A Perfect Day in Portland: Everything from Zen to Zeno (and a few things in between)

Portland, Oregon, that is. Home to our House of Welcome and Discernment/ Casa de Bienvenida y Discernimiento and of our postulancy program as well. This past week, we welcomed two students to our House of Welcome, and four member of our nine-month postulancy program. Both programs, which operate independently and in different sites, are intended to assist men in their discernment and preparation for Franciscan life.



First stop (photos above and immediately below), our postulancy house, the House of the Transfiguration. For more than 25 years, the friars of the St. Barbara Province have welcomed men to the beautiful city of Portland as their initial point of entry in Franciscan life. The program has operated in various locations over time. After nearly two decades in northeast Portland, the postulancy has moved across town to the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows to take up residence in the former convent.



Postulants (above, l to r ) Mike Minton (Oakland, California), Ryan Thornton (Monrovia, California), Jose-Antonio Merida (Oakland, California), and Phillip Polk (San Carlos, Arizona) have been in Portland for a week now and seem to be settling in well in their new digs. They are embarking on a nine-month period of residential discernment which will finish in June, 2009. At that point, should they decide to continue with their formation in Franciscan life, they will move on to the next stage-- novitiate-- at Old Mission San Miguel, California.



But wait a minute; I'm getting ahead of myself! This year, under the leadership of their director, Brother Robert Rodrigues, as well as assistant director, Fr. John de Paemelaere (better known as John D.), our new postulant brothers will be experiencing the daily horarium (routine) of Franciscan living: morning prayer and Eucharist, breakfast, work assignments out of the home, meal preparation and dinner, prayer, and evening classes. The work assignments take the form of part-time employment (up to 20 hours per week). Also, the men pay a nominal rent each month to help support the community. The classes take the form of various subject areas: Franciscan life and spirituality, Catholicism 101, human sexuality, communications, Catholic social teaching, the meaning of the vows, and the like. Weekends and discretionary free time are devoted to volunteer ministry.



Brother Robert and Father John De serve as guides and mentors during the year. In addition to the 'core curriculum' of the postulancy program, each man has his own program of personal development to pursue during the year. We recognize that each man is a unique individual, and our task is to assist him in his growth as a human being, as a Catholic Christian, and as one who is actively and seriously discerning a call to Franciscan life. To that end, each postulant will have his own personal spiritual director, with whom he will meet on a monthly basis. In addition, he may have a variety of personal activities to explore, including one on one counseling opportunities, 12-step recovery work (e.g., Al-Anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics), etc. Also, every man has a companion friar-- an older friar outside of his formation program who can assist and accompany him through his year.



Oh yeah, don't let me forget that being a Franciscan means you're allowed (and encouraged!) to have fun, too! Hence, the crowd on the steps of the House of Welcome, just a 15-minute drive from the postulancy community. The HOWD is a special program established to assist men of immigrant backgrounds who are in discernment with the community. The House of Welcome is especially geared to assist men in the acquisition of English language skills and in their acculturation to life in the United States.

Brother Balbino (Freddy) Rodriguez, himself a native of El Salvador, is director of the program, and is assisted by Fr. Larry Gosselin, in residence. Under Brother Freddy's direction, men are invited to live at the House of Welcome while studying English on a full-time basis. Depending upon their preparation and ability, men may study at a local community college and/ or nearby Mount Angel Seminary, operated by the Benedictine Order. Room and board, tuition costs, and transportation are underwritten by scholarships from the Province of St. Barbara. In accordance with United States immigration law, we can accept only candidates with appropriate documentation to this program. Residence can vary from 1-3 years, depending upon the needs of the candidate. Upon successful completion of the program, men may advance to postulancy. To date, we have had a number of successful candidates who have passed through the House of Welcome. This year we welcome Juan-Jose Juarequi of Zacatecas, Mexico, and Oakland, Calfornia. We also welcome Sung Wook (Zeno) Im from Seoul, Korea, and Glendale, California.



Back to the 'fun' part. On the day these photos were taken (Thursday, September 6), both the postulants and the students from the House of Welcome gathered for an an afternoon outing. After demolishing three extra-large pizzas at Portland's celebrated Flying Pie Pizza Company, we headed on across town to the hillside Japanese Garden.





So, here is the Zen garden-- as viewed by our House of Welcome brother, Zeno (Sung Wook) Im. Hence, Zen and Zeno meet.



