Hello hello hello what I want to do is spend a little time on La and feral Lai what language is that Italian right Italian and what is the title of L what’s the Canticle creatures right so Pope Francis took the Italian name of the Canticle of creatures for the title for his document
Here and of course the title itself is taken from St Francis not just in in the eny but the title itself which is a cue of what this eny is going to be about and as I mentioned earlier Mission protect our fragile world and that’s La
Toi but before looking at that text of latoi I want to look at I mean the text of the um encyclical of lat let’s look at L itself okay U some of you I’m presuming would know this at least I certainly hope so um some may not know it
But this is francis’s song his poem his prayer near the end of his life and actually when he was blind and he’s praising all the beauty of Creation in his blindness which is astounding okay and so what we have here is this beautiful poem and I’m going to walk
Through it just so you have a context because without this we don’t know where Pope Francis is coming from in that encyclical so he publishes uh basically the entire not totally but basically the entire canle of preaches in the text of the encyclical and as far as from what I’ve
Read that’s the first time the history of the Church of Pope has quoted laosy in its entirety in a Papal document again somewhat significant which means Franciscan vision is being incorporated into the magisterium of the church so this not just a passing fad here this goes into the m
Of the tradition of the church so notice I’m just going to walk through that real quickly with you most high we’ve heard before haven’t we when he was starting most high and glorious God here he is 20 some years later and how’s he addressing God most
High so most high all powerful good Lord and then we hit the theme of what this is all about yours are the Praises the glory and the honor and all blessing yours are the Praises the glory Glory the honor all blessing to you alone most high do they belong that is namely
Praises glory and honor and no human is worthy to mention your name the god is so high above us and all praise and glory is due to him however he goes on and Praises anyway so he starts out this very first line praise be you my Lord with all your
Creatures we don’t praise God Alone we can only praise God with all of what God has given us with all creatures so that is really saying to praise God we’ve got to be connected to all his creatures or we’re not really praising God we’re praising ourselves if
It’s just us so and then he goes on and he mentions creatures sir brother son you give us light beautiful radiant with great Splendor Bears a likeness of view most high and notice that he’s addressing brother son as bearing a likeness of God as a Sacrament as a sign of the very
Life of God think about that he sees the sun is the image of God and God revealing godself in that light of the sun who is the day through whom you give us light and he is beautiful and radiant with great Splendor bears the likeness of you most high
One and then he goes sister moon and the stars in heaven you form them clear and Precious and Beautiful so in these first two brother son sister moon and the stars it’s it’s with all the whole Cosmos with all the heavens he wouldn’t have known about that recent telescope that lot of see
What good number of years years light years away you know um the whole Cosmos the Sun the uh moon and the stars and the stars out there are infinite practically so we praise God with all his creatures which means with the cosmos itself what is in the heavens he
Makes That explicit and notice how he even is sensitive um sister Moon and brother Sun notice the adjectives he used for brother Sun beautiful radiant great Splendor sister Moon clear Precious and Beautiful even the adjectives that he uses to describe the sun and the moon are masculine and feminine so there’s a
Sensitivity here basically even in um looking at the heavens and All Creatures a sensitivity to the different natures and he experienced some as masculine some as feminine which comes out in the adjectives there and then he goes on then he’s going to address uh wind whom you get every kind of weather
Give sustenance to your creature without air airs are sub sustenance we cannot sustain ourselves you give sustenance to your creatures water useful humble precious and Chase very beautiful way he describes water so we have wind water and fire whom you light through the night brother fire beautiful playful robust and
Strong brother sister mother earth who sustains governance who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs who sustains us and produces the various fruits with color all that nourishes us sister mother earth and so it alternates brother sister brother sister in the way he’s doing this and those four
Elements beginning with with the wind um the the wind the water the fire and the Earth in the medieval mind those were the four basic elements of what exists Francis didn’t know about DNA and molecules and I don’t know much about that either but nevertheless with these different
Elements chosen he’s he’s through that through the very structure of all that is is is somehow composing the medieval mind of those four elements the four basic ele and those four B basic elements of creation itself that means all of all of Creation The Cosmos and all that is all that is
