Ordo Saecularis Franciscanus

Bro. Mars Talks on "Franciscan Spirituality on the Enviroment"

2011-03-20T04:34:00.001-07:00

I was invited to give a talk on Mariology by the Office Prayer Community (OPC) sometime in February 26, 2011. My talk was included in the celebration of the community’s 25^th Anniversary. Founded during the EDSA Revolution on February 25, 1986, the community had grown stronger over the years. Originally composed of employees from the Central Bank of the Philippines (now the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), the OPC now has chapters in government and private offices all over Metro Manila, and God willing, even beyond. Sis. Connie Conmigo (whom I met several years ago when I gave a similar talk to her parish in Sta. Cecilia, Rodriguez, Rizal) invited me to give a talk about the Blessed Mother and to serve as judge in the Marian Quiz immediately after my talk.

Bro. Marwil N. Llasos awards the statues of Mama Mary to the members of LBPC for winning in the Marian Quiz during the OPC Anniversary on February 26, 2011 at Duty Free Philippines

It was during this celebration that I personally met Sis. Cora Aenlle. She informed me that she has been following my blog and saw me on TV. She was very happy to have met me in person. She got my cellphone number and email address because she was thinking of inviting me to talk in her own community.

This March, Sis. Cora sent me a text message asking me if I could give a talk on “Franciscan Spirituality and the Environment” on March 16, 2011 to the Living Bread Prayer Community (LBPC) in RFM. My response was, “Do you want a Dominican to speak on Franciscan spirituality?” She later on replied, “Is it a Yes?” The answer is a foregone conclusion.

LBPC Members and Bro. Mars Llasos during the OPC Anniversary

After I attended a hearing as a Resource Person at the House of Representatives Committee on Agrarian Reform, I headed to RFM Corporate Center at Pioneer cor. Sheridan Streets in Mandaluyong City. Since I arrived very early, I stayed first at 7-11 where I prepared the outline of my talk. At exactly 7:00 in the evening, I proceeded to RFM Auditorium where the prayer meeting of the Living Bread Prayer Community (LBPC) was being held. When I arrived at the auditorium, the members of LBPC were still praying the holy rosary which I joined. Shortly after, the charismatic Praise and Worship Followed. I am at home with this kind of prayer meeting because I am charismatic myself as in fact I was commissioned as a lay preacher for the charismatic communities in Novaliches, Quezon City in 2006.

Soon after the heartfelt singing and very touching prayer, Sis. Cora Aenlle (the one who invited me) introduced me to the community. She mentioned how she met me in the OPC anniversary and informed the community about my work as a lawyer and my ministry as a preacher and defender of the Catholic Faith.

Bro. Mars Llasos awards statues of Mama Mary to the Marian Quiz winners on February 26, 2011 during the 25th Anniversary of the OPC

I thanked Sis. Cora for her very kind introduction. I mentioned that I was an RFM Awardee as one of the Ten Outstanding Students of Region V in 1996. I noted the deep Catholic culture of RFM, especially its unique Marian spirituality. I said that because the RFM Building near the Pasig River is topped by a well-lit statue of the Immaculate Conception which can be seen from the Guadalupe side of the river and also a huge rosary made of light bulbs. Even in the auditorium, a statue of the Immaculate Conception can be found. (RFM, by the way, is owned by the Concepcions).

I recounted my text exchanges with Sis. Cora regarding a Dominican speaking on Franciscan spirituality. I then stated that before I became a Dominican, I was a Franciscan because I attended the formation for the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) at San Pedro Bautista Parish until I reached the inquirer stage. However, after much prayer, I discerned that I was called to a consecrated life of a preacher which led me to the Company of St. Dominic, a Dominican secular institute in the Archdiocese of Manila. Nevertheless, I said that both Dominicans and Franciscans are concerned with the environment. Both our holy founders St. Dominic de Guzman and St. Francis of Assisi were the singers of the beauty of God’s creation. Thus, the two great mendicant orders, the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) and Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) share the passion for the environment and become the foremost champions of the “integrity of creation.”

Our holy father St. Dominic de Guzman meets our holy father St. Francis of Assisi

As a Dominican, I first talked on how we value nature qua Dominicans. Dominicans emphasize the study of Sacred Truth wherever it may be found. Thomistic philosophy, basing itself on Sacred Scripture, teach that God reveals Himself in creation. Psalm 19:1 declares: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Even pagans who do not know the true God are not excused from judgment because God leaves an imprint of Himself in nature according to the teaching of the apostle Paul: “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities -his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20). I then discussed the presence of law, order, beauty and harmony in nature as one of the irrefutable proofs of God’s existence. In creation, we see the Creator.

I then segued into my main topic about Franciscan spirituality vis a vis the environment. I started by recalling the life of our holy father St. Francis of Assisi. For Franciscans, the life of St. Francis as recounted in the various “legends” and accounts about his life is constitutive of the Franciscan charism and normative to Franciscan spirituality.

I said that St. Francis is a very ecumenical saint as evidenced by the high esteem non-Catholics have for him compared to other saints. He is also a very evangelical saint in the sense that he lived the Gospel of Christ, especially that of evangelical poverty. The poverello from Assisi modeled his life after Christ so much so that it has often been said of him that he closely followed Christ.

Atty. Marwil N. Llasos, OP (at the podium) with members of the Living Bread Prayer Community

And since Francis is an evangelical saint, he is an ecological saint. He imitated the Lord’s love for nature as revealed in Scripture. The Gospel tells us about Jesus’ love for nature – for the mountains, rivers, seas, lakes, trees, bird and flowers. In wanting to find solitude so that He could commune with the Father, Jesus withdrew to the mountains to pray. He also preached on the mountain top and was even transfigured there. He preached on a boat by the lake. The Lord was baptized in the waters of the river. Jesus went fishing and so on and so forth. The parables and preaching of Our Lord are replete with references to nature – the sparrows of the air, the lilies of the field, the sycamore and fig trees.

St. Francis of Assisi lived the life of Christ, especially the Lord’s love for the created universe, in his own lifetime. Since Christ taught us that to be close to nature is to be close to God, Francis in turn witnessed to this teaching of Christ by such dramatic gestures of preaching to the birds. He addressed the birds near Bevagna, “My brothers, you have a great obligation to praise your Creator. He clothed you with feathers and gave you wings to fly, appointing the clear air as your home, and looks after you without any effort on your part.” It is clear that to St. Francis, the birds were his “brothers.”

Later on, his follower St. Anthony of Padua preached to the fishes. Somehow these actuations have taken literally the Lord’s command to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15).

The acts of the saint in preaching to creatures is symbolic of how he viewed nature, the environment or God’s creation. For Francis, all God’s creatures are his brothers and sisters, created by the same Father. This realization of the Fatherhood of God and the kinship of creation was underscored in Francis’ unforgettable Canticle of Brother Sun:

“Most high, omnipotent, good Lord,
Praise, glory and honor and benediction all are thine.
To thee alone do they belong, most High, and there is no man fit to mention thee.

Praise be to thee, my Lord, with all thy creatures,
Especially to my worshipful brother sun,
The which lights up the day, and through him dost thou brightness give;
And beautiful is he and radiant with splendor great;
Of thee, most High, signification gives.

Praised be my Lord, for sister moon and for the stars,
In heaven thou hast formed them clear and precious and fair.
Praised be my Lord for brother wind
And for the air and clouds and fair and every kind of weather,
By the which thou givest to thy creatures nourishment.

Praised be my Lord for sister water,
The which is greatly helpful and humble and precious and pure.

Praised be my Lord for brother fire,
By the which thou lightest up the dark.
And fair is he and gay and mighty and strong.

Praised be my Lord for our sister, mother earth,
The which sustains and keeps us
And brings forth diverse fruits with grass and flowers bright.

Praised be my Lord for those who for thy love forgive
And weakness bear and tribulation.
Blessed those who shall in peace endure,
For by thee, most High, shall they be crowned.