... along with Zeno's classmate, Juan-Jose Juaregui...



... AND Father Larry...



... AND Brother Freddy, with Tito the sweet and gentle, shoe and sandal eating monster mascot of the House of Welcome!



Let's keep all of our new brothers in prayer as they embark on this important, grace-filled time in their lives and in the life of our community. Each brings such wonderful gifts to share with us and with God's people. Welcome, Brothers!

From the Apache Nation to the Franciscan Friars: Welcome to Postulancy, Phillip Polk!

Today, September 1, is Labor Day in the United States-- the unofficial end of summer and, in many areas, the official start of the school year. For the Franciscan friars of the St. Barbara Province, it is traditionally the first day of our postulancy program in Portland, Oregon. Every fall, men who have successfully passed through the hurdles of preliminary discernment and application begin their experience in community living. It is a big day and a big step for each of these men. And for the community as well.

This year, four men will enter our postulancy, the House of the Transfiguration, directed by Brother Robert Rodrigues, with assistance provided by Fr. John dePaemalaere. The four—Mike Minton, Jose Antonio Merida, Ryan Thornton, and Phillip Polk—come from a variety of backgrounds and life experience. I made it a point to visit one of our them—Phillip Polk— at his home on the day before he was to leave for Portland.



Phillip, aged 26, is a Native American and member of the San Carlos Apache Nation in southeastern Arizona. The Apache people have lived in this region for more than a millennium. Following incorporation into what is now the United States in the nineteenth century, a number of Apache bands were gathered into a 1.8 million acre reservation about a two-hour drive from either Phoenix or Tucson. The Franciscans have been present in San Carlos since 1918. Fr. Gino Piccoli, ofm, is pastor, and a group of religious sisters representing several different communities staff the parish school. The people have tremendous faith and hope, yet they struggle with all the problems of any urban setting: poverty, crime, drugs, and domestic violence.

I was privileged to be present for Phillip’s sendoff as family and friends gathered for Eucharist at St. Charles Parish on Sunday morning (August 31). Fr. Gino Piccoli, announced to the congregation that 18 young people from San Carlos were leaving the reservation this fall for school and job training programs in other parts of Arizona (Thatcher, Globe, Tucson, Tempe) and the United States (Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Colorado). There are insufficient opportunities for higher education or technical training on the reservation.


The tribe’s medicine man, Hart Preston, was present to impart the community’s blessing with traditional eagle feathers and sage smoke upon each of the young people or their family representatives. It was a moment mixed with hope and pride, as well as some sadness as young people leave both family and tribe—at least temporarily-- to further their career goals.



Phillip Polk was one of the eighteen young people so honored by the community. It was a special moment for his Apache family and for ourselves, his new, additional family of Franciscan friars. Phillip is a poised, thoughtful, and focused young man: “I am attracted to the Franciscans,” he reports, “because of the combination of traditional (American Indian) values I was taught as a kid and the values of the Order. I’ve seen how the Franciscans live with these values and try to live what they preach. I know they have their troubles, too, but they have a support system, a feeling of family that I like.” Phillip knows firsthand about family support: he has been the primary caregivers for his grandparents, Sadie and Clark “Spike” Kniffin, both in their late 80s. Both his grandparents, as well as his mom, Tina, and brother and sister Jeffrey and Cedar, were on hand for the celebration, as were many other family members and friends.





Although the Franciscans have been active among the Native peoples for nearly a century, Phillip is the first Apache man to enter our community’s formation program.



Yes, such occasions are a time of quiet pride for all of us, but we also try to keep the celebration low-key at the same time. Like every entering postulant, Phillip is coming to the Franciscans to try out, to prove his vocation. It is not a celebration of his temporary or solemn profession. That part comes much later. We try to be very careful not to burden our new brothers with unreasonable expectations in the early stages of their adaptation (or “formation”) to religious life. The nine-month postulancy program is a time of continuing discernment, part of an ongoing process. Contrary to some people’s perceptions, leaving during or after postulancy is not a sign of a failed vocation. In many cases, it is the sign of a successful discernment, an indication that both the candidate and the community have decided that continuing would not be a good ‘fit’ for either party.



