother also learns the rule and constitutions of the order. He spends time in ministry, silence, and community. There are periods of study in scripture, Church history, study of Franciscan saints and blesseds, the external disciplines of religious life: how we walk, talk, pray, stand, communicate and so forth. The postulant is introduced to a mitgated version of the monastic schedule. As he grows into it, he goes deeper.

NOVITIATE:

The novitiate is at least one year, but may be extended to two. During this year, the novice rarely leaves the fraternity, never overnight. The novice receives the habit of the order and a new name as a sign that he is on a new journey toward God. During the novitiate the study of scripture, the rule, history and prayer continue. Along with this, the novice is introduced to the life of silence, contemplation, and lectio divina. During this year he begins to deepen his relationship with Christ in the Blessed Sacrament by spending more time with him who is the center of Life itself. He also spends time with our Blessed Mother through the rosary and daily meditations. He now begins his formation in Franciscan prayer, to pray as Francis prayed. Community life is very important for the novice. It is in brotherhood where every Franciscan finds Christ and in brotherhood where every Franciscan realizes his potential as a man and as a believer. There is work, study, play, pray in common. The novice spends a lot of time with the Minister as the early brothers did with Francis.

During the novitiate the novice lays aside all wordly posessions, he learns to live without material posessions so that he may posses Christ and Christ may posses him. The brother is living the evangelical counsels and training in their meaning according to the teachings of the Church and the interpretation and application of our holy Father Francis.

You spend a lot of time with the writings of our holy Father Francis. You are then introduced to the daily penances of the Order of Penance, the name which Francis gave to his brothers.

The novice also continues to serve in the ministry of the community and trains in the spiritual dimension of this ministry. He learns to see Christ in the poor, the lonely, those who are in pain, those who are desparate and have no place to turn, and those who are preparing to go home to Heaven. The only way to learn this is by being there with the poor, sick, unborn, and dying, holding Christ’s hand and offering his joy to those who have lost their sense of joy.

You will travel with the Minister of the community out to the mission sites. Mission sites are the places where the brother serves.

During this important time, the brother examines his soul to root out vices and sins and practice virtue.

TEMPORARY VOWS:

After at least a year of novitiate, the brother makes public profession of the vows: chastity, poverty, obedience and consecration to the Incarnate Christ. Temporary vows are made for three years and can be renewed up to a total of six years. The brother continues to study, but is much more involved in ministry and community life. Even though he spends less time with books, his time in prayer, solitude, liturgy, community and ministry increases to the normal level of any professed Franciscan. At the time of profession the brother exchanges the habit of the novice for the habit of the professed brother, which he will wear for the rest of his life.

During this time of formation, the brother studies philosophy and theology as well. He must be of one mind with the Magisterium on all things. the sudy of Evangelium Vitae is essential. After the period of temporary vows, the brother makes public profession of vows for the rest of his life using the Franciscan formula of profession:

“I Brother N, vow and promise to almight God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, our holy Father Francis, all the angels and saints, to Holy Mother Church, to you Brother, to observe observe the Gosepl of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by living in obedience to the Holy Rule of the Brothers of Penance, without property, in chastity and conscrated to the Incarnation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, all the days of my life.”

This is kind of sketchy, due to the limits of space on the board. I’d be happy to discuss all of this and more in greater detail by email or PMs.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[tmancath]

Praying hard that people may find the calling to the Franciscan Bros of Life. Being Selfless and devoting to poverty, chastity and obedience is quite awesome. Engaging in prayer helping those who have dealt with abortion sounds quite challenging. Right now as one who is going into the Secular Franciscans I feel quite compelled to pray for those decerning for vocations. This is totally touching my heart.

 

[JReducation]

Praying hard that people may find the calling to the Franciscan Bros of Life. Being Selfless and devoting to poverty, chastity and obedience is quite awesome. Engaging in prayer helping those who have dealt with abortion sounds quite challenging. Right now as one who is going into the Secular Franciscans I feel quite compelled to pray for those decerning for vocations. This is totally touching my heart.

If you’re a single man, this may be a possible way of life. That being said, the Secular Franciscan Order is our mother. The community to which I belong was founded by two SFOs and three Capuchin Franciscans. I have a lot of love and affection for the Secular Franciscan Order. It has given much to the Church.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[stanncie]

I will pray for you and your new order brother JR I live in the archdiocese of miami and you are indeed needed badly here

 

[JReducation]

I will pray for you and your new order brother JR I live in the archdiocese of miami and you are indeed needed badly here

Thank you for your prayers. We do need the Franciscan Brothers of Life. I was surprised when the bishop asked me to take on this task. When I originally approached him, my idea was that we found such a community, not that I leave my community to be the head of a new one. I’ve been praying to Mother Teresa a great deal. She had to do just that to respond to Christ’s call. Obedience is not something that comes easily to any of us. Thank God that we’re always filled with hope.

Moving along and speaking to the men who may be considering a vocation to the religious life. Christ may be calling you to a life dedicated to the most vulnerable members of society as an itinerant preacher, spiritual director, retreat master, teacher and friar all in one package. As Mother Teresa once said to the first women who joined her, “There is no time to lose. Jesus is suffering and he thirsts for souls.”