Praised be my Lord for our sister, the bodily death,
From the which no living man can flee.
Woe to them who die in mortal sin;
Blessed those who shall find themselves in thy most holy will,
For the second death shall do them no ill.

Praise ye and bless ye my Lord, and give him thanks,
And be subject unto him with great humility.”

Indeed, St. Francis saw that everything – dogs, cats, birds, flowers, sun, rivers, mountains – as creatures of God. He had tremendous love and reverence for all creation.

There is much to be learned from this example of St. Francis. If we do consider all creatures as our brothers and sisters, we are bound to respect and love them – we will be concerned about them. Brothers and sisters don’t destroy each other; rather, they mutually help each other in love and solidarity.

I learned about St. Francis’ spirituality on the environment when I was still attending formation at the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO). Chapter II, Rule 18 of the SFO Rule of Life states:

“Moreover, they should respect all creatures, animate or inanimate, which “bear the imprint of the Most High” and they should strive to move from the temptation of exploiting creation to the Franciscan concept of universal kinship.”

Universal kinship, I believe, is the corollary of the principle of stewardship of creation. The divine injunction, which is perhaps less understood, in Genesis 1:28 states:

“God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

People have taken to mean “to subdue” as “to exploit” or “to destroy.” Why would God give such a command if that were so? The better rendition of “to subdue” is “to govern” (NLT) which simply means to develop, to protect and to ennoble. We are mere stewards of God’s creation and we have the duty to preserve the balance, harmony and rhythm of nature.

I then proceeded on the problem of environmental degradation. We have denuded the forests, polluted the rivers, the seas and even the very air we breathe. Destruction of nature, I said, is tantamount to the suicide of the human race. All of us are affected as evidenced by the looming threat of global warming. Destruction of nature is sacrilege because we desecrate the imprint of God in the created universe. In the end, we all suffer. The apocalypse is our own making.

Environmental degradation and its attendant evil effects is caused by sin, i.e., greed. Because of the greed of the few, the welfare of the many is sacrificed. The satisfaction of what we want rather than what we need. Inordinate consumerism and materialism are some of the ugly ramifications of greed.

Using legal jargon, I said that nature has its immutable laws that cannot be restrained by TRO or Preliminary Injunction. Because we cut down all the trees, flashflood and landslide claim thousands of lives. Because we don’t manage our garbage wisely, thrash end up in sewers that clog our drainage systems. When strong rains come, we are flooded and many drowned like what happened during Ondoy and Pepeng. Acts of God? No, these are acts of man. We brought untold sorrow and misery upon ourselves because we have abused and exploited our environment.

I then discussed waste management. I said that in nature there are no wastes. Wastes are our own making. Why are there wastes, because we want to satisfy our wants and not only our needs. For example, we buy things that we don’t need (impulse buyers, beware!). These end up as thrash. Waste management entails discipline.

I said that if we only learn how to give away things that we do not need, there would not be much poverty in the world. Those who have should share with those who do not have.

Finally, I said that we will be judged for how we treated God’s gifts to us, like nature and the environment. We are liable to the bar of history when our children and their children’s children will ask what have we done with the environment during our time? What kind of earth did they inherit from us? A parched, dirty, uninhabitable earth? History will be our judge.

Ultimately, the Lord God Himself will be our judge. At judgment we will be asked by the Almight: “What have you done with the world that I have given you? Have you been a good and faithful steward of My creation?”

I went home also pondering the same questions.

CHOOSING LIFE, REJECTING THE RH BILL

2011-01-31T08:16:00.000-08:00

CHOOSING LIFE, REJECTING THE RH BILL
(A Pastoral Letter of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines)

Our Filipino Brothers and Sisters:

The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights (Art. II, Section 11). The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception (Art. II, Section 12).

Background

We begin by citing the Philippine Constitution. We do so because we intend to write you on the basis of the fundamental ideals and aspirations of the Filipino people and not on the basis of specifically Catholic religious teachings.

We are at a crossroads as a nation. Before us are several versions of a proposed bill, the Reproductive Health bill or sanitized as a Responsible Parenthood bill. This proposed bill in all its versions calls us to make a moral choice: to choose life or to choose death.

At the outset we thank the government for affording us an opportunity to express our views in friendly dialogue. Sadly our dialogue has simply revealed how far apart our respective positions are. Therefore, instead of building false hopes, we wish at the present time to draw up clearly what we object to and what we stand for.

Moral Choices at the Crossroads -- at EDSA I and Now

Twenty five years ago in 1986 we Catholic Bishops made a prophetic moral judgment on political leadership. With this prophetic declaration we believe that we somehow significantly helped open the door for EDSA I and a window of political integrity.

Today we come to a new national crossroads and we now have to make a similar moral choice. Our President rallied the country with the election cry, “Kung walang corrupt walang mahirap.” As religious leaders we believe that there is a greater form of corruption, namely, moral corruption which s really the root of all corruption. On the present issue, it would be morally corrupt to disregard the moral implications of the RH bill.

This is our unanimous collective moral judgment: We strongly reject the RH bill.

Commonly Shared Human and Cultural Values – Two Fundamental Principles

Far from being simply a Catholic issue, the RH bill is a major attack on authentic human values and on Filipino cultural values regarding human life that all of us have cherished since time immemorial.

Simply stated the RH Bill does not respect moral sense that is central to Filipino cultures. It is the product of the spirit of this world, a secularist, materialistic spirit that considers morality as a set of teachings from which one can choose, according to the spirit of the age. Some it accepts, others it does not accept. Unfortunately, we see the subtle spread of this post-modern spirit in our own Filipino society.

Our position stands firmly on two of the core principles commonly shared by all who believe in God:

(1) Human life is the most sacred physical gift with which God, the author of life, endows a human being. Placing artificial obstacles to prevent human life from being formed and being born most certainly contradicts this fundamental truth of human life. In the light of the widespread influence of the post-modern spirit in our world, we consider this position as nothing less than prophetic. As religious leaders we must proclaim this truth fearlessly in season and out of season.

(2) It is parents, cooperating with God, who bring children into the world. It is also they who have the primary inalienable right and responsibility to nurture them, care for them, and educate them that they might grow as mature persons according to the will of the Creator.

What We Specifically Object to in the RH Bill

Advocates contend that the RH bill promotes reproductive health. The RH Bill certainly does not. It does not protect the health of the sacred human life that is being formed or born. The very name “contraceptive” already reveals the anti-life nature of the means that the RH bill promotes. These artificial means are fatal to human life, either preventing it from fruition or actually destroying it. Moreover, scientists have known for a long time that contraceptives may cause cancer. Contraceptives are hazardous to a woman’s health.

Advocates also say that the RH bill will reduce abortion rates. But many scientific analysts themselves wonder why prevalent contraceptive use sometimes raises the abortion rate. In truth, contraceptives provide a false sense of security that takes away the inhibition to sexual activity. Scientists have noted numerous cases of contraceptive failure. Abortion is resorted to, an act that all religious traditions would judge as sinful. “Safe sex” to diminish abortion rate is false propaganda.

Advocates moreover say that the RH bill will prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. This goes against the grain of many available scientific data. In some countries where condom use is prevalent, HIV/ AIDS continues to spread. Condoms provide a false security that strongly entices individuals towards increased sexual activity, increasing likewise the incidence of HIV/AIDS. “Safe sex” to prevent HIV /AIDS is false propaganda.

Advocates also assert that the RH Bill empowers women with ownership of their own bodies. This is in line with the post-modern spirit declaring that women have power over their own bodies without the dictation of any religion. How misguided this so-called “new truth” is! For, indeed, as created by God our bodies are given to us to keep and nourish. We are stewards of our own bodies and we must follow God’s will on this matter according to an informed and right conscience. Such a conscience must certainly be enlightened and guided by religious and moral teachings provided by various religious and cultural traditions regarding the fundamental dignity and worth of human life.

