FOUNDATION • Trusting in the Father, Christ chose for himself and his mother a poor and humble life, even though he valued created things attentively and lovingly. Let the Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs. Let them be mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children.

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• Thus, in the spirit of “the Beatitudes,” and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the home of the Father, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.

• Rule, Art. 11

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THE BEATITUDES AND THE SFO

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice;

they shall be satisfied.

33

JUSTICE

Let them individually and collectively be in the forefront in promoting justice by the testimony of their human lives and their courageous initiatives. Especially in the field of public life, they should make definite choices in harmony with their faith.

Rule, Art. 15

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JUSTICE

Two basic needs:– Food– Drink

Compare Israelites in the desert with people today

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JUSTICE

Israelites:Israelites:– Complained about lack of foodComplained about lack of food– God gave them bread – mannaGod gave them bread – manna– Told them not to store it upTold them not to store it up

Today:Today:– Affluent societyAffluent society– Always want moreAlways want more

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JUSTICE

Israelites:Israelites:– Kept the manna for “control”Kept the manna for “control”– By morning it was wormy and By morning it was wormy and

rottenrotten Jesus:Jesus:

– Do not lay up for yourselves an Do not lay up for yourselves an earthly treasure. (Mattl 6:19-21)earthly treasure. (Mattl 6:19-21)

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JUSTICE

Israelites: Israelites: – Complained of thirstComplained of thirst– God gave them endless waterGod gave them endless water– Asked if God was thereAsked if God was there

Today: Today: – We ask “is God here?” We ask “is God here?”

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OUR RULE

United by their vocation as “brothers and sisters of penance,” and motivated by the dynamic power of the Gospel, let them conform their thoughts and deeds to those of Christ by means of that radical interior change which the gospel itself calls “conversion.”

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OUR RULE

Human frailty makes it necessary that this conversion be carried out daily.

On this road to renewal the sacrament of reconciliation is the privileged sign of the Father’s mercy and the source of grace.

Rule art. 7

1010

CONVERSION

5 facets of conversion: Affective Intellectual Moral Religious Socio-political

1111

CONVERSION

Affective:

Emotional

Ex: Evangelical “altar call”

1212

CONVERSION

Intellectual

Involves: seeing, experiencing, understanding, judging, deciding

Study

Change of mind

Often leads to becoming agnostic or aetheist

1313

CONVERSION

Moral

Change of value system

Personal change: from self-love to love of others

1414

CONVERSIONReligious

Requires divine initiative

Challenges us to re-examine our values and habits in 4 areas

emotional

thought

conscience

society

1515

CONVERSION

Socio-political

A change in how we look at human rights

Commitment to work for reform

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What are concepts of “justice” that you have seen in others?

2. What are ways in which people try to achieve “justice”?

3. What do YOU believe about justice, and how do you act out that belief?

4. Discuss the 5 conversion types and examine where you are as to each of them.

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