Prot. N. 103-2003

From the depths of their inner life let them love, honor, adore, serve, praise, bless and glorify our most high and eternal God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. With all that they are, let them adore Him because "We should pray always and not lose heart" (Lk. 18:1). (TOR Rule, art. 9)

Introduction

The celebration of the Solemnity of Christmas marks the end of our commemoration of the 20^th Anniversary of the Rule. During the year we have reflected on three of the four main charisms of this essential document: poverty, minority, and conversion. It is appropriate that we conclude the year with a consideration of the important place that contemplation and prayer has in our lives as Franciscans. In a sense, this last charism can be understood as the energy or perspective which gives life to the others.

St. Francis and Prayer

After Francis encountered the Lord in the little Church of San Damiano his relationship with Christ grew to the point that it consumed his whole life. Thomas of Celano describes the important place Jesus came to have in the Saint’s life:

The brothers who lived with him know that daily, constantly, talk of Jesus was always on his lips, sweet and pleasant conversations about Him, kind words full of love. Out of the fullness of his heart his mouth spoke. So the spring of radiant love that filled his heart within gushed forth. He was always with Jesus: Jesus in his heart, Jesus in his mouth, Jesus in his ears, Jesus in his eyes, Jesus in his hands, he bore Jesus always in his whole body…. For this reason, he, above others, was stamped with Christ’s brilliant seal as, in rapture of spirit, he contemplated in unspeakable and incomprehensible glory the One sitting "at the right hand of the Father." (1C 115)

Celano also points out that prayer became so much a part of Francis that it gradually became the defining characteristic of his daily experience (cf. 1C 71 and 2C 94-102). However, prayer for the Saint was not simply a question of memorizing and repeating set formulas or in putting aside a few minutes here and there to commune with the Lord. It was such an essential aspect of who he was that he succeeded in living in a constant mindful relationship with God. Francis was so intent on being aware of the Lord’s presence that "he would direct all his attention and affection toward the one thing he asked of the Lord, not so much praying as becoming totally prayer" (2C 94).

Francis wished to share the gift of prayer that he received from God with his followers. For them he became a model of prayer - more by his example than through his writings and teachings. Apart from some strong admonitions to his brothers to be faithful to the praying of the Divine Office (cf. Test 30-33), Francis did not leave any prescriptions regarding prayer. He did not write about the quantity of prayers to recite or the amount of time one should spend in contemplation. However, he did leave us with some important indications about the quality of prayer that we are invited to experience. In brief, these include the Saint’s encouragement to pray constantly (ER XXII: 26-27; LR V) and to always have a spirit of adoration (LR X: 8-9). This allows the Spirit of the Lord to transform our lives and make us true disciples of the One who took on our humanity in order to invite us to share in the eternal life of the Father.

Therefore, let us desire nothing else, let us want nothing else, let nothing else please us and cause us delight except our Creator, Redeemer and Savior… Therefore, let nothing hinder us, nothing separate us, nothing come between us. Wherever we are, in every place, at every hour, at every time of the day, every day and continually, let all of us truly and humbly believe, hold in our heart and love, honor adore, serve, praise and bless, glorify and exalt, magnify and give thanks to the Most High and Supreme Eternal God Trinity and Unity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit… (ER XXIII: 9-11)

The early legends about the Saint point out that prayer for Francis was a natural response to his encounter with a God who loved and cared for him. This experience caused him to react with simplicity, profound humility, and an outpouring of love and praise for the Most High God. For Francis, this is the same experience that Jesus has with the Father. In this sense, Franciscan prayer can be understood to be an intensely interior and affective experience. It is essentially a prayer of the heart which draws us ever more deeply into an intimate relationship with the God of love.