Created praise be you my lord and it’s with all of them that we praise God in other words we got to be re rooted in in creation itself and appreciating that and caring for that that if we’re truly going to be praised be you my lord um so then he adds sister bodily
Death death is a part of being a creature creatures are not infinite creatures have beginning and end huh so death is part of what it is to be a creature so therefore we praise the Lord through sister death itself because the second death then can do us
No harm which what’s means the second death that means that Mor our mortality our second death presuming we’ve already died to ourselves but we’ve gone beyond ourselves therefore if we’ve died to ourselves because we going Beyond ourselves sister death can do us no harm and blessed are those whom death
Will find in your most holy will we talked about that a lot this morning in francis’s prayer prayer so it comes out again here in this canle of your most holy will that I may carry out your holy and true command you know from the beginning here in your most holy will
Praise and bless my Lord and give him thanks um and serve him with great humility what am I missing here whoops there it is after the four elements which all of reality I skipped over the most important one those who give pardon for your love and bear infirmity and
Tribulation and those blessed are those who endure in peace we know what Francis says about pardon if we cannot forgive make us forgive make us forgive so that we truly can be forgiven so here again those who Grant pardon for your love not just for myself and bear infirmity tribulation and enduring in
Peace maintaining peace because that is the gospel message even if we are suffering enduring peace so all of this Pope Francis uses to call us to call the church um to praise God basically with all creatures and then he goes in what does that mean concretely practically given the actual situation
We’re in we have to start with that reality start look at exactly what the situation is as best we can see and discern and it’s that context out of which we begin that discernment so I just wanted to mention this whole Canal lat to see so you know
Where the title comes from and what’s behind the title is that whole wonderful canle there’s some really wonderful literature on on the Canticle creatures which I wouldn’t go into here with this for our purposes this evening but what this Lal see done it’s another example where Pope Francis hold up holds
Up St Francis as Exemplar and teacher and explicitly incorporates his Canon to the church now let me just draw some practical points that for my read of the encyclical I think are important next one do we have a next one no okay Pope Francis writes again I thought
I we put that up there I guess I didn’t a text he explicitly mentions St Francis he’s giving credit to where his inspiration comes from he and Pope Francis writes St Francis of AIA reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a
Beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace you Embrace Us Praise be you my lord through our sister mother earth who sustains and governs us and who produces various fruit with colored flowers that’s beautiful the way he writes remind our common home which is the earth he uses that expression it’s
Our common home a home we share is like a sister with whom we share our life in a beautiful mother beautiful Insight then he goes to the reality and he adds this sister mother earth now cries out to us because of the harm we inflict on her by our irresponsible use
And abuse of the goods with which God has empowered her the earth now cries out to us why because we come to see ourselves as her Lord Lords and Masters entitled to plunder at will so the violence present in our hearts wounded by sin is reflected in
The symptoms of sickness evident in the soil the water the air and on all forms of life he’s making the connection the violence present in our hearts wounded by sin is reflected in these symptoms which cause which which the Earth is suffering and he’s he’s really blunt that’s why the Earth herself burdened
And laid waste is among the most abandoned and mistreated of our poor we have forgotten that we ourselves our dust of the earth and our very bodies are made up of her elements we breathe her air we receive life refreshment from our Waters so I believe that St fr Francis is the
Example par excellance for the vulnerable of an vulnerability and of an intrical ecology lived out joyfully just as happens when we fall in love with someone wherever he would gaze of the Sun the moon or the smallest of animals he burst into song He communed with all creation and
Even preaching to the flowers inviting them to praise the Lord and he mentioned that’s why Francis felt called to care for all that exist francisan mission is to care for the fragile Earth and for all Prim All Peoples this mission is primarily a mission of brother and sisterly
Love he quotes again for this reason St Francis felt called to care and he says to Foster bonds of affection is a form of contemplation listen to that to Foster bonds of affection for the Earth for all God’s creatures is a form of contemplation to see deeper into the
