“And after the Lord gave me some brothers, no one showed me what I had to do, but the Most High Himself revealed to me that I should live according to the pattern of the Holy Gospel.” (The Testament - Francis of Assisi - The Saint - Vol I - Page 125)
“The rule and life of the Secular Franciscans is this: to observe the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ by following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who made Christ the inspiration and the center of his life with God and people. Christ, the gift of the Father's love, is the way to him, the truth into which the Holy Spirit leads us, and the life which he has come to give abundantly. Secular Franciscans should devote themselves especially to careful reading of the gospel, going from gospel to life and life to the gospel.” (OFS Rule Article 4)
All Franciscans have a close relationship with Scripture in general and the Gospels in particular. As Secular Franciscans we are called to show that the gospel can be lived in the world.
In “Come and See,” by Fr. Lester Bach, OFM Cap, and Theresa Baker, OFS, we are set on the path to “go from gospel to life and life to the gospel.” (See page 9 of Come and See)
We are gospel people and the Sacred Scriptures are vital to our lives. Since we desire to implement the Gospel, we have to know the Gospel. Bible knowledge does not come magically. It takes work. We expect such work from Secular Franciscans. We are NOT fundamentalists who can quote chapter and verse. Instead, we show the implications of the Gospel by the way we live.
Our goal is not to be intellectual biblical scholars but people who practice what we learn from the Bible. We avoid using the Bible as a club to judge and punish others or win arguments. It is not an exercise to see how many texts we can memorize. That is not our way. We will never exhaust the full meaning of Scripture. Hence our lifelong commitment is to continue the journey of learning and applying the Gospel in daily life.
A number of things are required of Secular Franciscans in relation to the Bible:
- Our guidebook is the Bible – we use it!
- Jesus and his words have special value to us. We listen to him.
- In fraternal gatherings we share insights and reflections for implementing the Gospel in everyday life.
- When we are puzzled about texts, we seek competent help.
- We avoid fundamentalist attitudes that limit the power of Scripture.
- We work to deepen our understanding of Scripture.
- We avoid attitudes that use Scripture to condemn others or identify them as non-salvageable.
- The circle of our love must never become narrow. We seek to include rather than exclude people.
- We use Scripture for prayer as well as study, letting its power touch us and soak into our lives.”
For discussion or to comment on in your journal:
- Why was Scripture so important to St. Francis?
- In what ways do you apply the gospels to your life?
- How has Sacred Scripture helped you in your efforts to achieve daily conversion?
- Discuss with your formator or formation team ways in which your fraternity can work together to become more familiar with Scripture.
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