Prayer in the TOR Rule and Constitutions

Even a cursory reading of the Rule highlights the fact that prayer is an essential aspect of our Franciscan lives. The Prologue, taken from the first section of the Earlier Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, sets the stage for the document. The members of this Order are invited by Francis, in the name the Lord, to "love the Lord with their whole heart, their whole soul and mind, and with their whole strength." This love - united with the love of neighbor, hatred of sin, reception of the Eucharist, and worthy fruits of penance - provides the possibility of an intimate relationship with God.

O how happy and blessed are these men and women when while they do such things and preserve in doing them, because the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon them and make His home and dwelling place among them, and they are children of the heavenly Father Whose works they do, and they are spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The challenge of the Prologue to be in an intimate loving relationship with God is echoed repeatedly throughout the text of the Rule. For instance, article 8 states:

Within themselves, let them always make a dwelling place and home for the Lord God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so that with undivided hearts, they may increase in universal love by continually turning to God and to neighbor.

Article 29 repeats article 8 and the Prologue and points out that even apostolic work should be guided by the love of God and neighbor and invites us to "glorify the Lord in all" we do. The Rule concludes by reminding us of Francis’ admonition to wish for nothing less than God Himself.

Let the sisters and brothers always be mindful that they should desire one thing alone, namely, the Spirit of God at work in them. (art. 32)

The Rule devotes Chapter III, "The Spirit of Prayer," to the place that prayer should have in the lives of the brothers and sisters in the Order. The chapter starts with an incredible statement:

Everywhere and in each place, and in every season and each day, the brothers and sisters are to have a true and humble faith. From the depths of their inner life let them love, honor, adore, serve, praise, bless and glorify our most high and eternal God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. With all that they are, let them adore Him "because we should pray always and not lose heart"; this is what the Father desires. In this same spirit let them also celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours in union with the whole Church. (art. 9)

The article continues by recognizing that some of the members of the Order, especially the TOR cloistered nuns, have been called to a life of contemplation. In their quiet way, and "with a daily renewed joy," they are to "manifest their special dedication to God and celebrate the Father’s love for the world." The presence of the contemplative sisters in the Third Order Regular is a wonderful testimony of the importance that quiet reflective prayer should have in the lives of all the members of the Order.

The rest of Chapter III invites the brothers and sisters of the Order to praise God with all of creation (art. 10), to be "totally conformed to the Gospel" and to be constantly mindful of the words of Jesus and the Holy Spirit (art. 11), to participate in and have a great reverence for the Eucharist (art. 12), and to make use of sacramental confession, fasting, and "worthy deeds that manifest their repentance" (art. 13). The chapter ends by stating that the members of the Order,

should desire nothing else but our Savior, who offered himself in his own Blood as a sacrifice on the altar of the Cross for our sins, giving us example so that we might follow in his footsteps. (art. 13)

As the Commentary of the Rule points out so well, article 13 is an invitation to contemplate the Paschal Mystery of Christ, through Whom we have access to God even in the midst of our sinfulness. This is the height of Franciscan contemplation which helps transform us into the One who suffered and died for us.

The Constitutions of the Order are designed to guide our branch of the wider Third Order Regular by providing encouragement and guidance that is geared to our own fraternity. While many of the articles are juridical or directive in nature the document is imbued with a wonderful Franciscan spirit. Title III, "The Spirit of Prayer," mirrors Chapter III of the Rule and reflects the contribution of our own friars on the challenges it presents. This section of the Constitutions contains 13 articles devoted to the place of prayer in the life of the fraternity (articles 62-75). Due to the limitation of this letter we are not able to discuss each of these articles in depth. However, we would like to invite all the friars in the Order to spend some time to read and meditate on them as a way to prepare for the great Solemnity of Christmas.