Reality of the other upon which we gaze he even quotes St Bonaventure Pope Francis and he quotes Bonaventure by saying from a reflection of the primary source of all things he would call creatures no matter how small by the name of brother sister that’s St bonent you’re talking from a reflection on the
Primary source of all things the source of all things are reflected in what God has done abusing that is abusing the very source and the generosity that provided them for us truly offense against God so the pope is saying here the whole church needs Franciscan spirituality of Brotherhood and Sisterhood and he
Indicates the Franciscan terorism is urgent not nice kind of nice you know kind of beautiful ham bird baths and everything no he says it’s urgent and then he’s he quotes the Canticle again that we just quoted praise be you my lord through sister water who’s very useful humble precious and chaste
And then the Pope’s a realist one particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor every day unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water related diseases that’s true happening right as we speak results in many death unsafe water
I know know I’ve been in Africa myself a number of times I’ve seen it and praise be you Lord through our sister Earth that produces flowers and herbs and again Pope says yes but each year sees The Disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know which our
Children will never see because they’ve been lost forever and because of us thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence distance nor convey their message to us that’s heavy any admits he says generally most of us are not too in interested in what does immediately affect
Us but remaining blind to the needs and reality around us will suffocate us which means he’s saying we need to know what’s going on we need to be informed or we got willful ignorance and then we can’t contribute a thing so and he sites you know it’s there are
Number of reasons for this little awareness and he goes on about those so little awareness Among Us and he says do in partly not totally but in partly to the fact that many professionals opinion makers Communications media centers of Power are located in affen urban areas
Far removed from the PO so they don’t know what the hell is going on and they don’t want to know which means we don’t know even if we want to and he especially through his climate change affects the livelihood of the poor when I was in Africa uh visiting um the Friars in
Luaka um which is um that college that we were talked about there was tension in the air because the rains didn’t come when scheduled and you could just feel the tension in the air what’s this mean they don’t come most of these people die uh or forced to leave their homes
And you know what that causes great uncertainty so you could you could kind of feel that in the air uh there there was some tension even among the one of one fire from my Province who’s still there spent 50 years in Zambia um even he was was concerned when they didn’t
Come but before I left they did come and so there was a great great relief but they’re concerned so and the Pope laments that given these many problems he says without appropriate International structures effective to address them the pope calls all of us especially franciscans to ponder engage Embrace and
Promote this the Magnificent expression the hymn of St Francis that we just read and we know the candle creatures we just looked at it’s based in the biblical tradition the Earth is the Lord’s psalm 24 to him belongs the Earth with all that’s within it Deuteronomy the land shall not be sold
In perpetu for the land is mine and you are strangers and sojourners with me Jesus asked about the sparrow sold for two pennies so he concludes this letter of ly B basically making two points he calls for what is a new term ecological conversion I’ve heard of the call for the
Conversion he’s calling for an ecological conversion that is we work as cooperator with God in the work of creation and if not we provoke a rebellion on the part of Nature and basically he says and as this canaco concludes praise be you my lord through all who give pardon For Your
Love blessed are those who endure in peace he repeats again there’s an interconnection between natural systems harmony with the Earth and social systems Harmony among peoples and among peoples forgiveness is the key to each and every relationship because only in mutual forgiveness is their peace not in the buildup of more and
More arms which is happening horrendously as we speak all over the world so what is new in this encyclical where he talks about an ecological conversion he says that means part of that is an integral ecology that sees the connection between poison human relationships and our relationships with nature he defines integral ecclesial
Ecology in this way integral e ecology he says seeks comprehensive Solutions which consider the interactions with natural systems themselves and with our social systems the natural systems themselves with our social systems we’re faced not with two separate crisis but one environmental and the other and the other social but rather with one complex
Crisis you can’t separate those so he says and I’m quoting him strategies for a solution demand an integrated approaches approach to combating Poverty restoring dignity to the excluded and at the same time promoting nature so for this notion of integral ecology that connection Francis writes that all of us
