Jim Hein, Archbishop Flynn and Sister Ramona Miller � Important people for the weekend
This is Part I of a multi-part article.
Click here for Part II, Part
III or Part IV
The Queen of Peace Regional Fraternity gathered for a Jubilee Celebration over the weekend of September 29 to October 1. More than ninety people participated. Eighty-eight came for the entire weekend. Others come only for the day on Saturday.
This celebration was a model for all gatherings of Secular Franciscans. It included prayer, ongoing formation, business and socializing. These are the elements common to every gathering of Secular Franciscans, whether at the monthly fraternity gathering or in the kitchen for coffee. Of course, the mix varies depending on the purpose of the gathering. This Jubilee gathering was very light on business and had about equal parts of prayer, formation and socializing.
Jim Hein, Archbishop Flynn and Sister Ramona Miller � Important people for the
weekend
While many people had many parts in the weekend, Sister Ramona Miller of the Franciscan Sisters of Rochester was the glue that held it all together. In four talks and a closing anointing service, Sister Ramona built on the theme, Rebuild My Church. The theme progressed as follows:
Friday night
Rebuild My Church
Saturday Morning
Intimacy: Building a Healthy Society
Early Saturday Afternoon
Ecology: Building a Healthy Cosmos
Later Saturday Afternoon
Youth: Building a Future Church
Over the next few months I hope to share with you some of what I experienced and learned over this weekend. May it help all of us to build a better fraternity. Please note, that this is my experience of the weekend, not necessarily what really happened or was taught. Sister Ramona is in not responsible for any of the weird ideas you are about to read!
Members of the newly established San Damiano Fraternity in Marshalltown Iowa
pose with their fraternity banner
Rebuild My Church. Francis prayed before the crucifix in San Damiano, "Most high and glorious God, bring light to the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, certain hop, and perfect charity. Lord, give me insight and wisdom so I might always discern Your holy and true will." This prayer is recommended by the National Formation Commission as a formation prayer. You will find it recommended elsewhere in this newsletter for us to pray October 16 through November 16 in preparation for our Jubilee Pilgrimage. Francis prayed and Christ responded, "Rebuild My Church."
Sister Ramona pointed out that modern scholars lean to Repair My House as a better English translation. The House of God is the people. Our call, like Francis� before us, is to build up the people of God, to rebuild the Church.
Posing in front of the Christ the King statue in front of the retreat house
You may notice that this same theme was repeated by Brother Pat during his reflection on October 4. Brother Pat pointed out that Francis mission to Rebuild My Church had multiple facets. One was the rebuilding of the church of San Damiano. Another was the rebuilding of God�s dwelling within Francis. Through these a third rebuilding took place, the repair of the house of God, his people.
Sister had a visual aid, a set of Russian nesting dolls. There were four dolls in the set. These dolls represented the process of repairing the house of God. The process starts from the inside and works out.
The innermost doll represents the individual. We must start with ourselves. Each of us must come to accept our self as we are before God. We must accept the love God has for us.
The second doll represents our base community. This may be our family, our fraternity or another community where we live out our life on the most basic level. When this community is functioning properly, we can be very open within it. Those within this community are the ones who love us most and accept us, even with the faults they despise. This is where we can grow in holiness and be supported in our growth.
The third doll represents the Church. Our growth in holiness and perfection strengthens the Church. We are further nourished by the Church community, but mostly the Church grows through what we bring from inside ourselves and our base communities.
The fourth doll represents the global community. As Secular Franciscans we are called to bring Christ to this global community. The support we have received empowers and guides us. We can be leaven for world.
These are the four communities of the House of God that need to be repaired. They need to function properly if the good news of the kingdom of God is to be successfully proclaimed. In our lives.