Taking a cue from the day’s Gospel (Matthew 16), Father Gino talked about the need for each of us to take up our cross and follow Jesus, regardless of the career/ vocational path we have taken. In my comments before blessing Phillip, I tried to stress that the cross we take up is also a sign of love and, eventually, a sign of victory. Phillip then took six small San Damiano (Franciscan) crosses to give to family and friends as a sign of his affection and concern.



We welcome Phillip and all of our new postulant-brothers. And we congratulate as well all of the young people from San Carlos who have had to overcome so many challenges in order to realize their dreams. We keep them all in prayer as we celebrate their faith, passion and courage!//

The Priestly Ordination of Martín Ibarra ofm: You DID IT, Brother!

Felicidades al Padre Martín José Ibarra de Luna, ofm, on the occasion of his priestly ordination Saturday, August 23, 2008, at the parish of St. Elizabeth, Oakland, California! In the presence of his parents, Antonio Ibarra and Inés la Luna, along with a congregation composed of about 800 family members, friends, parishioners and Franciscan friars of the Province of St. Barbara, our brother Martín was received into the presbyterate.


The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Bishop of Oakland presided over the bilingual solemn Eucharistic celebration in the presence of The Very Reverend Melvin A. Jurisich, ofm, our Provincial Minister, and approximately 70 friars. A blended choir composed of musicians from Phoenix, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and the Bay Area, was directed by Fr. Vince Mesi, ofm. It was a perfect day for an ordination.


In his homily remarks, delivered principally in Spanish, Bishop Vigneron spoke in a special way about the true compatibility between the vocation of Franciscan friar and that of priestly ministry. He reminded the jubilant congregation that the service of the Friar Minor, the “little brother”, is to be a reflection of the presence and healing ministry of the poor Jesus. At the conclusion of the Mass, Fr. Mel remarked that it was now time for Martín to “get to work!” and announced—to thunderous applause-- his appointment as parochial vicar to the parish of St. Elizabeth.


Following the morning liturgy, worshippers poured into the school gym across the street for a fiesta luncheon buffet and the chance to congratulate Padre Martín and to receive his priestly blessing. Performances by various musicians—hence, the mariachis, ‘las viejitas’, and Aztec and Mayan/Guatemalan dancers—underscored the multicultural nature of the celebration and the deep joy and love of the people in this large and primarily Latino parish.



Los mariachis, las marimbas, y la gente Maya. Los kimonos, los Aztecas, y las Viejitas. Ay, Dios mío, que más?!


The day’s festivities were a source of deep and sweet satisfaction for our brother Martín, age 38. As Fr. Mel mentioned in his remarks, this ordination day had been no less than 16 years in the making. A native of Aguascalientes, Mexico, Martín emigrated to the United States in his youth, and entered the Franciscan formation program in his early twenties.


As for many of our Latino brothers, the challenges of Franciscan formation were made more intense and frequently stressful by the additional tasks of English language acquisition and acculturation. With characteristic passion, enthusiasm, and determination--- “Brothers, let’s DO IT!!”—Martín has been able to overcome these and many other hurdles along the way in the realization of his twin vocations to Franciscan and priestly life.


Prior to completing his Masters in Divinity (M.Div.) degree at the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, Martín received his undergraduate degree in Anthropology at Arizona State University. His sensitivity to culture is reflected in Martín’s own immersion experiences: he spent two years as a student friar in Guatemala, including an entire year among the indigenous Mayan people of the notorious Ixil Triangle in that struggling country’s imperiled highlands.


Other experiences of inculturation include stays at our missions in Mexico and studies in the Philippines. Early on, Martín has identified himself with issues of peace and justice in this country—the care of the poor, marginalized, and dispossessed—especially in his most recent work with undocumented day laborers through the Multicultural Institute in Berkeley, California (founded and directed by Friar Rigoberto Caloca-Rivas).

The sense, in Martín’s life, of struggle encountered and overcome was reflected even in the preparation for his ordination day itself. His parents had applied for—and, initially, had been refused—a visa to enter the United States in order to be present at Martín’s ordination. Through the wonderful help of some true “angels”, they were—amazingly—able to obtain permission at the last minute.


We congratulate our brother Martín and we celebrate with him the wonderful gift and work of God’s Holy Spirit in his life as a friar and in his ministry. And we support our brother (as he does us) in his challenges ahead. “You DID IT, Brother!”//
PS: Thanks to Friars Nghia Phan, Luis-Alberto Guzman and Adrian Peelo for their wonderful help with photos. ct

Greetings from our Meetings!