Advocates also say that the RH bill is necessary to stop overpopulation and to escape from poverty. Our own government statistical office has concluded that there is no overpopulation in the Philippines but only the over-concentration of population in a number of urban centers. Despite other findings to the contrary, we must also consider the findings of a significant group of renowned economic scholars, including economic Nobel laureates, who have found no direct correlation between population and poverty. In fact, many Filipino scholars have concluded that population is not the cause of our poverty. The causes of our poverty are: flawed philosophies of development, misguided economic policies, greed, corruption, social inequities, lack of access to education, poor economic and social services, poor infrastructures, etc. World organizations estimate that in our country more than P400 billion pesos are lost yearly to corruption. The conclusion is unavoidable: for our country to escape from poverty, we have to address the real causes of poverty and not population.

In the light of the above, we express our clear objections:

1. We object to the non-consideration of moral principles, the bedrock of law, in legislative discussions of bills that are intended for the good of individuals and for the common good.

2. We are against the anti-life, anti-natal and contraceptive mentality that is reflected in media and in some proposed legislative bills.

3. We object strongly to efforts at railroading the passage of the RH bill.

4. We denounce the over-all trajectory of the RH bill towards population control.

5. We denounce the use of public funds for contraceptives and sterilization.

6. We condemn compulsory sex education that would effectively let parents abdicate their primary role of educating their own children, especially in an area of life – sexuality – which is a sacred gift of God.

What We Stand For

On this matter of proposed RH bills, these are our firm convictions:

1. We are deeply concerned about the plight of the many poor, especially of suffering women, who are struggling for a better life and who must seek it outside of our country, or have recourse to a livelihood less than decent.

2. We are pro-life. We must defend human life from the moment of conception or fertilization up to its natural end.

3. We believe in the responsible and natural regulation of births through Natural Family Planning for which character building is necessary which involves sacrifice, discipline and respect for the dignity of the spouse.

4. We believe that we are only stewards of our own bodies. Responsibility over our own bodies must follow the will of God who speaks to us through conscience.

5. We hold that on the choices related to the RH bill, conscience must not only be informed but most of all rightly guided through the teachings of one’s faith.

6. We believe in the freedom of religion and the right of conscientious objection in matters that are contrary to one’s faith. The sanctions and penalties embodied in the proposed RH bill are one more reason for us to denounce it.

Our Calls

As religious leaders we have deeply and prayerfully reflected on this burning issue. We have unanimously made the moral judgment – to reject the RH agenda and to choose life.

1. We call for a fundamental transformation of our attitudes and behavior towards all human life especially the most defenseless, namely, human life being formed or being conceived. The cheapness with which many seem to consider human life is a great bane to our religious-oriented nation.

2. We call upon our legislators to consider the RH bill in the light of the God-given dignity and worth of human life and, therefore, to shelve it completely as contrary to our ideals and aspirations as a people. We thank our legislators who have filed bills to defend human life from the moment of conception and call upon all other legislators to join their ranks.

3. We thank the great multitude of lay people all over the country, and particularly the dedicated groups who made their presence felt in the halls of Congress, to defend and promote our position. We call upon other lay people and adherents of other religions to join the advocacy to defend and promote our commonly shared ideals and aspirations.

4. We call on our government to address effectively the real causes of poverty such as corruption, lack of social and economic services, lack of access to education and the benefits of development, social inequities.

5. We call for the establishment of more hospitals and clinics in the rural areas, the deployment of more health personnel to provide more access to health services, the building of more schools, the provision of more aid to the poor for education, and the building of more and better infrastructures necessary for development.

6. We echo the challenge we prophetically uttered 25 years ago at EDSA I and call upon all people of good will who share our conviction: “…let us pray together, reason together, decide together, act together, always to the end that the truth prevail” over the many threats to human life and to our shared human and cultural values.

We commend our efforts against the RH bill (or the Responsible Parenthood bill – its new name) to the blessing of our almighty and loving God, from whom all life comes and for whom it is destined.

For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, D.D.
Bishop of Tandag
President, CBCP
January 30, 2011

MY DOMINICAN JOURNEY

2010-08-11T23:52:00.000-07:00

My Dominican Journey: A small tribute to Our Holy Father St. Dominic on his Solemnity

August 8, 2010

I grew up in Sto. Domingo Street, Tagas, Daraga, Albay. When I was young, I really never knew who Sto. Domingo was. I thought that “Sto. Domingo” was Sunday, a holy day, hence “Sto. Domingo” or “Holy Sunday” (Domingo in Bicol is Sunday). Little did I know that one day I would literally walk the “street” or the way of St. Dominic as I follow Christ through the footstep of our great patriarch St. Dominic de Guzman.

Bro. Mars Llasos holding the rosary of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila

Being Rosarian was my first trait as Dominican -

I think that what was very Dominican in me was the habit of praying the Holy Rosary daily, if possible. I learned to pray this ancient prayer from my grandmother who would rouse me early in the morning to pray the Padre Nuestros and Dios te Salve, Marias while fingering the beads. I learned the rosary first in Spanish and Latin; it was only later on in grade school at Divine Word College of Legazpi when I learned it in English. Sorry, but do find it hard to say the rosary in Tagalog and Bicol.

La Callejera image of La Naval de Manila

In school, we were required to bring our rosary beads everyday. The class monitors checked our rosaries alongside our handkerchiefs, combs and other things needed in school. It created in the students the habit of bringing their rosaries everyday. I carried this habit until today. Every time I’d go out of the house, I would always bring my rosary with me.

Marwil N. Llasos, OP with the Mother and Queen of the Order of Preachers

In Divine Word College grade school where I attended, we prayed the rosary in class every day. During the Rosary Month, October, we prayed the rosary as a community – meaning all grade school pupils from Grade 1 to Grade 6 gathered together to pray the rosary. We had flower offerings for Mary, too.

Bro. Mars in front of La Capitana: Nuestra Seṅora del Santisimo Rosario de la Naval de Manila

In our barangay, I was active in the block rosary. Indeed, the love for the Psalter of Mary, the Most Holy Rosary, was deeply ingrained in me. This, I believe, characterized me as a Dominican by heart even from the very beginning.

San Vicente Ferrer: Angel of Judgment

Devotion to Dominican Saints –

The Bicol region is traditionally Franciscan since the time of the Spaniards. The Franciscans were assigned to evangelize Ibalon peninsula, now known as Bicolandia. My hometown, Daraga, Albay was founded by the Franciscans 400 years ago. Despite the strong Franciscan heritage of Bicol and my town, we do have strong devotion to Dominican saints, too. For instance, devotion to San Vicente Ferrer is so widespread as evidenced by the many parishes and churches dedicated in his honor. San Vicente is one of the most favorite and popular patron saints in Bicol!

San Martin de Porres, UST Hospital Chapel

Personally, even at a young age, I had devotion to popular Dominican saints. I am an ardent devotee of San Martin de Porres. I joined processions in his honor and prayed his novena. November 3, his feastday, has always been very important to me. I can attest to the powerful intercession of this wonderful Dominican saint! Whatever I asked God through him has always been granted. What a powerful prayer partner in heaven is this mulatto saint! One of the graces I asked God through him was to be admitted in the UP College of Law. I made novenas to St. Martin de Porres and visited his Chapel at Aquinas University Hospital in F. Aquende Drive, Legazpi City.

La Naval processional image of San Vicente Ferrer

Another Dominican saint I am devoted to is, of course, San Vicente Ferrer. When I was s child, I thought that he was an angel because of his wings! Later did I learn that he was a powerful Dominican preacher and honored in the Liturgy as the “angel of judgment” which explains the angelic wings as his attribute. I still remember the cute statue of St. Vincent Ferrer that once adorned my tia’s house in Paghaluban, Barcelona, Sorsogon.

La Naval processional image of the angelic doctor Sto. Tomas de Aquino

When I was in high school, I developed devotion to Sto. Tomas de Aquino because he is the patron saint of students. I think that because of his patronage of my studies, I made good in school as proven my scholastic achievements. When I was preparing for and taking the bar, I prayed the prayer to St. Thomas Aquinas for his guidance and intercession.

