ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI FRATERNITY NEWSLETTER - VOLUME XXXIII NO. 9 - September 2021

To Observe the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

In his writings and early biographies, St. Francis emerges as a person formed and informed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
 
“His greatest care, his most vivid desire, his supreme resolution was to observe the holy Gospel always and in  everything and with all vigilance and care, with all of his mind’s desire and his heart’s fervor, he wanted to follow the teachings and imitate the examples of our Lord Jesus Christ to perfection.  He continuously recalled and meditated over His words and with very keen contemplation, he kept His works before his eyes.  The humility of the Incarnation and the charity of the Passion were foremost in his mind, so that he rarely wanted to think of anything else.” – (Thomas of Celano, First Life of St. Francis) 

​And so we ask ourselves, what is to be done, what can we do to bring the Christ of the Gospel into our daily lives so that we actually live out the teachings of the Gospel?

St. John the Evangelist tells us that the truth will set us free.  St. Francis found the truth that leads to freedom in the truths of the Gospel, and the freedom he found was the freedom to love.  God’s truth imparts to us the freedom not only to grasp the truth that is being imparted but also the freedom from what previously had been preventing us from acting on that truth.  The Gospel itself will show us not only how we are to discern the truth, but how the truth leads to the action we call love. – (Excerpts from “Live the Gospel: A Message from Saint Francis”, Murray Bodo, OFM)

Professions

The fraternity council is pleased to confirm that Kathleen Swift will be professed at the Saturday evening Mass during the fraternity’s annual retreat.  Fr. Brian MacDougall, Diocesan Administrator for the Diocese of Charlottetown, will preside. 

​Please join in giving thanks for this special moment of grace and love as we celebrate the decision of these two women to commit themselves permanently to living the Gospel life in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. – (Submitted by Tom Wilkinson)

Having received the request from Lucia Gray of St. John’s NL to be permanently professed, and having completed the required interview and deliberation, the fraternity council is pleased to announce, with much joy, the decision to accept Lucia’s request to be permanently professed as a member of the Secular Franciscan Order.  Lucia has made temporary profession twice and has fulfilled all the formation and necessary requirements.  The exact date of Lucia’s profession will be confirmed at a later date.  Congratulations Lucia!

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