Summertime! And the meeting's not easy.
Anyone who enters a religious community learns very quickly that meetings— from the level of the local house (or fraternity) to that of the entire Order internationally—are an essential part of our lifestyle. I don’t know what I was thinking when I joined the friars myself; I had no realistic idea of how things actually functioned organizationally. Somehow I just assumed that everyone pitched in and all the work got taken care of. Well, I quickly learned that it’s a bit more complicated and demanding than that.

We Franciscans are not especially bureaucratic, but we still have fundamental structures in place which are dictated by our Rule and Constitutions. Amazingly, these structures have helped to hold things together for nearly eight hundred years now, so we must be doing something right.


Initially, St. Francis would call for a meeting (or, the technical term, “chapter”) of friars in spring, at the time of Pentecost. These would be occasions in which the friars would discuss both the spiritual needs and aims of the Order as well as its practical necessities. One meeting / chapter in particular stands out in our history: the celebrated Chapter of Mats in May, 1221. At this particular meeting, the Order (which began with just a dozen men in 1209) had blossomed into an international community of more than 5,000 members! Friars camped out around the little church of Our Lady of the Angels—better known as the Portiuncula—and constructed little huts nearby. Hence the term “mats”. At this historic gathering, the friars approved the first Rule (called ‘non bullata’ because it did not receive the papal ‘bull’ or seal of approval. That had to wait until a revised version was approved in 1226). Also, the friars decided to send a missionary expedition to Germany for the first time.

Since the time of Francis and Clare, the term ‘chapter of mats’ has been used to describe a full range of meetings for the friars, held to foster fraternal bonds or to conduct business, or both. Last year, for example, the Order held an international “Chapter of Mats” in the Holy Land for more than 200 ‘young’ friars from around the world who have been solemnly professed for fewer than ten years.



Meetings are also held on regional, national and international levels. For example, I just attended a meeting in Colorado of friars who are involved in vocations and formation programs from around the English-speaking world. It gave us the chance to get to know each other better, to share our experiences and ideas, and to plan future collaborative endeavors together. It was hard work, but there was still time for a hike in the nearby Rockies!



Most of our gatherings are much more mundane, but nonetheless important to our life as a community. Local fraternities will gather, often on a monthly basis, for a house chapter to discuss everything from the spiritual life of the community to needed household repairs. We will also schedule a periodic day of recollection—a local gathering for prayer, Eucharist, and meditation. In our province, friars from each of our four regions will gather twice a year for several days of meeting. And on special occasions, such as our recent convocation on evangelization (Old Mission Santa Barbara, California, January 2008), friars will spend nearly a week together to pray, discuss, and just ‘be’ with each other.



The Franciscan ‘world’ is divided into more than 115 more or less geographical units, called “provinces.” Ours is the Province of St. Barbara, which covers six states in the Western United States as well as several far-flung mission commitments from Peru to Kazakhstan. Our official provincial gatherings (or ‘chapters’) takes place on every three years. Right now, we are planning for Chapter 2009, to be held at Old Mission San Luis Rey, California (January 4-9). The agenda will be crowded: we are voting for new provincial leadership, discussing the important issues of evangelization (and possible restructuring), the role of the laity in our shared ministries, the care of our elder friars, and even the hot-button issue of immigration. We expect that more than 150 friars will attend the week-long session, which will also mark the 800th anniversary of the Rule of St. Francis and include a special visit by our Minister General Jose Carballo, ofm. Meetings about this are taking place as I write!



So, you see, meetings are our life blood, even if they aren’t everybody’s cup of tea (pardon the wacky metaphor). Yes, they can be at turns tedious, frustrating, contentious, boring, and exhausting. But they can also be productive, rewarding and even fun at times.




Meetings are the arena where our best (and sometimes, even most lame) ideas get presented, discussed, and given more tangible form. When we gather like this, we always do so as brothers. And something good and special most always seems to happen when the brothers gather, no matter what. Ultimately, just as Francis and our earliest confreres, we come together trusting in the presence, light, and guidance of the Spirit in and through each other. Pax et bonum!//

Celebrating St. Clare of Assisi

Today (August 11), members of the Franciscan family throughout the world celebrate the life and witness of Clare of Assisi (1193-1253). Along with Francis, she can be rightly considered as cofounder of the movement for spiritual renewal which bears his name. Though she called herself, “La Piantacella” or “the little plant” of Francis, Clare-- by dint of her deep prayer life, keen insight, and strong will -- was no less important to the development of Franciscan spirituality than Francis himself. Contemporary reflection and scholarship, fired by the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, have only served to enhance and highlight her important and lasting contribution.