The section on prayer opens with article 62 which states that "the perfect prayer of a friar is an uninterrupted filial dialogue with God in thought and deed. A friar, thus, unceasingly shows his love of God and ever seeks his heartfelt joy in Him alone." The rest of the articles develop this theme and provides a wonderful program for growth in the spiritual life. The friars are to:

• regard personal, communal and liturgical prayer as having the greatest importance in their Franciscan lives (art. 63).
• celebrate the Sacred Liturgy, the heart of which is the celebration of the Eucharist and participate in it in an active manner (art. 64).
• celebrate daily the Eucharist in common since it so visibly and vividly forms and manifests the spirit of fraternity (art. 65)
• offer spiritual sacrifice to God (art. 66).
• hold in special honor the Eucharistic presence of Jesus and, according to Franciscan tradition, preserve the Blessed Sacrament in a fitting manner and venerate the Eucharistic presence of Jesus and frequently offer sincere prayer and adoration in this presence (art. 67).
• celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy on Sundays and feast days with greater solemnity (art. 68)
• celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours in common and, where possible, join with the faithful in singing these praises to the Lord (art. 69).
• pray in common at least Morning and Evening Prayer (art. 70).

If this way of life is embraced with a mature commitment to God and to the fraternity it will facilitate a friar’s growth in prayer and in the spiritual life. As article 74 states, "The vitality of fraternal life and apostolic witness depends upon commitment to growth in prayer. Each friar and each local fraternity is responsible for this vitality and witness." This can be assisted by an active participation in liturgical and common prayer and is enhanced by personal prayer which enables the friar to "grow in intimacy with Jesus, the Lord" (art. 72). In this process we are guided by the Holy Spirit who "works within the friars enabling them to pray and to call God their Father" and encourages them to exalt, contemplate, praise, and give thanks to God (art 71).

Practical Implications

In addition to the points mentioned above, the Constitutions present a number of practical guidelines for us as we strive to give prayer its proper place in our Franciscan lives. The text underlines the importance of recognizing that each friar is ultimately responsible for his own growth in the life of prayer. As article 72 puts it, in addition to the common times of prayer that should be celebrated with the other members of the fraternity, the "friars are to give a fitting place to personal prayer in their religious lives and seek to develop a mature spirit of prayer and recollection." Article 73 is even stronger:

In the Church's tradition as well as in the Franciscan tradition, the friars recognize various means and practices which enhance growth in prayer. These include time spent in personal prayer, frequent meditation on the Word of God, the writings by and about Saint Francis and the Franciscan masters, the monthly day of recollection, the annual retreat and a personal spiritual director. Special devotion towards the Blessed Mother of God, model and protector of the consecrated life, shall be encouraged, especially the devotion of the Rosary.

The Rule and the Constitutions encourage us to incorporate a number of prayerful disciplines into our lives: contemplation, meditation, Sacred Scripture, spiritual reading, days of recollection and retreat, spiritual direction, Marian devotion, the Rosary, the Divine Office, daily Eucharist, Eucharistic adoration, personal prayer, fasting, and penitential exercises. This list provides a wonderful witness of the central role prayer plays in the Franciscan life.

However, it is clear that individual friars - and the fraternity as a whole - will not grow as long as this serious challenge to grow in the spiritual life remains only pious thoughts on paper. By our vows to live the Rule and Constitutions we have made a public statement that we desire that our lives will be guided and shaped by these documents. Do we in fact embrace what we have professed in a real way? Do we give adequate attention to our private prayer? Do we actively and mindfully participate in the common prayer of the Divine Office and daily Eucharist with our brothers? Does prayer have a central and important place in our daily lives? If we can honestly say "yes" to these questions we can be sure that we will grow in the spiritual life and that our fraternities will be alive and vibrant. If not, we should not be surprised if life seems dry and the experience of the common life is a lonesome burden.

Christ invites us to a life that is rich and full of life. Francis is a perfect example of how one man can flourish in the spiritual life by totally abandoning himself to this invitation. As we celebrate the Solemnity of Christmas and as we close this year of reflection on our Rule let us turn to our God and "let us desire nothing else, let us want nothing else, let nothing else please us and cause us delight except our Creator, Redeemer and Savior." Amen!

We wish you all a most blessed and happy Christmas!