Leonel Aruajo, OFM and Joseph Koh, OFM Franciscans Charism Presented by Leonel Aruajo, OFM and Joseph Koh, OFM Kairos 2005

Content What is Charism? Story of Francis Story of Clare Symbols of Franciscans Franciscans in Oceania & E.Timor Ministries in Modern Times Conclusion

What is Charism? In General Indicates a personal gift of the Holy Spirit used for the good of the Church. To participate in the official mission of the Church to make Christ present in the world.

Franciscan Charism Franciscans contribute their particular charism to the Body of Christ. When writing the Rule or "Way of Life" for the first Order, Francis wrote:   "The Rule and Life of the Friars Minor is this, namely, to observe the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Franciscan Charism The charism of Franciscans was simply to live the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Franciscan Charism The essence of this Franciscan life remains the same today, despite changes in times and circumstances through eight centuries of history.  

Franciscan Charism The Franciscans continue: to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, in fidelity to the Church, living in brotherhood, in poverty, chastity and obedience, working for those in need and for justice, for the respect due to all people and to all creation, promoting harmony and peace

Life of Francis

Life of Clare Assisi (1194-1253) Noble Class 1212, heard Francis’s preaching Asked to be received as a nun, following the life of Francis in absolute poverty

Life of Clare During Middle Ages, impossible for nuns to go begging i.e. without property Francis sent her to a Benedictine monastery to keep her safe Clare’s sister and mother joined her

Life of Clare Francis gave the nuns a Rule of Life Pope Innocent IV gave Clare the approved Rule at her death bed

Poor Clares The life of all those who follow in the footsteps of Saint Clare are …filled with security and peace, knowing that the Divine Child dwells among them in the Most Blessed Sacrament and He will always defend them. 

Poor Clares "There is one thing I ask of the Lord, for this I long, to live in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to savor the sweetness of the Lord, to behold His Temple" (Psalm 26:4).

Brotherhood Francis called his followers fratres minores, or lesser brothers. Chief concern was being brothers, in a lowly and poor way, a minoritas Minoritas is subordinated to and directed towards the fraternitas, i.e brotherhood Francis called it “Order of Friars Minor”

Poverty How did it begin?

Poverty Francis The Leper Well-dressed prominent young man with bright future Sinful man The Leper Poorly dressed, ugly, deformed no social status God in him

Poverty translate his meeting with the leper into an ideal or spirituality of poverty realised that since the Lord met him in the person of a leper, it was clear the Lord did not attach any importance to social status for its own sake learnt to regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [Phil 3:8].

Poverty it is only in emptying ourselves as Jesus did that God can enter our lives, and fill the emptiness with his love and goodness.

Symbols Tau Cross San Damiano Cross Habit

Tau Cross The Tau - the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, For Francis it's significance lay in the mention made in Ezekiel "Go through city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the forehead of everyone who is distressed and troubled because of all the disgusting things being done in the city." (9:4)

Tau Cross Scholars speculate that Francis attended the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) where he heard Pope Innocent III use the Ezekiel reference in the opening liturgy. So it is basically a call to repentance and support for those who are troubled. The symbolism seems as apt today as it was in the time of Saint Francis and all the way back to Ezekiel.

San Damiano Cross While gazing at the Cross, Francis saw the lips of Jesus move and he heard the words, "Francis, go repair My House which, as you see, is falling completely to ruin". Francis responded, "gladly will I do so, Lord".

San Damiano Cross an icon of the paschal mystery of Messiah, a visual reminder of the tenets of our Faith. invites us to reinforce our Faith and thus help repair God's Church today, as Saint Francis did centuries ago

Habit Peasants’ clothing in Middle Ages Originally coarse like in sackcloth, as a symbol of repentance Also symbolises the Cross

Habit White cord with three knots, representing the three vows, e. Poverty, Chastity and Obedience

Franciscans in Oceania 1788 – Louis Le Receveur first arrived in Australia with the French explorer La Perouse 1839 – Bonaventure Geoghegan, Irishman arrived in Australia 1854 – Peter O’Farell began minstering in Sydney

Franciscans in Oceania 1879 – community in Waverley began with three Irish friars 1904 – first Australian entered the order 1939 – Australia became independent province

Franciscans in Oceania 1860 – Italian and Irish friars arrived in Aotearoa Worked with the fledging European settlement around Auckland and as missionaries among the Maori 1880 – withdrew from New Zealand 1937 – returned to New Zealand

Franciscans in Oceania End of WWII, strong push for friars to work as foreign missionaries 1946 – first missionaries sent to Aitape region, northern Papua New Guinea 1969 – assumed responsibility for the order presence in Singapore and Malaysia 2000 – a community in Kuching, East Malaysia

Franciscans in Oceania Friars in this province have worked as missionaries in various parts of the world, such as Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Singapore, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Zambia

Franciscans in East Timor Belonged to the province of Indonesia, which was founded by Dutch Franciscans 1982 – Friars arrived in East Timor from Indonesia Currently, an independent Franciscan entity

Franciscans Today 1st Order (Male Order) OFM, OFMCap, OFMConv 2nd Order (Female Order) Contemplative Nuns, OSC, PC 3rd Order (Male and Female religious, eg. FMM, FMDM, OSF, TOR) and seculars (Secular Franciscan Order) Others – Anglican Franciscans

Ministries Peace & Justice – JPIC Human Rights – Franciscans International Poor, Schools, Prisons, Immigrants, Missionaries, etc

Conclusion The variety of charisms reflects the universalism of the Gospel. Each charism serves a portion of the kingdom's gifts to humankind. The Body of Christ finds expression in a variety of groups. Together they build the kingdom and make the Body of Christ present to our world. The call to Franciscans is to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the manner of St Francis.