My image of San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila

When San Lorenzo Ruiz was still a “blessed,” I joined processions in his honor every September 28. We were required in school to attend the procession from San Gregorio Magno Cathedral and back. As a young boy, I made a little grotto made of rocks and stone in our garden and placed a statue of Blessed (now Saint) Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila. I fondly called San Lorenzo “Uncle Inzo” as though he were really part of our family. San Lorenzo is one of my favorite saints until now. I keep a statue of him in my house.

Beata Margaret of Castello in Sto. Domingo Church

I also developed devotion to Blessed Margaret of Castello (who I believe manifested herself to me in a very unusual way). Blessed Margaret has a statue near the main entrance of Sto. Domingo Church which I always approach each time I am in the Church. I consider Blessed Margaret as my friend in heaven and I constantly ask for her prayers.

My little statue of Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo de Fuentes given to me a an OP Siena sister

Another holy Dominican I love dearly is the Servant of God Mother Francisca del Espiritu Santo de Fuentes. I attended the opening of her cause for beatification in Sto. Domingo Church sometime in 2003. An acquaintance gave me her estampita and recommended that I pray to her for my intentions. So I prayed for her intercession for the intention of passing the bar examination. I did. Lately, I asked her to pray for the complete healing of my sister for cancer and my sister is now on her way to full recovery, thanks to Mother Francisca’s powerful intercession.

Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary.

As already mentioned, I had a devotion of praying the holy rosary early in life. This devotion found its expression in my membership in the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. This is my first affiliation in a Dominican institution.

The Rosary Confraternity is a spiritual association (of the Catholic Church), the members of which strive to pray the entire rosary during the course of each week. They form a union of countless hundreds of thousands of the faithful throughout the world who, along with their own intentions, include the intentions and needs of all its members, while they in turn pray for them.

Members of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary partake of the merits, graces and indulgences of the great Dominican Order.

My images of Seraphic Father St. Francis and Holy Mother St. Clare

Secular Franciscan Order

Before I contemplated formally joining a Dominican group, I was first attracted to join the Secular Franciscan Order and attended its formation at San Pedro Bautista Parish in San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City. I reached the inquirer stage of the formation and I must say that I formed a very deep devotion to our holy father Francis of Assisi. (I have always been devoted to Franciscan saints even way, way before and remain so until now – to St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, OFM Conv., St. Pio of Pietrelcina, OFM Cap., St. Clare of Assisi and St. Anthony of Padua).

Bro. Mars Llasos at San Pedro Bautista Church attending SFO formation

I treasure my formation and experience at the SFO. However, after much prayer and meditation, I discerned that I am called to a life of preaching and study given my background as a commissioned lay preacher and apologist. Authentic Dominican spirituality includes love and devotion to St. Francis of Assisi. On the other hand, authentic Franciscan spirituality involves love and devotion to St. Dominic de Guzman. It is the tradition of the Dominican and Franciscan Orders to invoke as their holy fathers St. Dominic and St. Francis. Now that I’m Dominican, I continue to venerate and love our holy father St. Francis. Being Dominican now does not mean that I will leave my beloved St. Francis behind, on the contrary I should love him more because my Dominican charism demands nothing less.

Bro. Mars wearing the Dominican scapular during the 2008 La Naval procession

La Naval Procession

I participated in the La Naval procession last October 13, 2008. At that time, I was still attending the SFO. But since I am a devotee of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of La Naval de Manila, I joined the procession in her honor. Because of the cordon sanitaire, it was difficult to join the procession to follow the carrozas. Each carroza has assigned groups to follow it. Because I was not a member of any group, I thought of wearing the Dominican Laity scapular which I bought from the Sto. Domingo book store. When the guards saw me wearing it, they allowed me to break through the cordon and follow the carrozas. (I didn’t know before that the white Dominican scapular was reserved only for Dominicans!) I joined the carroza of St. Joseph which was followed by the carroza of La Naval. That placed me at a very good position to see the La Naval up close.

Bro. Mars Llasos regularly preaches to the St. Martin Fraternity of the Dominican Laity, UST Hospital Chapel

Dominican Laity – St. Martin Fraternity

When I attended the Mariology Seminar of the Missionaries of Mary (MOM), I met Mr. Nestor Limqueco, OP for the first time. I learned that he was a formator in the Dominican Laity, St. Martin Fraternity. Bro. Nestor belonged to the same fraternity as Sis. Betty Fabregas, mother of Zelfa and Ruth Fabregas of the Legion of Mary. The Fabregas sisters are the pillars of the Refugium Peccatorum Praesidium of the Legion of Mary which I served, by the grace of God, as Spiritual Director,
Bro. Nestor invited me to speak on the Blessed Virgin Mary during their meeting at St. Martin Fraternity of the Dominican Laity held at St. Martin Chapel, UST Hospital sometine in July 2009. As a token of appreciation, the Dominican Laity awarded me a Certificate of Appreciation and gave me a framed painting of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii.

Prof. Nestor G. Limqueco, OP invited me to preach to St. Martin Fraternity and eventually recruited me to the Company of St. Dominic

Afterwards, Bro. Nestor and I began communicating with each other. I didn’t know that Bro. Nestor is one of the prime movers of the newly-formed Dominican secular institute in the Philippines, the Company of St. Dominic.

Bro. Marwil N. Llasos preaches to the Company of St. Dominic

La Compania de Sto. Domingo

While still discerning my vocation, I have been joining the activities of the Company of St. Dominic and attended formation during its monthly self-directed recollection. Oftentimes I was tasked to give a talk on Mariology and other topics. Eventually, I decided to embrace Dominican spirituality and way of life. I have never been happier in my life.

A vowed life: A wowed life - Marwil N. Llasos, OP professes the evangelical counsels and total consecration to Mary on December 5, 2009

Last December 5, 2009, I was incorporated in the Company of St. Dominic when I made my vows of obedience, chastity and poverty – and total consecration to Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, at Sto. Rosario Parish in the pontifical and royal University of Sto. Tomas.

Like father like son: St. Dominic de Guzman and Hermano Marwil N. Llasos, OP

Being totally consecrated to Our Lord Jesus Christ through His Mother Mary, I have taken the hand of our holy father St. Dominic and started following his footstep to follow more closely Our Lord Jesus Christ – the Eternal Word and Wisdom of God. I am truly home in the great Family of St. Dominic de Guzman, the preacher of grace.

Nuestro Santo Padre Sto. Domingo de Guzman, fundador de la sagrada Orden de Predicadores

Nuestro santo padre Sto. Domingo, ruega por nosotros!

Prof. Marwil N. Llasos, OP with the lyrics of Amang Sto. Domingo at the background

Our Seraphic Father Francis

2009-06-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Our Holy Father Francis
Pictures taken from the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (OFM Capuchin) in Retiro, Quezon City

Our Holy Fathers St. Dominic and St. Francis

2009-06-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

Secular Franciscan Q and A

2009-05-12T03:31:00.000-07:00

What is a Secular Franciscan?

Secular Franciscans are members of the third order founded by St. Francis of Assisi. Originally we were known as the Brothers and Sisters of Penance. Today, we are called Secular Franciscans.

Do you have to be single or celibate to join the Secular Franciscan Order?

NO! This order, approved and recognized by Rome, is composed of and suitable for any Roman Catholics not bound by religious vows. If you are married, single, young or old, laity or clergy and not bound by religious vows and want to follow Christ as Francis of Assisi did, please contact us.

Is the Secular Franciscan Order really a true order?

Rome has repeatedly stated that the Secular Franciscan Order is a true order. Like all orders we have a rule which is approved by Rome. We also have a novitiate, a formal profession, and a monthly meeting which substitutes for communal living.

Why are you called Secular Franciscans?

The term Secular indicates that we live in the world and although we make a public profession we are not bound by public vows as are religious orders living in community. It also distinguishes the Third Order Secular from the Third Order Regular. The Third Order Regular, which grew out of the Third Order Secular, now comprises numerous Franciscan communities all over the world.

What do Secular Franciscan do?