The oldest of the three children of Ortulana and Favarone di Offreduccio. Clare was born to the Assisi aristocracy, while Francis belonged to the emerging, but still politically frustrated bourgeoisie. In the civil war between these two competing power blocs, Clare’s family was actually forced into exile in nearby Perugia. Ironically, it was in a later conflict with Perugia that Francis first entered into battle and was captured as prisoner of war.



Though of different class and caste, Francis and Clare nevertheless met and became acquainted with each other in Assisi. Twelve years her senior, Francis had just begun public ministry following his initial conversion. Clare was drawn to his message and to the ideal he proposed of living the Gospel life by following in the footsteps of Jesus. He became her spiritual director and guide, and encouraged her to realize her own vocation. Shortly after Palm Sunday in the year 1212, Clare left the protective confines of Assisi to be received into religious life by Francis himself at the little church of San Damiano outside the city’s walls. From there, she was escorted to a nearby monastery of Benedictine nuns and then lived in a number of other houses for women religious until she was eventually able to establish her own community—again, at San Damiano.



Like Francis, Clare suffered initially from her family’s outrage at her decision to embrace a religious calling. The men in her extended family tried, by force, to retrieve her, but she adamantly refused. In time, they relented, and eventually one of her sisters was to join her in community. In medieval Europe, it was well-nigh impossible for a woman, let alone a vowed religious one, to live outside the protective custody of either her family or cloister. Clare, then, was forced to find a way to live the Gospel life within the constraints of the monastic structure. And she did exactly that. For forty years she served as abbess at San Damiano and as foundress of the community of women known in her own time as the Poor Ladies (and, after her canonization, as the Order of St. Clare). By the end of her life (in fact, quite literally just before her death), Clare was able to see her Rule accepted by the Church. In this singular achievement, otherwise unheard of in the medieval world, Clare became the first woman to write her own Rule for religious life.



What was so significant about this Rule? It mandated that the sisters should live in poverty, without the security of the various endowments and benefices which otherwise ensured the existence and continuity of monastic life. Just as the friars did “in the world”, the followers of St. Clare were to live sine proprio, “without anything of one’s own”, albeit within the context of the cloistered enclosure. In addition, the sisters were to live an essentially egalitarian life, with no special ranks or privileges—an unheard of innovation in monastic life. The abbess was to be considered the servant of her sisters.

In terms of their spirituality, Clare and her sisters departed from traditional monastic thinking as well. As the Franciscan scholar Ilia Delio writes, “Whereas the monastic ascent is marked by a Neoplatonic structure in which the material world is transcended in pursuit of spiritual perfection, Clare emphasized the Incarnation as the starting point of union with God.”. . . . “This emphasis on encountering God incarnate in relationship—as brother or sister—was and remains a significant departure from the traditional monastic ideal." (Clare of Assisi: Heart Full of Love, pp. xiv ff). From the obscurity of her cloister in San Damiano, Clare was sparking a spiritual revolution whose effects are experienced even to this day..



As Poor Clare Sister Clare Andre Gagliardi writes in her essay on the 750th anniversary of Clare (St. Anthony Messenger, August, 2003), “ (her)) entire life was lived in trust of the God whom she knew loved her. She needed little material wealth because she trusted that God would care for all her physical needs. God never let her down. It takes deep faith to live so, but anyone who has tried to live dependent on God learns quickly the joy of simplicity. . . . Contemplative living was Clare's reason for living simply. One needs to be poor to have the space to meet God. Clare, by her way of life, witnessed to others the one thing necessary and found herself united with all people in sharing her need for and reliance on God.”

Sister Clare writes further: “Clare learned that embracing the cross opens one totally to God, who keeps teaching the depths of love. This union with God unites neighbors. Our suffering becomes one with that of others. Together, we learn the compassion and love mirrored by Jesus. . . Our own struggle with sinfulness teaches patience and forgiveness as we encounter the mistakes and failures of others. Conversion is the only route to transformation. Poverty frees and enables Christians to face the cross. In experiencing the cross, we—like Clare—are transformed.”



