PENITENTIAL SPIRITUALITY
IN THE FRANCISCAN SOURCES

The Active Apostolate in the life of penance.

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Work derives its dignity above all from the fact that it represents a constructive and responsible participation in the unfolding of life, which according to the plan of God, expresses itself in a variety of ways. We can say that work perpetuates and completes the primordial work of creation, at the same time drawing from nature the inexhaustible potentialities inherent in it (cf. the divine mission in Gn. 1,26-28).

Another aspect which gives dignity to work is its dimension of service to our brothers. This is a value we must regain, just as much as the previous one, since we have lost sight of both nowadays in about equal measure.

Finally, work is the common means of providing for one's livelihood and for one's apostolic and charitable activities. We are exhorted in our Constitutions: "The friars should recognize their call to the common law of work, through which they are to provide the means necessary to life and to their work" (Article 19). This same article, however, quickly adds: "In any case, may the friars put away all unnecessary anxiety and entrust themselves to the generosity of our heavenly Father" (cf. also PC,13). This is an invitation to free work from its slavery to money and selfishness. Such abuse of work is all too evident in our present day society and, indeed, not in our own times alone. Often from its economic perspective, work absorbs almost totally a person's time, energy, and interest, thus becoming for him a threat to the values of the kingdom.

The brothers and sisters of penance fall into this danger when they give precedence to activity and allow themselves to get overinvolved in temporal, or even apostolic activities, to the point of neglecting their time for prayer, for fraternal dialogue, for availability, for being attentive to others, for being joyful, and for deepening in themselves the theological and spiritual truths.

One must be vigilant with regard to work, ensuring that as it is taking place, it remains an influence which is positive and not detrimental to the soul (cf. Rule of 1223,5,2-3;Rule of St. Clare, 7,1-2). It is always necessary to refer every effort, every initiative, every prospect for success to God. The penitential life, ever tending towards God, by its very nature requires this of us. (140)

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