Did you notice the words Living Gospel to Life and Life to Gospel above? This is what we do. For most of us, it would be more accurate to say it is what we strive to do. Gospel to Life means we are to take the teachings of Jesus Christ and apply them to our every day situations. Not only wondering, what would Jesus do, but demonstrating to our fellow man what Jesus did. This means bringing peace to people and drawing them to God by living the Gospel message. We must be ready to forgive, to comfort and most of all to love. This is only accomplished by dying to ourselves. Life to Gospel means we are to conform our life to Jesus' life. We are to turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, suffer as He suffered, pray as He prayed, forgive as He forgave, love as he loved. To the Secular Franciscan these words are not only a motto or a beautiful ideal. The words signify our mission, our way of life, our vocation. It is supposed to be the mission and way of life for all who call themselves Christians. It isn't easy or accomplished quickly. It is a life long work. That's the purpose of our on going formation program.

Are there any well known or famous Secular Franciscans?

Yes there are many notable people who are and have been members of the Secular Franciscan Order. The list includes members of the clergy, royalty, members of science, authors, artists, and those of us just interested in serving the Lord.

POPES:
Popes Gregory IX, Blessed Gregory X, Innocent Xll, Pius IX, Pius X, Pope Martin V, Clement XII, and all Popes from Pius IX to and including John XXIII

CARDINALS:
Charles Borromeo, Manning, Vaughn

ROYALTY:
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Elizabeth of Portugal, Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain

OTHERS:
St. John Vianney (Le Cure D'Ars) patron saint of Diocesan Priests, St. Joan of Arc, Dante, Giotto, Raphael, Michelangelo, Christopher Columbus, St. Thomas More, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Franz Liszt, Charles Gounod, André and Marie Ampère, Louis Pasteur, John Michael Talbot, parents of St. Theresa (little flower), parents of St. Maximilian Kolbe, mother of St. Maria Goretti , Blessed Peter of Sienna, a comb manufacturer, Blessed LuChesio a merchant, and dock worker Matt Talbot.

Source: http://members.cox.net/sfobro/page1.html

Our Consecration to Mary

2009-05-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

Our Consecration to Mary

One of the beautiful icons and paintings that adorn the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi, is a scene showing Mary and the Christ-child at the foot of the Cross with Saint John and Saint Francis. The Child inquires of His Mother whom she prefers between the two. Mary points to Francis.

In the Life of Saint Francis, as early as 1208 when he begins with the renovation of St. Mary of the Angels of the Portiuncula, he takes the Holy Virgin Mary as his Advocate. Thus Mary becomes the protector of the Order.
"Some are shocked to hear it said that the Franciscan Order is a Marian Order, yet what other description can be given it in view of the role acknowledged by Francis for the Virgin of Virgins in his form of life and the seemingly unlimited praise showered by him on the Mother of God. For he 'rendered special praises and poured forth prayers and offered his devotion to the Mother of Jesus - how many and in what ways, it is not humanly possible to tell.' (II Cel. 198). And 'after Christ, he placed his trust especially in her.' (Leg. Maj. 9,3)1

Many Franciscans overlook the fact that Mary plays a very definitive role in the life and spirituality of all our members and followers. In some of the groups of friars, the Holy Rosary is not said in community. Some consider it a private devotion but inasmuch as Mary is central to the Franciscan spirituality, it seems appropriate that she be honored in the praying community. Many SFO fraternities, at their monthly meetings, make an effort to pray the Rosary, or the Franciscan Crown Rosary, and this practice should not be discouraged.

The Virgin Mary is central in our lives, not only that of Franciscans, but everyone. "By the beginning of the 13th century the world had begun from greed to grow cold to divine love as revealed in the mystery of the Cross, precisely to that love of Him 'who didst deign to die for love of our love.' (from a prayer of St. Francis). That this charity of the divine Heart might be understood, appreciated and shared more widely and intensely in the Church and for the Church by living the poverty of the Virgin in the Spirit, the Immaculate (the Mediatrix of all graces and Queen of the Angels always waits at the Portiuncula as at Nazareth) interceded that Francis might be chosen to form a new Order in the Church.2

St. Francis was known to spend long hours every night in contemplation. In Celano (1 Cel 24) while staying at the house of Bernard of Claravalle: "And he (Bernard) used to see him praying all night, very rarely sleeping, praising God and His Mother the glorious Virgin." And Bonaventure notes "After Christ, he placed all his trust in her." (Leg. Maj. 9,3), and further, "where the Order of Minors had by the merits of the Mother of God had its beginning, it might develop with her help." (Leg. Maj. 4,5)

Francis speaks of Mary as the "Spouse of the Holy Spirit." The greeting Franciscans use when we meet each other, and when we write other Franciscans, "Pax et Bonum" (Peace and Good), is equivocal to the "Shalom" Mary would have used when she visited St. Elizabeth the mother of St. John. St. Francis regarded the Holy Spirit as the true founder of the Franciscan Order. Certainly today, that remains true. Secular Franciscan fraternities would not spring up here and around the world were it not for the Holy Spirit. Since he regards Mary as the "Spouse of the Holy Spirit," the Blessed Virgin should be central in our Franciscan spirituality.

St. Maximillian Kolby is a martyr of our time. He was born in Poland near Lodz, in 1894. In 1911 he joined the Conventual Franciscans, he took the name Maximilian, and made temporary vows in 1911. In 1917, he founded Militia of Mary Immaculate in Rome to advance Marian devotion. St. Maximillian Kolby, the founder of the Militia of Mary Immaculate, re-emphasized this strong tie, the devotion to the Blessed Virgin, in our modern 20th & 21st Century lives, between our Franciscan roots and the present.

There are of course many other Franciscan saints whose devotion to the Blessed Virgin was fully in contexts with their Franciscan way of life.

The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order, particularly Chapter II, Art. 9 spells out St. Francis Marian spirituality as it pertains to the SFO: "The Virgin Mary, humble servant of the Lord, was open to his every word and call. She was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and declared the protectress and advocate of his family. The Secular Franciscans should express their ardent love for her by imitating her complete self-giving and by praying earnestly and confidently."

Then, in Art. 16,1 of our Constitution: "The brothers and sisters should cultivate intense love for the most holy virgin, imitation, prayer, and filial abandonment. They should manifest their own devotion with expressions of genuine faith, in forms accepted by the Church." and in 16,2: "Mary is the model of fruitful and faithful love for the entire ecclesial community. Secular Franciscans and their fraternities should seek to live the experience of Francis, who made the Virgin the guide of his activity. With her, like the disciples at Pentecost, they should welcome the Spirit to create a community of love."

Franciscans that we are, let us continually strive to keep the Blessed Virgin Mary central in our lives as our Seraphic Father did. If we do this, our devotion to Jesus will continue to grow until we will come to enjoy the Heavenly Banquet with Jesus, Mary, the Angels and the Saints.

Fred Schaeffer, SFO
October 10, 2003

_________________________________________

Notes: 1, 2 "Virgo facta Eccesia," Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate

The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order

2009-05-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order

Prologue: Exhortation of St. Francis to the Brothers
and Sisters of Penance (circa 1210-1215)

* Concerning Those Who Do Penance

All who love the Lord with their whole heart, with their whole soul and
mind, with all their strength, and love their neighbors as themselves and
hate their bodies with their vices and sins, and receive the Body and
Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and produce worthy fruits of penance.

Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these
things and persevere in doing them, because "the spirit of the Lord will
rest upon them" and he will make "his home and dwelling among them", and
they are the sons of the heavenly Father, whose works they do, and they
are the spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are spouses, when by the Holy Spirit the faithful soul is united with
our Lord Jesus Christ, we are brothers to him when we fulfill "the will
of the Father who is in heaven".

We are mothers, when we carry him in our heart and body through divine
love and a pure and sincere conscience; we give birth to him through a
holy life which must give light to others by example.

Oh, how glorious it is to have a great and holy Father in heaven! Oh how
glorious it is to have such a beautiful and admirable Spouse, the Holy
Paraclete.