And he writes this letter to every human being on the planet not to Catholics to every human being on the planet he writes all we need is ecological conversion whereby the effects of our encounter with Jesus become evident in our relationship with around us and with the
World and he says as he concludes this in terms of a missionary context is to be Protectors of God’s handiwork and he says That’s essential to a life of virtue especially for Franciscan who are to show the way from small ways to Big ways and he says recalling the words in
Life of St Francis we come to realize that a healthy relationship with creation is fundamental Al dimension of overall personal conversion which entails a recognition of our errors faults failures but hopefully leads to repentance and desire to change pretty strong stuff and who else in the world is looking this looking
This in the eye and proclaiming it I know of no other leader on the planet that does what he does and he’s not afraid of it and he’s CRI besides he doesn’t care he’s calling the way he sees it God L him for that but he concludes this in cycal here with
A prayer two prayers one for Christians and one for those who are not Christians and I want to conclude with the one he wrote for those who are non-christians it’s it’s beautiful and I think captures even a little better what’s in the encyclical the next one the prayer
Oh I didn’t I thought it was I saw got confused sorry let’s pray this together why don’t you stand up and let’s pray this together stand up everybody let’s just take a moment first let’s pray god of love show us our in this world all the creatures they mayid s that they may The this world live the Earth are crying out SE us with your power and help us to protect all lifeare for better future for the coming of your kingdom justice peace love and beauty praise be to you amen okay I’ll look at forell toi with you at least how much time do I
Have okay this is about human fraternity and again he takes the title from St Francis and this is are the first two words of admonition 7 in which Francis writes a series of admonitions to the friers actually those admonitions at least some Scholars are saying Francis wrote to fill in the
Whole gos of the rule 1223 because that was a Pap document and not everything got in there that he wanted so admonitions address some of those issues so admonition 7 it calls the brothers to keep their eye on the Good Shepherd to to uh to care for the flock
And he’s saying that all the brothers whoops all the brothers are to do that and so he takes that title from admonition 7 and capturing what he wants to do he’s already talked about care for fragile Earth now the care for Human family because that has to be addressed
Too to address the other one so he had to complete what he stedy to address human relationships and he calls this basically on um what’s the word social friendship Brotherhood and social friendship so now he’s setting about how do we repair our human fraternity across the globe like Francis who crossed the lines
To meet with the Sultan of Egypt who was the enemy of all of Western Christianity and Fran is against the opposition of the whole of Europe including the general the Cardinal who was the general leading the Christian Army uh to attack the sarasin in Egypt Francis went there to try to stop
That and to announce peace and so he gets there and of course the Cardinal there is not very happy when he shows up and was get he he was getting Francis was getting nowhere with him so he asked he wanted to go see the sultan which which is going across Enemy
Lines you know pretty complicated even those years um anyhow they work that out and uh so in a time of violence power struggles for influence that’s what we’re all about influence St Francis opened his heart to his brother the Sultan of Egypt and so basically Pope Francis
Refers to that example as he calls us to do the to Value fraternity and friendship across all boundaries distances and divisions and actually the beginnings of this text began not in Rome but in Abu Dhabi the United Emirates that’s where this text was actually born in Abu
Dhabi when Pope Francis was visiting the grand Iman now I don’t know the status of that Iman I can’t pronounce his name Alma Al yabb They Met together far away from from Rome not in a Christian context at all and together he and the Imam produced a document called human fraternity for world
Peace and they wrote this document in 1219 and I was not aware of it till some of the friar at our Retreat Center say we have to do something on this docent human fatality human fraternity I said what’s that because I wasn’t aware and then I learned about Abu Dhabi what happened
There and basically they write a document in which they proclaim the Muslims of the East and the West together with the Catholic church and the Catholics of the East and West declare the adoption of a culture of dialogue as the path Mutual coop operation as the code of conduct
Reciprocal understanding as the method and the standard and they send that to all persons of Goodwill but then in this context this context explains what he goes into a culture of dialogue and I think these these next two slides get to the heart of Abu Dhabi
