BECOME A BROTHER
"The lord pope. . .saw in a dream the Lateran basilica almost ready to fall down. A religious man, small and scorned, was propping it up with his own bent back so it would not fall. “I'm sure,” he said, “he is the one who will hold up Christ’s Church by what he does and what he teaches!”. . .Visiting towns and villages, Francis began, with authority now granted him, to preach passionately and to scatter seeds of virtue."
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From The Remembrance of the Desire of a Soul by Thomas of Celano Chapter XI
BECOME A BROTHER
Do you think God may be calling you to explore a Franciscan vocation? Are you looking for a life where you can dedicate yourself to prayer and contemplation alongside a serious commitment to serve those on the margins of society? Are you looking to follow Jesus incarnationally, as the hands and feet of God in the world today? Do you wish to grow in faith by following the Gospel after the pattern of the little poor man of Assisi? Here are some initial thoughts on beginning to discern a vocation with SSF.
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A Letter to Leo
Brother Leo . . .I advise you thus: In whatever way it seems better to you to please the Lord God and to follow in his footprints and poverty, you may do it with the blessing of the Lord God and my obedience. And if it is necessary for you for your soul for some consolation to you, and you want to come back to me, come.
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St. Francis 1224-1226
POINTS TO PONDER
Forever, right now? Many of the stories of Francis seem to describe a dramatic moment when he gave up everything and immediately set to an entirely new life. Read together, though, they show that even for Francis, discerning this radical new way was a long process. While a sudden flash of certainty it is an inspiring idea, its probably not how most of us experience discernment. There is, of course, no magic way to know right now what you are called to for the rest of your life. And no one in SSF will ask you to!
How will I know? While there is much prayer and study that can inform discernment into a vocation as a Franciscan Brother, the proof (as the saying goes) is in the pudding. Discernment happens in stages, and in community. When men come to join us, we speak of them as "testing a vocation." You will only know if this calling is the right one for you by living in it.
What if it isn't right? There is a standing joke in our community about an elderly Brother who used to say "another Novice has come to test our vocation!" While cheeky, it is also true. Every new Brother makes us a new community, and together we strive to discern the right way forward. Some men come to us for a very brief time, and know the fit is not right. Some men stay for a while, and then feel a call elsewhere. Some stay for many years, but even then we find the way forward is not together. Some stay forever, and grow old and enter glory surrounded by their Brothers. It is vitally important to realize that all of those vocations are successful. We are grateful for every man who comes to test with us. Whatever time we have together is God's gift to us, and our opportunity to be gifts to one another. We are changed by every man who comes to us.
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