Oh, how glorious it is to have such a Brother and such a Son, loved,
beloved, humble, peaceful, sweet, lovable, and desirable above all: Our
Lord Jesus Christ, who gave up his life for his sheep and prayed to the
Father saying:

"Oh holy Father, protect them with your name whom you gave me out of the
world. I entrusted to them the message you entrusted to me and they
received it. They have known that in truth I came from you, they have
believed that it was you who sent me. For these I pray, not for the
world. Bless and consecrate them, and I consecrate myself for their
sakes. I do not pray for them alone; I pray also for those who will
belive in me through their word that they may be holy by being one as we
are. And I desire, Father, to have them in my company where I am to see
this glory of mine in your kingdom."

* Concerning Those Who Do Not Do Penance

But all those men and women who are not doing penance and do not receive
the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and live in vices and sin and
yield to evil concupiscence and to the wicked desires of the flesh, and
do not observe what they have promised to the Lord, and are slaves to the
world, in their bodies, by carnal desires and the anxieties and cares of
this life.

These are blind, because they do not see the true light, our Lord Jesus
Christ; they do not have spiritual wisdom because they do not have the
Son of God who is the true wisdom of the Father. Concerning them, it is
said, "Their skill was swallowed up" and "cursed are those who turn away
from your commands". They see and acknowledge, they know and do bad
things and knowingly destroy their own souls.

See, you who are blind, deceived by your enemies, the world, the flesh
and the devil, for it is pleasant to the body to commit sin and it is
bitter to make it serve God because all vices and sins come out and
"proceed from the heart of man" as the Lord says in the Gospel. And you
have nothing in this world and in the next, and you thought you would
possess the vanities of this world for a long time.

But you have been deceived, for the day and the hour will come to which
you give no thought and which you do not know and of which you are
ignorant. The body grows infirm, death approaches, and so it dies a
bitter death, and no matter where or when or how man dies, in the guilt
of sin, without penance or satisfaction, though he can make satisfaction
but does not do it.

The devil snatches the soul from his body with such anguish and
tribulation that no one can know it except he who endures it, and all the
talents and power and "knowledge and wisdom" which they thought they had
will be taken away from them, and they leave their goods to relatives and
friends who take and divide them and say afterwards, "Cursed be his soul
because he could have given us more, he could have acquired more than he
did." The worms eat up the body and so they have lost body and soul
during this short earthly life and will go into the inferno where they
will suffer torture without end.

All those into whose hands this letter shall have come we ask in the
charity that is God to accept kindly and with divine love the fragrant
words of our Lord Jesus Christ quoted above. And let those who do not
know how to read have them read to them.

And may they keep them in their mind and carry them out, in a holy manner
to the end, because they are "spirit and life".

And those who will not do this will have to render "an account on the day
of judgement" before the tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Secular Franciscan Order

* Chapter 1

The Franciscan family, as one among many spiritual families raised up by
the Holy Spirit in the Church, unites all members of the people of
God--laity, religious, and priests-- who recognize that they are called
to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi. In various
ways and forms but in life-giving union with each other, they intend to
make present the charism of their common Seraphic Father in the life and
mission of the Church.

* Chapter 2

The Secular Franciscan Order holds a special place in this family circle.
It is an organic union of all Catholic fraternities scattered throughout
the world and open to every group of the faithful. In these fraternities
the brothers and sisters, led by the Spirit, strive for perfect charity
in their own secular state. By their profession they pledge themselves to
live the gospel in the manner of St. Francis by means of this rule
approved by the Church.

* Chapter 3

The present rule, succeeding "Memoriale Propositi" (1221) and the rules
approved by the Supreme Pontiffs Nicholas IV and Leo XIII, adapts the
Secular Franciscan Order to the needs and expectations of the Holy Church
in the conditions of changing times. Its interpretation belongs to the
Holy See and its application will be made by the General Constitutions
and particular statutes.

The Way of Life

* Chapter 4

The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis
of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life
with God and people.

Christ, the gift of the Father's love, is the way to him, the truth into
which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give
abundantly.

Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful
reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel.

* Chapter 5

Secular Franciscans, therefore, should seek to encounter the living and
active person of Christ in their brothers and sisters, in Sacred
Scripture, in the Church, and in liturgical activity. The faith of Saint
Francis, who often said "I see nothing bodily of the Most High Son of God
in this world except his most holy body and blood," should be the
inspiration and pattern of their eucharistic life.

* Chapter 6

They have been made living members of the Church by being buried and
raised with Christ in baptism; they have been united more intimately with
the Church by profession. Therefore, they should go forth as witnesses
and instruments of her mission among all people, proclaiming Christ by
their life and words.

Called like Saint Francis to rebuild the Church and inspired by his
example, let them devote themselves energetically to living in full
communion with the pope, bishops, and priests, fostering an open and
trusting dialogue of apostolic effectiveness and creativity.

* Chapter 7

United by their vocation as "brothers and sisters of penance," and
motivated by the dynamic power of the gospel, let them conform their
thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior
change which the gospel itself calls "conversion." Human frailty makes it
necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.

On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged
sign of the Father's mercy and the source of grace.

* Chapter 8

As Jesus was the true worshipper of the Father, so let prayer and
contemplation be the soul of all they are and do.

Let them participate in the sacramental life of the Church, above all the
Eucharist. Let them join in liturgical prayer in one of the forms
proposed by the Church, reliving the mysteries of the life of Christ.

* Chapter 9

The Virgin Mary, humble servant of the Lord, was open to his every word
and call. She was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and
declared the protectress and advocate of his family. The Secular
Franciscans should express their ardent love for her by imitating her
complete self-giving and by praying earnestly and confidently.

* Chapter 10

United themselves to the redemptive obedience of Jesus, who placed his
will into the Father's hands, let them faithfully fulfill the duties
proper to their various circumstances of life. Let them also follow the
poor and crucified Christ, witness to him even in difficulties and
persecutions.

* Chapter 11

Trusting in the Father, Christ chose for himself and his mother a poor
and humble life, even though he valued created things attentively and
lovingly. Let the Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment
from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be
mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods
received for the benefit of God's children.

Thus, in the spirit of "the Beatitudes," and as pilgrims and strangers on
their way to the home of the Father, they should strive to purify their
hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.

* Chapter 12

Witnessing to the good yet to come and obliged to acquire purity of heart
because of the vocation they have embraced, they should set themselves
free to love God and their brothers and sisters.

* Chapter 13

As the Father sees in every person the features of his Son, the firstborn
of many brothers and sisters, so the Secular Franciscans with a gentle
and courteous spirit accept all people as a gift of the Lord and an image
of Christ.

A sense of community will make them joyful and ready to place themselves
on an equal basis with all people, especially with the lowly for whom
they shall strive to create conditions of life worthy of people redeemed
by Christ.

* Chapter 14

Secular Franciscans, together with all people of good will, are called to
build a more fraternal and evangelical world so that the kingdom of God
may be brought about more effectively. Mindful that anyone "who follows
Christ, the perfect man, becomes more of a man himself," let them
exercise their responsibilities competently in Christian spirit of
service.

* Chapter 15

Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting
justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous
initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make
definite choices in harmony with their faith.

* Chapter 16

Let them esteem work both as a gift and as a sharing in the creation,
redemption, and service of the human community.

* Chapter 17

In their family they should cultivate the Franciscan spirit of peace,
fidelity, and respect for life, striving to make of it a sign of a world
already renewed in Christ.

By living the grace of matrimony, husbands and wives in particular should
bear witness in the world to the love of Christ for his Church. They
should joyfully accompany their children on their human and spiritual
journey by providing a simple and open Christian education and being
attentive to the vocation of each child.

* Chapter 18

Moreover they should respect all creatures, animate and inanimate, which
"bear the imprint of the Most High," and they should strive to move from
the temptation of exploiting creation to the Franciscan concept of
universal kinship.

* Chapter 19

Mindful that they are bearers of peace which must be built up
unceasingly, they should seek out ways of unity and fraternal harmony
through dialogue, trusting in the presence of the divine seed in everyone
and in the transforming power of love and pardon.

Messengers of perfect joy in every circumstance, they should strive to
bring joy and hope to others.

