Franciscans of Reconciliation

The concept of formation is not strictly restricted to the Religious Life.  One goes through a formation when entering a fraternity as a pledge, or enters into a new profession as an intern, or goes through an orientation to a new job.  Formation is that period when one is introduced into any new way of life.

For the Franciscans, as in most residential communities, traditionally the formation period would include a postulant period when the new member spends living with the community as an introduction to the community’s way of life.  After a period of time the new member enters the novitiate where they enter into a more intense training in the community’s life, and then the period of temporary vows leading to solemn vows.

The Franciscans of Reconciliation are not a residential community.  We live in our own homes, pursue professions, and have spouses, partners and families that we are involved with.  But as members of a community of men and women desiring to follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi and his sister St. Clare, we find that formation must take on another structure that becomes a truly personal pursuit rather then a structured endeavor under the continual observation of older members of the community.

Before anyone enters a religious community, there is some element of that particular way of life that appeals to the individual.  The charism particular to the Order is what the new member is attracted to and in many ways has been part of the person’s spirituality already. It is then the personal decision to follow the “call” which one believes is of God.

Formation for the OFR community

The guiding principle of Franciscan formation is a personal encounter with the Lord, and begins with a call from God and one’s desire to follow St. Francis in the footsteps of the poor and crucified Christ. We hold that the formation of the OFR community member then, based on this guiding principle, takes on, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, a responsibility to accept and make his/her own all the values of Franciscan life.  In this process the individual make their own decisions and exercises their own personal initiative.

Franciscan charism

The formation for a Franciscan is an ongoing process, not only for the new member, but for all the members of the Order.  Looking at the Constitution of our brothers and sisters of the Third Order, the Order of Penitence, they refer to penitence in the understanding of the Old Testament which renders the word to mean conversion.  In the Christian sense conversion is a life long endeavor of turning from a life of sinfulness to a life in God.

Along with the call to conversion, Franciscan formation must also embrace prayerfulness, simplicity of life, humility, holding sacred all of Creation as God’s gift, and a life that strives for social justice and peace.  This formation process must also be holistic, that is, it must involve the total person, mind, body, and spirit, thereby enabling the person to be integrated positive member in social and community life.

Franciscan formation is seen as a journey.  During this time, the sister or brother endeavors to inculcate the fundamental aspects of Franciscan Spirituality into their daily lives leading to a deeper sense prayerfulness and contemplation.  During this journey, the individual is supported and encouraged by their sisters and brothers who journey along with them.

This period of formation for the Franciscan must also respond to the conditions of life in which it finds itself.  It must adjust to the environment and the time in which it is carried out.  In doing so, the Franciscan way of life opens itself to new forms of life and service to the poor and needy in the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus.

Individuals who are seeking entrance into the Order should attach themselves to a local house of the Order.  In the case that there is no local house near by, the individual will communicate and establish an open ongoing dialogue with a professed member in what ever house is nearest.  In this case, it would be beneficial that there are several persons who would be interested in the Order so a “community” could be formed to support each other in the formation process and gather together for discussion, prayer and community.

The length of formal formation is determined by the local community the candidate is attached to or the Director of Formation and the individual candidate.  The timeline would run something like three to six months for the new member to get to know the community followed by a year novitiate after which the brother or sister is invited to make a temporary commitment to the community.  After a suitable period of time the individual is then invited to make a life commitment in the Order.

As in anything this is “a work in progress”.  Each member of the Order must commit themselves to the continuing work of conversion and so become examples to others around them.  As our name reflects, we are call to be Reconcilers between brother and sister, humankind and God’s gift we call Nature, and between ourselves and God.  St. Francis told those gathered around him on the eve of his death, “I have done my part.  May Christ teach you to do yours”.  May we take these words to heart and earnestly walk in the footsteps of Francis in following the poor and crucified Christ and thus become instruments of God’s Peace.