Um written together with the IM and the the authentic teaching of religions so he’s speaking not as a Christian here but of religions invite us to remain rooted in the values of peace to defend the values of mutual understanding human fraternity and harmonious coexistence is every religion teaches
That so to reestablish wisdom Justice and love and to reawaken religious awareness among young people so that future Generations may be protected from the realm of materialistic thinking and from dangerous policies of unbridled greed and indifference that are based on the law of force and not on the force of law that text
Captures basically the heart of the message I believe and in these same um lines he referred to Pope Francis I mean pop Pope St Francis when he’s speaking here about about Ferell notice what he’s saying from the Thematic of Abu Dhabi he writes the saint of fraternal love
Simplicity and joy who inspired me to write the encyclical L prompts me once more to devote this new encyclical to fraternity and social friendship Francis felt himself a brother to the Sun the Sea and the wind yet he knew he was even closer to those of his own
Flesh the Sea and the wind even closer to his own flesh that’s in the opening lines of fertell toti and I said as inspired from that meeting with the Imam in Abu Dhabi so Francis himself felt that and he admits that Francis inspired him for ly and the same saint of fraternal love
Inspires him for Fel Duty so he’s taking those two dimensions of U of Francis and he talks about that in Ferell he talks about his visit in with the Francis for the Sultan in Egypt Francis continues Pope Francis we are impressed he writes that some 800 years
Ago St Francis urged that all forms of hostility or conflict be avoid it and that a humble and fraternal subjection be shown to those who did not share his faith no wonder that when the pope signed this document you you know where he signed it right where it became official
Teaching once he put his signature to it do you know where he did that Francis H the tomb of at the tomb of St Francis he went all the way to a Cy down into the Crypt of the Basilica where St Francis is buried and there he
Had a simple Mass with just a few people and at that time on that altar the text was placed there and he officially signed for telly how much closer and how much more dramatic and clear can it be what he’s trying to get across to us they’re right connecting with Francis
Right here that’s what he means today in today’s reality not bird bath St Francis in today’s reality that is the Francis that we are called to be let lead us guide us as we deal with our own world today so that is that’s that’s overwhelming and Francis in francis’s
Writings we find the same thing Francis admonishes his brothers in this way for love of him the brothers must make themselves vulnerable to their enemies both visible and invisible ible because the Lord says whoever loses his life because of me will save it holding on to power and Prestige are not the way
To seow peace and we know how St Francis wrote in the early at least I say Francis and his brothers about their mission to Muslims in the early rule listen what he says we have that slide there yeah great this captures exactly what po Francis is
Doing as for the brothers who go they can live spiritually among the sarasin that’s a medieval term in uh in Latin or in Italian for for Muslim and non-believers in two ways one way is not to engage in arguments or disputes but rather to be subject to every human creature for God’s
Sake to go and be subject that’s in a humble heart not better than above than be subject and to acknowledge their Christians the other way is to announce the word of God when they seese that it might please God but the first step in any
Mission to serve the human race is to be subject to the other we talk about humility it’s not poor me it’s actually in a relationship to be humble to be subject to that opens the heart so they’re not to go to the sarasin as though they were better than
Them but they’re to live among them and learn from them there was Mother she’s a poor was she God L she died a few years ago was Mother Veronica she was French Algerian and she was called she was a poor clar nun in Algeria she was French actually French speaking French nationality but
She joined the claes in Algeria and then she got a call and she was abis there she got a call from the congregation of religious asking her to go to luaka in Zambia to become the abis there because that that that Community was in trouble founded by American nuns
But they weren’t able to connect well in the whole context of African culture and it wasn’t working so she UPS goes one condition though that she had at least a year or maybe more simply to be exha strated and to live in a village with other
Women and she did that for a year and a half what to be subject to them to learn and what she learned in that experience of concrete going to the Africa not to tell them how to do things and run a monastery but first learn what it is simply to be subject to
Them and she was incredibly successful that Monastery flourishes today after she’s gone so what Pope Francis is doing here is basically affirming a global vision of human fraternity a global vision of human fraternity we don’t set up limits and so the fraternity of our Franciscan life is not