Francis and Clare enjoyed a shifting and developing relationship throughout their lives: initially he was her mentor and spiritual director. But over time, those roles changed significantly, with Clare offering spiritual counsel to Francis and and the friars, and eventually providing for his physical care in his protracted illness. Francis died at age 47; Clare was to outlive him by more than a quarter century. During that time, by her presence and prayer, she served as a vital center of gravity for the burgeoning Franciscan movement, especially as it continued to experience its institutional growing pains.

Today, we honor and give thanks for the life and example of our sister and spiritual mother, Clare of Assisi, and all of our Franciscan sisters. And we give thanks especially for our sisters the Poor Clares. Their powerful witness of prayer, service, simplicity of life, and dedication of the Gospel lies at the very heart of the vocation we share.



Quotes from St. Clare of Assisi:

"The soul of a faithful person is greater than heaven itself, since the heavens and the rest of creation can not contain the creator and only the faithful soul is God's dwelling place and throne. As the glorious Virgin of Virgins carried Jesus materially, so we too, by following in her footprints, especially those of poverty and humility, can without a doubt, always carry Him spiritually in our chaste and virginal bodies, holding the one by whom all things are held together, possessing that which in comparison with the other transitory possessions of the world, we will possess more securely." (Third Letter to Agnes of Prague)

“What you hold may you always hold. What you do may you always do and never abandon. But with swift pace and light step and unswerving feet, so that even your steps stir up no dust, go forward securely, joyfully, and swiftly on the path of prudent happiness. May you believe nothing, agree with nothing that would take you from this resolution, or put a stumbling block for you in the way. so that you may offer your vows to the Most High in pursuit of the perfection to which the Spirit of God has called you.”
Clare’s blessing….


Gaze upon Christ,
consider Christ,
contemplate Christ,
as you desire to imitate Christ.
Second Letter to Agnes of Prague (c.1235)

Breviaries? What good are Breviaries?

“Good morning, Brothers. Today we celebrate the dedication of St. Mary Major in Rome. We will take the common of the Blessed Virgin starting on page 1732 in the one-volume. Psalms and canticles from Sunday, Week I, starting on page 707. The opening hymn is No. 162, “Hail, Holy Queen”. And we will recite the Benedictus in Spanish…. Please stand….”

Okaaaay... Well, welcome to morning prayer in a typical Franciscan community anywhere in North America. Twice a day, the friars gather to pray the Liturgy of the Hours (formerly known as the Divine Office) together. In doing so, we join our collective prayer with that of the universal Church.

The prayerbook we pray from is called a “breviary” (pronounced BREEVuree) As you may have already guessed, it is meant to be a ‘brief’ or ‘condensed’ collection of the psalms, canticles, readings from Scriptures, and hymns used in daily communal worship. Tradiitionally, this type of worship was restricted to religious communities, but now it is more frequently experienced and enjoyed by laypeople as well. The selection of specific prayers may vary day to day (hence, the complicated football plays at the start of this article) due to various celebrations and liturgical seasons. But there is an overall rhythm to the sequence of prayers and, once you get the hang of it, it begins to serve as a consistent background and foundation to individual and collective worship.

The Liturgy of the Hours has its inspiration and remote origins in the Temple worship of the Jews in Jerusalem—morning and evening prayers which at first accompanied ritual sacrifice, and then later served as a de facto substitute for that sacrifice. In the Christian tradition, the Liturgy of the Hours continues that spirit of dedication to daily and even unceasing prayer, most especially in the context of monastic life. Originally, monks would pray all 150 psalms of David every single day. But in the interests of practicality, the chanting of the psalms eventually spread out over the course of a single week, particularly in the Benedictine tradition.

With the rise of the mendicant orders (Franciscans, Dominicans, etc.) in the thirteenth century in the West, the recitation/ chanting of the Divine Office became even more “brief.” Itinerant friars could not spare the time to pray all of the nine liturgical “hours” that tradition required. They were and are busy (sometimes too busy) people. Consequently, the recitation of psalms in the monastic weekly cycle eventually gave way to the current four-week cycle. The breviary adopted and adapted by the Franciscans was that of the Pope’s own court, or Curia, and eventually became the standard for all “apostolic” communities (i.e., those involved in active ministry). Its present form dates from the reforms of Vatican II, implemented in 1974.