Since they are immersed in the resurrection of Christ, which gives true
meaning to Sister Death, let them serenely tend toward the ultimate
encounter with the Father.

Life In Fraternity

* Chapter 20

The Secular Franciscan Order is divided into fraternities of various
levels--local, regional, national, and international. Each one has its
own moral personality in the Church. These various fraternities are
coordinated and united according to the norm of this rule and of the
constitutions.

* Chapter 21

On various levels, each fraternity is animated and guided by a council
and minister (or president) who are elected by the professed according to
the constitutions.

Their service, which lasts for a definite period, is marked by a ready
and willing spirit and is a duty of responsibility to each member and to
the community.

Within themselves the fraternities are structured in different ways
according to the norm of the constitutions, according to the various
needs of their members and their regions, and under the guidance of their
respective council.

* Chapter 22

The local fraternity is to be established canonically. It becomes the
basic unit of the whole Order and a visible sign of the Church, the
community of love. This should be the privileged place for developing a
sense of Church and the Franciscan vocation and for enlivening the
apostolic life of its members.

* Chapter 23

Requests for admission to the Secular Franciscan Order must be presented
to the local fraternity, whose council decides upon the acceptance of new
brothers and sisters.

Admission into the Order is gradually attained through a time of
initiation, a period of formation of at least one year, and profession of
the rule. The entire community is engaged in this process of growth by
its own manner of living. The age for profession and the distinctive
Franciscan sign are regulated by the statutes.

Profession by its nature is a permanent commitment.

Members who find themselves in particular difficulties should discuss
their problems with the council in fraternal dialogue.

Withdrawal or permanent dismissal from the Order, if necessary, is an act
of the fraternity council according to the norm of the constitutions.

* Chapter 24

To foster communion among members, the council should organize regular
and frequent meetings of the community as well as meeting with other
Franciscan groups, especially with youth groups. It should adopt
appropriate means for growth in Franciscan and ecclesial life and
encourage everyone to a life of fraternity. This communion continues with
deceased brothers and sisters through prayer for them.

* Chapter 25

Regarding expenses necessary for the life of the fraternity and the needs
of worship, of the apostolate, and of charity, all the brothers and
sisters should offer a contribution according to their means. Local
fraternities should contribute toward the expenses of the higher
fraternity councils.

* Chapter 26

As a concrete sign of communion and coresponsibility, the councils on
various levels, in keeping with the constitutions, shall ask for suitable
and well-prepared religious for spiritual assistance. They should make
this request to the superiors of the four religious Franciscan families,
to whom the Secular Fraternity has been united for centuries.

To promote fidelity to the charism as well as observance of the rule and
to receive greater support in the life of the fraternity, the minister or
president, with the consent of the council, should take care to ask for a
regular pastoral visit by the competent religious superiors as well as
for a fraternal visit from those of the higher fraternities, according to
the norm of the constitutions.

Blessing of St. Francis (1226):

May whoever observes all this be filled in heaven with the blessing of
the most high Father, and on earth with that of his beloved Son, together
with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

The Secular Franciscan Order

2009-05-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER
(From Wikipedia)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_Franciscan_Order

The Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) is a community of Roman Catholic men and women in the world who seek to pattern their lives after Christ in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Secular Franciscans are tertiaries, or members of the Third Order of Franciscans founded by St. Francis of Assisi 800 years ago. Originally known as the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, the Order is approved and recognized by the Holy See by the official name of Ordo Franciscanus Saecularis (OFS). It is open to any Roman Catholic not bound by religious vows to another Religious Order. It is made up of the laity (men and women) and also secular clergy (deacons, priests, bishops). Although Secular Franciscans make a public profession, they are not bound by public vows as are religious orders living in community. The Third Order Regular (TOR), which grew out of the Third Order Secular, do make religious vows and live in community. The Holy See has entrusted the pastoral care and spiritual assistance of the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO), because it belongs to the same spiritual family, to the Franciscan First Order (Friars Minor) and Franciscan Third Order Regular (TOR).

Origin and development of the Secular Third Order
The preaching of St. Francis, as well as his own living example and that of his first disciples, exercised such a powerful attraction on the people that many married men and women wanted to join the First or the Second Order, as is witnessed to in some writings of Francis addressed to them: the two Letters to the Faithful as well as the contents of Chapter 23 of the Regula non bullata, which constitute the basis and spiritual reference for what would become, in time, The Franciscan Third Order. St. Francis found a middle way: he gave them a rule animated by the Franciscan spirit. In the composition of this rule St. Francis was assisted by his friend Cardinal Ugolino, later Pope Gregory IX.

As to the place where the Third Order was first introduced nothing certain is known. Of late however the preponderance of opinion is for Florence, chiefly on the authority of Mariano of Florence, or Faenza, for which the first papal Bull (Potthast, "Regesta Pontificum", 6736) known on the subject is given, whilst the "Fioretti" (ch. xvi), though not regarded as an historical authority, assigns Cannara, a small town two hours' walk from Porziuncola, as the birthplace of the Third Order. Mariano and the Bull for Faenza (December 16, 1221) point to 1221 as the earliest date of the institution of the Third Order, and in fact, besides these and other sources, the oldest preserved rule bears this date at its head.

The Fioretti di San Francesco, or Little Flowers of St. Francis, Chapter XVI, which also contains the famous story of St. Francis preaching to the birds, relates that St. Francis, Friar Masseo and Friar Agnolo traveled to and preached at a city called Saburniano (Cannara). Those that heard them were so inflamed by their message that they desired to leave the city and follow these friars into the wilderness. St. Francis told them that such a thing was not necessary, but instead he established the Third Order "for the universal salvation of all people." St. Francis had already been concerned about the expansion of his order at the expense of families. He refused entrance to his order by married men (and the women from admission to the Poor Clares) who sought to follow the Franciscan way, because families should not suffer. He wrote a rule that was simple and clear, so that the lay person could live within the bonds of the Sacrament of Marriage and love and serve the Lord by serving their fellow human beings.

Another story tells of Luchesio Modestini, a greedy merchant from Poggibonzi, who had his life changed by meeting St. Francis about 1213. He and his wife Buonadonna were moved to dedicate their lives to prayer and serving the poor. While many couples of that era who experienced a religious conversion chose to separate and enter monasteries, this couple felt called to live out this new way of life together. St. Francis was moved to write a Rule for them which would allow them to do so. Thus began the Brothers and Sisters of Penance in the Franciscan movement, which came to be called the Franciscan Third Order. The Chiesa della Buona Morte in the city of Cannara, (Church of the Good Death, previously named, "Church of the Stigmata of S. Francesco") claims to be the birthplace of the Third Order. Another contender from the same city is the Church of S. Francesco which bears a 16th century plaque on the Fasçade of the Church which reads:

D(omino) Francisco poenitentium ordinis hoc in oppido secularium priusquam alibi institutori sacrum: Master Francis instituted the order of secular penitents in this town before doing so anywhere else.

This way of life was quickly embraced by many couples and single men and women who did not feel called to the stark poverty of the friars and nuns, especially widows. Even canonical hermits were able to follow this Rule and bring themselves into the orbit of the Franciscan vision. The Order came to be a force in the medieval legal system, since one of its tenets forbade the use of arms, and thus the male members of the order could not be drafted into the constant and frequent battles cities and regions waged against one another in that era.

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Notes
(1) ^ Such as Thomas of Celano, "Vita prima", I, 15; Julian of Spires, "Office of St. Francis: Third Antiphon at Lauds"; Gregory IX, Bull of 7 June, 1230 (Bull. Franc., I, 65); St. Bonaventure, "Leg. Maior", IV, 6; Bernard of Besse, in "Anal. Franc.", III, 686.

The Rule

The earliest Rule was found in the Guarnacci Library in Volterra. This primitive document is known as the Earlier Exhortation, or the Earlier Version, of "The Letter to All the Faithful" and was likely composed before 1215. An expanded version, the Later Exhortation, was completed by about 1220. Both have been established as having been composed by St. Francis. Both documents call the lay faithful to a life of penance, i.e., of turning away from sin and toward God. In the Earlier Exhortation, Francis describes the elements of the conversion process:

1) love God 2) love one's neighbor 3) turn away from our sinful tendencies 4)"receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ" and, as a result of the above, 5) producing worthy fruits of penance - a renewed life characterized by charity, forgiveness and compassion toward others.

Francis speaks in ecstatic terms of those who embrace this way of life: "Oh, how happy and blessed are these men and women when they do these things and persevere in doing them since the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon them and He will make His home and dwelling among them. They are children of the heavenly Father whose works they do, and they are spouses, brothers and mothers of Our Lord Jesus Christ." (source:" 'De Illis Qui Faciunt Penitentiam': The Rule of the Secular Franciscan Order: Origins, Development, Interpretation," Robert M. Stewart, O.F.M.)

The "primitive rule" was approved by Pope Honorius III in 1221 with the Memoriale Propositi. Then, the rule was revised in 1289 by the franciscan Pope Nicholas IV with the Supra montem and by Pope Leo XIII approving in 1883 Misericors Dei Filius. The current rule was given by Pope Paul VI in 1978 with the Apostolic letter Seraphicus Patriarcha. It is designed to adapt the Secular Franciscan Order to the needs and expectations of the Church in the conditions of changing times.

The spirit of the Rule can be found in Article 4:

The rule and life of the Secular Franciscan is this: To observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people.'Christ, the gift of the Father’s love, is the way to him, the Truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give abundantly. Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel.

Structure

The Secular Franciscan Order is a public association in the Roman Catholic Church. It is divided into fraternities at various levels: local, regional, national, and international. The SFO is governed by the universal law of the Church; and by its own: the Rule, the Constitutions, the Ritual, and the particular statutes. The interpretation of the Rule and of the Constitutions belongs to the Holy See. The practical interpretation of the Constitutions, with the purpose of harmonizing its application in different areas and at the various levels of the Order, belongs to the General Chapter of the SFO.The clarification of specific points which require a timely decision is the competence of the Presidency of the International Council of the SFO. The International Council of the SFO has its own proper statutes approved by the General Chapter of the SFO and confirmed by the Union of the Franciscan Ministers General. National fraternities have their own statutes approved by the Presidency of the International Council of the SFO. The regional and the local fraternities may have their own statutes approved by the council of the higher level. The fraternities at different levels are animated and guided by the minister or president, with the council, in accordance with the Rule, the Constitutions, and their own Statutes. These offices are conferred through elections.

The International Fraternity is constituted by the organic union of all the Catholic Secular Franciscan fraternities in the world. It is identical to the SFO. It has its own juridical personality within the Church. It is organized and it functions in conformity with the Constitutions and its own Statutes. The International Fraternity is guided and animated by the Minister or President with the International Council (CIOFS), that has its seat in Rome, Italy.

The Form of Life

The Secular Franciscans commit themselves to live the Gospel according to Franciscan spirituality in their secular condition. The Secular Franciscan must personally and assiduously study the Gospel and Sacred Scripture to foster love for the word of the Gospel and help the brothers and sisters to know and understand it as it is proclaimed by the Church with the assistance of the Spirit. Secular Franciscans, called in earlier times "the brothers and sisters of penance", propose to live in the spirit of continual conversion. Some means to cultivate this characteristic of the Franciscan vocation, individually and in fraternity, are: listening to and celebrating the Word of God; review of life; spiritual retreats; the help of a spiritual adviser, and penitential celebrations. # Secular Franciscans should pledge themselves to live the spirit of the Beatitudes and, in a special way, the spirit of poverty. Evangelical poverty demonstrates confidence in the Father, affects interior freedom, and disposes them to promote a more just distribution of wealth. They must provide for their own families and serve society by means of their work and material goods, have a particular manner of living evangelical poverty. To understand and achieve it requires a strong personal commitment and the stimulation of the fraternity in prayer and dialogue, communal review of life, and attentiveness to the instructions of the Church, and the demands of society. They pledge themselves to reduce their own personal needs so as to be better able to share spiritual and material goods with their brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. They should give thanks to God for the goods they have received, using them as good stewards and not as owners. They should take a firm position against consumerism and against ideologies and practices which prefer riches over human and religious values and which permit the exploitation of the human person. They should love and practice purity of heart, the source of true fraternity.

Environmental Justice

Following the example of St. Francis, Patron of Ecology, they collaborate with efforts to fight pollution and to conserve all that is valuable in nature. This conservation keeps in mind that the exploitation of the environment often puts disproportionate hardships on the poor, especially if they live in the affected areas.

Social Justice

Secular Franciscans are called to make their own contribution, inspired by the person and message of Francis of Assisi, towards a civilization in which the dignity of the human person, shared responsibility, and love may be living realities. They should firmly commit themselves to oppose every form of exploitation, discrimination, and exclusion and against every attitude of indifference in relation to others. They promote the building of fraternity among peoples: they should be committed to create worthy conditions of life for all and to work for the freedom of all people. Secular Franciscans attempt to be in the forefront in the field of public life. They should collaborate as much as possible for the passage of just laws and ordinances.

Work and Leisure

For St. Francis, work is a gift and to work is a grace. Daily work is not only the means of livelihood, but the opportunity to serve God and neighbor as well as a way to develop one's own personality. In the conviction that work is a right and a duty and that every form of occupation deserves respect, the brothers and sisters should commit themselves to collaborate so that all persons may have the possibility to work and so that working conditions may always be more humane. Leisure and recreation have their own value and are necessary for personal development. Secular Franciscans should maintain a balance between work and rest and should strive to make meaningful use of their leisure time.

Peace

Secular Franciscans are called to be bearers of peace in their families and in society The renunciation of the use of violence, characteristic of the followers of Francis, does not mean the renunciation of action. Peace is the work of justice and the fruit of reconciliation and of fraternal love. While acknowledging both the personal and national right to self-defence, they should respect the choice of those who, because of conscientious objection, refuse to bear arms. However, the brothers and sisters should take care that their interventions are always inspired by Christian love.

Family

Secular Franciscans should consider their own family to be the first place in which to live their Christian commitment and Franciscan vocation. They should make space within it for prayer, for the Word of God, and for Christian catechesis. They should concern themselves with respect for all life in every situation from conception till death. Married couples find in the Rule of the SFO an effective aid in their own journey of Christian life, aware that in the sacrament of matrimony their love shares in the love that Christ has for his Church. The beauty and the strength of the human love of the spouses is a profound witness for their own family, the Church, and the world.

Youth

Out of the conviction of the need to educate children to take an interest in community, "bringing them the awareness of being living, active members of the People of God" and because of the fascination which St. Francis can exercise on them, the formation of groups of children should be encouraged. With the help of a pedagogy and an organization suitable to their age, these children should be initiated into a knowledge and love of the Franciscan life. National statutes will give an appropriate orientation for the organization of these groups and their relationship to the fraternity and to the groups of Franciscan youth. The Franciscan Youth is formed by those young people who feel called by the Holy Spirit to share the experience of the Christian life in fraternity, in the light of the message of St. Francis of Assisi, deepening their own vocation within the context of the Secular Franciscan Order.

Entrance into the Order and Formation

Conditions for admission are: to profess the Catholic faith, to live in communion with the Church, to be of good moral standing, and to show clear signs of a vocation. Membership in the Order is attained through a time of initiation, a time of formation, and the Profession of the Rule. The journey of formation, which should develop throughout life, begins with entrance into the fraternity. Mindful that the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of formation and always attentive to collaboration with Him, those responsible for formation are: the candidate, the entire fraternity, the minister with the council, the master of formation, and the assistant as spiritual guide. Profession is the solemn ecclesial act by which the candidate, remembering the call received from Christ, renews the baptismal promises and publicly affirms his or her personal commitment to live the Gospel in the world according to the example of St. Francis and following the Rule of the SFO. Begun by the preceding stages, the formation of the brothers and sisters takes place in a permanent and continuous way.