Just to be contained among the brothers and sisters within our specific religious community yes but it’s not only that and Pope Francis caught that I sometimes tell my Franciscan Brothers maybe I’m being a little protective here I don’t know but I’d like to need a bit I said you know our
Specific provinces of friaries or friaries or forers are not meant to be our prisons they’re meant to send us out as that is discerned fraternity is our life but it’s only our life if fraternity is our mission so that’s why pope then when he takes a look at Ferell to he writes my
Desire is that the seed of Francis planted May grow in the hearts of many my desire the seed of St Francis that’s planted in our hearts might grow in the hearts of many and he says this in the context of a global vision of the Human
Family so this is all in terms of the initial part where he’s setting forth his uh his vision and again these four times he’s referring to St Francis and he’s when he reflects on that he sees he’s very concerned he writes he sees clouds over a closed world one group dominates over another
Or tries to dominate over another political systems regress in what grows is profit-based economic powers that continue to exploit Mother Earth culture of indifference affects The Unborn to disable the elderly pervasive social violence spreads through the economy politics and media precious resources are wasted expanding on more powerful arms ordered for the total
Destruction of life and property he indicates this reality somewhat overwhelming but Pope francis’s hope through consciously intentionally fostering broader Global fraternity and social friendships and so FR St Francis cons concurs he encourages his brothers I quote not to quarrel among themselves or with others but strive to respond humbly I am a useless
Servant because only humility can build the fraternity and then he asked the questions we have to decide whether we’re going to be the Good Samaritan or an innocent by didn’t different bystand or does he encourage us to open ourselves to the world that love grows beyond family and
Nation to include strangers and all people into a friendship worth where every person is recognized so he concludes that by saying all human connections are to be consciously cultivated and he includes in that fraternity includes the universal destination of all Goods because God creation belongs to all of us
Which reminds us of admonition five nothing belongs to you you cannot boast in none of the things you have possessions close us up in a small world so he calls for engagement of an open world cultural exchanges new cultures brought by immigrants embracing them but he speaks of a fraternal
Gratuitousness which includes concern for other nations and so he says we need to pay attention to the global to avoid narrowness and to look to the local to keep our feet on the ground so he speaks of the global fraternity and the local fraternity on every relationship he urges one
Thing against pettiness and resentment of useless infighting and constant confrontation all that does is separate us so he looks for a better kind of politic politics which is truly at the service of the common good and he says avoid policies that Foster greater individualism increased freedom for the
Powerful at the expense of the powerless and the United Nations needs teeth so the family of Nations can acquire real change and greater fraternity is acquired and when he uphold High principles and think of the long-term common good of all of us on the planet so the last three chapters he
Goes into what is a culture of encounter it’s the opposite of feverish exchange of opinions or monologues such increases um misunderstandings so he’s just looks at the reality and then he refers to Francis and comes back and what he’s saying in this one section towards the end St Francis is quoted
Comes in again St Francis told his Friars whoever comes to them Friend or Foe thief or robber let him be received with kindness whoever let him be received with kindness that’s mercy and that’s Universal fraternity I remember being in struck when Pope Francis went to Israel and he
Took along with him a Jewish rabbi un remember that or not like when he went to to um Congo he took the Archbishop of canterburry and the president of the Church of Scotland so he’s set an example here by when he does what he
Does and how he does it well how when he first went to Israel and the Jewish rabbi accompanied him on the plane back he was asked um by a reporter that’s when he really speaks bluntly you know when he’s on a plane speaking to reporters there
He’s free you know and so he asked uh how is it your Holiness that you brought a Jewish rabbi with you on this trip and Pope said don’t you have any friends that’s all he said that’s what his response don’t you have any friends that captures a lot
Um and so when we talked about this in uh I think it was in saralk yeah well the sisters ask wor D correct me Dereck sisters ask she said okay that’s wonderful but what can we do concretely you know something very concrete that we can do I said start inviting people you
Don’t know to dinner that’ll start that’s a start and then know our friaries are beginning to do that more and more um we’ve always tried to invite to dinner diois and priests in the area uh as a min Ministry to them but also expanding that more where they the FR
They they have a nice big soup kitchen they eat with them in the soup kitchen at least twice a week in in other words rub shoulders I once took a group of my students who were the Little Sisters of the Poor St Mother Teresa’s um
Sisters and they have in St Louis in a very poor area they have a soup kitchen there and um so I made the arrangements and they were in my class and I took them they were all prepared to get in the kitchen rolled up their sleeves you
Know no you get in line with these people and go in and have lunch that’s what you do that’s why we’re here and um well they were somewhat taken really yeah you know so I said you young ladies sit with the ladies over there and you guys go over here with
These men and um wow that really touched them and then also you you know I have to tell you this story because uh it was a little bit of a risk but I did it anyway it was in a class and um these were seniors they’re older undergrads
And in the North St Louis there just a lot of prostitutes on the street and some kid said um was making some comment about a very negative way and asked me what I thought I said I don’t know I said you know let’s invite a couple to class and we can ask
Them and we did and they came well they won’t forget that class and neither will those ladies who came huh what it was it was human connection and that’s what I think the pope is telling us and I also tell the first human connection if you’re going
To have Global fraternity you know guys you got to learn another language because if you don’t learn another language you’re always one step apart you know what they call someone who speaks three languages what do he call someone trilingual bilingual what someone who speaks two language and what bilingual no someone who speaks
Only one language an American that’s unfortunately true unfortunately true trying to change that among the Friars now my last comment I’m going to prayer but I want to say what I said earlier in 2020 the first Christmas after the publication of this there was a letter written by the ministers General the
First order and the structure the abses of the second order and then in terms of secular order in Fr the third order you know numbers who had important positions in those in those structures they all wrote a letter together um which was nice they did that they that took some effort effort you
Know and it just jumped out of me when they said basically we have to read fatel to through St through Pope Francis as coming directly from Francis himself to us today that’s a pretty strong statement so we ask questions about Franciscan spirituality huh we got it on
On a plate in front of us put right in front of our face we need to take that if we’re going to develop in francisan life how do we impart this today in view of the realities that we as a global family have to deal with so with that let’s conclude with
The prayer that’s the end of this together Lord father of our human family you created all human beings equal in dignity put forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit and Inspire in us a dream of renewed encounter dialogue Justice and peace move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world a
World without hunger poverty violence and War May our hearts be open to all people and nations of the earth may we recognize the goodness and beauty that you have sown in each of us and thus Forge bonds of unity common projects and sharing dreams amen thank you all very much it’s SC
Late I still made it by 9:30 okay just on time thanks Wayne um firstly we are Beggars so if you would like to leave something for the use of the facilities and also those typ for for the wi uh Caroline has a bag I think it’s better
It’s easier if we can at the door as you exit uh if you’d like to drop something um a Caroline will be there at the door um this is also an opportunity to introduce to you the secular Franciscan order it’s an order it’s not a social club um and we’ve got four fraternities
Here can the secular please put up your hands just wave so these are the secular franciscans um so we have got quite a number of them uh jenet is our national Minister and um we also have a lot of friers here so if those of you are thinking about a Franciscan vocation
Priers put up your hands and Gerald H over there with the cly Willy hair he is the vocation promoter here for Singapore and you got a lot of students here in the Friars um feel free to speak to any one of us uh poor CLA is our contemplative second
Order you’ve heard of the kamite nuns we have our own equivalent uh that’s the poor CLA so if you want to find out more just also speak to the friers we’ve got fmdm sisters our fmm sisters here as well so just speak to us if you’re interested in joining any of our
Franciscan family just come and connect so thank you for being here this evening it’s lovely to see you and um we’d like to thank also the cites um I I saw father Edward here just now um so just thank the cites and also thank the seculars for organizing this whole event
Shall we give them a round of applause wonderful thank you so much and let’s thank Halloween again so hope to see you tomorrow evening or tomorrow morning tomorrow morning we’ll be at St Clair Hall at the Angels 9:30 we’ll be touching on the Holy Spirit and latest research in
Frisan world and an evening here will be on sacraments uh especially the Eucharist see you tonight uh tomorrow and have a good night and have a good journey home God bless
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