So what good are ‘breviaries’? Well, Francis of Assisi put a great deal of stock in them (literally). In our Rule, Francis wrote: “Let the clerical (brothers) recite the Divine Office according to the rite of the holy Roman Church excepting the psalter, for which reason they may have breviaries.” (RB,III:1). In the time of Francis and Clare and before the invention of the printing press, breviaries were precious, one-of-a-kind objects. Francis would never have permitted the friars to possess such expensive prayerbooks unless he believed that a more important spiritual value was at stake. And he was right!

For Franciscans today, the recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours from our breviaries forms the background music of community worship and life. Twice a day, if at all possible, we try to get together to pray. Community prayer brings us together, shapes and molds us spiritually, reminds us who we are and whose we are, and strengthens the bonds of connection between and among us. We could not have survived and flourished for eight hundred years without it.



Of course, the experience of the Liturgy of the Hours recited from the breviary will vary from house to house. So much depends upon the unity and ‘spirit of devotion’ of each particular fraternity. Some places the friars put tremendous energy and passion into communal prayer; other places, the brothers just seem to drone and drag on forever. Welcome to community life! We ain’t in heaven yet, kiddo. But the important thing is that, inspite of ups and downs and in-betweens, we do pray. We have this steady flow of brother-beside-brother praying through which the Lord continues to knit our lives together.

“Like a deer that longs for flowing water, so my soul longs for you, my God.”…. “Oh God, you are my God, for you I long.”….. “Have mercy, O God, have mercy. In your compassion, blot out my offense. Truly I have sinned against you….” Snatches of poetic meter wend and weave their way in and through our individual and collective thoughts, prayers, and longings throughout the day. Over time, they provide us with a rich collective vocabulary in prayer. Poetic, yes; but not limited to poetry. The psalms are tough and sinewy; strong and durable as well. They not only affect us, but they serve to form us as well. It’s the persistence of commitment and effort over time rather than any aesthetic intention which give the psalms, part of the God’s own Living Word, such power and presence.



If you would like to start to pray the Liturgy of the Hours on your own, I can recommend a great starter volume: Shorter Christian Prayer (Catholic Book Publishing) is a slim and handy tome which contains the fundamentals: the complete texts of Morning and Evening Prayer for the entire year. If, in time, you feel ready to enter into the complexities of shifting proper and seasonal readings, then you can graduate to the one-volume Litury of the Hours (also available through Catholic Book Publishing Co.). Either edition will put you in good stead. There is also a special breviary with an adapted Franciscan supplement, and a fancy-schmanzy four-volume set as well. But keep it simple. In this case, you really don’t need all the extra smells and bells.

Where and if at all possible, I would highly recommend finding a way where you can pray the Liturgy of the Hours with others. Some religious communities will gather together in their parish churches to pray on a regular basis with laypeople (we usually don’t because we have such varying work schedules). Or you can find a prayer group which makes its recitation a central part of its purpose.

Either way, becoming acquainted with the Liturgy of the Hours through the breviary is well worth it. It gives us, individually and collectively, a wonderful opportunity to enter into the power and beauty of the Word. What good are breviaries? Well, I happen to think they’re pretty darn good, through and through. //

The Transfiguration: A Meditation by Cardinal Martini on Mount Tabor

August 6, 2008. The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. A little more than a year ago, (June 30 – July 8, 2007), I was part of an international group of more than 200 “young” friars—those in solemn profession for under ten years-- who gathered in the Holy Land as pilgrims. This special meeting, or “chapter of mats” as it is called in Franciscan parlance, was to prepare for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the Rule of St. Francis in 2009.



As part of that event, we moved from site to site to observe, study, pray, and experience as brothers the lands of the Bible. On July 5, 2007, we were privileged to spend an entire day on Mount Tabor, a venue which tradition associates with the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. At that time, we received a special conference from Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, retired Jesuit cardinal archbishop of Milan and internationally respected Scripture scholar. At 81, the Cardinal was in fragile health—he suffers from Parkinson’s disease-- yet in surprisingly full voice as shared his reflections. Speaking in Italian (roving translators whispered his remarks to various clusters of friars), he told that he had been coming to Mount Tabor for the past twenty years to spend his annual retreat. He demonsrated an intimate knowledge of the place, and he recited relevant Scriptural passages from memory:



“Jesus, when you came to this mountain, what were You praying? What was your meditation about? The Gospel says nothing. Maybe you don’t want us to know. Maybe You were meditating without a topic. Or, if there was a theme, it may have been about the Kingdom of God, so central to your ministry. All three synoptic Gospels tell about the event, especially Luke 9:27. You spoke about the Kingdom of God, not just for your own time but for all time. Because the Kingdom of God manifests the fullness of all time and of eternity.

