The Power of Silence – Part Three
December 18, 2024
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Waiting can be a time of great frustration. How many of us have been at an airport and experienced lots of negative emotions while waiting - to go through security, to board/disembark, to get our baggage...? Friar Manny Vasconcelos reflects on how, like in Advent, we can turn the waiting into opportunity for prayer and fellowship.
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A Story for Advent
Peace and All Good
This website offers a journey through the life and mission of the Franciscan Friars Conventual, a religious order that has been part of the life of the Roman Catholic Church for more than eight centuries. Here you'll discover more about who we are, what we do, and how to join our brotherhood.
Throughout our history, Conventual Franciscans have offered a powerful and profound voice to the Church, society, and the cultural marketplace of ideas. The sections of this site explore the life and ministry of the friars today, as we continue to lend our voices to the mission of the Kingdom; we speak for the Gospel, for the value of community, for the impoverished and marginalized, for those yearning for justice, for the need to foster peace, and for the protection of God's creation.
This site is designed and developed by our friars, representing voices from the Americas, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, Malta, and Lebanon. It features friar-produced video, podcasts, and photo-essay blogs, all informed by the Franciscan spiritual and intellectual tradition. It speaks to the issues, events, and cultural reference points important in the 21st century.
From the serious, to the topical, to the light-hearted, the connecting thread is the Joy of the Gospel. We hope this site manifests the dynamic and life-giving quality of our life as Friars Minor Conventual.
FRIARS
We are FRIARS.
By our religious profession, we dedicate ourselves totally to God, Who is loved above all else.
Indeed, the life of union with God through prayer is the foundation of our fraternity; it composes the rhythm of our life.
Francis of Assisi experienced God’s call in his life as a summons to conform himself ever more closely to Jesus Christ.
Conventual Franciscans, men who strive to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the example and Rule of Life of Saint Francis, continue to live out that summons.
Simply. Authentically.
By our religious profession, we dedicate ourselves totally to God, Who is loved above all else.
Indeed, the life of union with God through prayer is the foundation of our fraternity; it composes the rhythm of our life.
Francis of Assisi experienced God’s call in his life as a summons to conform himself ever more closely to Jesus Christ.
Conventual Franciscans, men who strive to follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to the example and Rule of Life of Saint Francis, continue to live out that summons.
Simply. Authentically.
MINOR
We are Friars MINOR.
Minoritas is our characteristic way of following the poor and humble Christ. We foster fraternities whose friars live without anything of our own: shunning status, being subject to all, and serving one another.
We strive toward both internal and external self-emptying, such that our fraternal simplicity will be a sign to those with and to whom we minister.
We practice good stewardship, while rejecting the temptations of consumerism and materialism. We divest of anything that replaces God as the center and source of our meaning.
Minoritas is our characteristic way of following the poor and humble Christ. We foster fraternities whose friars live without anything of our own: shunning status, being subject to all, and serving one another.
We strive toward both internal and external self-emptying, such that our fraternal simplicity will be a sign to those with and to whom we minister.
We practice good stewardship, while rejecting the temptations of consumerism and materialism. We divest of anything that replaces God as the center and source of our meaning.
CONVENTUAL
We are Friars Minor CONVENTUAL.
This dimension of our identity, in the context of the larger Franciscan tradition, adds a distinct flavor to how we live in fraternity and undertake the work of rebuilding the Church. We seek to bring a sense of brotherhood to all we meet, by being truly inclusive and collaborative in all of our interactions.
We, as lesser brothers, walk with the People of God, with a special mandate to accompany the poor and most vulnerable of our society. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we are involved in a community-based approach to the works of evangelization and service to humanity.
This dimension of our identity, in the context of the larger Franciscan tradition, adds a distinct flavor to how we live in fraternity and undertake the work of rebuilding the Church. We seek to bring a sense of brotherhood to all we meet, by being truly inclusive and collaborative in all of our interactions.
We, as lesser brothers, walk with the People of God, with a special mandate to accompany the poor and most vulnerable of our society. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we are involved in a community-based approach to the works of evangelization and service to humanity.
The Cross
In 1206, Francis wandered into a rundown chapel on the outskirts of Assisi. There, he experienced Christ speaking to him from the crucifix. “Go, repair my church, which you see is falling into ruin!” Christ’s summons became the new paradigm of Francis’ life. The San Damiano Crucifix, in turn, became the iconic symbol of the Franciscan mission to rebuild the Church.
The Cord
Every Franciscan community can be readily identified by the three-knotted cord, symbolizing our vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
In 1206, Francis wandered into a rundown chapel on the outskirts of Assisi. There, he experienced Christ speaking to him from the crucifix. “Go, repair my church, which you see is falling into ruin!” Christ’s summons became the new paradigm of Francis’ life. The San Damiano Crucifix, in turn, became the iconic symbol of the Franciscan mission to rebuild the Church.
The Cord
Every Franciscan community can be readily identified by the three-knotted cord, symbolizing our vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.