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[tmancath]

If you’re a single man, this may be a possible way of life. That being said, the Secular Franciscan Order is our mother. The community to which I belong was founded by two SFOs and three Capuchin Franciscans. I have a lot of love and affection for the Secular Franciscan Order. It has given much to the Church.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

If I was single I would definitely consider it. I am recently engaged. I will continue to hold you and this way of life The Franciscan Bros of Life

Behold me at thy feet, O Virgin most kind, seeking to obtain through thee, the most important grace of knowing what I ought to do. I desire nothing but to comply perfectly with the Will of thy Divine Son at every moment of my life. Mother of the Good Counsel, let me hear thy voice. It will dispel every doubt that troubles my mind. I trust thee, being confident that, since thou art the Mother of my Redeemer, thou wilt also be the Mother of my salvation. If thou, O Mary, wilt not send me a ray of the Divine Sun, what light will enlighten me? Who will direct me if thou refusest, who art the Mother of the uncreated Wisdom? Listen, them, to my humble prayers. Let me not be lost in my uncertainty and instability; lead me along the straight road that leads to life everlasting, thou who art my only hope, and whose hands are full of the riches of virtue and of life, and who dispenses the fruits of honor and holiness. Amen.

 

[JReducation]

I shared this on another thread. But I thought I’d post it here just give guys an idea of what a Franciscan Brother of Life does. It’s not a tough life. Actually, it can be very pleasant.

Yesterday and today have been very uncomfortable days. I’ve had a lot of trouble breathing because of the pain involved. As I was laying there with my oxygen and other stuff, as I like to call it, I received a telephone call. A young girl, age 20, had been kicked out of her home because she’s pregnant with her second child. Her family wants her to have an abortion. She has a one-year old baby. She had no place to go. She showed up at one of the neighboring parishes and they called for a brother, but the brothers were out on mission. I was the only one home.

Today, one of the counselors from Project Rachel called and said that she needed a brother for a young man whose wife had an abortion and told him after the fact. He was on the telephone with her. He was in distress. The counselor thought that a man would be better able to help him. Again, none of the brothers were home. They were all out at the pregnancy centers.

In both cases, I got up and went to see these folks. The wonderful thing that happened was that while I was with them, I felt no pain. I had no trouble breathing and didn’t need my oxygen. I was even able to walk and talk normally. To make a long story short, the girl is home again. The young man in distress and I were able to talk a long time. I can’t resolve his problem. But he asked me if he could come back to see me. He really feels that he needs healing and does not know where to turn. Of course I agreed. I’ll see him again later this week.

One more note, the young man whose wife had the abortion asked me, “Brother, do you think that God did this to punish me.” My heart went out to him. Can you imagine the guilt that he felt. I quickly dispelled that idea by reminding him that God does not kill babies to punish adults. As he was leaving he said to me, “I need peace. Please pray for me.”

Both times, as soon as the individuals left and I started my walk back to my community house. I felt the pain again and the difficulty breathing. You have to understand that the Franciscan Brothers of Life, do not own cars. We will walk until we get a car donated. If we have money, we can take the bus. As the “founder” of the new community, I must set a good example of what our holy Father Francis would do. So I began to walk back home. The longest trek was short, about six miles away. That’s not too bad and the days are cool now. But God was so nice about it. I asked him to help me smile. He not only let me smile, but he took away the pain while I was with these wonderful people. It did not return until they left.

Keep the prayers coming. The world needs St. Francis again, this time he must come as a Brother of Life.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF

 

[JReducation]

The good news about the Franciscan Brothers of Life is that we have had several inquiries from some very serious sounding men. In addition, we have had two people volunteer to help us with the web-site. They are donating their time, talents and resources to make this site happen. As soon as it’s up and running, I’ll post it here. Please continue to pray for vocations. We need the brothers.

This week we have had two retreats for healing in cooperation with the team from Rachel’s Vineyard. Even though I was in the hospital, I was taking calls from more pregnant mothers who are homeless and were looking for a place to live. I also had three more calls from men who were in deep pain over aborting their children. They wanted someone who would listen to them and assure them that God had not abandoned them. I also had a call from one man who wants to donate his time to sharing his experience with other men.

While at the hospital, I had a chance to talk to the nurses about our way of life. They came into my room and saw my habit hanging on the hook. Immediately they asked if I was a priest or monk. When I told them that I was neither, they become curious. They had never met a friar. I answered their questions about our life of poverty, prayer, community, on-going conversion and Jesus. We even got to speak about abortion and end-life issues. They all said that they were very impressed and did not know that the Church had a religious community that addressed these issues.

It was funny, because I had cables connected to my heart, an IV to my vein, an oxygen mask and some other thing connected to my finger. But I was able to share with these people and they were wonderful to me. They were interested. I know if I made any converts, but I do know that they heard me. The rest we leave up to the grace of God. They were also very impressed because the Secular Franciscans and the Capuchins volunteered to help pay my medical expenses, since our community is too poor to afford medical insurance. I explained that we are all part of a large international Franciscan family. Even the Catholics on the staff were impressed by this. All in all, I think it was a good mission trip to the hospital.

Now I’m back in my own bed waiting to hear where the Lord is going to send me this week.

Again, pray for vocations to the Franciscan Brothers of Life. If you’re male and single, Jesus may have a challenge for you. Age and education is not an impairment.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF