Franciscan Formation Friends 2021 Newsletter Vol. 8 |
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Week 11: November 5, 2021 |
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The Casa community gathered to pass out candy to neighborhood children on Halloween. |
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Welcome to the FMS e-newsletter! Each week, our newsletter will be highlighting what FMS missioners are learning through their mission preparation at Casa San Salvador, the FMS missioner house of hospitality. If you would like to submit a prayer for the missioners as they also pray for you, please click here to be a part of the Missioner Prayer Community. Enjoy these stories from Week 11!
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This week, David Griffin led two sessions on the relationship between Scripture and mission. The missioners in formation spent the days prior to the session reading an excerpt from St. Augustine's work, On Christian Teaching, that outlined the journey that each Christian takes towards heaven aided by scripture. David provided the missioners with a reading guide to help the missioners unpack St. Augustine's writings, in which he assured them, "If you need to keep in mind one thing, remember this: Augustine’s main theme is love, and the purpose of Scripture to build up love."
David and the missioners in formation also read several mission-related Scripture passages, including Luke's account of the disciples meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Together, the missioners discussed the significance of the Scripture passages with David during his second session on Thursday, and related the passages to their current and future experience of mission. The sessions helped the missioners in formation to prepare for the fast-approaching next chapter of their journeys as Christians.
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On the Feast of All Souls, DC Service Corps volunteer Christopher Zaragoza shared the Mexican cultural traditions of Dia De Los Muertos with the Casa community. He set up an altar and helped his community members honor their lost loved ones with pictures of them accompanied by candles and their favorite snacks. |
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On Thursday Night, several lifelong missioners visited the Casa for a panel to support the current missioners in formation. Pictured left to right: Mari Snyder (missioner in formation), Maggie Van Roekel (Bolivia, 2015-2017), Maeve Gilheney-Gallagher (Guatemala, 2014-2016), Jeff Sved (Bolivia, 2012-2014), Victor Artaiz (missioner in formation), and Julia Pinto (missioner in formation).
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St. Clare's Life and Spirituality |
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Sr. Ilia Delio Tells St. Clare's Story
During their time in formation, the missioners learn a significant amount about the life and spirituality of St. Francis, but St. Clare's life is a topic that often gets combined with that of St. Francis. This week, the missioners in formation and the DC Service Corps volunteers had the opportunity to learn about St. Clare from an expert on the subject: Sr. Ilia Delio. Her book, Clare of Assisi: a Heart Full of Love was required reading for the missioners during their formation, but Sr. Ilia took the opportunity to give a more concise retelling of St. Clare's life and spirituality during Tuesday's session. Sr. Ilia spoke about St. Clare's immense contribution to Franciscan spiritually, especially her emphasis on Christocentric theology, as opposed to St. Francis's Theocentric one. Sr. Ilia also emphasized the equality and close relationship that existed between St. Francis and St. Clare, which is often brushed over in historical retellings. The Casa community was greatly impacted by the session, and Tori Wangler, a DC Service Corps Volunteer, said:
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"I greatly enjoyed Sr. Ilia Delio's thorough expertise on the life and spirituality of St. Clare. There is so much to St. Clare's life that I was unfamiliar--her deep faith foundation from her youth, her journey to carve out a space within the all-male group lead by St. Francis, and her incredible legacy in shaping the Franciscan charism. I was very moved by this session, and I am so grateful that Sr. Ilia could generously share her time and knowledge with us. I will be contemplating St. Clare's life and spirituality for a long time." |
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Each week, the missioners learn about different types of prayer as part of their faith formation. We encourage you to enter into this journey; hopefully it can assist in your own spiritual life as well. |
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This week's prayer theme was a continuation on the Ignatian prayer style that emphasizes imagination. One form of imaginative prayer that the missioners in formation practiced was reading a Gospel passage aloud and employing their imagination to connect with the Gospel. The missioners were encouraged to close their eyes and place themselves in the scene, imagining the sights, sounds, feelings, and smells of the story. This process helped them to connect the scripture passage to their present-day lives, and reminded them of the fact that the Gospel is always new and true in the life of each person. |
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Franciscan Saint of the Week |
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The Franciscan tradition is brimming with Saints, Blesseds and Venerables included in the Roman Canon. Each week, we will highlight a new Franciscan who lived a notable life of holiness.
St. Bonaventure was born 1221 in Bagnoregio, Italy. While little is known about his early life as a child, his impact on the Franciscan order was immense and far-reaching.
Unlike the original founders of the Franciscan order, Bonaventure enjoyed an academic approach to theology and philosophy. However, he was devoted to the Franciscan rule and made it his life's mission to protect it from dissension within the order. He entered the order at the age of 22, and he was eventually elected as the Friars' General Minister, a position he served in for 17 years. Though he was repeatedly offered the title of Archbishop, he refused the high honor. However, Pope Gregory X insisted that the Church in Albano required his wisdom as a shepherd and he appointed Bonaventure as a Cardinal in 1273.
During his time in the order, St. Bonaventure witnessed splinters emerging in the order due to theological disagreements. Many friars misinterpreted the writings of St. Francis and insisted that the order should only emphasize the Holy Spirit, and disregard the guidance of Christ and God the Father. As General Minister, St. Bonaventure used his extensive theological knowledge to defend the Christocentric and Trinitarian values that he believed were vital to the Franciscan rule, and he wrote more thorough guidelines for the order to follow.
St. Bonaventure died suddenly in 1274, only one year after being made a Cardinal. He is often credited with "re-founding" the Franciscan order as he mended such a great rift among its members during his time as General Minister. His feast day is July 15th.
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St. Bonaventure, pray for us! |
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www.franciscanmissionservice.org
415 Michigan Ave. Suite 104
Washington, DC 20017
202-832-1762
P.O. Box 29034
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