I will recite the passage in Luke by heart. I prefer to rely upon my memory since I have read and prayed and meditated upon it so many times here. The Gospels do not mention any specific mountain. Where is it? Well, it could be Mount Tabor. Jesus: his garments are so white, so brilliant. So peaceful. He is shown in the fullness, in the plenitude of his Glory. But Jesus is not by himself. Moses and Elijah are there. There are not (standing) in silence. What are they speaking about? Things that have changed the course of history? Peter says something stupid. Maybe it is winter, so he is thinking tents would be better….

This story is not just for us to contemplate. Rather, we need to grasp the consequences of it for our lives and in today’s world. The cloud comes. It represents our fear. Then the Father speaks about the Son: “This is my beloved Son… listen to him.” This is the central theme of the story. Our methodology here is that of lectio divina. Part I: we read the text. Part II: We question the message.



Part I: We read the text. We look at the central fact of this event, the glorification of Jesus. The Kingdom of God is anticipated by the disciples. It is a Kingdom not just for now, but for all time. It is the ultimate: (the) God of all in all. At this time in my life, I am on the waiting list. I face the end of my time. And the end of time itself. (In this Gospel passage) we experience the dream of God: a diverse and united family given to the Father. This is the vision which strengthens us: the fullness of the manifestation of God as Absolute Truth manifested in us. I refer to St. Paul when he says, “I count all of my sufferings as nothing…” We have to have this definitive vision and call.



Jesus, why did You appear with Moses and Elijah? Why not with Abraham or someone else from the Old Testament? Why didn’t you just appear in your glory all by yourself? Why these figures from the Old Testament? Jesus is incomprehensible without the Old Testament. He was loved, admired, and appreciated by his people. He is a Jew, the son of Mary. He is part of a tradition still alive in this country. If we want to understand Jesus fully, we must understand Him in the context of his culture.

Why Moses? Moses understood the Law as the Word of God written down to be lived… The Torah is about service, a way of conducting one’s life. In order to live fully, we must adopt certain values, have a certain discipline and order in our lives. For example, I go to bed at exactly the same time every night. Today, with cell phones and computers, it is so important for us to put order into our lives.

Why Eijah? Elijah is the prophet of surprises. According to Moses, God is in observance. In Elijah, God is the God of surprises. We should not be afraid of new things in our lives. They are a manifestation of the Kingdom.

What did Moses and Elijah speak to Jesus about? They spoke about the Exodus, the freedom from slavery for the Jews. The return to their own land. (This speaks to us of) the exodus of Jesus to Jerusalem (Luke 13, 3 ff). The prophet must die in Jerusalem! Jerusalem is the end and object of your pilgrimage. And for me too, now, at the end of my life. There is a red line through all of history which leads to Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem and opens the world to the light of God. Never forget Jerusalem!

Peter and his companions are there. (we experience) their superficiality. Peter speaks about what is so beautiful. He is speaking about aesthetics, but aesthetics are not enough. Like us, Peter is afraid of silence, of coming closer to God. He is so afraid of silence. How do we speak to God at such a time? Peter is invited to come closer.



Part II: Question the message. Jesus, you ask us not to be worried about success. With my life I want to show that You are right. I want to follow You just as Francis followed You.

In your contemplation, here are some suggestions for your prayer: Remember the importance of the big picture, the larger vision and perspective. (cf. Hebrews 11, 27ff). We need to learn to walk with God without seeing. We need to remember that there is a sense to everything we do—even in the most insignificant things we don’t even like doing.

Prayer transfigures us (with Jesus). If we are to pray in the proper way, we must be prepared and attentive. Sit in silence, adoration, and humility. Prayer will change your heart and your face will be brilliant with light. Take the example of Moses and the Torah. Learn quickly to give order to your life—eat, read, study in accord with Jesus, linked with His presence in the world. Put yourself before Jesus: Jesus, you are right. I want to do Your Will."

St. Francis, pray for us. All the saints in heaven, pray for us.//